eation."

"None of your damned gibberish with me. Who 's that with you?"

"He 's the son of a neighbor of mine, your honor," said Darby, with
an imploring look at me not to betray him. "His father 's a
schoolmaster,--a philomath, as one might say."

I was about to contradict this statement bluntly, when the stranger
called out to me,--

"Mark me, young sir, you 're not in the best of company this morning,
and I recommend you to part with your friend as soon as may be. And
you," said he, turning to Darby, "let me see you in Athlone at ten
o'clock to-morrow. D' ye hear me?"

The piper grew pale as death as he heard this command, to which he only
responded by touching his hat in silence; while the horseman, drawing
his cloak around, dashed his spurs into his beast's flanks, and was soon
out of sight. Darby stood for a moment or two looking down the road,
where the stranger had disappeared; a livid hue colored his cheek, and
a tremulous quivering of his under-lip gave him the appearance of one in
ague.

"I'll be even with ye yet," muttered he between his clenched teeth; "and
when the hour comes--"

Here he repeated some words in Irish with a vehemence of manner that
actually made my blood tingle; then suddenly recovering himself, he
assumed a kind of sickly smile. "That's a hard man, the major."

"I'm thinking," said Darby, after a pause of some minutes,--"I 'm
thinking it 's better for you not to go into Athlone with me; for if
Basset wishes to track you out, that 'll be the first place he 'll try.
Besides, now that the major has seen you, he'll never forget you."

Having pledged myself to adopt any course my companion recommended, he
resumed,--

"Ay, that 's the best way. I 'll lave you at Ned Malone's in the Glen;
and when I 've done with the major in the morning, I 'll look after your
friend the captain, and tell him where you are."

I readily assented to this arrangement; and only asked what distance it
might yet be to Ned Malone's, for already I began to feel fatigue.

"A good ten miles," said Darby,--"no less; but we 'll stop here above,
and get something to eat, and then we 'll take a rest for an hour or
two, and you 'll think nothing of the road after."

I stepped out with increased energy at the cheering prospect; and
although the violence of the weather was nothing abated, I consoled
myself with thinking of the rest and refreshment before me, and resolved
not to bestow a thought upon the present.