o had earned an unenviable reputation as a Tory hunter;
which means a person who devoted the whole energies of his life, and
brought all the rancour of a religious hatred to the task of pursuing
and capturing such unfortunate Catholics as came within grasp of penal
laws. Beatty, like all converts, the moment he embraced the Roman
Catholic creed, became a most outrageous opponent to the principles of
Protestantism. Every Orangeman and Protestant must be damned, and it
stood to reason they should, for didn't they oppose the Pope? Bob, then,
was an especial protege of Father M'Cabe's, who, on his part, had very
little to complain of his convert, unless it might be the difficulty
of overcoming a habit of strong swearing which had brought itself so
closely into his conversation, that he must either remain altogether
silent, or let fly the oaths. Another slight weakness, which was rather
annoying to the priest too, consisted in a habit Bob had, when any way
affected with liquor, of drinking in the very fervor of his new-born
zeal, that celebrated old toast, "to hell with the Pope!" These,
however, were but mere specks, and would be removed in time, by inducing
better habits. Now, it so happened, that on the day in question, Bob was
wending his way to Father M'Cabe's, to communicate some matter connected
with his religious feelings, and to ask his advice and opinion.

"How confoundedly blind the world is," thought Bob, "not to see that
Popery--" he never called it anything else--"is the true faith! Curse
me but Priest M'Cabe is a famous fellow!--Zounds, what an Orangeman he
would make!--he's just the cut for it, an' it's a thousand pities he's
not one--but!--what the hell am I sayin?' They say he's cross and
ill-tempered, but I deny it--isn't he patient, except when in a
passion? and never in a passion unless when provoked; what the d--l more
would they have? I know I let fly an oath myself of an odd time (every
third word, good reader), but, then, sure the faith is never injured by
the vessel that contains it. Begad, but I'm sorry for my father, though,
for, as there's no salvation out o' Popery, the devil of it is, that
he's lost beyond purchase."

In such eccentric speculations did Bob amuse himself, until, in
consequence of the rapid pace at which he went, he overtook a
fellow-traveller, who turned out to be no other than our friend Darby
O'Drive. There was, in fact, considering the peculiar character of these
two convert