Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22

hD1Ht s't'A'1 NSAAAhA9N hAA AAtfb JbhA b'4Sb
foot forard. Ye'll made 'em all wllin
facin' tn judge, afore yer hanged ~
Another course Of wailinys followed
Dennis tiippant advice, with sound OF
scutilings, embraclngs, hurryings and
scurryings and the enforced hasty dress
ing and the cropping together their
wretched belongings, mingled with the
pitlful intcrjections Of dcspairlng love
and loving despair.
Finally upon Dennis sturdy demands,
a light was struck, and the men stimuli
taneously entered the cabin, where tho
four poor creatures covered and shud-
dcred in the corner by the fireplace.
slave ye surriudered talrly?" de-
manded Dennis sternly.
"Och, murther!-an' we have, thin,
entirely !"
"Ye'd better, ME sundowns Don't ye
lave tn place where yer ut. Twinty
cannons IS pinted at TIL shebeen. Ii ye
as much as sthir, yen be blowed, cabin
an all, beyant Ballynahinch Come,
byes, we'll have look at tn beautiful
sthills."
They raised the tagging and, with
the lanterns they had brought, at once
descended into the cavern. Mother
Dreen, ever coward before threatened
danger, but who always rose to the
height of heroism in times of actual
conflict or advantage, with wild cry Of
victory sprang to the tackling-table,
slipped the heavy stone In its place and
jumped ocstatically upon 1t. Then she
babe Ellie make haste To the Leprachaun
Crag above, for the little bug Of coin
hidden beneath o certain rock; and
whispered excitedly to Nora and
Maureen, who at once flung open the
door toward the boreen, and stood with
clutching hands and heaving breasts
beside her.
Let us up!-Let us up out O. this, We
ould bitel" came threatenly from below
with loud rappings underneath the flag
ging upon which Mother Dreen now
stood with blazing eyes.
SWAN at c time, thin, darlints; wan
ut time. We'd loike u be raisonin'
wild we u little!"
Consent was the imprisoned gaugers'
only recourse. Dennis came clustering
and putting first, half dragged from tho
hole by hands that frightened upon his
limbs with almost crushing power. AS
the light was extinguished in the cabin,
he felt himself suddenly swung from
his feet into mid-air.
''Aisy now, ayicks. Toss him over
aisyp" was mother Dreen's CHEEKY COM
mand, as the Tagging was replaced and
she calmly resumed her solitary guard.
A wild rush was that down the dark
and stony boreen with their strange and
struggling burden; and Dennis laid oath
long after that "'.rwas into etarnity |
thought I'd swungW But the two
mountain girls knew every inch of the
way to the fine shelving rock near the
lower edge of the cliff, where the waters
were deep and still.
Thrice they went and came; and
thrice there was cry of terror and q
great splashing of the waters of sombre
Alligan; while Nora and Maureen had
scarcely gained the hut for the last time,
to find Ellie and her mother with some
terrified consciousness of what had been
done dawning upon their desperate
minds, when Dan Madigan came tearing
upafter them all but bursting with laugh
ter, but full Of woefui lamentations for
the straits in which the wrotched women
were now placed.
"Out O. this l--Out o. this or livery
mothers son O. yer necks will be
stretched Och, bad luck t TIL day Inc
eyes will see it! But I'll save ye, me
body an sowl ON it, darlints all -
He grasped Ellie in his arms; walled
ever her loudly; hustled and pushed
mother Dreen and the girls out of the
cabin door and rushed them down the
. boreen; all the time, while holding their
misdeed before their now Mortified eyes,
gasplng out the wonderful part he had
played in following the gaugers from
Galway; in running his horses like mad
to distance them and give tho Dreens
fair warning; how he had missed it by
the matter of four miles, only at last to
blister his eyes with sight of murder
done; and how now, blessed be all the
saints if they would but make won
drous haste and do precisely as hidden,
and II there were not 20 and more I'M
drowned gaugers lurking about the bush
to pounce upon them, he would make
the race of his life for their lives and a
place of permanent safety besides.
Then 1t was that Dan Madigan's
wagonette went whirling back toward
old Galway; Mother Droen, Nora and
Maureen snug within the straw, covered
close with blankets, and giving vent to
occasional smothered groans, as Dan,
brave rascal that he was drew Ellie
tightly to his side; while his eloquent
lips for hours told her the tale Of his
love with running fire of warnings to
the crouching figures in the straw, to
"nivir sthir hair" for 'th' divips own
gaugers" were surely after them; as AT
last they seemed to be; for tearing along
behind, came long-car, its occupants
shlVGringly beating their bodies with
their arms, but hallooing threatcningly
to those within the wagonette.
"See, darlint, how III give thin tn
fine slipm said Dan proudly to the cud.
ding Ellie by his side, as he dextrously
swerved his team at full gallop into Il
noiseless pit Of sand, while the long.car
dashed furiously on.
The wagonette moved slowly now;
and misty driz2le fell through the
gray of breaking day as Queens Bridge,
over the Corrib, was crossed, and the
vehicle wound carefully along unfre-
quented streets. at last hating beside
the ghostly outlines of little parish
church.
Then Dan Madigan whispered sol,
emily to those beneath the blankets:
whist, now, fur yer lives, an mind
what I'm . say. lts aisy said, Misthress
Dreen. TIL worst is forninst us, yit
How can any honest lad, like meself,
hide away four women-an' three o.
thin murdherers l-widout at layst
vans his lawful wifeY 1t can't be
done! Thin whatH Yer beyant TIL age
o marryin', yerself, MISTRESS Dreen.
Nayther Nora nor Maureen III have me.
Flies tn only wan, as I've been tellin'
her while crassin' tn bridge, that can
snVn We NOW Whnt diva snM u thnt