dows of the dwelling-house and
kitchen. During his absence the following short consultation took
place among those whom he left behind him, for the purpose of taking a
personal part in the enterprise:

"It was too thrue what Rousin Redhead said to-night," observed one of
them, "he always takes care to throw the post of danger on some one
else. Nowit's not that I'm afeared, but as he's to have the girl
himself, it's but fair that his own neck should run the first danger,
an' not mine."

They all assented to this.

"Well, then, boys," he proceeded, "if yez support me, well make him head
this business himself. It's his own consarn, not ours; an' besides, as
he houlds the Articles, it's his duty to lead us in everything. So I for
wan, won't take away his girl, an' himself keepin' back. If there's any
one here that'll take my place for his, let him now say so."

They were all silent as to that point; but most of them said, they
wished, at all events, to give "the dirty Bodagh," for so they usually
called him, something to remember them by, in consequence of his having,
on all occasions, stood out against the system.

"Still it's fair," said several of them, "that in takin' away the
colleen, Bartle should go foremost, as she's for himself an' 'not for
huz."

"Well, then, you'll all agree to this?"

"We do, but whist--here he is."

Deeply mortified was their leader on finding that they had come
unanimously to this determination. It was too late now, however, to
reason with them, and the crime, to the perpetration of which he brought
them, too dangerous in its consequences, to render a quarrel with them
safe or prudent. He felt himself, therefore, in a position which, of all
others, he did not wish. Still his address was too perfect to allow any
symptoms of chagrin or disappointment to be perceptible in his voice
or manner, although, the truth is, he cursed them in his heart at the
moment, and vowed in some shape or other to visit their insubordination
with vengeance.

Such, indeed, is the nature of these secret confederacies that are
opposed to the laws of the land, and the spirit of religion. It matters
little how open and apparently honest the conduct of such men may be
among each other; there is, notwithstanding this, a distrust, a fear,
a suspicion, lurking at every heart, that renders personal security
unsafe, and life miserable. But how, indeed, can they repose confidence
in each other, when they know that in