DISCOMFITED
A couple of minutes of breathless silence followed. Norah stood
motionless, with Malachy's arm round her, his bristling red beard
close beside her face, and the heavy shawl, saturated with the reek
of peat smoke, weighing her down and dragging backwards off her head.
Lanty and the other men were endeavouring to stare out over each
other's shoulders through the square foot of greenish glass which
served as a window. The brush of feet on the short grass outside
became audible, someone's iron-shod boot-heel struck with a metallic
click upon a stone, and the next moment there came a loud, imperative
knock against the half-closed door.
It was opened wide instantly. Captain Lester stood outside, with
Roderick beside him, and four policemen closing in behind. The hot,
red blood mounted up into Norah's face as Roderick, stooping his tall
head to look under the low doorway, gazed straight at her. It seemed
impossible that he should not recognize her, but she had forgotten
that to him, standing outside in the bright morning sunshine, the
interior of the cabin appeared to be in almost total darkness, and if
he was able to distinguish her at all, it was only as a little
country girl, frightened by the sudden appearance of the police, and
keeping close to her father's side.
"Malachy Flanagan," said Captain Lester, "I have come up here with a
search-warrant, having received information that you are in the habit
of carrying on illicit distillation in these premises."
"Innicint dissitation!" returned Malachy, scratching his head in much
apparent perplexity. "An' what wud yer honour be manin' by that?"
"Nonsense, my man!" Captain Lester answered sharply. "You know what
I mean well enough; there is no use in pretending ignorance. You are
suspected of manufacturing whisky up here, or potheen if you prefer
to call it so."
"Arrah, Mither, did iver ye hear the likes o' that?" said Malachy,
turning in well-feigned astonishment to the old woman.
"Mannifacterin' potheen, an' up here on Drinane Head, av all places
on this mortial airth! But shtep in, yer honour, an' mak' yer
resarches."
This last with a lofty air and a sweep of his arm, which implied that
there was nothing within the four corners of his cabin which the
forces of the law were not entirely welcome to inspect.
Captain Lester did not hesitate to avail himself of the permission so
magnificently given--at least he stood without at the door with
Roderick whilst two of the policemen went in and ransacked the house,
searching everywhere, in the heap of rags which was the nearest
approach to a bed, amongst the litter heaped up in the corner, even
in the thatch of the roof, but naturally without finding anything to
reward them for their labours. Norah had another pang of
apprehension when her hat was tossed out with the rest of the lumber,
and rolled right across the floor almost to Roderick's feet. She
thought he could not fail to know it again, but, fortunately for her
and for those she had come to warn, Roderick had the common masculine
lack of observation where articles of female apparel were concerned.
Often as he had seen that hat with its bow of discoloured ribbon,
which bore witness to much battling with wind and weather, upon his
little sister's head, it woke no recollection in his mind. Malachy
had lighted his pipe, and was puffing away with ostentatious
indifference as he watched the efforts of the search-party; the other
men looked on either with a malicious grin, or with an expression of
sullen ill-will.
"Wudn't yez tak' a look into the pot theer?" enquired Malachy, with
feigned politeness, as the constables emerged baffled from the inner
room of the hovel, their investigations there having been productive
of no better result than in the outer apartment. "Maybe 'tis potheen
herself is stirrin' to give us for our breakfast."
Amidst the shout of laughter which this sally evoked from the other
occupants, the baffled members of the constabulary made haste to
withdraw from the scene. Captain Lester, however, lingered at the
door before following his retreating forces.
"Listen to me, boys, and let me give you a word of good advice before
I go," he said gravely. "You have been too many for me this time, I
admit freely, whether it was through getting warning of my coming or
not. But I know well enough that half a dozen able-bodied fellows
like yourselves are not up on this desolate spot, where there is no
work or lawful trade of any sort, for nothing. And I warn you that
the way you are in is not a good way, that whether you succeed in
evading the law in future or not, your present courses are certain to
bring ruin on yourselves and on everyone belonging to you. Therefore
my advice to you is to abandon your way of life without delay and
take to some honest calling."
