The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-03-17

dition Of doing battle for their rights
when they were assailed, an event OF
frequent occurrence in Ireland in Che
fourteenth century.
O'Hanlon had succeeded his father in
the lands of the monks, and being
brought up in the neighborhood Of the
priory the fathers had impaired to him
such an education as ooanported with
the lay condition to know. He was con-
sequently superior to his fellow chief
tains in many respects and possessed a
chivalrous spirit known to few Of the
Irish at that early period
1t happened that O'Hanlon had been
one evening fishing in the bay some
months before the night on which our
story opens, when his companions de-
serted party, among which were wo-
men, leaving De Bourgeois castle and
straying along the beach. The careless
group had no sooner been discovered by
the Irish than it was resolved to inter-
cept them should they allow the twi-
light to set in during their walk. With
this intention they lay upon their oars
and 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 boat, and a 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 preconcert-
ed signal both rowers at once lay upon
heir oars, and the strong breeze drifted
hem swiftly up the bay:
They were soon in the still water, be-
,eatn the castle of De Bourgho, and
pulling lightly and silently to the shore,
md the moment the boat touched the
AID O'Hanlon told it's fair occupants !
hat they were at liberty and assisted
hem to the land. He then pushed off
without staying for speech ahd made
way quickly along the beach, till run.
ling at length upon the shore he struck
lis sword through the wickerwork and
hide of which the curragh was compos-
ID. The water gurgled up through the
preach, and she quickly filled and sank.
The two Irish were now without the
means of taking again to the bay and
stood celebrating with each other how
20 proceed. De Bourgeois followers,
hey knew, must ere now have marked
he delay of the countess party and
we're, no doubt, securing the country in |
Ill directions in pursuit. Their chief
,are, 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
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
Ihe curragh to the beach, and the mo-
ment they could recognize in the moon
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