The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-11-03

grfmly, How 10 1t to be doneF He
smoke a little thlckly. for. In spite Of
himself. the wine vas clogging his
senses. It had been a1istlcalIy
|. drugged by Beyne. n
+ "Listen to me. Calhoun. continued
Boyne. "T've known you now some
time. We've come in and gone out
together. This day was inevitable
you were bound to come to It one
wy or another. Man. you have q
heart. Of iron: You have the courage
Of Caesar or Alexander: you have the
chance of doing what no En:lishmnD
could ever do-Cromwell or any 9th
er. Well, then. don't you see the fate
full moment has come In Irish life and
history? Strife everywhere! Alone,
what can we do? Alone. If we try to
shake Off the yoke that binds US we
Shall be shattered, and our last end
be worse than our first. But with
French ships. French officers and sol
diers, French guns and. ammunition,
with the trained men of the French
army to take control here, what ameli-
Grafton of our weakness, what con
fidence and skill on our side! Can
you doubt what the end will be? An
Swer me, man; don't you see it allf
Isn't 1t clear TO YOU? Doesn't such
cause enlist your
With a sudden burst of primitive
anger, Dyck got to his feet, staggering
little, but grasping the fatal mean
ing of the whole thing. He looked
Erris Boyne In the eyes. His own
were bloodshot and dissipated, bat
there was look in them of which
Boyne might we'll take heed.
II tell you this, Erris Boyne; there's
none has ever tried me as you have
done! What do you think / ana
thing Of the dirty street corner, some
thing to be swept up and cast into the
furnace Of treason? Look, you!- A.
ter today you and I will pever break
bread Op drink wine together. No
by Heaven, no! don't know whether
you've told me the truth or not, but
Iethink you have. There's this to say
II shall go from this place to Dublin
castle, and shall tell them there
without mentioning your name-what
you've told about the French raid.
Now, look you, by God, you're a traitor.
You Oughtn't to live. and # you'll send
your SECONDS to me I'll try and do
with you, dis l did with Leonard NAL
low. Only mark me. Erris Boyne.,
I'll put my sword into your heart.
You understanding your filthy
heaH!"
At that moment the door of the
room opened, and face sooked in
|, for an instant-the face of old Swim
ton, the landlord of the Harp and
Crown. Suddenly Boyne's look
changed. He burst into laugh, and
brought his fists down on the table
between them with bang.
''By Joseph and by Mary, but you're
patriot, Calhoun I was trying to
tRst you. l was searching 10 find the
innermost soul of you. The French
Hcet' my commission In the French
army. and my story about the landlord
are all bosh. II meant what | told
you. do you think I'd have been $50
mad ms to tell you so much, d-n 1t?
Have you no sense, man? l wanted
| to find out exactly how you stood
! faithful or unfaithful to the crown
and I've found out. Sit down. sit
down, Calhoun. dear lad. Take your
hand off your sword Remember,
these sare terrible days. Everything
I said about Ireland Is true. WHAT I
said about France Is false. Sit ~lown,
man, and II you're going to join the
kings army-as hope and trust you
will-then here's something to help
you face the time between" He threw
on the table packet of notes.
They're good and healthy, and Will
buy you what you need. There's not
much. There's only a hundred pounds,
but give 1t to you with oil my heart.
and you can pay 1t back when the
kings money comes to you, or when
you marry rich woman"
He said 1t all with n smile on his
face. 1T was done so cleverly, with
So much simulated sincerity, thk
Dyck, In his state Of semi drunken
ness, could not, Mt, the instant, place
him In his true fight.
Never in his life had Boyne per-
formed such prodigies of disslmula-
ton. He realized to the full the dan
gers he had run In. disclosing the
truth; for 1t was the truth that he
had told.
SO serious was the situation, to his
mind that one thing seemed inevita-
hle Dyck must be kidnapped at once
and carried out OF Ireland. II would
he simple. little more drugged
wine. and he would be asleep and
powerless-it had already tugged at
him. With the help of his confreres
In the tavern, Dyck could be carried
out, put on lugger and sent away
to France.
There was nothing else to do. Boyne
had said truly that the French feet
meant to come soon. Dyck must not
be able to give the thing away before
1t happeneds Already the wine had
played havoc with hip; already stupe-
Fnptinr ror,,jpu nrnr bts capeae.