Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-24

WhOie lot OF us, magistrates ana all-and
began to drink whisky like fish
SANDY, me boy" said Mike Hackett-
We remember Mike?-" Sandy, isn't it
trembling We are with apprehension He
was very particular in his conversation,
was Mike. "Isn't it shaking We are, from
the crown of your occiput to the very
phalanxes of your pedals at the job you've
got in hand to incarcerate Terence Macar
thy
"They say twas he shot the bailiif,"
shouted one.
"Nivir one than he murthered the
sheriff's officer" cried another.
"Oh, he'll take detachment of drag
oons from Killoo," called a third.
Some" said at last, getting rather
cross the way they was chatting me !;
'come, I'll bet gallon of potheen with
any sportsman in the room, that I'll take
the boy to Dublin Castle all by myself"
Done with you!" cried dozen voices.
And 1 was booked for about hogshead
of whisky before / knew where l was.
But wouldn't go back; only when the
excitement of the drink was out of me, l
felt as if I'd deal rather have left it I'M
done, for they were wild lot were the
Macarthys, and it was wild country they
lived in.
The weather came on wet, remember
and it was nearly week before | could
get across from Shillaloo to Terence Mac
arthy's cabin, which was in the barony of
Tullabardine; though where the barony
went to, and who was the baron Of it, was
matter never could know the bottom
Of
1t was just the dusk of the evening I
got to the top of the hill that looked over
Terence's cabin; and dismal hole it
seemed, that same little hag or dingle.
There was a bit pool Of black bog-water
at one end OF il, and at the other was
Tins cabin-jHst heap of turf, with a
hole for the smoke to come out.
SANDY, my boy" l said to myself,
"you'll never come out of that hole alive"
And l looked round to see if there wasn't
some living creature near me; if it had
been only sheep or pig it would have
been comfort, just for companionship.
There was red streak of light in the sky,
and Just across it, / remember, there was
line Of wild geese flying, their long
necks stretched out and their wings beat
ing slow time in the air, and l could
just hear the whang OF them; and the sea
birds screamed and whstled over my
head, though it was too dusky to see them.
Eth, mon, my heart was like to sink into
my feet with the loneliness and the DESC
lation and the danger / judged was in.
eff it wasn't for being laughed at, I'd
have gone back. Well, ! dropped down
into the hollow, and walked up to the
cabin. The door was open; and the
thought came to me for the moment that
they'd all gone off; and pleased I'd
have been for that. But, no; there was a
bit of fire i'm the corner and in the dark
ness could just see some people crouch
ing down, and the old grandmother sitting
in her chair by the peat fire.
"God save all here" l said as / walked
in.
"Save We kindly" replied gruff voice
from the corner.
And with that I sat down on the old
kish that had been filled with turf, and
pulled out my pipe and began to smoke.
could distinguish objects now in the
gloom. There was just heap Of children
in the corner, with an old rag covering
them, sleeping just as sweetly, too, as If
they'd been wrapped in down; and there
was the mother of them with the babe at
her breast, and Terence lying doubled up
with his head in his bosom; but never
another soul in the hut
"Take draw of a pipe mon," said /;
"and don't be down-hearted."
gave him my bag of tobacco, and he
found pipe in the corner, and began to
smoke
yell no have wee drap whisky in
the houses" | said.
"Niver drop your hammers left u.s."
said the man dryly.
"Take a pull at my flask, then" said l.
And Terence took it and drank. Some
how felt more comfortable then. was
safe as long as / was inside the cabin.
II suppose you know what I've come
here for, Terencc?" | said after awhile.
AS though this had been the precon-
certed signal, the wife here burst out with
oud lamentations; the old grandmother
raised a feeble 'Wirra, wirran rocking
herself backward and forward in her
chair: the children in the corner, aroused
by the noise, began to wall and cry, and
tile little babe at the breast howled dis
mally in concert.
"Whisht! whist" shouted Terence,
angrily; "would we take all the heart out
of me, and bring me to shame before his
hanner?"
ooh, what will we do, what will we do !
Oh, Terry, Terry, will we leave the chill
dren to starve and the babe that hangs to
me breasty Oh, hone! Oh, honew
"Whisht woman, dye hear? Mayhap
it isn't so bad as we think. Mayhap his
hammer will give us week or two, while
the praties come out of the ground and"--
shook my head.
II can't do it, Terence; it's a Queens
iOh Won know"
Sand if the Queen were spoken to, yer
hanner," said the woman-"she's had
babes of her own-she wouldn't take the
husband away from me, that wasn't TO
blame at all, except with being too good
natured with those two black villains
"Hold your tongue, Bridget' shouted
Terence, interrupting her.
s'There is a way" / said. 'If Terence
will show me the road to the still up
among the boys, he'll be let off his i'm
prisonment, and happen get twenty
pounds in the bargain"
"Oh, Terence, darling, do you hear
that. Do you hear what his hammer tells
you? Go to your knees, Terence, and
thank his hammer"
But saw Terence was not TO be shak-
,.o,, fro,, N, i'm thu clin pi N ~