In spite of my uncle's skill as a swordsman, and the pistols, on which I
had placed so much reliance, we were overpowered before we could strike
a blow in our own defence, and were completely at the mercy of our
assailants. The major, however, all the time didn't lose his coolness
and self-possession.
"What are you about to do, boys?" he asked. "You have mistaken us for
others. We are travellers bound to Cork, not wishing to interfere with
you or any one else."
"We know you well enough, Major McMahon," answered the leader of the
gang. "If you're not the man we want, you'll serve our purpose. But
understand, we'll have no nonsense. If you come peaceably we'll not
harm you; we bear you no grudge. But if you make further resistance, or
attempt to escape, you must take the consequences; we care no more for a
man's life than we do for that of a calf." The ruffian thundered out
the last words at the top of his voice.
"Who are you, my friend, who talk so boldly?" asked the major.
"If you want to know, I'm Dan Hoolan himself, and you may have heard of
my doings throughout the country."
"I have heard of a scoundrel of that name, who has murdered a few
helpless people, and who is the terror of old women; but whether or not
you're the man, is more than I can say," answered the major in a
scornful tone.
"Blood and 'ounds, is that the way you speak to me?" cried Hoolan, for
there could be no doubt that he was the notorious outlaw. "I'll soon be
after showing you that it's not only women I frighten. Bring these
fine-coated gentlemen along, boys, and we'll set them dangling to a
branch of Saint Bridget's oak, to teach their likes better manners.
Och, boys, it'll be rare fun to see them kick their legs in the air,
till their sowls have gone back to where they came from."
I fully believed the outlaws were going to treat us as their leader
proposed.
"You dare do nothing of the sort, boys," said my uncle.
"You know well enough that if you ill-treat us there will be a hue and
cry after you, and that before many weeks have passed by, one and all of
you will be caught and gibbeted."
"That's more aisy to say than to do," answered Hoolan.
"Bring them along, boys; and mind you don't let them escape you."
"Sorra's the chance of that," cried the men, hanging on tighter to our
legs. We were thus led forward, still being allowed to keep our seats
in our saddles, but without a chance of effecting our escape, though I
observed that my uncle's eye was ranging round to see what could be
done. He looked down on me. I daresay I was paler than usual, though I
did my best to imitate his coolness.
"Keep up your spirits, Terence," he said. "I don't believe that those
fellows intend to carry out their threats. Though why they have made us
prisoners is beyond my comprehension."
Some of our captors growled out something, but what it was I could not
understand, though I think it was a hint to the major and me to hold our
tongues. The hunchback kept close to me, having released my throat, and
merely held on to me by one of my legs. Hoolan himself stalked at our
head, with the pistol, which he had reloaded, in his hand. The men
talked among themselves in their native Irish, but didn't address
another word to us. They seemed eager to push on, but the character of
the road prevented our moving out of a foot's pace. On and on we went,
till we saw a group of large trees ahead. Hoolan pointed to them with a
significant gesture. His followers, with loud shouts, hurried us
forward. I now observed that two of them had coils of rope under their
arms. They were of no great strength, but sufficient to bear the weight
of an ordinary man. We quickly reached the trees, when the outlaws made
us dismount under one, which, I remarked, had a wide extending bough,
about fifteen feet from the ground. My uncle now began to look more
serious than before, as if, for the first time, he really believed that
our captors would carry out their threats.
"Terence, we must try and free ourselves from these ruffians," he said.
"I have no care for myself, but I don't want your young life to be taken
from you. Keep your eyes about you, and if you can manage to spring
into your saddle, don't pull rein until you have put a good distance
between yourself and them."
"I could not think of going, and leaving you in the hands of the
ruffians, Uncle McMahon," I answered. "I'll beg them to spare your
life, and will promise them any reward they may demand,--a hundred, or
two hundred pounds. Surely they would rather have the money than take
your life."
"Don't promise them anything of the sort," he said. "If they were to
obtain it, they would be seizing every gentleman they could get hold of.
Their object is not money, or they would have robbed us before this.
Do as I tell you, and be on the watch to escape while they are trying to
hang me. I'll take care to give you a good chance."
While he was speaking they were throwing the ropes over the bough, and
ostentatiously making nooses at the end of each of them. They were not
very expert, and failed several times in throwing the other end over the
bough. The ends of each of the ropes were grasped by three men, who
looked savagely at us, as if they were especially anxious to see our
necks in the opposite nooses, and apparently only waiting the order from
their chief.
"If you have prayers to say, you had better say them now," cried the
leader of the outlaws.
