The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1858-12-08
ltened me upon the nature of the

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"Well," he continued, cit is just here:
You know, of course, that nearly all the
land hereabouts is owned by GU: COM
pany in London, and though we do as
fairly as it is possible for men to do,
yet there must be fault found. In Ar
magh, just to the south of US, there is
gang of marauders, collected from the
wild, half savage peasantry of that dist
rict and they have been plundering and
burning, and killing too, wherever they
could find opportunity Their crops
have been cut off by blight, and sup.
pose they have suffered. The land in
their region is owned mostly, by parties
in Leinster, and have no doubt that the
Iagents have been hard upon them. At
all events, they have killed all the Irish
agents in their part of the country, and
it was this fact that was reported to me
as warning; but have had nothing 70
| do with the Armagh men-we have no
interest in their lands-and I did not be-
jlieve they would come this way. But l
fear ! was mistaken. They have sworn
that they will kill every rascally agent
they can find, and Dennis Connolly, the
boatmen who had just been here, says they
mean to take US with the rest. He has
just been here, andsays they mean to take
uswi;h the rest. He has heard from at Mil
town, and he assures me they will be here
this very night. If such is their purpose
| it is too late for me to flee, for can only
go by the lake, and they might overhaul
US there. Yet you can go if you wish. /"
l simply smiled at my friends kind
permission, and assured him that if he re-
mained to defend the cot, should remain
with him. s7s-- -e ,ar--:=
IL have considerable property here
| which ! cannot handily move" Elwell
said; "and though l should not suffer
much in its loss, yet do not mean that
those fellows shall have it, I shall stick
to my post, and if you wish to stay with
me, so much the better. We may be able
to give them warm reception"
In few minutes Mathew Croft came in,
and he had heard the news from one of
the fishermen. He said the Armagh ruff
fans were even now upon the lake, and
bound for our place. Then a firm resist
ance was the only choice left for us, and
we made all necessary preparations as
speedily as possible. had heard enough
of those wild peasants to know that they
were but mere brutes when their passions
were aroused, and that they would hold
human life cheaply enough; but / had no
desire to escape the conflict now. /
might have remained away had I suspect
ed state of affairs, but here was, and l
determined to make the best of it We
hurried on with our supper, and as soon
as that was disposed ofa council of war
was holden. We were consulting togeth-
!. er when boy arrived from the shore to
inform US that the marauders had disem-
barked. This boy was the son of the fish.
man whom Matthew had seen, and he did
not dare TO be known as our friend FL
well went out with the lad, and when he
returned he was fred with excitement. 81
"Archy McGragh leads the villains. y
he said, "and Hugh Broughshay and
Courtney O'Dowd are with him-thrcs
ofthe most unmitiga.ed villains that ever
went unhung.. They are huge, powerful
fellows; full of brute courage; and they
have unlimited sway over their compan
ions. They talk of redressing wrongs
but they mean plunder. But we'll be
ready for them" %
, The cot was built of stone, with small
squarewindows,' and door of thick, solii
oak plank. 1t had not been originally in
tended for a garrison, but had been made
thus strong in order that it might be
safe repository for the property of tn,
. company and its agents when necessary
The structure stood against the face of /
perpendicular rock, which thus formed tn,
rear wall, so of course there could be nj
door or windows in that direction; bu
upon the back slope of the roof there was
scuttle, reached by small ladder from
the floor, which afforded passage to tht
top Of the rock. .'''7-'' '''.i ,''oJ :
"We have powder and ball enough foI
an army" remarked Matthew, as I asked
concerning the state of their means
"Enough!' cried EIwell. "Why-
s there are four kegs Of powder in the eel
lar which 1 brought up for blasting pur
poses three years ago, that is-they are
there if they've not been stolen"
They're there, sir" said Pat. .I'v
seen 'em every time I've bio down wild th'
birds."l TO Z ,fKI3 Il
'Then never fear for amunition," re
/, turned the agent. $50 now let's Ioal
, up and be ready for them" "a
/ He had hardly spoken when we heart
q shout from the direction of the lake-s
maddened, defiant howl. a The villain.
. knew that we had no means of escape
with any weighty articles, save by The
very path up which they were coming, sc
| they cared not to keep their approach
"a secret. There was no moon, but nos
y of the stars were visible though few
. feecy clouds hung over the tops of thu
! Antrim mountains. i Still the stars affor.
ded but little light, and the evening was
already settling into dark night-dark
4 in j that place-dark fronn tho door