I. "That ship is bound, not for
Dublin, but for Holland; and this is a vile plot of the rebels to be
revenged on Gorman, and decoy away his daughter as a hostage. Where did
Martin say the ship lay?"

"At Five Fingers, west of the headland; two leagues from here."

"When did they start from here?"

"Ten o'clock."

"On foot?"

"No. They rode; and will have been there an hour ago."

"Can you lend me a horse? Mine at the inn is spent."

"There's the cart-horse," said the butler.

"That wall do. Mrs Shannon, I beg you will send over a man at once to
Knockowen and let his honour know how matters stand. I will ride to
Five Fingers and see if anything is to be done or learned. What sort of
girl is the maid?"

"A soft creature enough. She and this Martin have been courting a year
past."

With a groan of despair I followed the butler to the yard, and bridled
the unwieldy beast I found there.

"It's a fool's errand you are on," said the old retainer; "but maybe
you'll have the luck to come within arm's-length of that blackguard
Martin. I always doubted him. Are you armed?"

"I have a pistol."

"Take yonder old sword," said he, pointing to a rusty weapon suspended
on the stable wall. "It has seen service before now."

Thus mounted and accoutred, I dug my heels into the flanks of the great
horse, and, in the breaking dawn, made along the rocky track which the
butler had pointed out as leading to Five Fingers.

"If nothing can be done," said I, as I left, "I will return here."

"Dear send we shall see you no more then," said the old man.

Along the road which led from Malin village to the promontory rapid
progress was impossible, and but that I hoped to have better use for my
horse later on, I could almost have gone as well on foot.

As the early May dawn lifted, I could get glimpses of the sea lying calm
on my left, with a light breeze off the land stirring its surface.

"That is in favour of the Dutchman," groaned I.

Not a human being, scarcely a wayside hut, did I see during that tedious
ride, as my lumbering beast stumbled over the loose stones and plashed
his way, fetlock deep, through the bog. At length I came to the place
which the butler had described as the spot where I was to turn off the
road and make by a grass track for the sea-level.

A short way down this latter path brought me to a corner which opened a
sudden view of the sea to northward. Gazing eagerly in that direction,
the