Liam put down his glass on the bar with a
bang. "Patrick can I use your phone?" he asked.
"Sure, it’s in the back room," he said as he lifted the hinged end section
of the bar. "Come on through. Mary will show you where it is."
Liam gave Glenn a stony look and went into the back room. A few minutes later he came
back.
"What’s happening?" asked Glenn.
"I’m not sure yet. I spoke to his mother and she says Dolan called her boy early
this morning and made an offer two thousand pounds higher than he was asking. She says
Danny Lavin has just delivered a blank cheque signed by Dolan to the house." |
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"But the horse is mine," said Glenn.
"That’s what I thought."
"What does the boy say," asked Glenn.
"That’s the problem, the boy is out so she is not sure what the deal is. She
says she just thinks it would be better if no one rode the horse till she hears what her
son wants to do." Liam looked at Dolan with a hard stare. "You’re a cunning
bastard, Dolan." Dolan let out a mirthless laugh.
"Serves you right, Rourke. It’s time you came unstuck." |
"The bet’s off then," said
Liam.
"Why?"
"You just stole his horse."
"You said he could outride me on any horse any day of the week."
"True."
"Well I bought a horse for him, Ballyvaughn. The one you sold me, the one you said
was a cracker of a mare that anyone could ride. Well, seeing as you think she’s so
good, your man can buy her off me."
"You fooked her up."
"She was no damned good when you sold her to me."
"That’s a fooking lie, she was brilliant when I sold her. It was you hanging on
her mouth over every jump that soured her."
"Bullshit! She wasn’t any good in the first place."
"Yes she was."
"You say she was a nice mare Liam?" interjected Glenn.
"I do, she was something else and I stand by my word."
"How much do you want for her?"
"I want my money back. Ten thousand pounds."
"That’s too much."
"Well that’s what I want."
"You seem to be keen on getting rid of her."
"That’s because Rourke sold me a pig in a poke."
"Well if Liam took you for a ride, you don’t think I’m going to be as
dumb."
"Well if you’re not going to welsh on your bet then you’re going to need a
horse."
"Not at that price."
"Well that’s my price."
There was silence in the room, then Glenn spoke. "Are you a true gambling man,
Dolan?"
All eyes looked to Glenn.
"Why do you ask?" Dolan narrowed his eyes.
"Are you brave enough to increase the bet?"
There was a pause, and looks were exchanged around the room.
"What are you getting at?"
"We’re at stalemate. I’ll make you a deal."
"What sort of deal?" asked Dolan suspiciously.
Glenn put his hand in his pocket and held out the roll of notes.
"I’ve got two thousand pounds here. I’ll give you that for her now. If
I’m with hounds at the end of the day and you’re not, I keep her for that. I
also get O’Cadhaim’s bay gelding for the price I offered to him and finally Liam
and I get our thousand each. On the other hand, if I’m not with hounds at the end of
the hunt and you are, I lose my bet. I will pay you ten thousand for this mare, I will
renounce any claim on O’Cadhaim’s mare and Liam and I give you each a
thousand."
There was silence in the bar as the words sank in. A lot of money was
at stake and everyone wanted to hear what Dolan would say. He mulled it over for a few
seconds and the silence carried on. He looked up and all eyes were upon him.
"I’ll take your two thousand and you have yourself a bet." He put out his
hand and took the roll of notes from Glenn. |
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