of carters said the same thing
in other words.

"And you'll find yourself in an awkward place one of these days if
that fellow Crossan is allowed to go on as he's going."

"I hope you're not going to drag up that dispute about the carters,
Godfrey. I'm sick of it."

The dispute about the carters is really an unpleasant business. As
originally organized there were eight Protestant carters and four
Roman Catholics. A year ago Crossan dismissed the four Roman Catholic
carters, and one of the Protestants who was suspected of religious
indifference. Their places were filled by five Orangemen of the most
determined kind. Now the profits of this carting business are
considerable. The five men who were dismissed appealed to Godfrey.
Godfrey laid their case before me. I gathered that Godfrey had a high
opinion of the outcasts who always spoke to him with the respect due
to his position. He had a low opinion of the five interlopers who were
men of rude speech and democratic independence of manner. I was
foolish enough to speak to Crossan about the matter. He met me with a
blunt assertion that it was impossible to trust what he called
"Papishes." There, as a lover of peace rather than justice, I wanted
to let the matter rest; but Godfrey took up the subject again and
again in the course of the following year. He persisted, not out of
any love for justice though this once he was on the side of justice,
but simply out of hatred of Crossan.

"It's not only the dismissal of those carters," said Godfrey. "There's
a great deal more behind that. There's something going on which I
don't understand."

"If you don't understand it," I said, "you can't expect me to."

"Look here, Excellency, you remember the time that yacht of Conroy's,
the _Finola_, was in here?"

"Of course I do. You went and left my cards on Bob Power."

"I'm very sorry now that I did. There's something fishy about that
yacht. What was she doing on the night she was here?"

"Coaling," I said; "I don't see why I should dismiss Crossan because
Conroy's yacht came in here for coal."

"She wasn't coaling," said Godfrey.

I knew that, of course; so I said nothing, but left Godfrey to
develope his grievance whatever it was.

"Ever since that night," said Godfrey, "there has been something or
other going on in the yard behind the stores. Those carters are in it,
whatever it is, and a lot more men, fishermen and young farmers.
They're up there every night."

"Pro