"I have not the honour to know you," said I, walking on.
But he followed, linking his arm in mine.
"Come now," said he; "you know me well enough. But be assured you have
nothing to fear from me if you are open. Your name is well-known at the
Castle as a leader of the conspiracy, and a friend of Lord Edward's. A
word from me, and you would get free board and lodging in Newgate, if
not a yard or two of rope thrown in; but I have no wish to hurt you.
These are dangerous times, though."
"I tell you, sir," repeated I, "I am not the man you take me for, so
kindly address yourself to some one else."
"Tush!" said he, "what's the use between friends? Tim Gallagher is as
well-known a name as O'Connor's."
Tim Gallagher! Then they took me for Tim, not myself.
"And what information is it you want, and for whom?" I demanded, trying
to conceal my curiosity.
"Turn up here; it's quieter," said he, drawing me into a side street,
"and I'll tell you. I've no commission, mind you, but I'll undertake to
say your candour will be worth a couple of hundred pounds in your pocket
within twenty-four hours."
"Go on," said I, feeling my toes tingling to kick this man, who could
suppose Tim Gallagher a common informer.
"It's known you're lately returned from Paris," said he, "with an
important message from the rebel leaders there, and that that message
concerns among other things the coming French invasion."
"Well?"
"Well! can you ask? It is presumed the leaders in Dublin know your news
by this time, and are making arrangements accordingly. If so, it is
worth a couple of hundred pounds to you, as I said, to let me know what
is going forward."
"And if not?"
"Simply that a warrant is out for the arrest of Timothy Gallagher, at
present in Dublin disguised as a naval officer, and it rests with me to
put it into motion. So come," said he, halting and facing me, "make up
your mind."
We had now reached the end of the street, which was a deserted one,
backing on the Park. It had been all I could do to keep myself within
bounds and refrain from knocking this contemptible cur on the head.
Prudence, and a desire to learn something more about Tim alone had
restrained me.
Now that, one way or another, the matter was come to an issue, I
hesitated as to what I should do. Either I might put him off, and
invent a story to please him, or I might refuse to answer anything, or I
might convince him of his mistake, or I might run for it. In the first
case, I should be acting unfairly to Tim; in the other cases, I should
be risking my own liberty at a time I particularly needed it. Suddenly
a fifth course opened before me. At the end of the street was a coach-
house, the door of which stood open, and the key on the outside. It had
evidently been left thus by a careless groom, for the place was empty
and no one was in sight.
Quick as thought I caught my man by the scrag of his neck and pitched
him head first into the stable, taking time only to say, as I drew to
the door and turned the key. "Take that from Tim Gallagher's brother,
you dog!" After which I walked away, leaving him kicking his feet sore
against the tough timbers.
I returned straight to the _Gnat_, and told Captain Felton exactly how
matters stood, requesting him to allow me to remain on board till it was
time to sail.
"Which will be in two days," said he. "I'm sorry, though, you're
afflicted with a scoundrel of a brother. I had the same trouble myself
once, and know what it is like."
"Tim's no scoundrel," said I hotly, "though he's on the wrong side.
He's a gentleman; and when it comes to that, I've no right to talk of
him as my brother at all."
"Well, please yourself," said Captain Felton, who evidently did not care
to discuss the matter. "That doesn't concern me, as long as you handle
the _Gnat_ smartly and get into no scrapes yourself. We can't afford to
let private concerns interfere with the king's business."
Two days later all was ready, and, to my great relief, we weighed anchor
and ran out of the bay with a brisk south-easterly breeze. The _Gnat_
proved an excellent sailer, and, fitted as she was with ten six-
pounders, and manned by a crew of twenty smart hands, she was a
formidable enough customer for any smuggler that had to reckon with her.
We put in at Larne in expectation of getting some news of the marauders
we were in search of, but found none. We were, however, warned to keep
our eyes open not only for smugglers, but for foreign craft which were
said to be at the old business of landing arms for the Ulster rebels,
who by all accounts were in a very red-hot state, and longing anxiously
for the signal to rise. Indeed, so threatening did things appear
generally that the authorities gave Captain Felton peremptory
instructions to allow nothing to stand in the way of his communicating
immediately to headquarters any intelligence (particularly as to the
expected French landing) with which in the course of his cruise he might
meet.
"This puts a boot on our other leg," said the captain to me that
evening, as we watched the sunset light fade over Fair Head. "It seems
to me collecting customs will be the least part of our business. Never
mind. I'd sooner put a bullet into a rebel any day than into a poor
beggar who tries to land a keg of whisky for nothing. Fortune send us
either, though!"
It seemed as if this wish were not without reason; for though we cruised
up and down for a fortnight, watching every bay and creek between
Ballycastle and Sheep Haven, we came upon nothing but honest fisher
craft and traders.
At last, to my relief--for I was growing impatient to hear news of my
little mistress--Captain Felton bade me run the cutter into Lough
Swilly. And knowing my desire, he made an excuse to send me ashore at
Rathmullan for provisions, bidding me return within three days, unless I
was signalled for earlier.
It was a Sunday morning when I found myself once more in the familiar
inn at Rathmullan. I soon found that my host, who took little note of
his customers, did not remember me; and he was civil enough now to one
of his Majesty's lieutenants, and eager to execute my commissions for
stores.
"Faith, sir," said he, "and it's some of us will be glad to see the luck
back, for it's gone entirely since the troubles began."
"You mean the smuggling?" said I, by way of drawing him out.
"That and other things. These are bad times for honest folk."
As I knew the fellow to be an arrant harbourer of smugglers and rebels,
I took his lamentation for what it was worth.
"Maybe you're a stranger to these parts, captain," said he presently,
giving me another step in the service.
"I've heard something of them," said I. "I met a young fellow called
Gallagher not long since, and he was talking of Lough Swilly."
"Tim was it, or Barry?" asked the landlord, with interest.
"Are there two of them, then?"
"Faith, yes; and one's as black as the other's white. Tim, bless him!
is a rale gentleman and a friend to the people."
"Which means a rebel, I suppose. And what of Barry?"
"Bedad, he's a white-livered sneak, and he'd best not show his face in
these parts. There's a dozen men sworn to have the life of him."