course, their advent was announced by the scouts and sentinels of the
League from hill to hill long before they reached the scene of action,
and abundant time was given to the agitators for organising a
"reception." Mr. Tener profited by the experience of his predecessors.
He contrived to get his force of constabulary through the town of
Portumna without attracting any popular attention. And as early rising
is not a popular virtue here, he resolved to steal a march on the
defenders of Cloondadauv.

He had brought up certain large boats to Portumna, and put them on the
lake. Rousing his men before dawn, he soon had them all embarked, and on
their way swiftly and silently by the river and the lake to Cloondadauv.
They reached the promontory by daybreak, and as soon as the hour of
legal action had arrived they were landed, and surrounded the "castle."
The ancient portal was found to be blocked with heavy stones and trunks
of trees, nor did any adit appear to be available, till a young
gentleman who had accompanied the party as a volunteer, discovered in
one wall of the tower, at some little height from the ground, the vent
of one of those conduits not infrequently found running down through the
walls of old castles, which were used sometimes as waste-ways for
rubbish from above, and sometimes to receive water-pipes from below.
Looking up into this vent, he saw a rope hanging free within it. Upon
this he hauled resolutely, and finding it firmly attached above, came to
the conclusion that it must have been fixed there by the garrison as a
means of access to the interior.

Like an adventurous young tar, he bade his comrades stand by, and nimbly
"swarmed" up the rope, without thought or care of what might await him
at the top. In a few moments his shouts from above proclaimed the
capture of the stronghold. It was absolutely deserted; the garrison,
confident that no attack would that day be made, had gone off to the
nearest village. The interior of the castle was found filled with
munitions of war, in the shape of huge beams and piles of stones
laboriously carried up the winding stairs, and heaped on all the
landing-places in readiness for use. On the flat roof of the castle was
established a sort of furnace for heating water or oil, to be poured
down upon the besiegers; and crowbars lay there in readiness to loosen
out and dislodge the battlements, and topple them over upon the
assailants.

The officers soon made their way