"It's time to speak to you now, Dan Hoolan," said my uncle, as if he had
not heard the last remark. "Whether you really intend to hang us or
not, I can't say; but if you do, vengeance is sure to overtake you. To
kill an old man would be a dastardly deed, but doubly accursed would you
be should you deprive a young lad like this of his life. If you have no
pity on me, have regard to your own soul. There's not a priest in the
land who would give you absolution."
"Hould there, and don't speak another word," shouted Hoolan. "I have
given you the chance of praying, and you wouldn't take it, so it's
yourselves will have to answer for it. Quick, boys, bring them along."
Our captors were leading us forward, and, as I had no wish to lose my
life, I was looking out for an opportunity of obeying my uncle's
instructions, when, with a strength which those who held him could not
have supposed he possessed, knocking down one on either side, he threw
himself upon Hoolan, who, not expecting such an attack, was brought to
the ground. At the same moment the major, drawing a knife which the
ruffian had in his belt, held it as if to strike him to the heart. The
hunchback, seeing the danger of his leader, regardless of me, rushed
forward to his assistance; when, finding myself at liberty, I darted
towards my horse, which was held by one only of the men, who, eagerly
watching the strife, did not observe me. Twisting his shillelah from
his hands, and snatching the reins, I was in a moment in the saddle; but
I had no intention of deserting my uncle. Firmly grasping the
shillelah, I laid it about the heads of the men who were on the point of
seizing the major. Hoolan, however, was completely at his mercy; and
had they ventured to touch him, one blow of the knife would have ended
the villain's life, though probably his companions would have revenged
his death by shooting us the moment after. But just then loud shouts
were heard in the distance, and a party of men on horseback, whom no one
had observed, were seen galloping at a tearing rate towards us.
"Hoora! hoora! Tim Phelan's gained his cause!" shouted a horseman.
"He's proved an alibi, and been set free by the judge."
Our captors, on hearing the shouts, turned to greet the new-comers,
forgetting for the moment their previous intention and their leader, who
lay on the ground, the major still holding his knife at his throat.
Presently, who should I see riding out from the crowd but Larry Harrigan
himself.
"Thunder and 'ounds!" he exclaimed. "What were they going to do to you?
Shure I never thought they'd have ventured on that."
He now came up to Hoolan with my uncle bending over him.
"Spare his life, major dear," he exclaimed. "He never intended to kill
you; and if you'll let him go I'll tell your honour all about it by and
by."
"Is this the case, Dan Hoolan?" asked my uncle. "On your soul, man, did
you not intend to put your threat into execution?"
"No, I didn't, as I'm a living man," said the outlaw, as, released by my
uncle, he rose to his feet.
"I'll tell your honour. I wanted to see how you and your young nephew
would face the death I threatened; and I intended at the last moment to
release you both if you would promise to take a message to the judge who
was trying Tim Phelan, swearing that he was free of the murder of Mick
Purcell, and knows no more about it than a babe unborn; for there's one
amongst us who did the deed, and they may catch him if they can."
This announcement completely changed the aspect of affairs. The outlaws
brought us our horses, and with many apologies for the trouble they had
given us, assisted us to mount.
"I'm not the man to harbour ill-feeling against any one," said the
major, turning to the crowd of apparently humble-looking peasants.
"But, my boys, I'd advise you to follow a better calling without delay.
And now I'll wish you good morning. If we ever meet again, may it be
under pleasanter circumstances."
Though the greater part of those present didn't understand what he said,
the rest interpreted it in their own fashion: the outlaws and the
new-comers raising a loud cheer, we rode off, followed by Larry, and
continued our journey as if nothing particular had occurred.
"And what made you keep behind us, Larry?" asked my uncle, who summoned
him up alongside.
"I'll tell your honour," answered Larry. I was sleeping in the stables
after I'd attended to the horses, when I heard three or four boys
talking together; so I opened my eyes to listen, seeing it was something
curious they were saying. I soon found that they were talking about Tim
Phelan, who was to be tried in the morning. I thin recollected that Tim
was my father's second cousin's nephew, and so of course I felt an
interest in the fate of the boy.
"Says one to the other, `If the alibi isn't proved, shure we're bound in
honour to try and rescue him.'
"`There are a hundred at least of us bound to do the same,' answered the
other, `and of course we'll find many more to help if we once begin.'