"Sure, 'tis the great counsellor yer honour wud make intirely," said
one of the men; "and it's much beholden we shud be for such gran'
advice, an' free an' for nothin', mirover."
Captain Lester took no notice of the sneer, but turned to Roderick.
"Come along," he said, "we'd better follow those fellows of mine."
Norah watched them through the open door as they went up over the
short grass towards the lake and disappeared round one of the folds
of the moorland. Ugly scowls and fierce execrations followed them,
clenched fists were shaken at their retreating figures; and when they
had passed out of sight, Norah realized the strangeness of her own
position for the first time, and felt just a little frightened as she
remembered that she was alone with that wild-looking crew of men in
the low, smoke-darkened hut, the sheer black cliffs on one side of
her, the dark mountain tarn on the other, and that she had their
secret in her keeping. Lanty's presence, however, was an assurance
that not much harm could befall her, and divesting herself of the
shawl which had served as disguise, she said politely:
"I think, if you please, if I may have my hat, I will go home now, or
I shall be late for breakfast."
"Thin, begor, alanna, ye'll not set fut to the ground while meself's
in it to carry ye!" Malachy exclaimed, and before Norah well
understood what he was about to do, he had wrapped the shawl round
her once more and lifted her on to his back, knotting the ends of the
shawl round his waist, so as to form a sort of hammock for her to sit
in, with her hands resting on his shoulders. "Sit ye still, darlint,
an' hould yer hoult, an' ye'll have as iligant a roide home as if
'twas yer own carriage ye was sottin' in."
The other men crowded to the door and raised a sort of cheer as Norah
departed on her novel charger. "Blessin's on the little lady that
give us the warnin', an' on the ould shtock she comes of!"
Malachy did not take the roundabout course by the cliffs by which
Norah had come, nor follow the search-party, who were making their
way towards the nearest point of the road, where their conveyances
waited for them. Instead, he struck straight across the moorland,
following a track which was evidently well known to him. Swamps had
to be crossed here and there by the aid of stepping-stones, and in
one or two places white stones had been bedded in the heather to
serve as guiding marks for those who might have to traverse Drinane
Head at night. Malachy travelled sometimes at a jog-trot and
sometimes at a long, swinging walk, which covered the ground almost
as rapidly, the burden on his back scarcely seeming to incommode him
at all. Not a single word did he utter till the verge of the
moorland had been reached, where he set Norah down, and pointed out
the way to her by which she was to reach Kilshane.
"'Tis meself wud carry ye to the very doore, an' proud to do it, but
for the fear o' meetin' some wan on the road that wud be axin'
questions an' passin' their remarks. But ye'll be home, mavourneen,
soon a'most as thim that's had their horses an' ekeepages to dhraw
them--bad cess to them for the dirty work they wor afther!"
He lifted his ragged old hat with the air of a courtier, and turned
to retrace his steps; then, rushing back suddenly, he caught her
small sunburnt hand in his rough grasp and covered it with passionate
kisses.
"God's blessin' an' the blessin' of His saints be on ye for what
ye've done this day! It's wan of the raal ould O'Briens ye've shown
yerself, that always had a heart for the poor. There's thim that'll
not forgit it to ye, an'll maybe do a good turn to you and yours
afore all's done. It's more nor mannifacterin' potheen the boys
talks of betimes! Whisht, thin, what am I sayin'? But you're wan as
can kape saycrits for as young as y'are, so niver let on what I've
said to ye, nor don't ye be feared for nothin' that happens. Nayther
hurt nor harm will come next or nigh you, an' them that's belongin'
to you, while Malachy Flanagan's to the fore!"
Norah was rather frightened by the vehemence of this address, of
which, to say the truth, she understood very little. She only said,
however:
"Oh, I shall not tell anyone, Malachy! you may be quite sure of that,
except Manus, my brother. He knows all about your place on Drinane
Head already, but he's quite as good at keeping secrets as I am."
