Year: 1876

touch the nasty thing again. m"


''Tut, tut, )" replied my father, "you
talk like a girl But halo! here We
are in the middle of a bog, and l in.
tending to go the other road. That's
what comes from gossiping."


Looking around, l recognized a por-
ton of the road over which we had
passed in the morning. 1t was a sort
of raised causeway, like railway en-
bankment, and ran right across the
center of a large tract of bog. 1t was
the nearest way from our house to
town, but was seldom made use of ex-
cept in the daytime. Out of repair,
unsheltered from wind or rain, and
flanked on either side by deep ditch,
full of ugly, black, deadly looking water,
it was any thing but pleasant road to
travel after dark. In addition, an evil
repute hung over it. Several lives had
been lost in the ugly ditch on either
side; and of late it had become notori-
Gus as a place frequented by agrarian
criminals. This, of itself, was enough
to deter most men; and my father halt
ed the pony, and looked around.


"Ah!" he said, after a moments
pause "it's all right. See, the moon'll
be out in minute or two. Meanwhile,
we'll jog on quietly"


Dolly knew the road of old, and step
ped forward carefully. But scarcely
had she gone a dozen yards, when, as
if sprung from the bowels of the earth,
or rising out of the black ditch, as
Venus from the sea, a tall fOrm-looking
taller than it really was in the weird
light-stood forth in the way.


Another step, and we saw that the
figure was that of a man, dressed in a
long frieze coat, and carrying an
enormous stick or "wattle," so long
that when used for resting it was grasp
ed one-third of its length below the top.


"God save ye, sir!" said the man,
stepping aside a little as we drew near


"God save ye kindly" replied my
father, as he swayed the pony little
to one side, so as to allow the man to
pass.


But the man turned, and faced to-
wards the way we were going.


"a very fine night, SIR" said the
man, as he edged nearer and nearer to
the head of the pony, who seemed to
have an instructive desire to keep as far
from him as possible. ga fine night,
but rather dark for this road"


"Oh, there will soon be plenty of
light, !" replied my father. "Besides, l
know this road very well, and have
proved it in many darker night"


"True for We, sir" replied the man,
with another accession of love for being
near the head of the pony. "But there's
worse things nor the dark night to be
afraid of on this road"


"Indeed," said my father, as his
right arm gradually slipped round to
his back, and his hand grasped and
drew on to his right knee the barrel of
the blunderbuSs.


"Yis; an l wonder you're not
afeard," said the man. "Didn't ye
hear how they trated Purcell, the male
monger, few days ago, an what they
done to ould Doran of Ballymaturk? ?
Yis; there's worse things nor the dark
night about here, can tell you"


True for ye," replied my father, in
a bitter tone of mimicry of the mans
voice and style, ''an' you're one of
them.''


The man halted for half a step, and
exclaimed


Zone ov-'


"Look here!" cried my father, as he
bent low over the neck of the pony, lat the
same time bringing round the mouth of
the blunderbuss SO that it gaped right
in the face of the man-''this is what
makes me not afraid of all the prowling
villains in the country"


As he spoke, he regained his former
position, and the moon, shooting from
behind the last cloud that had hid it,
flashed full on the polished barrel of the
blunderbuss. The man staggered back
an instant, then made a step as if he
were about to leap the black ditch, and
disappear among the clumps of turf that
dotted the waste.


Hold" cried my father, still in the
same fierce, low, quick tone. ''DOn't
attempt to leave US.


The man, as if moved by some power
beyond his will, turned obediently, and
stepped forward.


Now, liSten," continued my father
''If you attempt to move one foot out of
the direct path, if you 60 a single step
faster or slower than we do, if you
whistle, sing, or make sign of any kind
that may be heard or seen by your muir
derous companions lurking behind those
stacks of turf, I'll blow your brains
out"


The man give one quick glance over his
right shoulder, saw the wide mouth and
bright barrel of the blunderbuSs bear
ing right down upon him, my fathers
hand grasping the lock and my fathers
fierce eyes and white, stern face look
ing for the slightest sign of disobedi-
ence. He shivered, dropped his eyes to
the ground and walked on steadily.


After this no sound, save the pat of the
pony's feet, the noise of the brogues, or
the deep breathing of the man, broke
the stiffness until the bog was passed
and the regular road was gained.


At this my father drew a breath of
relief, and leaned back in the saddle
The man glanced quickly round, then
sprang towards the fence by the road
side, bounded over it and disappeared.


Then my father grasped the reins
tightly, leaned forward a little, and for
the first time in n year, Dolly felt the
spurs. Ten minutes more, and the
light was flying from the flints beneath
her heels in our lane, and could hear
the joyful cry of Mick 0'Hara as he
flung back the gate, and we dashed on
to the lawn - ~


1.-The Lord be praised this night"
cried Mick" the Lord above be
praisedl Here at last, safe and soun'." p"


Ny father did not speak, but dis
mounted slowly, helped me to nay feet,
then, flinging the reins to Mike, walked
into the house, and laid the blunderbuss
on the table in the parlor as softly as if
it had been a child.


"This old piece has never done bet
ter piece of work than tonight" he
said solemnly; " for it has saved a life
instead of shaving But what do you
think, Dick?' and he turned to me
laughing" there hasn't been an ounce
of powder in that old barrel for twenty
years. If that fellow had only known,
he might have laughed at US"
That old blunderbuss hangs above