er himself. The men who used them were fierce,
and powerful, and cruel. In a moment a furious contest took place. The
four men immediately grappled, each one attempting to wrest the gun
from his antagonist. Raymond, whose passions were now roused so as to
resemble the ravenous fury of madness itself, at one time howled like
a beast of prey, and shouted, and screamed, and laughed with maniac
wildness that was enough to make almost any heart quail. His eyes
blazed, his figure dilated, his muscles stood out, his mouth was white
with froth, and his eyebrows were knit into a deep and deadly scowl.
Altogether his appearance was frightful and appalling.

Harman was still better matched, and the struggle with his foe was for
some time doubtful enough, the latter being one of the strongest and
most resolute men in the whole parish. A powerful tug for the gun now
took place, each pulling in opposite directions with all his might. At
length a thought struck Harman, who all at once let the gun go, when
the other having no longer any resisting power to sustain him, fell back
upon the floor, and in an instant Harman's knee was on his chest and the
gun in his possession. The man ground his teeth, and looking up into his
face with a black scowl of hatred, exclaimed--

"It is your turn now, but I will have mine."

"You have had yours too long, villain," replied the other, "but in
the mean time I will teach you to respect the bed of death and the
afflictions of the widow."

Saying which, he vigorously applied the butt of the gun to his ribs,
until he had rendered him anything but disposed for further conflict.

Both victories were achieved much about the same time; Raymond's
opponent being far the more severely punished of the two. "What,
however, was their surprise after each had expelled his man from the
cabin, to find Steele down, his gun lying on one side. O'Regan's wife
fastened on his throat, and himself panting and almost black in the
face!

"Here now," she exclaimed, "the battle of the widow was well fought,
and God gave us strength. Put this man out with the rest." This was
accordingly done, but as in the case of his companions, the gun for the
present was retained.

"See now," she proceeded, still in Irish, "what the hand of a weak
woman can do, when her heart is strengthened by God, against cruelty and
oppression. What made that strong man weak in my grasp? Because he knew
that the weakness of the widow was his shame--