the loose built walls
with which the land was subdivided. It was astonishing what labour
had seemingly been wasted in piling wall after wall in that barren
place, and that even in spots where no attempt had been made at
tillage, and where the only produce the land afforded was the food of
a few miserable sheep and goats, which it might be thought could have
grazed in safety without the necessity for all those numerous fences.
These, however, after a time, ceased too; but just at the spot where
the open mountain no longer showed any signs of man's handiwork, Dan
Kennedy's lime-kiln was built, and immediately behind it were the two
cabins of which we have before spoken.

It was at the door of the furthest of these two that Joe--did not
knock--but raised the latch and rattled it. The old man within well
knew the sign, and, getting out of bed, drew the wooden bolt, and
admitted the three into the cabin. Though he did not expect Joe or
Corney, and had not an idea who Thady was; and though Thady's dress,
which was somewhat better than those worn by his usual associates,
must have struck him as uncommon, he made no remark, but hobbled into
bed again, merely saying, in Irish, "God save ye kindly, boys! it's
a fine night ye've had, the Lord be praised!" There was a second bed
in the place--if a filthy, ragged cotton tick filled with straw, and
lying on the ground, could be called a bed--in which the old man's
daughter was lying. It was nearly dark now out of doors, for the
moon had disappeared, and it was hardly yet six o'clock; but one of
the men lighted a candle, of which there were two or three hanging
against the wall. The girl was not asleep, for her eyes were wide
open, looking at the party, but she seemed not at all surprised by
their entrance, or at the addition to their usual numbers, for she
lay quite quiet where she was, as if such morning guests in her
bed-chamber were no unusual thing.

Joe now got a stool for Thady; and he and Corney sat down opposite
the fire, while Reynolds drew a stone jar out from beneath the old
man's bed--he seemed well to know the place where it was to be
found--and reaching a cracked cup down from a shelf which was fixed
into the wall over the fire-place, filled it with spirits and handed
it to Thady. He swallowed a considerable portion of it and returned
it, when Joe filled it again, finished the contents himself, and gave
it again full to Corney, who in a very short time did the same.