Following the line which Malachy had pointed out to her, Norah made
her way across the fields and struck the road not far from the gate
of Kilshane. She had just scrambled over the loose-built stone wall
which skirted the roadside, when she heard the clatter of the whole
cavalcade of horses and cars coming down the road behind her. She
shrank back behind a bramble bush in the vain hope of escaping being
seen, and the next instant they swept past her. First came Roderick
and Captain Lester in a dog-cart, and the police followed on two
cars. They had hoped to cover themselves with glory by capturing the
still and the whole gang, who had succeeded hitherto in carrying on
their contraband trade in defiance of the law; but instead, they were
returning baffled and somewhat crestfallen from their raid.
Roderick looked rather surprised as he caught sight of his little
sister screening herself behind the briar, but he smiled and nodded
to her, as they tore past at the full speed of Captain Lester's
fast-trotting mare.
Norah had hoped to slip into the house without being perceived, but
when she came down the avenue a few minutes later, she found Roderick
and Captain Lester standing outside the door enjoying the fresh
sea-breeze. Roderick caught hold of her as she tried to pass him by
and pulled her to him.
"Hullo, little woman!" he said pleasantly. "Come here and tell me
what mischief you've been up to, careering over the country at this
hour of the morning."
For the first time in her life Norah could not meet the gaze of those
kindly dark eyes that were looking down at her. She hung her head
awkwardly, and drew patterns on the gravel with the toe of her boot.
"It was such a fine morning," she began confusedly, "and so--I
thought I might as well--that is, I wanted to go out."
Anstace's voice interrupted her, speaking through the open window of
the dining-room close at hand.
"Oh, Norah, dear! you have come back. I could not think what had
become of you. I suppose you went up to old Mrs. Connor's about
those fresh eggs I wanted. Can she let me have them?"
"Yes--that is, I think so--I'm not quite sure," stammered Norah.
"Well, you might have made certain when you set off at such an
unearthly hour, There was not such a tremendous hurry; it would have
done quite well later in the day. And, my dear child," with just a
shade of annoyance in her tone, "what a state you are in! Really,
one would think your clothes had been put on you with a pitchfork.
And look at your shoes and stockings! I don't know how you found so
much mud to walk through on this fine dry morning."
Norah glanced down at her footgear, on which the bog mould had dried
by this time, and could not wonder at Anstace's remark.
"Really, Norah, you are getting old enough to be a little more
careful," Anstace went on, but in judiciously suppressed tones, so as
not to put her sister to shame by a scolding administered before
Captain Lester: "Run upstairs now, and make yourself tidy as fast as
you can. Breakfast will be ready directly."
Roderick, who had kept his arm round Norah all this time, let her go.
He had a suspicion that something was wrong, more than could be
accounted for by that expedition in quest of fresh eggs. He
prudently refrained from asking questions, however, and Norah lost no
time in disappearing into the house.
When she came downstairs again the rest of the party were already
assembled at the breakfast-table, and Captain Lester was entertaining
them with a humorous account of the fruitless descent he and Roderick
had made upon the potheen-brewers' lair, and of the reception which
Malachy Flanagan had accorded them.
"I do believe," he said with comic despair, "that not only every man,
woman, and child in the county are on the side of lawlessness, but
that in Ireland the very winds of heaven are in league with
criminals, to carry them intimation of any efforts that may be on
foot against them. I declare to you, Miss O'Brien, I did not breathe
a word of my object in coming here to anyone except your brother and
yourself; and neither of you, I suppose, betrayed my confidence to
those gentlemen on Drinane Head. Yet I am as sure as that I am
sitting here, receiving this very excellent cup of tea from your
hands, that they had been engaged in brewing that infernal
stuff--which is the cause of half the crime in the county--not half
an hour before we turned up, and that by some means or other, warning
of our coming had been conveyed to them."
