what was in my time called a ken, that is a house where only
thieves and desperadoes are to be found. Knowing on what kind of
business I was bound, I had taken with me a sergeant's party; it was well
I did so. We found the deserters in a large room, with at least thirty
ruffians, horrid-looking fellows, seated about a long table, drinking,
swearing, and talking Irish. Ah! we had a tough battle, I remember; the
two fellows did nothing, but sat still, thinking it best to be quiet; but
the rest, with an ubbubboo, like the blowing up of a powder-magazine,
sprang up, brandishing their sticks; for these fellows always carry
sticks with them even to bed, and not unfrequently spring up in their
sleep, striking left and right."

"And did you take the deserters?" said the officer.

"Yes," said my father; "for we formed at the end of the room, and charged
with fixed bayonets, which compelled the others to yield notwithstanding
their numbers; but the worst was when we got out into the street; the
whole district had become alarmed, and hundreds came pouring down upon
us--men, women, and children. Women, did I say!--they looked fiends,
half naked, with their hair hanging down over their bosoms; they tore up
the very pavement to hurl at us, sticks rang about our ears, stones, and
Irish--I liked the Irish worst of all, it sounded so horrid, especially
as I did not understand it. It's a bad language."

"A queer tongue," said I; "I wonder if I could learn it?"

"Learn it!" said my father; "what should you learn it for?--however, I am
not afraid of that. It is not like Scotch; no person can learn it, save
those who are born to it, and even in Ireland the respectable people do
not speak it, only the wilder sort, like those we have passed."

Within a day or two we had reached a tall range of mountains running
north and south, which I was told were those of Tipperary; along the
skirts of these we proceeded till we came to a town, {93} the principal
one of these regions. It was on the bank of a beautiful river, which
separated it from the mountains. It was rather an ancient place, and
might contain some ten thousand inhabitants--I found that it was our
destination; there were extensive barracks at the farther end, in which
the corps took up its quarters; with respect to ourselves, we took
lodgings in a house which stood in the principal street.

"You never saw more elegant lodgings than these, captain," said the
master of the ho