One of Section 4's boys was looking at the cow.
"The ole geeser's 'andlebars is twisted," said Bill, addressing nobody in particular and alluding to the cow.
"Yer fool, yerself!" said Bill. "I'm not as big a fool as I look----"
"Git! Your no more brains than a 'en." (p. 222)
"I've twice as many brains, as you," said Section 4.
"So 'ave I," was the answer made by Bill; then getting pugilistic he thundered out: "I'll give yer one on the moosh."
"Straight I will. Give you one across your ugly phiz! It looks as if it had been out all night and some one dancing on it."
Bill took off his cap and flung it on the ground as if it were the gauntlet of a knight of old. His hair, short and wiry, stood up on end. Section 4 looked at it.
"Your hair looks like furze in a fit," said Section 4.
"You're lookin' for one on the jor," said Bill closing and opening his fist. "And I'll give yer one."
Goliath massive and monumental came along at that moment. He looked at Bill.
"Section 4's shouting the odds, as usual," Bill replied.
"Come along to the Canal and have a bath; it will cool your (p. 223) temper."
"Will it?" said Bill as he came along with us somewhat reluctantly towards the Canal banks.
"What does shouting the odds mean?" I asked him.
"Kicking up a row and lettin' every one round you know," said Bill. "That's what shoutin' the blurry odds means."
"What's the difference between shouting the odds and shouting the blurry odds?" I asked.
"It's like this, Pat," Bill began to explain, a blush rising on his cheeks. Bill often blushed. "Shoutin' the odds isn't strong enough, but shoutin' the blurry odds has ginger in it. It makes a bloke listen to you."
Stoner was sitting on the bank of La Bassée canal, his bare feet touching the water, his body deep in a cluster of wild iris. I sat down beside him and took off my boots.
I pulled a wild iris and explained to Stoner how in Donegal we made boats from the iris and placed them by the brookside at night. When we went to bed the fairies crossed the streams on the boats which (p. 224) we made.
"Did they cross on the boats?" asked Stoner.
"Of course they did," I answered. "We never found a boat left in the morning."
"The stream washed them away," said Stoner.
"You civilised abomination," I said and proceeded to fashion a boat, when it was made I placed it on the stream and watched it circle round on an eddy near the bank.