"Oh no!" returned Shawn a Sauggart. "No, captain, the laying of these few sods gave a deadlier blow to Ribbonism than a cart-load of corpses by rope and bullet could have effected. I was present at the last commission. In two days, I saw seventeen men hanged; and on another, witnessed thirty-six sent from the dock to eternal exile, and not allowed to give even a parting kiss and blessing to the wives and children who followed the cars on which they were carried from the court-house. Ten thousand men witnessed the terrible scene. They returned homeintimidated, think ye? Oh no! burning to revenge their companions. But as to your people, let them traverse the country from sunset to sunrise, and none will give them a worse word than God protect ye!' One of your men was out late last night."

"He was; and discovered by his drunken groanings almost insensible before the barack gate. What of him ?"

"He wandered to a distant village, was kindly received, hospitably treated, forgot himself, and got helplessly intoxicated. Well, when it was sufficiently dark, the owner of the house brought him here upon a car, and he was carried as close to the barrack gate as fear of the sentry would allow them."

"These are indeed indubitable proofs of kindly feeling; but why, my dark friend, attack our barrack? That looks aught but friendly."

66

Vengeance, captain, must have means to enable it to find its mark. For one stand of arms smuggled into the county, three have been seized and placed here. For one peasant who has the power of inflicting injury, one hundred are incapable from want of weapons. Here, what is most needed would be found-and possession was to be obtained by stratagem, and not by violence, if possible."

"Well, that secret design known, so end the hopes upon the barrack and the arms."

"Upon the barrack, certainly; but not upon the arms, captain." "Bah! with arms in their hands, think ye, that ninety men would allow a mob, were it a mile long, to deprive them of their weapons?" Why no, captain, were they apprised of the intention; but men may be taken at advantage. Come, we will fancy a case."

66

you

66 Proceed, my

friend."

Well, you go out upon the moor occasionally for ball practice against the cliff: you serve out eight or ten rounds a man for the purpose. As fire at the target, the country people collect to look on, and pick up the battered lead, as it falls flattened from the rock upon the heather. The men expend their cartridges, and the last firelock is discharged: could not the crowd rush upon you unexpectedly, before you could screw a bayonet on ?"

There was sense and boldness in the plan; and after Howard and I had interchanged a meaning look, I turned to the dark stranger, and told him the remarks he made were useful, and should be attended to.

"We feel obliged, Dwyer, by your confidence; and, I suppose, according to compact, the quantum of information you think fit to volunteer is ended."

"Why, nearly so: possibly another hint might not be thrown away. You were anxious to obtain a few smart recruits, and within the month have enlisted half a dozen strapping fellows?"

"Yes, the finest young men by far, which the regiment has got for a twelvemonth."

"Send them away the first opportunity to head-quarters, and leave them there, if you take a friend's advice. Away, they will make you splendid soldiers; at home they have friends among the hills. Enough, my say is said!"

"That last hint also is valuable. I am your debtor, Dwyer, and will ever remember your services." "The

"I, not you, captain, am the debtor," returned Shawn Dhu. evening you first met me, had the foul enemy of man presented himself, in me he would have found a willing servant; and, God knows, had not my bad feelings received another impulse-the providential succour a stranger opportunely gave it-I know not to what extent of desperate courses my maddened brain would not have hurried me. In your appearance I read the working of an agency not to he understood, and bowed to the visitation of Providence. Under a temporary shelter, I slept in the bosom of my family; when, had you not diverted_evil thoughts, it is hard to say in what wild act that night would not have been consumed. But, on the morning, when a bugle-sound called me from my work, and I saw your party winding down the hill; when the priest came on before, and announced your charitable errand; when I saw my cabin rising, through your assistance, from its ashes; when I saw my wife smile, my children watching the dinner you had brought us, and the blind old man turning his sightless eyes to Heaven, and invoking blessings on the stranger who came to save; and when you spoke, listening to every word you uttered, and blessing you again and again, I stole behind the rock unnoticed, knelt upon the sward, and swore that if to that cabin you were raising, you came with a king's ransom on your head, or a hand reeking with blood, spilled within the sanctuary of an altar-I swore that no power on earth should induce me to betray you; and that for life, your friend should be my friend, and your enemy my enemy. But 'tis time I were gone forewarned you are safe. Here, for miles around, you may wander safely, night or day; not a hair of your head should be injured. But cross not the Callan. There is one there, to whom the very colour of the coat you wear would be excuse enough to issue a death warrant, were you unhappily in his power. When you see in a tall red man a person addressed as Captain Starlight, then tremble! But God grant that the hour when your eyes encounter his shall never