A sudden thought struck Roderick.
"By the way, I am nearly sure that one of the fellows inside that
cabin was that idle young scamp Lanty. I could not be absolutely
certain, as he kept as far back as possible, with his back to me, but
I think it was he. You were in the room last night, Manus, when
Captain Lester was talking of his arrangements for capturing the
still. Are you sure that you did not say anything about them to
Lanty or to the servants?"
"Not a word," Manus was able to assure him with perfect truthfulness
and a most unembarrassed air. "I didn't mention it to a soul except
Norah, after she was in bed last night, and I haven't as much as seen
Lanty for a week."
He tried to telegraph across the table with his eyes to Norah,
"There, wasn't that well done?" but failed in the attempt, as Norah
had her face down over her plate, to conceal the burning crimson
flush which was surging up to her forehead, and accordingly she did
not see his signals.
"Those illicit stills are the very curse of the country," Captain
Lester went on. "You saw those men up there to-day, O'Brien, fine
stalwart fellows all of them, and the heavy sodden look they had all
got? They've been sitting up night after night in that cabin, in a
stifling atmosphere, for once the grain is 'wet', as they call it, it
has to be watched incessantly till the process is finished, and as
you can imagine, a good deal of drinking goes on during these vigils.
Then every idle vagabond in the country drops in without being
invited, to gossip and taste the brew. And when the stuff is finally
manufactured, half of it is generally expended in drunken
hospitality. I speak strongly, Miss O'Brien, because I've seen so
much of the ruin that this demoralizing trade brings on everyone who
embarks in it. I spoke my mind to these fellows on Drinane Head this
morning, without getting much thanks for my pains, but the best thing
that could have happened for themselves, quite as much as for the
Revenue, would have been if I had succeeded in my raid this morning,
and had marched the whole lot off to jail. That would have put an
end to their distilling once and for all. There, O'Brien, I'm due at
the Ballyfin petty sessions, and I've no time to lose. May I ring to
have my trap brought round? Good-bye, Miss O'Brien, many thanks for
your hospitality."
And the good-humoured, chatty resident magistrate took himself off.
"You see it was a precious good thing you didn't get me to go off on
a wild-goose chase to Drinane Head in the middle of the night,"
observed Manus, when Norah and he found themselves alone in the
dining-room, Roderick having gone to see Captain Lester off, and
Anstace having departed to her household duties. "I told you Lanty
and the boys up there knew how to take care of themselves, and that
they could show Captain Lester a trick or two. And a pretty gaby you
were at breakfast, turning the colour of a boiled beet-root when they
talked of someone having warned those fellows. Why, if anyone had
happened to look at you, they'd have twigged at once that you knew
something or other about it!"
"I couldn't help it, Manus," pleaded Norah, humbly. "I tried to stop
getting red, but I couldn't, and I was so frightened when you said
you had told no one but me. Because, you see, Roderick and Captain
Lester passed me on the road coming back, and I thought they must
guess."
"Passed you on the road? Why, you don't mean to say it was you who
warned the fellows?"
"Oh yes it was. I was awake and up, you know, so I thought I might
as well go; and it was awfully lucky I did, for they'd only just had
time to hide their things away when Captain Lester and the police
came. I was inside the house the whole time they were there, and I
thought Roderick would be sure to know me, for he stood just at the
door, staring straight in at me; but they'd put a shawl over my head,
and I stood beside Malachy Flanagan, and pretended to be his little
girl, and no one had the least notion who I was."
Manus looked put out and rather ashamed.
"I say, Norah, you've no business to go skying all over the country
by yourself like a wild thing. I wonder what all those men thought
of your coming up there alone. You ought to have kept pegging on at
me until I was really awake, I'd have gone like a shot then. When a
fellow's half asleep, as I was, he doesn't know what he's saying, and
you oughtn't to have gone without me."
Considering the reception which Manus had given her when she went to
wake him, Norah thought that this was hardly fair.