rtaken."

Larry now brought in the dinner. He had been told by Walter of John's
arrival, but he otherwise would have failed to recognize, in him, the boy
who had sometimes come down to the village with Walter.

"Are you quite well, Larry?" John asked him.

"I am," Larry replied; "but I need not ask the same question of yourself,
for you are nothing but skin and bone, entirely. Dear, dear, I wouldn't
have known you at all, at all, and such a foine colour as ye used to
have."

"I don't think starving would suit you, Larry," Captain Davenant said
with a smile.

"Sure an' it wouldn't, yer honour. It's always ready to eat I am, though,
as mother says, the victuals don't seem to do me much good, anyway."

"You won't be able to come out and go back again the same night next
week, John," Captain Davenant said, presently. "The tide won't suit, so
you must come up here, as you have done today. You will always find a
hearty welcome, and Walter shall go down and meet you early in the
morning, near the mouth of the river, so you can come up with him; and
then, if you fall in with any of the other parties, no questions will be
asked. I think everyone in camp knows him now.

"I wonder what your grandfather would say, if he saw you sitting here at
dinner with Walter and me?"

John laughed.

"I am afraid he would disown me, then and there, without listening to
explanations."

"I have no doubt it's a sore grievance to him that he is not in Derry, at
present," Captain Davenant said.

"I am sure it is," John replied; "but the fasting would be a great trial
to him. My grandfather is a capital trencherman. Still, I am sure he
would have borne his part."

"That he would," Captain Davenant agreed. "He and the men of his class
are thorough, fanatics as I consider them. Hard and pitiless as they
proved themselves, to those against whom they fought, one cannot but
admire them, for they were heart and soul in their cause. There was no
flinching, no half measures, no concessions for the sake of expediency.
On the ground on which they took their stand, they conquered or died.
Would that a like spirit animated all my countrymen!"

After nightfall, Larry brought round Walter's horse, saddled, and his own
rough pony. Walter mounted the former, and John the latter. The two kegs
were slung across Walter's horse.

"Will you meet me at the clump of trees, half a mile out of camp, Larry?"
Walter said. "In the dark, no one will notice the d