come!"

Concealed as he had passed the guard-room, Shawn Dhu recrossed it, and I opened the wicket for him myself. He wrung my hand at parting, again poured out a torrent of gratitude for my kindness, glided off under cover of a wall, and I returned to Bob Howard.

"What think you of our friend the colonel?"

Why, that he's true as steel; and every syllable he uttered came directly from the heart."

"Well, in Shawn a sauggart, I leave you a stout ally, and never did a fatigued party work to better military account than when they were turning up the turfs that built poor Dwyer's hovel."

It was now midnight-and after visiting the guard and sentries, we retired for the night.

The hours of my sojourn at Ballyragget were numbered; for the morning's post brought me letters, both from Sir Cæsar and his medical adviser, which determined me to start for England without delay. The general had been seriously indisposed; the term, on the expiration of which I had promised to return, had passed; his kinsman of evil odour, had given him fresh cause of displeasure; and his matrimonial designs upon me had, consequently, received an additional impetus. The physician assured me that my presence would do more towards the restoration of Sir Cæsar's health, than aught which the healing art could administer; and I determined to promptly obey the old man's missive. An hour completed every arrangement: the men gave me three hearty cheers as I mounted my jaunting car at the gate, and I bade a last farewell to the gallant 87th.

By the side of St. Ann's whirl'd round the mill-wheel,
And in front lay the old pilgrim ferry,

And the miller he plied in the midst of his meal,
And nobody grudged him his penny...

Did a maiden come down to the clear water-edge
With her musical" Boatman, come hither,
Full quick he push'd off from among the green sedge,
Nor long was he crossing the river,

b bri
Was it one of the nuns with her black shining l

Who would cross to St. Ann's by the water,
She never refused the good miller his fare, b

hair,

A kiss from each penitent daughter, ol on a buzzell

And sometimes a pilgrim came dropping his beads, 02 J-001 91 And down by the landing in patience would tarry, And sometimes an abbess in solemn black weeds, Would hastily call o'er the tide for the ferry.

But the miller for all had some kindly word,
And never thought mirth born of

folly,

And his laugh crackled up when a sly joke was heard,
As the burning of shiny-leaved holly.

Γ

!,

TO I

BEAU CHA M P;

IN WHICH BETTER DAYS SEEM TO DAWN UPON THE POACHER.

A HIGH-SOUNDING oath from Sir John Slingsby passed unnoticed, for though every one had heard the shot, each person's attention was suddenly called to an object of his own. Ned Hayward sprang to the window and looked out, Dr. Miles started up and turned towards Mr. Wittingham; and Beauchamp, who was sitting next to that gentleman, suddenly stretched out his hand, and caught him by the arm and shoulder, so as to break his fall to the ground, though not to stop it; for the worthy magistrate, with a low exclamation of horror, which reached no ear but one, pressed his hand upon his heart, and fell fainting to the ground, just as if the ball, which had entered the window, had found out the precise spot in his skin, which had not been dipped in Styx. Nevertheless, when Sir John and Mr. Beauchamp, and Dr. Miles, lifted him up off the floor, and seated him on his chair again, though they undoubtedly expected to find one of those small holes which I should call a life-door, were it not that they never let life in, if they often let life out, yet no wound of any kind was to be perceived, except in the wig. Lights were brought, servants hurried in and out, cold water was sprinkled on the old gentleman's face, the butler recommended sal volatile, Sir John Slingsby tried brandy; and at length Mr. Wittingham was brought to himself. Every one was busy about him but Ned Hayward; and as Ned was a very charitable and benevolent man, it may be necessary to say why he bestowed no care nor attention on Mr. Wittingham. The fact was, that he did not know any thing was the matter with him; for Ned Hayward was no longer in the room; the window was open, indeed, and Ned Hayward had jumped out.

