"they surely cannot be
serious. It's not possible that any being in the shape of man could be
guilty of such a sacrilegious outrage upon the dead as they threaten."

"What is it your business?" said the leader; "go and tare off your
masses, and be hanged; none of your Popish interference here, or it'll
be worse for you! I say the fellow's not dead--he's only skeining. Come,
Alick, put the woman aside, and tickle him up."

"Keep aside, I tell you," said Steele, again addressing her--"keep
aside, my good woman, till I obey my orders--and don't provoke me."

Father Roche was again advancing to remonstrate with him, for the man's
determination seemed likely to get stronger by opposition--when, just as
the bayonet which had already passed under the woman's arm, was within a
few inches of O'Regan's body, he felt himself dragged forcibly back,
and Raymond-na-hattha stood before him, having seized both carbine and
bayonet with a strong grip.

"Don't do that," he exclaimed--"don't--you'd hurt him--sure you'd hurt
poor Hugh!"

The touching simplicity of this language, which, to a heart possessing
the least tincture of humanity, would have more, force than the
strongest argument, was thrown away upon him to whom it was directed.

"Fling the blasted idiot off," shouted Sharpe; "don't you see he has let
the cat out o' the bag--how could the man be hurted if he was dead; I
knew it was a schame." To throw Raymond off, however, was easier said
than done, as the fellow found on attempting it. A struggle commenced
between them, which, though violent, was not of long duration. Raymond's
eye got turbid, and glared with a fiery light; but otherwise his
complexion did not change. By a vehement twist, he wrenched the arms
out of Steele's hands, hurling him from him at the same time, with such
force, that he fell on the floor with a crash.

"Now," said he, pointing the bayonet to his neck, "would you like
it?---ha, ha!--think of that."

Four carbines--the whole party consisting of five--were immediately
levelled at him; and it is not improbable that half a minute more would
have closed both his existence and his history, had not Father Roche and
the widow both succeeded, with some difficulty, in drawing him back from
the prostrate officer of justice. Raymond, after a little time, gave up
the arms; but his eye still blazed at his opponent, with a glare that
could not be misunderstood.

Harman, who had hitherto taken no part whatsoever