be well for all of us if
ships were sent against her place from Galway, and she were reduced."

Brian saw that things were going badly. The Dark Master seemed to be
playing his cards well, and was doubtless thinking of throwing off the
cloak and openly allying himself with the royalist cause. In this way he
could secure help against Gorumna in the shape of Galway ships and men,
and it was like to go hard with the Bird Daughter in such case.

However, Vere had no power to treat of such things, as Brian well knew.
Also, Nuala had told him herself that her ships had not preyed on the
commerce of Galway's merchants, but only on certain foreign caracks
which free-traded along the coast. Therefore the Galwegians were not apt
to make a troublesome enemy in haste, even if she were proved to be in
alliance with Cromwell.

None the less, the Dark Master was plainly thinking of making an effort
in this direction, and Brian knew that the Bird Daughter was in no shape
to carry things with a high hand in Galway town.

He saw Vere and the Dark Master talking earnestly together across the
table, but could not hear their words--and it was well, indeed, for him
that he could not. As he was to find shortly, O'Donnell's quick brain
had already grasped at what lay behind Cathbarr's coming, or something
of it, and he had formed the devilish scheme on the instant--that scheme
which was to result in many things then undreamed of.

"If I had followed Turlough's rede, there when I first met this devil,"
thought Brian bitterly, "I had slain him upon the road, and that would
have been an end of it. Well, I think that I shall heed Turlough Wolf
next time--if there is a next time."

Brian looked out from his shelter with troubled eyes, for there was
something in the wind of which he had no inkling. He saw Vere break into
a sudden coarse laugh, and a great light of evil triumph shot across
O'Donnell's face. Then the Dark Master gained his feet, gathered his
cloak about his hunched shoulders, and sent Murrough to stand guard over
Brian with a pistol and to shoot if he spoke out.

"Surely he cannot be going back on his word, passed before so many men?"
thought Brian bitterly. "No, that would shame him before all Galway, and
he is proud in his way. But what the devil can be forward?"

To that he obtained no answer. The Dark Master shoved his table back
toward the fireplace, and placed his chair in front of it beside that of
Colonel Vere. It see