North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-11-12
them and to set your property right, without such

/ The stern, proud man said, Then, why, III the
name of Heaven, do you not reveal some otner
remedy why do you hot ehlighten all Ireland
why don't you instruct Government The un-
happy wretches who have been swept away by force
are no people, no tenants Of mine. They squatted
themselves down, as a swarm of locusts fix them
selves while a green blade is left. They obstruct
all improvement; they will not till the ground them
selves will they quit it to allow me to provide
more industrious and proVident husbandmen to Gull
tivate it. Land that teens with fertility, ana IS
shut out from bearing and bringing forth food for
man. is accused. Those who have been eYicted,
not only rob me, but their more industrious fell
lows" ss 4 @..# g + (
g They will murder US !" said the wife, "some
day for these things. They will"
| Her words were cut short suddenly by her hus-
band starting, and standing In listening attitude.
Z" Wait moment" he said, with peculiar calm
ness, as if he had just got fresh thought; and his
lady, who did not comprehend what was the cause,
but hoped that some better influence was touching
him, unloosed her hands from his arm. I" Wait
Just moment" he repeated, and stepped from the
room, opened the front door, and without his hat,
went out
"He is intending to cool down his anger" thought
his wife: he feels longing for the freshness OF
the air." But she had not caught the sound which
had startled his quicker, because excited ear
she had been too much engrossed by her own in
tercession with him it was peculiar whine from
the mastiff which was chainedlIear the odgegate,
that had arrested his attention. He stepped out.
The black clouds which overhung the moor had
broken, and the moons light struggled between
them.
The tall and naughty man stood erect in the
breeze and listened. Another moment-there was
shot, and he fell headlong upon the broad steps
on which he stood. His wife sprang with pier
cling shrek from the door, and fell on his corpse
A crowd of servants gathered about them, making
Of
The murdered master and the wife were borne into
the house.
The heron scared from its lofty perch, and
wheeled with terrified wings through the night air.
The servants armed themselves; and, rushing furl-
ously from the house, trayersed the surrounding
masses of trees. Fierce dogs were let loose, and
dashed frantcally through the thickets. All was,
however, too late. The soaring heron saw gray
figures with blackened faces, stealing away-often
on their hands and knees-down the hollows of
the moorlands toward the village; where the two
Irish horsemen had in the first dusk of that eve
nng tied their lean steeds to the old elder BUSH
Near the mansion no lurking assassin was to be
found. Meanwhile, two servants, pistol in hand,
on a couple of their masters horses, secured hill
and dale The heron, sailing solemnly on the wind
above, saw them haltin little town. They thun-
dered with the butt-ends of their pistols door
in the principal street Over it there was coffin
shaped board, displaying painted crown, and the
bg-lettered words, 'PoL1cE STATION" The mount
ed servants shouted with might and MAN. A night
capped head issued from easement WITH What
is the matter?'
"Out with your Police out with all your strength,
and lose not moment; Mr.. FitZ-Gibbon, ofSporeen,
is shot at his own door,"
The easement hastily clapped to, and the
two horsemen galloped forward up the long, broad
street, now flooded with the moons light. Heads
full of terror were thrust from the upper windows
to inquire the cause of that rapid galloping; but
ever too late The two men held their course up
steep hill outside of the town, where stood vast
building overlooking the whole place. 1t was the
barracks. Here the alarm was also given.
In less than an hour, a mounted troop of police
in olvegreen costume with pistols at holster sword
by side, and carbine on the arm, trotting brisk
ly out of town, accompanied by the two messen-
gers, whom they piled with eager questions. These
answered, and sundry imprecations vented, the
whole party increased their speed, and went on,
mile after mile, by hedgerow and open moorland,
talking as they went.
Before they reached the house of Sporeen, and
near the village where the two Irish horsemen had
stopped the evening before, they halted and formed
themselves into more orderly array. A narrow gull
ly was before them on the road, hemmed in on
each side by rocky steps, here and there overhung
with bushes. The commandant babe them be on
their guard, for there might be danger there. He
was right; for the moment they began to trot
through the pass the flash and rattle of firearms
from the thickets above saluted them, followed by
wild yells. In second, several of their number lay
dead or dying in the road. The fire was returned
promptly by the police but it was at random, for
although another discharge, and another howl, an
nounced that the enemy still there, no one
could be seen. The head of the police command
ed his troop to make dash through the pass ; for
there was scaling the heights from this side; the
assailants having warily posted themselves there,
because at the foot of an eminence were stretched
on either hand impossible boys. The troop dashed
forward, firing their pistols they went but were
met by such deadly discharges of firearms as
threw them into confusion, killed and wounded sew
eral of their horses and made them hastily retreat.
There was nothing for it, but to await the arriv-
al Of the cavalry and it not long before the
CHATTER of horses hoofs and the ringing of sabres
were heard on the road. On coming up the troop
of cavalry, firing to the night and left the hill
side, dashed forward, and, in the same instant,
cleared the gully in safety; the police having kept
their side of the pass. In fact not single shot
returned the arrival of this strong force hay
y in full charge assembled the hills, to their sum-
nits Not foe was to be seen, except one or two
dying men, who were discovered by their groans |
The moon had been for time quenched in a
dense mass of clouds, which now were blown aside |
by keen and cutting wind. The heron, soaring
over the desert, could now gray-coated men fly
ing in different directions to the shelter of the neigh
boring hills. The next day he was startled from
his dreamy reveries near the moorland stream by
the shouts and galloping of mingled police and ,