was
so dark, that had it not been for his knowledge of the direction from
which the wind blew, he would have been unable to guess where he was
going. In a short time, however, he found the wind blew directly in his
teeth. He knew that they must be travelling north, and also, from the
character of the ground, that they had already passed beyond the
vicarage, and that they could be at no great distance from his own home.
Now they turned once more to the west, and he felt sure they were
approaching the sea. The ground became more and more wild and rugged,
and he guessed by feeling that they continued to ascend for some
distance, that they had reached a range of wild hills which lay in that
direction.

All this time he had kept his senses wide awake, nor did he allow
himself to feel the slightest fear of what was likely to happen.

"No great harm can come to me," at length he thought to himself; "and if
it does, what matters it? There are those who will look after my
mother, and I shall have saved the young lord from some plot which these
ruffians have formed against him."

All this time the people round him were speaking the native Irish,
little supposing that their prisoner understood every word they said.
He was at length able to gather from their conversation that they
intended to hold the young lord as a hostage, threatening, if the
demands they proposed making were not granted, that they would kill him
in revenge.

At length, he was ordered to dismount, and he found himself led forward
through a narrow passage, with rocks on either side, which conducted
them into the interior of a cave. It was of considerable size, the roof
and sides covered apparently with smoke, probably the result of the
illicit distillery which existed, or had existed there. It was dimly
lighted by a lamp fixed on a projecting point of the rock. This enabled
Dermot to see that a number of arms were piled up along one side,
muskets, pikes, and swords. There were two small field-pieces, and what
he supposed to be cases of ammunition. Had the light been greater he
would probably have been at once discovered. As it was, however, he was
led forthwith to the farther part of the cave, where he was told to take
his seat on a rough bed-place.

"We'll be after bringing your food directly," said a man, the first
person who had spoken to him since his capture. "You will be quiet now,
and not attempt to run away; for we should shoot you if you