, was
seen, but it appeared to have been blown out; the same noise of feet
tramping, as if still in a tumult, approached the door, and almost
immediately afterwards Flanagan's party approached, bearing in their
arms a female, who panted and struggled as if she had been too weak
to shriek or call for assistance. The hall-door was then pulled to and
locked by those who were outside.

The Dandy could see, by the passing gleam of light which fell upon
those who watched beside him, that their faces were blackened, and their
clothes covered by a shirt, as was usual with the Whiteboys of old,
and for the same object--that of preventing--themselves from being
recognized by their apparel.

"So far so good," said Flanagan, who cared not now whether his voice was
known or not; "the prize is mine, boys, an' how to bring ma colleen dhas
dhun to a snug place, an' a friendly priest that I have to put the knot
on us for life."

"By ---," thought Duffy, "I'll put a different kind of a knot on you for
that, if I should swing myself for it."

They hurried onwards with as much speed as possible, bearing the
fainting female in a seat formed by clasping their hands together. Duffy
still stood in his place of concealment, waiting to let them get so far
in advance as that he might dog them without danger of being heard.
Just then a man cautiously approached, and in a whisper asked, "Is that
Dandy?"

"It is--Saver above, Ned, how is this? all's lost!"

"No, no--I hope not--but go an' watch them; we'll folly as soon as we
get help. My curse on Alick Nulty, he disappointed me an' didn't come;
if he had, some of the Bodagh's sarvant boys would be up wid us in the
kitchen, an' we could bate them back aisy; for Flanagan, as I tould you,
is a dam-coward."

"Well, thin, I'll trace them," replied the other; "but you know that
in sich darkness as this you haven't a minute to lose, otherwise you'll
miss them."

"Go an; but afore you go listen, be the light of day, not that we have
much of it now any way--by the vestment, Biddy Nulty's worth her weight
in Bank of Ireland notes; now pelt and afther them; I'll tell you
again."

Flanagan's party were necessarily forced to retrace their steps along
the sludgy boreen we have mentioned, and we need scarcely say, that,
in consequence of the charge with which they were encumbered, their
progress was proportionally slow; to cross the fields on such a night
was out of the question.

The first thing F