AN ADVENTURE OF HARDRESS FITZGERALD, A ROYALIST CAPTAIN.
Being an Eleventh Extract from the Legacy of the late Francis Purcell, P.P. of Drumcoolagh.
The following brief narrative contains a faithful account of one ofthe many strange incidents which chequered the life of HardressFitzgerald--one of the now-forgotten heroes who flourished during themost stirring and, though the most disastrous, by no means the leastglorious period of our eventful history.
He was a captain of horse in the army of James, and shared the fortunesof his master, enduring privations, encountering dangers, and submittingto vicissitudes the most galling and ruinous, with a fortitude and aheroism which would, if coupled with his other virtues have rendered theunhappy monarch whom he served, the most illustrious among unfortunateprinces.
I have always preferred, where I could do so with any approach toaccuracy, to give such relations as the one which I am about to submitto you, in the first person, and in the words of the original narrator,believing that such a form of recitation not only gives freshness tothe tale, but in this particular instance, by bringing before me andsteadily fixing in my mind's eye the veteran royalist who himselfrelated the occurrence which I am about to record, furnishes anadditional stimulant to my memory, and a proportionate check upon myimagination.
As nearly as I can recollect then, his statement was as follows:
After the fatal battle of the Boyne, I came up in disguise to Dublin,as did many in a like situation, regarding the capital as furnishingat once a good central position of observation, and as secure alurking-place as I cared to find.
I would not suffer myself to believe that the cause of my royal masterwas so desperate as it really was; and while I lay in my lodgings, whichconsisted of the garret of a small dark house, standing in the lanewhich runs close by Audoen's Arch, I busied myself with continualprojects for the raising of the country, and the re-collecting of thefragments of the defeated army--plans, you will allow, sufficientlymagnificent for a poor devil who dared scarce show his face abroad inthe daylight.
I believe, however, that I had not much reason to fear for my personalsafety, for men's minds in the city were greatly occupied with publicevents, and private amusements and debaucheries, which were, aboutthat time, carried to an excess which our country never knew before,by reason of the raking together from all quarters of the empire, andindeed from most parts of Holland, the most dissolute and desperateadventurers who cared to play at hazard for their lives; and thus thereseemed to be but little scrutiny into the characters of those who soughtconcealment.
I heard much at different times of the intentions of King James and hisparty, but nothing with certainty.
Some said that the king still lay in Ireland; others, that he hadcrossed over to Scotland, to encourage the Highlanders, who, with Dundeeat their head, had been stirring in his behoof; others, again, saidthat he had taken ship for France, leaving his followers to shift forthemselves, and regarding his kingdom as wholly lost, which last was thetrue version, as I afterwards learned.
Although I had been very active in the wars in Ireland, and had donemany deeds of necessary but dire severity, which have often sincetroubled me much to think upon, yet I doubted not but that I mighteasily obtain protection for my person and property from the Prince ofOrange, if I sought it by the ordinary submissions; but besides that myconscience and my affections resisted such time-serving concessions, Iwas resolved in my own mind that the cause of the royalist party was byno means desperate, and I looked to keep myself unimpeded by any pledgeor promise given to the usurping Dutchman, that I might freely andhonourably take a share in any struggle which might yet remain to bemade for the right.
I therefore lay quiet, going forth from my lodgings but little, and thatchiefly under cover of the dusk, and conversing hardly at all, exceptwith those whom I well knew.
I had like once to have paid dearly for relaxing this caution; for goinginto a tavern one evening near the Tholsel, I had the confidence tothrow off my hat, and sit there with my face quite exposed, when afellow coming in with some troopers, they fell a-boozing, and beingsomewhat warmed, they began to drink 'Confusion to popery,' and thelike, and to compel the peaceable persons who happened to sit there, tojoin them in so doing.
Though I was rather hot-blooded, I was resolved to say nothing toattract notice; but, at the same time, if urged to pledge the toastswhich they were compelling others to drink, to resist doing so.
With the intent to withdraw myself quietly from the place, I paid myreckoning, and putting on my hat, was going into the street, when thecountryman who had come in with the soldiers called out:
'Stop that popish tom-cat!'
And running across the room, he got to the door before me, and, shuttingit, placed his back against it, to prevent my going out.
Though with much difficulty, I kept an appearance of quietness, andturning to the fellow, who, from his accent, I judged to be northern,and whose face I knew--though, to this day, I cannot say where I hadseen him before--I observed very calmly:
'Sir, I came in here with no other design than to refresh myself,without offending any man. I have paid my reckoning, and now desire togo forth. If there is anything within reason that I can do to satisfyyou, and to prevent trouble and delay to myself, name your terms, and ifthey be but fair, I will frankly comply with them.'
