Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-23

garrison in the town of Kilrush, was just
turning over in bed to enjoy the delight of
40 winks Of second sleep before rising for
! parade, when a knock came at his bed
room door.
Who's there?" he demanded, with
sleepy petulance.
"Plasc, yer honor, major, there's that
humpy back down stairs that you always
said you was to see whin he called" said
his handmade.
"Oh, show him up!" answered the ma.
jor, jumping out of bed with an alacrity
in strange keeping with his usual digni-
fled department.
Shutting feet were heard ascending the
stairs, and soon Micky Hopkins stood in
the doorway, hat in hand, and straining
his hump in his bows of reverence.
Come in, Micky," said the major cheer
fully. Then, lowering his voice, he added,
well, what about the guns?'
"Well, major, all the guns are come
now. The last cargo landed last noight. 1
will lade the sogcrs down by the sacret
way we have for gettin to the cave whin-
ever We give me the wurd.
DO you thing they suspect you at all,
Micky?" inquired the major.
Not me, sor. Shure they think It's me
that's foolin you all the time. But they'll
foind out to their cost tonight, an ye'll
have to take care of me and me family
after that, major"
Don't you fear, Micky," said the ma
jor. 1.-The English government never for
gets its friends"
The midnight moon was shrouded in q
cloudy pail over Georges head. The wind
swept in from the sea, moaning us if bear
ing the souls of drowned mariners to eter-
nal doom. A bclated sea gull like whirl-
ing snowflake in the dark, occasionally
circlcd around the cliffs stern brow. The
waves splashcd calmly 100 feet below. All
else was wrapped in silence
Creeping slowly and tCdiously by 1ar-
row, rugged pathway down The side OF tie
cliff to the shore were 30 armed men, led
by short, squat hunChbaCkCd little fell
low Each of the 30 men wore the red
uniform Of England. Their guido was
dressed in his ordinary fisherman 5 clothes.
"Jist turn the corner cliff to the roight, "
he stopped 30 whisper to the officer in COM
mand "Thin yc will SO the mouth of
the cave. Run roight in, an twinty feet
ahead We will come to n door Batter it in,
an We have the chickens an the eggs"
He then climbed up the steep face of the
cliff with the agility of a monkey.
The soldiers Crept on, formed in front
of the cave, rushed down the passage,
burst open the door at its end and cap
tured Is unsuspccting fishermen who were
in the act of drilling by the dim light OF
several rush lamps that disclosed many
stands of arms lying around.
A short, desperate struggle, and the 1d
men, with handouts on their wrists, were
marched out to the coast guards boats
that had crcpt up unseen on the other side
of the headland. The arms found in the
cave were piled in with the prisoners.
Major Singleton was angry, and when
Major Singleton was angry those about
him generally knew it.
Micky Hopkins stood crouching like q
whipped cur in the corner, while the ma
ior strobe upand down the room relieving
his feelings.
80 Hopkins, sop exclaimed the ma
jor, "you promised me to have O'RourkC
In the cave when we surprised it, and the
bird had lown-the game rooster Of the
barnyard Now, look here" and the ma.
| jor pointed his long, bony forefnger men.
acingy at the badly scared Micky, until
/ you find out where O'Rourko is hid not
one penny do you get nor a ticket to Can.
ada for your family either!"
"Oh, murther!" cried the luekless
Micky. "Oh, major, darlin, I'll do me
Twin best, but It's hard job yer settir
ne"
The Widow O'Rourke was sitting in
! front of her little cabin. The declining
sun cast its gentle rays upon the old
weather beaten, timgworn face, with it:
| quaint crown of snowy hair, the sun
shine Il harbngcr of the eternal radiance
that ere long should shine forever on tn.
| time bent figure when it should be rcju
/ vcnatcd beyond those clouds that now ap
| pearod like golden hcadlands where the
sun went down.
The Widow O'Rour6e was nearing the
! thrcCsc0rn years and ten, and she might
| well have said Few and evil have my
! days hc.l' since the hungry waves haJ
! sucked down her husband and two brave
! sOus off Inc trcacherous coast near LooI
! head many droar days agone. He, jim
! my, tie child of her later years, was al
! that was left to her now, and Jimmy, q
tall, powerful, fearless young fellow Of
! five and twenty, with an eye like an eagle
a frame like "a colossus and face like an
Apollo, was son Of whom any mother
might be proud
The widow was gazing drcamily upon
the placid ocoa~ shining now like beaten
! gold, and beneath whose bosom her three
loved ones were sleeping their last long
sleep. Her knitting had fallen into hel
lap; her hands Hung idly by her side; hel
eyes had that faraway look of those whose
mental vision conjures up the forms Of
those long loved and lost.
Good evenin, Widow O'Rourkel" said