against the authority of their new
landlord.

Pat, however, knew but little of what was going on amongst them now.
Although they found no absolute fault with the arguments which he
used for acting on Mr. Keegan's behalf, still he soon discovered that
the tenants had withdrawn their confidence from him, and that they
looked upon him rather as the servant of their new tyrant, than as
the friend to whom they had been accustomed to turn, when they wanted
any little favour from their old master. He had moreover discontinued
his visits to Mrs. Mulready's, and had for a long time seen nothing
of Joe Reynolds and his set, who spent most of their time in
Aughacashel, or at any rate away from Drumleesh.

Joe Reynolds had been altogether unable to account for Thady's sudden
disappearance from Aughacashel. At first he thought he must have been
taken prisoner by some of the police, whilst roaming about in the
neighbourhood; and although he ultimately heard that Father John and
he had gone together to Counsellor Webb's, still he never could learn
how Thady had fallen into the priest's hands. Joe, however, did not
forget that Thady had done what he considered the good service of
ridding the country of Ussher, and he swore that he would repay
it by punishing the man, who in his estimation was robbing Thady
of his right and his property; he had long since declared at Mrs.
Mulready's, as we are aware, that if Thady would come over and join
his party, Keegan should not come upon the estate with impunity, and
he was now determined to keep his word.

Keegan, trusting to the assurance of Pat, that the tenants were all
quiet and peaceable, at length began to go among them himself, and
had, about the beginning of February, once or twice ridden over
portions of the property. About five o'clock one evening in that
month, he was riding towards home along the little lane that
skirts Drumleesh bog, after having seen as much of that delectable
neighbourhood as a man could do on horseback, when his horse was
stopped by a man wrapped in a very large frieze coat, but whose face
was not concealed, who asked him, "could he spake to his honer about
a bit of land that he was thinking of axing afther, when the man that
was on it was put off, as he heard war to be done." As the man said
this he laid his hands on the bridle, and Keegan fearing from this
that something was not right, put his hand into his coat pocket,
where his pistols were, and told the