Page images
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER IX.

THE night fell, and, as if to sympathize with the coming scene, fell darkly. No moon was in the sky, and, unusually for the time of the year, black masses of clouds rolled overhead.

In the court of Enniscorthy castle a gallows now confronted its younger brother, the triangle. At a short distance from the more fatal though not less terrible apparatus, the yeomen who had lately guarded it, stood in a group, as they turned their eyes where a single taper, held by their commander, Captain Talbot, gave a very feeble and imperfect light to direct the proceedings of two men who bore a dead body, just taken down from the place of execution.

"He was a good ould Protestan' gentleman, afther all, an' his hand never aginst the poor; an' he'll be missed in the County of Waxford,

when these times are over," said one of the hi

therto mute spectators.

"By this soord," said another, "I didn't like the business this morning: did

you see the poor daughter? her screeches went to my heart."

66

They say her new husband 'ill folly his father-in-law."

"And why not?" asked a gruff voice," them that purtends to be Protestants, to go and join with the bloody Romans! I'd sthring up all such, the same day I'd let a Roman live-why not, I say ?"

66

Why not?" echoed another voice, though not of their group.

"Who spoke ?" they asked each other: but none could tell, for no one except themselves now appeared within view: and after a pause they resumed their conversation.

"For all that," said the yeoman who had first spoken, "if I was in young Capt'n Talbot's coat, I wouldn't be the man to stand foremost against Sir Thomas Hartley: many a time he broke bread and dhrank healths wid him he watched this night till he saw him dead, dead."

"Dead, dead," repeated the same voice which had before somewhat startled the yeomen.

The coward group looked fearfully around, and then into each others' faces. The last words sounded as if a screech-owl from the castle turret had syllabled them.

"Could it be?"-began the most superstitious of the men, about to utter a fearful thought— "whisht!" cried the gruff soldier, "listen, it may come again."

There are moments when supernatural fear will overpower the strongest minds. In the present instance, under the concealing gloom of night, life had just been forced from a human being, who a moment before breathed an inhabitant of earth; and the man might for an instant conjecture that the screaming words thus addressed to witnesses of the dark deed, upon the spot where it had been done, were uttered by the troubled spirit, as it flitted from its mortal tenement.

"It will come again," the gruff yecman was answered. "I spoke the words that make ye tremble, cowards as ye are :" and now they saw a female figure rushing up to them from behind one of the towers of the old building.

"Ye have done a murder," continued the

shall

woman, confronting them,-" a murder ye answer for, while there's a pike over a Croppy's shoulder. They're going to bury the body; but bury it as deep as they can dig, 'twill rise in judgment against the murderers."

"This is your ghost, Dan," said the gruff yeoman: "seize the Croppy jade !"

"Seize me, seize me-ay, this is this is your word to every one, now-a-days," she replied, stepping backward and forward by turns." "Be off, or I'll cut you down!"

"Don't waste your valour upon me; you'll want it all shortly"—and she began to sing at a ringing pitch, a verse of one of the insurgent songs

"Vive la, the black potatoes,
Vive la, the white ones too,
Vive la, the French are comin'—
What will these poor yeomen do?"

"Don't keep gapin' so, Dan." said the gruff fellow, as he laid hands on her-" come along, you baggage; I'll put you where you must alter your tune.”

She struggled, but it might seem only with a show of struggling the door of the castle was opened to the summons of her captor, and with heavy curses he pushed her in.

66

!

By the great Saizor, you sthrappado, you, if there's more o' your jaw I'll disciple you, so I will," said Saunders Smyly, who received her in the ruined hall. As Captain Whaley's deputy, he had the government of the prison; and he strided about, rattling his keys, with all the consequence of a military gaoler.

"What threat do you dare to make?" she demanded, suddenly advancing upon the vapouring Bobadil.

"I say!" he roared out, much startled by the expression of her countenance, which looked fearfully fierce in the dim light afforded by a single sconce that hung against the rough wall; "I say! by the left thigh o' Pharoh's horse-"

“And I say, by the right thigh of Pharaoh's horse," pursuing him as he retreated, "that I'll roll your head at my feet, you Harry-longlegs," and snatching at his sword, she drew it from the scabbard, and flourished it round his

ears.

"Comrade!" cried the still retreating cavalier, addressing the sentinel who guarded the door-" charge her in the rear! nations, honest woman, what are you at? asy, asy, I bid you!" as she closed him against the wall." Comrade!

« PreviousContinue »