rode on. They made no reply.

We had got a little further on when I saw another party on the left
coming across the country at a rapid rate. One of them, running
forward, inquired if we had seen any of the boys of Pothrine, the name,
I concluded, of the village we had just passed through.

"Not a few of them, who are on the look-out for you, boys, and if you're
not wishing for broken heads, you'll go back the way you came," answered
my uncle.

"Thank yer honour, we'll chance that," was the answer, and the man
rejoining his party, they advanced towards the village. Scarcely a
minute had passed before loud cries, whacks, and howls struck upon our
ears.

"They're at it," cried my uncle, and turning back we saw two parties
hotly engaged in the middle of the road; shillelahs flourishing in the
air, descending rapidly to crack crowns or meet opposing weapons. At
the same time Larry was seen galloping in hot haste towards the
combatants. My uncle called him back, but the noise of the strife must
have prevented him from hearing the summons, for he continued his
course. I rode after him, being afraid that he was intending to join in
the scrimmage, but I was too late to stop him, for, throwing his rein
over the stump of a tree which stood convenient at one side of the road,
he jumped off, and in a second was in the midst of the fray.

I had often seen faction fights on a small scale in our own
neighbourhood, but I had never witnessed such ferocity as was displayed
on the present occasion.

Conspicuous among the rest were two big fellows, who carried shillelahs
of unusually large proportions. They had singled each other out, being
evidently champions of their respective parties, and it was wonderful to
observe the dexterity with which they assaulted each other, and defended
their heads from blows, which, if delivered as intended, would have
crushed their skulls or broken their arms or legs. In vain I shouted to
Larry to come out of it, and at last I got so excited myself, that had I
possessed a shillelah, I think that, notwithstanding the folly of the
action, I should have jumped off my horse and joined in the battle. At
length one of the champions was struck to the ground, where three or
four others on the same side were already stretched. It was the one, as
far as I could make out, that Larry had espoused, and to which the men
who had spoken to us belonged. Presently I saw Larry spring out from
the crowd, his