Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-03-14

ana watched their intended victims
leave gradually behind them the pro-
tecting presence of the strong castle of
De Bourgho.
The English, unconscious of their
danger, continued their walk until the
growing darkness warned them that
they should return to the castle. They
retraced their steps for some distance
accordingly and had almost half way
returned when a low whistle was given
upon the beach, and they found them
selves surrounded with armed men. The
fishing party had cautiously approached
| the shore and succeeded in their design
of intercepting them. When they first
made their appearance to the affrighted
group, three of De Bourgeois soldiers,
who had accompanied his lady and her
| attendants, attempted to give battle,
but the number of their opponents was
too great and after short struggle the
whole party were made prisoners.
Nothing could exceed the Joy of the
Irish at the success of their design, and
many projects for the conveyance of the
prisoners i'll their limited number of
boats were mooted by different members
of their rude council. Each, however,
was liable to some fatal objection, until
at length one of the savage kerns sug-
gested murder. O'Hanlon held short
paddle in his hand, which he had been
recently using in the beat, and stroke
from that weapon which felled him to
the earth was the only reply that greet
ed the author of the proposal.
The three soldiers were left bound
hand and foot on the beach, and the
females embarked in the curraghs.
O'Hanlon assisted in rowing the one
which contained the countess and had
given instructions to his companion in
an undertone at the moment of their
leaving the shore. The effect of these
instructions was soon visible, for as the
night advanced and the darkness grew
more intense the distance betwixt the
curragh of O'Hanlon and those of his
fellows became wider and wider, until
at length by some secret and precoDcert-
ed signal both rowers at once lay upon
their oars, and the strCng breeze drifted
them swiftly up the bay.
They were soon in the still water, be-
meath the castle of De Bourgho, and
pulling lightly and silently to the shore,
and the moment the boat touched the
sand O'Hanlon told its fair occupants
that they were ct liberty and assisted
them to the land. He then pushed off
without staying for speech and made
way quickly along the beach, till run
ming at length upon the shore he struck
his sword through the wickerwork and
hide of which the curragh was compos-
ed. The water gurgled up through the
breach, and she quickly filled and sank.
The two Irish were now without the
means of taking again to the bay and
stood deliberating with each other how
to proceed. De Bourgho's followers,
they knew, must ere now have marked
the delay of the countess party and
were, no doubt, securing the country in
all directions in pursuit. Their chief
care, then, was to keep clear of any of
these searching parties, and with this
purpose they determined to take the
most unfrequented paths through the
woods. They had scarcely started how
ever, through the forest with this de-
termination when the moon, which had
been for some hours struggling with a
heavy atmosphere, burst brightly
through and revealed the face of the
bay, the dark pine covered mountains
and the castle of Carrickfergus in the
distance. And it revealed more than
these. A party of the followers of De
Bourgho had marked the approach of
! tl,on as,l,
ment they could recognize i'll the moon.
light the Irish garb of its late occupants
shower of arrows saluted them, one Of
which lodged in the arm of MacNial
Oge. The fugitives had no time to think
of how they should act, for the English
had no sooner discharged their arrows
than they rushed in upon them, and as
O'Hanlon and his followers attempted
to defend themselves they were struck
down from behind and made prisoners
and lodged in the keep of De Bourgho' 8
castle.
The Lady de Bourgho slept that night
for but short space, and when the
morning broke the prisoners were gone.
The rage of the lord of the castle was
beyond all control, but his only remedy
was to slay the sentinels and to digest
his grief.
Return we now to the night on which
O'Hanlon and MacNial Oge tossed upon
the bay ON their way to Carrickfergus
castle. In spite of the storm and light
ming hard pulling at the oars drove the
light bark through the watef. Their
progress was slow and only achieved
with great toll, but their efforts were
crowned at length by success, as the
curragh about two hours after midnight
ran into the creek at which O'Hanlon
had liberated the countess some months
before. The darkness of the night had
been favorable to their approach to the
castle, for, although four warders paced
its battlements no alarm had been given
of their approach. O'Hanlon ON reach
II 4