Year: 1864

IeScueiy, euc uSSiOsVo dppcdIeV " "


made-whatever it might be. The sam


nan who had already spoken to me, cam,


up again, and with him the rest of tha
f precious conclave. my lad" said he
laying his hand upon my shoulder, I'D,
you know what we have made up our min,
: to do ?" answered that did not know
: "Some of us" said" he, "think that, as yo,
have met us tonight, and may know som,
Of US again, the best thing we could d,


would be to put you out of the way at once
And some Of us think that if we took your
, word. (thoush you're only bit ola boy,
not to mention that you have seen us, w


might do worse than let you 90 home


though that home is the nest which she


came out Of


i fancied from his manner, that I had


not much cause to apprehend the more


deadly alternative; and therefore, 1 an


swered, as boldly as l could, that 1 was


quite willing to give my word not to men,


ton that had seen any of them, nor at


any time or place, attempt to recognize


them "While you are deciding" l ad-


ded, "recollect that this suspense be-


tween life and death is not the most pleas
ant thing in the world. And, for God s
sake" said 1, "rather put this hairy
gentlcman's brace of bullets through my


head at once, than leave me shivering an
other half hour in the colG." There was
a laugh at what l said; those who did not
speak English eagerly required it to be
translated for them, and then the laugh
grew louder, for all joined in it. "Faith," :"
said the leader, you're bold lad to
jest in that way, with the muzzle of a
pistol against your ear. Make your mind
easy; We would not hurt a hair of your
head now. Go your way, and keep your
promise. No matter when you meet any
of us, don't let on that you have ever seen
any of US before And if you should ever
fall in with bad company in any way on
a night like this, just whisper Barry
More into the ear of any of the party. and
you may pass through them as safely as if
you were walking in drawing room" -
This said had to shake hands, one by
one, with each of the party; and they fur
ther insisted, with pertinacity which
would not brook denial, that half dozen
of them should escort ME within a stones
throw Of my uncles house.


a few weeks after this rencOunter, |
saw man at work in one of my uncle's
fields. who seemed not quite a stranger to
me- | took care that the recognition, if
any, should come from him. According
ly thou h l made the usual rem ,rk that
it was fine day, and asked some ques-
tions as TO the prospects of the crops, |
did not seem as ifI had ever seen him be
fore. However, he had | So discretion,
for he sal !, ''That was . narrow escape
yo h I'd down by the bog that night, sir"
IL do not mind talking to you about it
now, for we h:ve your word not to tell
on us. and l know very wel!-fcr We have
friends i'll every house: who tell us what
pas cs-that not even to yOl" uncle did
you say word OF what happened that
night We tried to frighten YOU a bit,
sir, but you stood up better than we expec-
ted had made up my mind from the
first, that not hair on your head should
be touched; but it was not quite SO easy
to get the rest of the boys to my way of
thinking. They had not the Sc that |
had for wishing you we'll"


l told hrm, what was the plain truth,
that had no recollection of any par iicu-
lar cause why he, more than any Of the
rest. should have protected me- "Ah,
sir" said he, ''people who do kindness
forget it, ii the true vein be in them, soon
er ,han those they do the kindness to-
You remember, sir, that about ten years
ago, when you were child, the master
here was very angry with me for having
neglected my work, by which the mistre.s's
garden was quite spoiled, and turned me
off, when | had not the chance of getting
work anywhere else, and owed quarters
rent for the little cabin and potato garden
and was entirely broke, hand and foot
aye. and almost heart, too. At that time
sir, YOU were to the fore, with the kind
word, which you ever had, to turn away
the masters anger, and you got the mis-
tress to interfere; and when the master
took me on to work az ain, it was yourself,
SIR, that ran down to the little cabin and
told me the good news, and sat down at
the table with the children, without any
pride, and eat the roasted potato and the
salt, and drank the butter-milk out of the
same piggn with them From that hour,
sir, if laying down the lives of me and
mine would prevent injury to one hair Of
your head, we would have done it. And
that's the reason why your life was safe
the other night and they all granted it
when told them the ins and outs of the
story"


l saw little more of my companion, for
left that part ofthe country soon after and
have not been there since.