ced in a little pot;
another glass of whiskey was distributed; and the door being locked
by the Captain, who kept the key as parish clerk and schoolmaster, the
crowd departed silently from the chapel.

The moment those who lay in the darkness, during the night, made their
appearance at the altar, we knew at once the persons we were to visit;
for, as I said before, they were related to the miscreants whom one of
those persons had convicted, in consequences of their midnight attack
upon himself and his family. The Captain's object in keeping them unseen
was, that those present, not being aware of the duty about to be imposed
on them, might have less hesitation about swearing to its fulfilment.
Our conjectures were correct; for on leaving the chapel we directed our
steps to the house in which this devoted man resided.

The night was still stormy, but without rain: it was rather dark, too,
though not so as to prevent us from seeing the clouds careering swiftly
through the air. The dense curtain which had overhung and obscured the
horizon was now broken, and large sections of the sky were clear, and
thinly studded with stars that looked dim and watery, as did indeed the
whole firmament; for in some places black clouds were still visible,
threatening a continuance of tempestuous weather. The road appeared
washed and gravelly; every dike was full of yellow water; and every
little rivulet and larger stream dashed its hoarse murmur into our ears;
every blast, too, was cold, fierce, and wintry, sometimes driving us
back to a standstill, and again, when a turn in the road would bring
it in our backs, whirling us along for a few steps with involuntary
rapidity. At length the fated dwelling became visible, and a short
consultation was held in a sheltered place, between the Captain and the
two parties who seemed so eager for its destruction. Their fire-arms
were now loaded, and their bayonets and short pikes, the latter shod and
pointed with iron, were also got ready. The live coal which was brought
in the small pot had become extinguished; but to remedy this, two or
three persons from a remote part of the county entered a cabin on the
wayside, and, under pretence of lighting their own and their comrades'
pipes, procured a coal of fire, for so they called a lighted turf. From
the time we left the chapel until this moment a profound silence had
been maintained, a circumstance which, when I considered the number of
persons present, an