I think, had the wind only favoured, I might have been tempted,
notwithstanding the risk of it, to venture up in my boat as far as
Kilgorman for the sake of getting a word with Tim, even if I could not
hope to follow my quest up to the house itself. But the breeze dropped
slack before I was well clear of Rathmullan, and it took me many hours
of hard pulling, with the chance aid of an occasional puff, to make as
far as Knockowen; and by that time the dawn was beginning to show in the
east, and my chance of passing undetected was gone.
Besides, the news I bore, and the importance of it to the little,
unprotected family at Knockowen, would hardly allow of delay. I slipped
into the house and curled myself up in my corner, but not to sleep.
Supposing, as was likely, his honour was not back by night, it would be
left to me to defend the house and the women as best I could. And how
was I to do it?
The first thing I saw when I arose at the summons of the cock was the
white sails of the _Cigale_ in the distance standing out for the mouth
of the lough. So there was an end of Tim for the present. I confess I
was almost glad; for had he been still within call, I should have been
tempted all day long to desert my post to get at him. Now I had nothing
to take my mind from the business of the night that was coming.
By mid-day his honour had not returned. And then it seemed to me I must
do something, if the danger was to be averted. So I saddled Juno (who,
by the way, had quietly trotted home to her stable the morning after her
runaway race with Miss Kit three months ago), and despite Martin's
questions and objections, to which I replied that I was on my lady's
business, rode as hard as the mare would carry me to the barracks at
Fahan.
There I boldly reported what I knew, and in my mistress's name bade the
sergeant in charge send half-a-dozen armed men to protect the house.
The sergeant answered that all his men were away, and that unless they
returned soon he would have no one to send.
Then I demanded a brace of guns, and a promise that, failing any others,
he would come himself. To this he agreed that he certainly would, and
bade me keep my own counsel and not alarm the women. As to Martin, I
would do well, he said, to make sure of him before he could do any harm.
He gave me the guns done up in a truss of straw to avoid detection, and
with this clumsy parcel slung across the mare's back I trotted home.
As I came near the avenue I noticed a skulking figure step quickly
behind the trees, and guessed this was probably the messenger who had
promised to come over to warn Martin of what was in store. I doubted
whether I ought not to attack him there and then. But had I done so I
might have given an alarm, and lost my guns into the bargain. So I
pretended to see nothing, and passed on, whistling to myself, up to the
house.
The afternoon was already well advanced before I dismounted in the
stable-yard. Martin, as I expected, stood there waiting for me. It was
as much his object to get me disposed of as it was mine to dispose of
him. My only chance was to seem to know nothing, and keep a sharp look-
out on him.
"You're fond of riding," said he with a sneer; "it's worth a ride to
Fahan to fetch a truss of straw when there's plenty in the stable."
"There's more than straw in this," said I, lifting it up and carrying it
up to the house. "Man, dear, it's full of guns."
He was not to be taken in by chaff like that, he said. And indeed he
fully believed, as I hoped he would, that I was making a fool of him.
"Since you don't believe me, you might carry it indoors for me, while I
put up the mare," said I, risking a little more to make sure of him.
"You may carry your own litter," said he, "and hold your tongue over
it."
So I carried the truss into the kitchen, and laid it in the corner
there, and presently returned to the yard.
He had taken Juno into the stable, and was unsaddling her there.
"Come here," he called, "and put up your own beast."
I guessed pretty well what he meant by that. The stable was a small
one, with only one little grated window high up, and a thick door.
Could he lock me in there, I should be quiet enough for the rest of the
evening.
Happily for me Martin was a dull fool as well as a great villain, and he
betrayed his purpose by the glitter of his eye too clearly for any one
to mistake him. I strolled carelessly up towards the door, and as I did
so he left the horse and came to meet me.
"Come in here," said he, "and let's see how you can rub down a horse."
"I don't need you to show me," said I. "Look at her there, with her
mane all in a twist and her fetlock grazed by your clumsy pail."
He turned round to look, and in that moment I had the door shut on him
and the key turned on the outside. I knew that the door, which was
thick enough to stand a horse's kick, had nothing to fear from his. And
as to his noise, there would be no one to heed that. He would be safe
there till morning, and there were oats enough in the place to keep him
and Juno both from starving.
This business done, I hastened back to the house, and sought Miss Kit,
to whom I told everything.
"Father will not be home to-night," said she bravely. "We must do the
best we can, Barry."
"We'll do better than that, plaze God," said I.
Then followed an anxious council of war. Besides our two selves, there
were my lady and three maid-servants in the house. Mistress Gorman was
too nervous and delicate to count upon for help, but the maids were all
three sturdy wenches. So our garrison was five souls, and, counting the
two guns I had brought, there were eight stands of arms and ammunition
to match in the house.
The danger to be feared was not so much from the invaders' shooting as
from the possibility of their carrying out their threat to fire the
house. Our only hope seemed to lie in frightening them off at the onset
by as formidable a show of resistance as possible. Failing that, we
should have to protect ourselves as best we could.
Fortunately we could at least prevent their surrounding the house; for
by closing and barricading the garden doors on either side, all approach
would be limited to the water-front, unless a very wide circuit was made
outside the grounds. The drawing-room in which the family usually spent
their evenings was on the first floor at this side, and here no doubt
the enemy would direct their first attack.
I therefore resolved to have the candles lit as usual and to keep the
blinds up, so as to give no hint that we were forewarned of their visit.
Below, on the ground-floor, there were two windows on either side of the
door, with shutters in which we bored some hasty loopholes, at each of
which we could station one of our party. And the more effectively to
keep up an appearance of being in force, I placed a loaded gun, pointed
towards the door, on the outer wall at each side, which, by an
arrangement of string attached to the triggers, I should be able to let
off from within, and so give the party the discomfort of believing
themselves taken in the rear.