He quickly replied:
'You are Hardress Fitzgerald, the bloody popish captain, that hanged thetwelve men at Derry.'
I felt that I was in some danger, but being a strong man, and used toperils of all kinds, it was not easy to disconcert me.
I looked then steadily at the fellow, and, in a voice of muchconfidence, I said:
'I am neither a Papist, a Royalist, nor a Fitzgerald, but an honesterProtestant, mayhap, than many who make louder professions.'
'Then drink the honest man's toast,' said he. 'Damnation to the pope,and confusion to skulking Jimmy and his runaway crew.'
'Yourself shall hear me,' said I, taking the largest pewter pot thatlay within my reach. 'Tapster, fill this with ale; I grieve to say I canafford nothing better.'
I took the vessel of liquor in my hand, and walking up to him, I firstmade a bow to the troopers who sat laughing at the sprightliness oftheir facetious friend, and then another to himself, when saying, 'G----damn yourself and your cause!' I flung the ale straight into his face;and before he had time to recover himself, I struck him with my wholeforce and weight with the pewter pot upon the head, so strong a blow,that he fell, for aught I know, dead upon the floor, and nothing but thehandle of the vessel remained in my hand.
I opened the door, but one of the dragoons drew his sabre, and ran atme to avenge his companion. With my hand I put aside the blade of thesword, narrowly escaping what he had intended for me, the point actuallytearing open my vest. Without allowing him time to repeat his thrust,I struck him in the face with my clenched fist so sound a blow that herolled back into the room with the force of a tennis ball.
It was well for me that the rest were half drunk, and the evening dark;for otherwise my folly would infallibly have cost me my life. As it was,I reached my garret in safety, with a resolution to frequent taverns nomore until better times.
My little patience and money were wellnigh exhausted, when, after muchdoubt and uncertainty, and many conflicting reports, I was assured thatthe flower of the Royalist army, under the Duke of Berwick and GeneralBoisleau, occupied the city of Limerick, with a determination to holdthat fortress against the prince's forces; and that a French fleet ofgreat power, and well freighted with arms, ammunition, and men, wasriding in the Shannon, under the walls of the town. But this last reportwas, like many others then circulated, untrue; there being, indeed, apromise and expectation of such assistance, but no arrival of it tilltoo late.
The army of the Prince of Orange was said to be rapidly approaching thetown, in order to commence the siege.
On hearing this, and being made as certain as the vaguene
ss andunsatisfactory nature of my information, which came not from anyauthentic source, would permit; at least, being sure of the main point,which all allowed--namely, that Limerick was held for the king--andbeing also naturally fond of enterprise, and impatient of idleness, Itook the resolution to travel thither, and, if possible, to throw myselfinto the city, in order to lend what assistance I might to my formercompanions in arms, well knowing that any man of strong constitutionand of some experience might easily make himself useful to a garrison intheir straitened situation.
When I had taken this resolution, I was not long in putting it intoexecution; and, as the first step in the matter, I turned half of themoney which remained with me, in all about seventeen pounds, into smallwares and merchandise such as travelling traders used to deal in; andthe rest, excepting some shillings which I carried home for my immediateexpenses, I sewed carefully in the lining of my breeches waistband,hoping that the sale of my commodities might easily supply me withsubsistence upon the road.
I left Dublin upon a Friday morning in the month of September, with atolerably heavy pack upon my back.
I was a strong man and a good walker, and one day with another travelledeasily at the rate of twenty miles in each day, much time being lostin the towns of any note on the way, where, to avoid suspicion, I wasobliged to make some stay, as if to sell my wares.
I did not travel directly to Limerick, but turned far into Tipperary,going near to the borders of Cork.
Upon the sixth day after my departure from Dublin I learned, CERTAINLY,from some fellows who were returning from trafficking with the soldiers,that the army of the prince was actually encamped before Limerick, uponthe south side of the Shannon.
In order, then, to enter the city without interruption, I must needscross the river, and I was much in doubt whether to do so by boat fromKerry, which I might have easily done, into the Earl of Clare's land,and thus into the beleaguered city, or to take what seemed the easierway, one, however, about which I had certain misgivings--which, by theway, afterwards turned out to be just enough. This way was to cross theShannon at O'Brien's Bridge, or at Killaloe, into the county of Clare.
