name we had not as yet learned, was speaking, I
observed several more persons entering the room; and presently others
came in, carrying among them a humpbacked little fellow, with a fiddle
under his arm, who seemed scarcely able to walk by himself. They made
their way to the platform I have described, and speedily lifted him into
the chair.

"Strike up, Tim," cried several voices. "Give us a tune to set our feet
agoing. Be alive, man, if you know now where you are."

Tim, though apparently half-asleep, put his fiddle to his chin, and
began scraping away, nodding his head and stamping with his foot in time
to the tune he was eliciting from his instrument. The effect was
magical. The whole party, men and women,--there were not a few of the
latter, not among the most refined of their sex,--began dancing jigs.
Tim next played slower, but his speed increased again as he saw the
dancers warming to their work, till his bow moved so rapidly over the
strings of his fiddle, and his arm and his head gave such eccentric
jerks, that I half expected at any moment to see the one fly off at a
tangent and the other come bounding into the middle of the room. Larry
and I kept on one side, trying to look greatly interested with the
performance, while we managed to have a few words now and then with some
of the men, who were either seated on the benches or standing against
the wall. Among them were several who had not the appearance of seamen,
and who, I surmised, were highwaymen or housebreakers. Two of them were
especially ruffianly looking. As I examined the countenance of one of
these, I felt convinced that I had seen it before, and not long ago
either. I was careful, however, that he should not discover that I was
observing him. I took an opportunity of asking Larry if he knew who the
man was.

"Shure it's no other than Dan Hoolan himself," he answered. I fancied
that at length his keen eyes were directed on Larry, whom he was more
likely to recognise than me, seeing that I was the most completely
disguised of the two.

At length, having gained all the information we could, I determined to
try and get out of the place, so that I might make my way to Nettleship,
and show him the best situation for posting his men to capture any who
might attempt to escape. It had been arranged that Nettleship's party
was to enter the grog-shop one by one; then, at a signal, force their
way along the passage through which Mother McCleary