To return to Mr. Wittingham, however, no sooner did he recover breath enough to articulate, than he declared, in a low voice, he must go home.

'Why, my dear fellow !" exclaimed Sir John Slingsby, "you're not hurt, only frightened, devilish frightened, that's all, and you're still white about the gills, and fishy in the eyes. Come, come, finish your bottle, and get rid of that haddock-look before you go, or you may faint again in the carriage."

"I must go home," repeated Mr. Wittingham, in a dismal tone. "Then what's to become of the business you came about?” inquired the baronet.

"I must leave it in your hands, Sir John," replied Mr. Wittingham, rising feebly; "I have no head for it to-night. It was about that notorious poacher, Gimlet, I came; the constables will tell you how I

happen to have him apprehended; but I must go, I must go, I have no head for it.'

"Though the bullet kept out, plenty of lead has got in, somehow or other," muttered Sir John Slingsby, as his fellow-magistrate tottered towards the door; but the baronet was not a bad-hearted man, and, taking compassion on Mr. Wittingham's state, he followed him with a large glass of Madeira, insisted upon his drinking it, and supported him under the right arm to the hall-door, where he delivered him over to the hands of the butler to put him safely into his carriage. While this was being effected, Sir John turned round and gazed upon the figure of Stephen Gimlet, and the two officers who had him in charge; and if his look was not peculiarly encouraging to the poacher, it certainly was much less so towards the constables. To say the truth, a constable was an animal, towards which, for some reason, or another, Sir John Slingsby entertained a great dislike. It is not impossible that his old roving propensities, and sundry encounters with the particular kind of officer which was now under his thumb, had impressed him with a distaste for the whole species; but, assuredly, had he been called upon to give a Linæan description of the creature, it would have been: A two-legged beast of the species hound, made to be beaten by blackguards and bullied by magistrates."

66

Waving his hand, therefore, with an air of dignity, over his extended white waistcoat, he said,

"Bring him in," and leading the way back to the dining-room, he seated himself in his great chair, supported on either side by decanters; and while the constables were entering, and taking up a position before him, he pushed a bottle either way, to Dr. Miles and Mr. Beauchamp, saying, in as solemn a tone as if he were delivering sentence of death, "A bumper, gentlemen, for a toast-now Master Leathersides, why do you bring this man before me ?”

"Why, please your worship's honour," replied the constable, "we apprehended him for poaching in the streets of Tarningham, and

"Halloah!" cried Sir John, "poaching in the streets of Tarningham, "that's a queer place to set springes. Leathersides, you're drunk."

"No please your honour's worship, I arn't," whimpered the constable, who would at any time rather have been sent for a week to prison, than be brought up before Sir John Slingsby; "I said, as how we apprehended him in the streets of Tarningham, not as he was a-poaching there."

"Then where was he poaching when you apprehended him?" demanded Sir John, half in fun, half in malice, and with a full determination of puzzling the constable.

"Can't say he was poaching anywhere just then," replied Mr. Lea

thersides.

"Then you'd no business to apprehend him," replied the baronet, "discharge the prisoner, and evacuate the room. Gentlemen, are you charged? The king, God bless him!" and he swallowed down his glass of wine, winking his eye to Beauchamp, at what he thought his good joke against the constables.

Mr. Leathersides, however, was impressed with a notion, that he must do his duty, and that that duty was to remonstrate with Sir John