"`Thin I'll be one of them,' I cried out, starting up without thinking
that yer honour would be wanting me to continue the journey this
morning. Blood is stronger than water, as yer know, major dear, and
with the thought of rescuing Tim Phelan, I forgot everything else. When
I joined the boys, I found a dozen or more met together, and they made
me swear a mighty big oath that I would stick to them till Tim Phelan
was acquitted or set free if condemned. So when the morning came, I
knew that I could overtake yer honour and Maisther Terence by making my
baste move along after the trial was over. As soon as yer honour had
started, I went back to my friends, and after some time, while talking
to them, I heard that Dan Hoolan was on the road to carry out another
plan of his own, in case Tim should be condemned. What it was I didn't
find out for some time, when one of the boys tauld me that Dan intended
to get hold of one of the lawyers, or a magistrate, or a gintleman of
consequence, and to threaten to hang him if Tim was not set free. I was
almost shrinking in my brogues when I thought that Dan Hoolan might be
after getting hold of yer honour, but my oath prevented me from setting
off till the boys came rushing out of the court saying that Tim was
acquitted. I thin tauld them about all I was afraid of, so they jumped
on the backs of the horses without waiting to cheer Tim or carry him
round the town. It was mighty convanient that we arrived in time; but,
major dear, you will see clearly that if I hadn't stopped behind, there
would have been three of us to be hung by Dan instead of two; so well
pleased I am that I found out that it was Tim, my father's second
cousin's nephew, who was going to be tried."
"Well, master Larry, it's well for us all that you had your wits about
you, so I'll say nothing more to you for neglecting your orders, which
were to follow close at our heels," observed the major.
"Thank yer honour; but you'll be after remembering that I didn't suppose
that Dan Hoolan was really going to hang yer honour, or I'd have been in
a much more mighty fright at hearing that he was going to have a hand in
the matter."
This little incident will afford some idea of the state of my native
country at the time of which I write.
After Larry had given this explanation for his non-appearance, he
dropped behind, and my uncle and I rode on side by side, talking of
various matters, and whenever the road would permit, putting our horses
into a trot or a canter to make up for lost time. Darkness overtook us
before we reached the town at which my uncle proposed to stop for the
night. I confess that I kept a look-out now on one side, now on the
other, lest any more of Dan Hoolan's gang might be abroad, and have a
fancy to examine our valises and pockets. We rode on for nearly three
hours in the dark, without meeting, however, with any further adventure.
We reached Timahoe, where there being no event of importance taking
place, we found sufficient accommodation and food both for man and
beast, which was promised on the sign outside, though, to be sure, it
could not be seen in the dark, but I observed it the next morning as we
rode away.
I must pass over the remainder of the journey till we had got over the
greater part of our journey to the fair city of Cork. We had been
riding on like peaceable travellers, as we were, when we reached a
village, through the centre of which, having nothing to detain us there,
we passed on at our usual pace. It appeared quiet enough. The children
were tumbling about with the pigs in the mud, and the women peered out
of the half-open doors, but seeing who we were, drew in their heads
again without addressing us, or replying to any of Larry's most
insinuating greetings.
"There's something going on, though what it may be is more than I can
tell," remarked my uncle.
Just as we got outside the village, though not a sound reached our ears,
we caught sight, coming round a corner on the right, of a party of men,
each armed with a shillelah, which he grasped tightly in his right hand,
while he looked keenly ahead, as if expecting some one to appear. They
had started forward apparently at the sound of our horses' feet, and
stopped on seeing who we were.
"Good evening, boys," said my uncle, as we rode on. They made no reply.
We had got a little further on when I saw another party on the left
coming across the country at a rapid rate. One of them, running
forward, inquired if we had seen any of the boys of Pothrine, the name,
I concluded, of the village we had just passed through.
"Not a few of them, who are on the look-out for you, boys, and if you're
not wishing for broken heads, you'll go back the way you came," answered
my uncle.
"Thank yer honour, we'll chance that," was the answer, and the man
rejoining his party, they advanced towards the village. Scarcely a
minute had passed before loud cries, whacks, and howls struck upon our
ears.
"They're at it," cried my uncle, and turning back we saw two parties
hotly engaged in the middle of the road; shillelahs flourishing in the
air, descending rapidly to crack crowns or meet opposing weapons. At
the same time Larry was seen galloping in hot haste towards the
combatants. My uncle called him back, but the noise of the strife must
have prevented him from hearing the summons, for he continued his
course. I rode after him, being afraid that he was intending to join in
the scrimmage, but I was too late to stop him, for, throwing his rein
over the stump of a tree which stood convenient at one side of the road,
he jumped off, and in a second was in the midst of the fray.
I had often seen faction fights on a small scale in our own
neighbourhood, but I had never witnessed such ferocity as was displayed
on the present occasion.
