ssurance of
safety stamped upon it. There we could indulge our admiration for the
beautiful; there we could snatch an hour of fearless and unbroken sleep.

But elements of danger began to lower over our loved haunts. The grouse
season had just set in, and occasionally the report of a musket broke
our reverie, or startled our deepest sleep. Yet, even from this cup of
bitterness did we derive some sparkles of happiness. We could easily
avoid the sportsman's eye; and when we wanted anything from the lower
regions, the vicinity of the mountains, and the business of the fowler,
accounted for our presence and our wants, and readily gained us a
supply. But the potato crop had failed, and the disease had already
destroyed all the tubers which had approached maturity. This rendered it
necessary to look to other resources, and we contrived to procure bread
and sometimes meat, which we were able to get prepared easily under
pretence of being catering for shooting parties.

On the first day we made this experiment, we found ourselves descending
into that dreary plain that stretches out to the doomed district of
Skibbereen. Under cover of night we sought to penetrate this desolate
region in the remotest direction of the sea, where we hoped we might
remain unnoticed as country bathers. We obtained shelter at a small
farmers, and made a great many inquiries concerning the neighbouring
watering-places, whither we said we were going for the benefit of our
health. There were two young girls, the confidence of one of whom my
comrade contrived to win during the evening. She told him that her
sister had a courtship with the sergeant of police, who usually visited
there every day. This hastened our departure next morning. We set out in
the grey dawn, and once again reascended the mountain, to rest and take
thought. The communication of the young girl; the sister's long delay,
when she went to procure refreshments at the village, where the
police-sergeant was stationed; the father's pursuits, and other
circumstances, induced us to believe that to follow the plan which, to a
certain extent, we had unfolded, would be dangerous. We therefore
determined to change our course. We were then about fifteen miles
south-southwest of Dunmanway. Adhering to our resolution of settling for
a few weeks in some village on the seaside, we purposed to substitute
the Kerry side of Bantry Bay for the district we had at first fixed on.
The distance was about fift