ost them.

A minute's thought satisfied me that I ought to make up to the fellows,
and trust to their good faith for whatever assistance they could give
me.

I determined, then, to do this, having great faith in the impulses of
my mind, which, whenever I have been in jeopardy, as in my life I often
have, always prompted me aright.

The strong red light of the fire showed me plainly enough that the group
consisted, not of soldiers, but of Irish kernes, or countrymen, most
of them wrapped in heavy mantles, and with no other covering for their
heads than that afforded by their long, rough hair.

There was nothing about them which I could see to intimate whether their
object were peaceful or warlike; but I afterwards found that they had
weapons enough, though of their own rude fashion.

There were in all about twenty persons assembled around the fire, some
sitting upon such blocks of stone as happened to lie in the way; others
stretched at their length upon the ground.

'God save you, boys!' said I, advancing towards the party.

The men who had been talking and laughing together instantly paused,
and two of them--tall and powerful fellows--snatched up each a weapon,
something like a short halberd with a massive iron head, an instrument
which they called among themselves a rapp, and with two or three long
strides they came up with me, and laying hold upon my arms, drew me,
not, you may easily believe, making much resistance, towards the fire.

When I reached the place where the figures were seated, the two men
still held me firmly, and some others threw some handfuls of dry fuel
upon the red embers, which, blazing up, cast a strong light upon me.

When they had satisfied themselves as to my appearance, they began to
question me very closely as to my purpose in being upon the hill at
such an unseasonable hour, asking me what was my occupation, where I had
been, and whither I was going.

These questions were put to me in English by an old half-military
looking man, who translated into that language the suggestions which his
companions for the most part threw out in Irish.

I did not choose to commit myself to these fellows by telling them my
real character and purpose, and therefore I represented myself as a
poor travelling chapman who had been at Cork, and was seeking his way
to Killaloe, in order to cross over into Clare and thence to the city of
Galway.

My account did not seem fully to satisfy the men.

I h