r a few odd bits of duds,
or may be a lump of mate or bacon, or a pound or two of sugar to
swaiten the punch."

Thady looked very blank at this, for he by no means wished to
be writing to his friends at Ballycloran, nor were the articles
mentioned in Dan's catalogue at all too plentiful in that place;
however, before he could answer, Joe indignantly scoffed at his
friend's shabbiness.

"D----n it, Dan, I didn't think you war that main, to be charging a
boy for the morsel he'd be ating, an' the sup he'd be taking, an' him
undher a cloud, an' he afther doing us sich a sarvice."

"Av he wor one of ourselves," replied Dan; "but a gintleman the likes
of him, may be, would be plased not to be beholden to the likes of
us."

"Nonsense, Dan," said Joe; "don't think of giving such a line at all,
Mr. Thady. I'm not so bad off, but I'll not see you wanting; you're
as wilcome to everything here as daylight."

"Spake for yerself; you're mighty ready, I'm thinking, to spake for
others," said Dan's helpmate; "av the gintleman's willing to help a
poor man like Dan for putting a house over his head in his throubles,
who's to hinder him?"

Thady, however, made them understand that he would give them no such
letter to his father or his sister as they proposed, and Abraham then
proceeded to administer the oath to him. By this he bound himself,
first of all, never to divulge to any one, particularly not to any
magistrate or policeman, or in any court of law, anything that
should be done or said in that place where he now was, that might
be prejudicial to any of the party. Secondly, to give all aid and
assistance in his power to all those now present, and to any which
might be in possession of a certain pass-word, and who might be able
to answer certain questions with the fit and appointed answers, and
to help in the escape or concealment of any such, when they might be
either in confinement, or in dread of being arrested. And thirdly,
that he would aid and assist in all schemes of vengeance and
punishment which would be entered into by those with whom he was
now bound, against any who attempted to molest them, but especially
against all Revenue officers and their men.

To all these conditions Thady bound himself, and as he finished
repeating each article after Abraham, he kissed the dirty prayer-book
which that man presented to him; and having done this, he made one
of the party round the fire, whilst Corney, Dan, and Joe took it b