ls, at the side of the town facing the river. There are
only a few sentries there. Then, when it is light, I shall go in and tell
my cousin; and get him, after dark, to lower a rope from the wall. I
shall of course be below, to tie on the kegs. He can then walk with them
boldly through the street to our house, which is only a short distance
from that part of the walls. If anyone saw him, they would only suppose
he was taking home water from one of the wells."

John was soon fast asleep. Walter sat watching him until, two hours
later, his father returned with his troop. John still slept on, while
Walter told his father the errand on which he had come.

"He is a brave lad," Captain Davenant said, "and I honour him for his
conduct. It is not many men who, at a time like this, would risk their
lives for a number of children who are not any relation to them.
Certainly, I will gladly assist him. I am sick at heart at all this. My
only consolation is, that it is brought on solely by the acts of these
men, who, though comparatively a handful, set themselves up against the
voice of all Ireland. If they had risen when an English army arrived to
their assistance, I should say nothing against it. As it is, without
doing any good to their cause, they are entailing this horrible suffering
upon thousands of women and children.

"By all means, help the poor lad, and if he should fall into the hands of
our people, let him mention my name. Rosen would no doubt disapprove of
it, but I cannot help that. All the Irish gentlemen in the army would
agree that I had done rightly, and, even if they didn't, my own
conscience would be quite sufficient for me to act upon. I am fighting
against the king's enemies, not warring against women and children.

"How soundly the poor lad sleeps, and how changed he is! He is a mere
skeleton. I should not have known him in the least. If this is the
condition into which a strong, healthy lad has fallen, what must the
women and children have suffered! I wish Kirk had not turned coward, but
had landed his troops. We could then have brought up our scattered
forces, and could have fought them in a fair field, with something like
equal forces. That would have been vastly more to my taste than starving
them, like rats in a hole."

Chapter 5: The Relief Of Derry.

It was late in the afternoon before John woke. He started up, as his eyes
fell upon Captain Davenant.

"You have had a good sleep, and I hope