ity by which he could be
imposed upon.

"That's what I'm always saying," said Lanty. "I'd rather have the
chaytin' than the bayting of John Bull, any day! You'll humbug him out
of his shirt, and faix it's the easiest way to get it after all."

"It's a mane way, Lanty," interposed Mary, with a look of pride; "it's
a dirty, mane way, and doesn't become an Irishman?"

"Wait till the time comes, Mary M'Kelly," said Lanty, half angrily, "and
maybe I'd be as ready as another."

"I wish it was come," said Mary, sighing; "I wish to the Virgin it was;
I'm tired heerin' of the preparations. Sorra one of me knows what
more they want, if the stout heart was there. There's eight barrels of
gunpowder in that rock there," said she, in a low whisper, "behind yer
back--you needn't stir, Lanty. Begorra, if a spark was in it, 'twould
blow you and me, and the house that's over us, as high as Hungry
mountain."

"The angels be near us!" said Lanty, making the sign of the cross.

"Ay," resumed Mary, "and muskets for a thousand min, and pikes for two
more. There's saddles and bridles, eighteen hogsheads full."

"True enough," chimed in Lanty; "and I have an order for five hundred
cavalry horses--the money to be paid out of the Bank of France. Musha, I
wish it was some place nearer home."

"Is it doubting them ye are, Lanty Lawler?"

"No, not a bit; but it's always time enough to get the beasts, when we
see the riders. I could mount two thousand men in a fortnight, any day,
if there was money to the fore; ay, and mount them well, too: not the
kind of devils I give the government, that won't stand three days of
hard work. Musha, Mary, but it's getting very late; that mutton will be
as dry as a stick."

"The French likes it best that way," said Mary, with a droll glance, as
though to intimate she guessed the speaker's object. "Take a look down
the road, Lanty, and try if you can hear any one coming."

Lanty arose from his comfortable corner with evident reluctance, and
laid down his pipe with a half sigh, as he moved slowly towards the door
of the cabin, which having unbarred he issued forth into the darkness.

"It's likely I'd hear any thing such a night as this," grumbled he to
himself, "with the trees snapping across, and the rocks tumbling down!
It's a great storm entirely."

"Is there any sign of them, Lanty?" cried Mary, as she held the door
ajar, and peeped out into the gloomy night.

"I couldn't see my hand fornint me."