Seven Short Plays Part 17

_Man:_ Sure, it's to the a.s.sizes I came, thinking I might make a few s.h.i.+llings here or there. It's in the one train with the judges I came.

_Sergeant:_ Well, if you came so far, you may as well go farther, for you'll walk out of this.

_Man:_ I will, I will; I'll just go on where I was going. (_Goes towards steps._)

_Sergeant:_ Come back from those steps; no one has leave to pa.s.s down them to-night.

_Man:_ I'll just sit on the top of the steps till I see will some sailor buy a ballad off me that would give me my supper. They do be late going back to the s.h.i.+p. It's often I saw them in Cork carried down the quay in a hand-cart.

_Sergeant:_ Move on, I tell you. I won't have any one lingering about the quay to-night.

_Man:_ Well, I'll go. It's the poor have the hard life! Maybe yourself might like one, sergeant. Here's a good sheet now. (_Turns one over._) "Content and a pipe"-that's not much. "The Peeler and the goat"-you wouldn't like that. "Johnny Hart"-that's a lovely song.

_Sergeant:_ Move on.

_Man:_ Ah, wait till you hear it. (_Sings:_)

There was a rich farmer's daughter lived near the town of Ross; She courted a Highland soldier, his name was Johnny Hart; Says the mother to her daughter, "I'll go distracted mad If you marry that Highland soldier dressed up in Highland plaid."

_Sergeant:_ Stop that noise.

(_Man wraps up his ballads and shuffles towards the steps_)

_Sergeant:_ Where are you going?

_Man:_ Sure you told me to be going, and I am going.

_Sergeant:_ Don't be a fool. I didn't tell you to go that way; I told you to go back to the town.

_Man:_ Back to the town, is it?

_Sergeant:_ (_Taking him by the shoulder and shoving him before him._) Here, I'll show you the way. Be off with you. What are you stopping for?

_Man:_ (_Who has been keeping his eye on the notice, points to it._) I think I know what you're waiting for, sergeant.

_Sergeant:_ What's that to you?

_Man:_ And I know well the man you're waiting for-I know him well-I'll be going.

(_He shuffles on._)

_Sergeant:_ You know him? Come back here. What sort is he?

_Man:_ Come back is it, sergeant? Do you want to have me killed?

_Sergeant:_ Why do you say that?

_Man:_ Never mind. I'm going. I wouldn't be in your shoes if the reward was ten times as much. (_Goes on off stage to left_). Not if it was ten times as much.

_Sergeant:_ (_Rus.h.i.+ng after him._) Come back here, come back. (_Drags him back._) What sort is he? Where did you see him?

_Man:_ I saw him in my own place, in the County Clare. I tell you you wouldn't like to be looking at him. You'd be afraid to be in the one place with him. There isn't a weapon he doesn't know the use of, and as to strength, his muscles are as hard as that board (_slaps barrel_).

_Sergeant:_ Is he as bad as that?

_Man:_ He is then.

_Sergeant:_ Do you tell me so?

_Man:_ There was a poor man in our place, a sergeant from Ballyvaughan.-It was with a lump of stone he did it.

_Sergeant:_ I never heard of that.

_Man:_ And you wouldn't, sergeant. It's not everything that happens gets into the papers. And there was a policeman in plain clothes, too.... It is in Limerick he was.... It was after the time of the attack on the police barrack at Kilmallock.... Moonlight ... just like this ... waterside.... Nothing was known for certain.

_Sergeant:_ Do you say so? It's a terrible county to belong to.

_Man:_ That's so, indeed! You might be standing there, looking out that way, thinking you saw him coming up this side of the quay (_points_), and he might be coming up this other side (_points_), and he'd be on you before you knew where you were.

_Sergeant:_ It's a whole troop of police they ought to put here to stop a man like that.

_Man:_ But if you'd like me to stop with you, I could be looking down this side. I could be sitting up here on this barrel.

_Sergeant:_ And you know him well, too?

_Man:_ I'd know him a mile off, sergeant.

_Sergeant:_ But you wouldn't want to share the reward?

_Man:_ Is it a poor man like me, that has to be going the roads and singing in fairs, to have the name on him that he took a reward? But you don't want me. I'll be safer in the town.

_Sergeant:_ Well, you can stop.

_Man:_ (_Getting up on barrel._) All right, sergeant. I wonder, now, you're not tired out, sergeant, walking up and down the way you are.

_Sergeant:_ If I'm tired I'm used to it.

_Man:_ You might have hard work before you to-night yet. Take it easy while you can. There's plenty of room up here on the barrel, and you see farther when you're higher up.

_Sergeant:_ Maybe so. (_Gets up beside him on barrel, facing right.

They sit back to back, looking different ways._) You made me feel a bit queer with the way you talked.

_Man:_ Give me a match, sergeant (_he gives it and man lights pipe_); take a draw yourself? It'll quiet you. Wait now till I give you a light, but you needn't turn round. Don't take your eye off the quay for the life of you.

_Sergeant:_ Never fear, I won't. (_Lights pipe. They both smoke._) Indeed it's a hard thing to be in the force, out at night and no thanks for it, for all the danger we're in. And it's little we get but abuse from the people, and no choice but to obey our orders, and never asked when a man is sent into danger, if you are a married man with a family.

_Man:_ (_Sings_)-

As through the hills I walked to view the hills and shamrock plain, I stood awhile where nature smiles to view the rocks and streams, On a matron fair I fixed my eyes beneath a fertile vale, As she sang her song it was on the wrong of poor old Granuaile.