Conspicuous among the rest were two big fellows, who carried shillelahs
of unusually large proportions. They had singled each other out, being
evidently champions of their respective parties, and it was wonderful to
observe the dexterity with which they assaulted each other, and defended
their heads from blows, which, if delivered as intended, would have
crushed their skulls or broken their arms or legs. In vain I shouted to
Larry to come out of it, and at last I got so excited myself, that had I
possessed a shillelah, I think that, notwithstanding the folly of the
action, I should have jumped off my horse and joined in the battle. At
length one of the champions was struck to the ground, where three or
four others on the same side were already stretched. It was the one, as
far as I could make out, that Larry had espoused, and to which the men
who had spoken to us belonged. Presently I saw Larry spring out from
the crowd, his head bleeding and his coat torn.
On seeing me he shouted, "Be off with yer, Maisther Terence, for they'll
be coming after us," and running towards his pony, which the tide of
battle was approaching, he took the reins and leaped on its back.
Knowing how annoyed my uncle would be if we got into any trouble, I
followed Larry's advice, but not a moment too soon, for the defeated
party came scampering along the road, with the victors after them,
shrieking and yelling like a party of madmen let loose.
"On, on, Master Terence dear!" shouted Larry, and galloping forward, I
soon overtook my uncle, who had turned back on hearing the hubbub, to
ascertain what had become of me. On seeing that I was safe, he again
turned his horse's head, and as he had no wish to get involved in the
quarrel, he rode forward, closely followed by Larry. The howls, and
shouts, and shrieks grew fainter as we advanced.
"That boy will be brought into proper discipline before long if he gets
on board the frigate," said my uncle when I told him what had occurred,
"and that love of fighting any but his country's enemies knocked out of
him, I've a notion."
It was growing dusk when the lights of the town where we were to stop
appeared ahead. Suddenly it struck me that I didn't hear the hoofs of
Larry's steed. Turning round to speak to him, he was nowhere visible.
"Larry, come on, will you?" I shouted, but Larry didn't reply.
"The boy can't have had the folly to go back with his broken head to run
the chance of another knock down," observed my uncle. "We must go and
see what he has been after."
We accordingly turned round and rode back, I galloping ahead and
shouting his name. I hadn't gone far when I saw his pony standing by
the side of the road. As I got up to the animal, there was Larry
doubled up on the ground. I called to him, but he made no reply.
Leaping from my horse, I tried to lift him up. Not a sound escaped his
lips. I was horrified at finding that to all appearances he was dead.
My uncle's first exclamation on reaching me was, "The lad has broken his
neck, I'm afraid; but, in case there may be life left in him, the sooner
we carry him to a doctor the better. Help me to place him on my saddle,
Terence."
Stooping down, notwithstanding his weight, my uncle drew up his
inanimate body, and placed it before him, whilst I led on his pony.
Fortunately, the inn was at the entrance of the town. My uncle, bearing
Larry in his arms, entered it with me, and ordering a mattress to be
brought, placed him on it, shouting out--
"Be quick, now; fetch a doctor, some of you!"
My countrymen, though willing enough to crack each others' pates, are
quite as ready to help a fellow-creature in distress; and, as my uncle
spoke, two, if not three, of the bystanders hurried off to obey his
order.
Meanwhile, the stable-boy having taken our horses, my uncle and I did
our best to resuscitate our unfortunate follower. His countenance was
pale as a sheet, except where the streaks of blood had run down it; his
hair was matted, and an ugly wound was visible on his head. On taking
off his handkerchief, I discovered a black mark on his neck, which
alarmed me more than the wound. I fully believed that my poor
foster-brother was dead.
Scarcely a minute had elapsed before two persons rushed into the room;
one short and pursy, the other tall and gaunt, both panting as if they
had run a race.
"I have come at your summons, sir!" exclaimed the tall man.
"And shure, so have I! and was I not first in the room?" cried the
second.
"In that, Doctor Murphy, you are mistaken!" exclaimed the tall man, "for
didn't I put my head over your shoulder as we came through the door?"
"But my body was in before yours, Mr O'Shea; and I consider that you
are bound to give place to a doctor of medicine!"
"But this appears to me to be a surgical case," said the tall man; "and
as the head, as all will allow, is a more honourable part of the body
than the paunch, I claim to be the first on the field; and, moreover, to
have seen the patient before you could possibly have done so, Doctor
Murphy. Sir," he continued, stalking past his brother practitioner, and
making a bow with a battered hat to the major, "I come, I presume, on
your summons, to attend to the injured boy; and such skill as I
possess--and I flatter myself it's considerable--is at your service.
May I ask what is the matter with him?"
