Handy Andy, Volume One | Page 3

and was too deep for Andy
to ford at that season, he went round by Dinny Dowling's mill, where a
small wooden bridge crossed the stream.
Here he thought he might as well secure the assistance of Paudeen, the
miller's son, to help him in catching the horse; so he looked about the
place until he found him, and telling him the errand on which he was
going, said, "If you like to come wid me, we can both have a ride." This
was temptation sufficient for Paudeen, and the boys proceeded together
to the bottom, and they were not long in securing the horse. When they
had got the halter over his head, "Now," said Andy, "give me a lift on
him;" and accordingly, by Paudeen's catching Andy's left foot in both
his hands clasped together in the fashion of a stirrup, he hoisted his
friend on the horse's back; and as soon as he was secure there, Master
Paudeen, by the aid of Andy's hand, contrived to scramble up after him;
upon which Andy applied his heel to the horse's side with many
vigorous kicks, and crying "hurrup!" at the same time, endeavoured to
stimulate Owny's steed into something of a pace as he turned his head
towards the mill.
"Sure arn't you going to crass the river?" said Paudeen.

"No, I'm going to lave you at home."
"Oh, I'd rather go up to Owny's, and it's the shortest way acrass the
river."
"Yes, but I don't like."
"Is it afeared that you are?" said Paudeen.
"Not I, indeed!" said Andy; though it was really the fact, for the width
of the stream startled him, "but Owny told me to take grate care o' the
baste, and I'm loath to wet his feet."
"Go 'long wid you, you fool! what harm would it do him? Sure he's
neither sugar nor salt, that he'd melt."
"Well, I won't anyhow," said Andy, who by this time had got the horse
into a good high trot, that shook every word of argument out of
Paudeen's body; besides, it was as much as the boys could do to keep
their seats on Owny's Bucephalus, who was not long in reaching the
miller's bridge. Here voice and halter were employed to pull him in,
that he might cross the narrow wooden structure at a quiet pace. But
whether his double load had given him the idea of double exertion, or
that the pair of legs on each side sticking into his flanks (and perhaps
the horse was ticklish) made him go the faster, we know not; but the
horse charged the bridge as if an Enniskilliner were on his back, and an
enemy before him; and in two minutes his hoofs clattered like thunder
on the bridge, that did not bend beneath him. No, it did not bend, but it
broke; proving the falsehood of the boast, "I may break, but I won't
bend;" for, after all, the really strong may bend, and be as strong as
ever: it is the unsound that has only the seeming of strength, which
breaks at last when it resists too long.
Surprising was the spin the young equestrians took over the ears of the
horse, enough to make all the artists of Astley's envious; and plump
they went into the river, where each formed his own ring, and executed
some comical "scenes in the circle," which were suddenly changed to
evolutions on the "flying cord" that Dinny Dowling threw to the

performers, which became suddenly converted into a "tight rope" as he
dragged the voltigeurs out of the water; and for fear their blood might
be chilled by the accident, he gave them an enormous thrashing with a
dry end of the rope, just to restore circulation; and his exertions, had
they been witnessed, would have charmed the Humane Society.
As for the horse, his legs stuck through the bridge, as though he had
been put in a chiroplast, and he went playing away on the water with
considerable execution, as if he were accompanying himself in the song
which he was squealing at the top of his voice. Half the saws, hatchets,
ropes, and poles in the parish were put in requisition immediately, and
the horse's first lesson in chiroplastic exercise was performed with no
other loss than some skin and a good deal of hair. Of course Andy did
not venture on taking Owny's horse home; so the miller sent him to his
owner, with an account of the accident. Andy for years kept out of
Owny na Coppal's way; and at any time that his presence was
troublesome, the inconvenienced party had only to say, "Isn't that
Owny na Coppal coming this way?" and Andy fled for his life.
When Andy grew up to be