to lose all consciousness of our own fate in
contemplating lines of beauty such as then marked the outline and
radiated through every minor detail of mountain, ocean, and cosy lawn.
We dwelt on the scene with enraptured eye and heart, and scarcely felt
the time glide by, which was to bring us our promised deliverer. He was
with us at the appointed moment, and only preceded his sisters by about
half an hour. They came, three in number, and toiled up to the summit
under a hot sun, bringing each a basket with abundant and delicate
provisions for a picnic. They were joined soon after by two other
brothers, who kept watch while we enjoyed the delicacies of our meal,
which we finished with some bottles of excellent claret. While we were
thus engaged, Lord Bantry was at the cabin we had left, gnashing his
teeth at the misfortune of missing such a prey. My comrade sang the
newly-composed verses and others of more exquisite melody and far higher
sentiment, within less than half a mile of the frowning and fuming lord.
At four o'clock we took leave of our kind entertainers, the student
promising to use the coming night in efforts to secure our flight, and a
younger brother undertaking to act as our guide across the mountain and
round the base of the Glengarriff ridge of hills to a dark gorge, at the
County Kerry side. This was a most trying journey, at least twenty
miles long, over precipitous mountains, and performed, for the most
part, during night. It was necessary that we should not rest until we
travelled far out of range of the locality where our persons had been
known and our retreat discovered. Our young guide left us with friends
or dependents of his family, and returned to be in readiness to
communicate any tidings from his brother. Those tidings came fast on our
footsteps; but the message was to warn us that we were not even there
safe; for that Lord Bantry had all his tenantry engaged in searching for
us. The despatch added that, if able, we were to be at the "Priest's
Leap" at a certain hour in the evening, where we would hear the result
of the efforts made for us. The tone of the letter left us nothing to
hope; still we determined to test the doubtful promise to the last.
Accordingly we set out for the new rendezvous. The distance was very
long unless we crossed through Glengarriff. This we determined to do,
feeling satisfied that the last place we would be looked for would be
his lordship's pleasure-grounds. We paused