the altar once more, and with a stamp of his
foot, recalled their attention to himself and the matter in hand.

"Boys," said he, "enough of this, and too much; an' well for us it is
that the chapel is in a lonely place, or our foolish noise might do us
no good. Let thim that swore so manfully jist now, stand a one side,
till the rest kiss the book one by one."

The proceedings, however, had by this time taken too fearful a shape for
even the Captain to compel them to a blindfold oath; the first man he
called flatly refused to answer, until he should hear the nature of the
service that was required. This was echoed by the remainder, who, taking
courage from the firmness of this person, declared generally that, until
they first knew the business they were to execute, none of them would
take the oath. The Captain's lip quivered slightly, and his brow again
became knit with the same hellish expression, which I have remarked
gave him so much the appearance of an, embodied fiend; but this speedily
passed away, and was succeeded by a malignant sneer, in which lurked,
if there ever did in a sneer, "a laughing devil," calmly, determinedly
atrocious.

"It wasn't worth yer whiles to refuse the oath," said he, mildly, "for
the truth is, I had next to nothing for yez to do. Not a hand, maybe,
would have to rise, only jist to look on, an' if any resistance would
be made, to show yourselves; yer numbers would soon make them see
that resistance would be, no use whatever in the present case. At all,
evints, the oath of secrecy must be taken, or woe be to him that will
refuse that; he won't know the day, nor the hour, nor the minute, when
he'll be made a spatch-cock of."

He then turned round, and, placing his right hand on the Missal, swore,
"In the presence of God, and before his holy altar, that whatever might
take place that night he would keep secret, from man or mortal, except
the priest, and that neither bribery, nor imprisonment, nor death, would
wring it from his heart."

Having done this, he again struck the book violently, as if to confirm
the energy with which he swore, and then calmly descending the steps,
stood with a serene countenance, like a man conscious of having
performed a good action. As this oath did not pledge those who refused
to take the other to the perpetration of any specific crime, it was
readily taken by all present. Preparations were then made to execute
what was intended: the half burned turf was pla