"Here's a practitioner who doesn't know what his patient is suffering
from by a glance of the eye!" cried the doctor of medicine. "Give
place, Mr O'Shea, to a man of superior knowledge to yourself,"
exclaimed Doctor Murphy. "It's easy enough to see with half a glance
that the boy has broken his neck, and by this time, unless he possesses
a couple of spines,--and I never knew a man have more than one,
though,--he must be dead as a door nail!"
"Dead!" cried Mr O'Shea; "the doctor says his patient's dead without
feeling a pulse or lifting an eyelid."
"You, at all events, ought to know a corpse from a live man," cried the
fat medico, growing irate, "when it's whispered that you have made as
many dead bodies in the town itself as would serve for a couple of
battles and a few scrimmages to boot."
"And you, Doctor Murphy, have poisoned one-half of your patients, and
the others only survive because they throw the physic you send them to
the dogs."
"Come, gentlemen," exclaimed the major, "while you are squabbling, any
spark of life the poor boy may contain will be ebbing away. As I am not
acquainted with the skill you respectively possess, I beg that you,
Doctor Murphy, as holding the higher grade in your profession, will
examine the boy, and express your opinion whether he is dead or alive,
and state, if there's life in him, which you consider the best way to
bring him round, and set him on his feet again."
Mr O'Shea, on hearing this, stepped back a few paces, and, folding his
arms, looked with supreme contempt on the little doctor, who, stooping
down over Larry with watch in hand, at which he mechanically gazed with
a serious countenance, felt his pulse.
"His hand is cold and clammy, and there's not a single thump in his
arteries," he said with solemn gravity; and letting fall Larry's hand he
proceeded to examine his neck. "The vertebra broken, cracked,
dislocated," he continued, in the same solemn tone. "D'ye see this
black mark down his throat? it's amply sufficient to account for death.
I hereby certify that this is a corpse before me, and authorise that he
may be sent home to his friends for Christian burial."
"Och ahone! och ahone!" I cried out, throwing myself by the side of the
mattress. "Is Larry really dead? Oh, doctors dear, can't both of you
put your heads together and try to bring him to life again?"
"When the breath is out of the body, 'tis more than all the skill of the
most learned practitioners can accomplish," exclaimed Doctor Murphy,
rising from his knees. "I pronounce the boy dead, and no power on earth
can bring him round again."
"I hold to the contrary opinion," said Mr O'Shea, advancing and drawing
out of his pocket a case of instruments, from which he produced a large
operation knife, and began to strop it on the palm of his hand. "It's
fortunate for the boy that he didn't move, or Doctor Murphy would have
been thrusting one of his big boluses down his throat and drenched him
with black draughts. Stand aside, friends, and you shall see that a
surgeon's skill is superior to a doctor's knowledge. I have your leave,
sir, to proceed as I consider necessary?" he asked, turning to the
major.
"Certainly," answered my uncle; "if Doctor Murphy considers him dead and
you believe him to be alive, and act accordingly, I have more hopes in
the results of your skill than in that of the other gentleman."
"You'll remain in town some time, sir, I presume, and as you're a
gentleman, I shall expect a visit from you," exclaimed the fat doctor,
as, nearing the door, he made a bow, and, gold cane in hand, waddled out
of the room.
Mr O'Shea cast a contemptuous glance at him, and then kneeling down,
applied his knife to the nape of Larry's neck. Warm blood immediately
spouted forth. "I told you so," he exclaimed; "blood doesn't flow like
this from a corpse. Bring hot water and cloths." These he applied to
Larry's neck, and continued to pour the water on them, "to draw out the
blood," as he said, and relieve the patient's head. Then pressing his
knees against Larry's shoulders, he gave a pull at his head which seemed
likely to dislocate his neck, if it hadn't been broken already.
As he did this, he exclaimed, "There now, I have taken the twists out,
and the boy will be all to rights in the course of an hour."
A groan and a heavy sigh proclaimed that there was still life in poor
Larry. Presently he opened one eye and then the other, and some
spoonfuls of whisky and water, which Surgeon O'Shea poured down his
throat, contributed still further to revive him.
In the course of half-an-hour Larry asked in a low voice, "Did yer beat
back the O'Sullivans, yer honour? shure they were coming after us at a
mighty great rate, and I fancy some one of them gave me a whack on the
crown which brought me to the ground."
"Keep quiet and don't be talking," answered the surgeon, who, proud of
his success, had been carefully watching his patient. "He'll do now,
gentlemen," he added, looking up at my uncle and me. "We'll put him to
bed, and by to-morrow morning he'll be as blithe as a lark, barring a
stiff neck."