For the rest, we removed everything inflammable, such as curtains and
bedding, as far from the windows as possible, and trusted to a supply of
well-filled buckets stationed in every room to help us in case of fire.
And as an additional defender against a forcible entry from any
unexpected quarter, I brought Con the dog (who seemed to understand all
that was going forward) into the house, and stationed him in the hall.
By the time these preparations were all complete it was quite dark, and
I knew we might expect our visitors at any moment.
I begged Miss Kit to see her mother disposed of in an apartment as far
from the point of danger as possible, while I lit the candles in the
drawing-room, and stationed the maids at their posts in the darkened
hall below.
My little mistress came to the drawing-room to report her task done.
"If you are not afraid," said I, "it would be well to move about in this
room near the window for a little, so as to let ourselves be seen by any
one who approaches. They may be in view of us already."
She seated herself boldly at the window, while I, in my livery coat,
waited on her with a tray.
"Afraid!" said she, taking up my words; "that would be difficult. I do
not forget that afternoon in the boat, or the gap in the cliff."
If anything could have put me more on my mettle, these words and the
smile that accompanied them sufficed. I could have received an army
single-handed.
We waited silently after that. Presently Con below gave a low growl,
and Miss Kit's eyes met mine. "Listen, and you'll hear them," said I.
Sure enough, through the open window there came the steady plash of
oars, and the sound of voices across the water.
It was an uneasy moment, especially when we heard the grating of the
boat alongside the jetty.
"It's time now we went below," said I. "Leave me here to close the
window and pull down the blinds. And, Miss Kit," said I as she rose,
"if any one is hurt this night it shall not be you."
She laughed a brave little laugh, and replied, "You want too much for
yourself, Barry. We'll share and share alike."
Then with her cheeks somewhat pale, and her eyes very bright, she went
below, and groped her way to her station in the hall.
Meanwhile, as ostentatiously as I could, I closed the window and lowered
the blinds; and after moving from one place to another between them and
the candles so as to throw as many shadows as possible, I slipped from
the room, and ran down the stairs.
At first nothing could be seen, and we only had Con's growing uneasiness
to warn us of the danger approaching. Then through my loophole I saw
among the trees a moving light, evidently a lantern, and presently seven
or eight dark forms moving doubtfully along the little jetty.
They halted at a little distance to reconnoitre, and perhaps to wonder
why Martin, on whom they depended to conduct them, did not appear.
At last we could discern a movement and the sound of footsteps crunching
on the gravel. My orders were that no sign should be given by any of us
in the house till they had expended their first shot. And this, as it
happened, turned out to be good advice.
Presently we could see them ranged in a row, about twenty yards from the
house. Then one stepped forward cautiously, and rapped at the door
behind which we stood.
His only answer was a growl from Con.
"Boys," whispered he, "there's not a sound stirring. You'll need to rap
at yon window to find if his honour's at home. All together now."
Whereupon, with a hideous noise, seven guns were let off, and we heard
the bullets crash into the room overhead.
One of the maids lost her nerve, and shrieked. But if they heard it,
they thought nothing of it.
"Are you a goose?" cried Miss Kit angrily. "Stand steady now, like a
woman."
This reassured the girl, and at the same time I gave the order to fire.
Our object was not to kill but to frighten. And I knew well enough the
women would aim wild. But for myself, I confess I had no scruples in
covering the man who carried the lantern.
The effect of our volley was amazing. The villains had barely grounded
their arms, and were proceeding leisurely, with their eyes still
upturned to the shattered windows, to reload, when we let fly.
My man fell back with a yell, so did one of the others. The rest yelled
in chorus, and stood a moment stupified. Quick as thought I pulled my
strings right and left, and completed their consternation by a flank
fire, which, had it been aimed by a marksman, could not have been more
decisive. For one other of the party fell without even a cry, and at
the same moment the rest rushed gasping and stumbling over one another
down to the boat.
It was the shortest battle I ever took part in. Within three minutes of
the first attack the invaders were flying for their lives across the
lough. Three of their number were left on the field senseless, and for
all we knew stone dead.
I confess that victory is sometimes more terrible than defeat, and any
relief our little garrison felt in the danger averted was lost in the
counting of the cost. My little mistress, especially, was not to be
held till the door was opened, and she could go out to where the victims
lay.
Of the three, one--he who had caught the fire of the gun on the wall--
was dead. The other two were senseless, but only slightly wounded. The
one, whom I had brought down, was bleeding from a wound in the forearm;
and the other, who was shot with no will of her own by the frightened
servant-maid, was deeply grazed on the cheek.
We had scarcely carried the two wounded men inside, when a clatter of
hoofs in the avenue warned us that the sergeant, true to his promise,
had come to our succour, and not alone. He was not well pleased to find
himself too late for the fighting, and only in time to tend a couple of
bruised men, and carry off the body of another. But for this duty he
might at least have given chase to the fugitives, and gained a little
credit to himself by their capture. As it was, my lady, who in her
husband's absence, and then only, spoke with his authority, would hear
of no such attempt, and ordered the immediate removal of the body to
Fahan, pending the necessary inquiry, while two of the soldiers were to
be left in the house to protect it and see to the wounded.
As for these, a little whisky and bandaging soon set them right; and
when next morning his honour, who had already been met by the news of
the night's adventure, reached home, he was able to send them off to
jail in the custody of the soldiers.
"There'll be trouble enough to us out of all this," said he to me that
day, as we followed to the court of inquiry. "I wish to God I had left
you where I found you."
That was the least I expected of his honour. His gratitude counted for
very little beside the look Miss Kit had given me the night before, when
the danger was yet to come.