I feared, however, that both these passes were guarded by the prince'sforces, and resolved, if such were the case, not to essay to cross, forI was not fitted to sustain a scrutiny, having about me, though prettysafely secured, my commission from King James--which, though a dangerouscompanion, I would not have parted from but with my life.
I settled, then, in my own mind, that if the bridges were guardedI would walk as far as Portumna, where I might cross, though at aconsiderable sacrifice of time; and, having determined upon this course,I turned directly towards Killaloe.
I reached the foot of the mountain, or rather high hill, calledKeeper--which had been pointed out to me as a landmark--lying directlybetween me and Killaloe, in the evening, and, having ascended some way,the darkness and fog overtook me.
The evening was very chilly, and myself weary, hungry, and much in needof sleep, so that I preferred seeking to cross the hill, though at somerisk, to remaining upon it throughout the night. Stumbling over rocksand sinking into bog-mire, as the nature of the ground varied, I slowlyand laboriously plodded on, making very little way in proportion to thetoil it cost me.
After half an hour's slow walking, or rather rambling, for, owing tothe dark, I very soon lost my direction, I at last heard the sound ofrunning water, and with some little trouble reached the edge of a brook,which ran in the bottom of a deep gully. This I knew would furnisha sure guide to the low grounds, where I might promise myself that Ishould speedily meet with some house or cabin where I might find shelterfor the night.
The stream which I followed flowed at the bottom of a rough and swampyglen, very steep and making many abrupt turns, and so dark, owing moreto the fog than to the want of the moon (for, though not high, I believeit had risen at the time), that I continually fell over fragments ofrock and stumbled up to my middle into the rivulet, which I sought tofollow.
In this way, drenched, weary, and with my patience almost exhausted, Iwas toiling onward, when, turning a sharp angle in the winding glen, Ifound myself within some twenty yards of a group of wild-looking men,gathered in various attitudes round a glowing turf fire.
I was so surprised at this rencontre that I stopped short, and for atime was in doubt whether to turn back or to accost them.
A minute's thought satisfied me that I ought to make up to the fellows,and trust to their good faith for whatever assistance they could giveme.
I determined, then, to do this, having great faith in the impulses ofmy mind, which, whenever I have been in jeopardy, as in my life I oftenhave, always prompted me aright.
The strong red light of the fire showed me plainly enough that the groupconsisted, not of soldiers, but of Irish kernes, or countrymen, mostof them wrapped in heavy mantles, and with no other covering for theirheads than that afforded by their long, rough hair.
There was nothing about them which I could see to intimate whether theirobject were peaceful or warlike; but I afterwards found that they hadweapons enough, though of their own rude fashion.
There were in all about twenty persons assembled around the fire, somesitting upon such blocks of stone as happened to lie in the way; othersstretched at their length upon the ground.
'God save you, boys!' said I, advancing towards the party.
The men who had been talking and laughing together instantly paused,and two of them--tall and powerful fellows--snatched up each a weapon,something like a short halberd with a massive iron head, an instrumentwhich they called among themselves a rapp, and with two or three longstrides they came up with me, and laying hold upon my arms, drew me,not, you may easily believe, making much resistance, towards the fire.
When I reached the place where the figures were seated, the two menstill held me firmly, and some others threw some handfuls of dry fuelupon the red embers, which, blazing up, cast a strong light upon me.
When they had satisfied themselves as to my appearance, they began toquestion me very closely as to my purpose in being upon the hill atsuch an unseasonable hour, asking me what was my occupation, where I hadbeen, and whither I was going.
These questions were put to me in English by an old half-militarylooking man, who translated into that language the suggestions which hiscompanions for the most part threw out in Irish.
I did not choose to commit myself to these fellows by telling them myreal character and purpose, and therefore I represented myself as apoor travelling chapman who had been at Cork, and was seeking his wayto Killaloe, in order to cross over into Clare and thence to the city ofGalway.
My account did not seem fully to satisfy the men.
I heard one fellow say in Irish, which language I understood, 'Maybe heis a spy.'
They then whispered together for a time, and the little man who wastheir spokesman came over to me and said:
'Do you know what we do with spies? we knock their brains out, myfriend.'
He then turned back to them with whom he had been whispering, and talkedin a low tone again with them for a considerable time.
I now felt very uncomfortable, not knowing what these savages--for theyappeared nothing better--might design against me.
Twice or thrice I had serious thoughts of breaking from them, but thetwo guards who were placed upon me held me fast by the arms; and evenhad I succeeded in shaking them off, I should soon have been overtaken,encumbered as I was with a heavy pack, and wholly ignorant of the lie ofthe ground; or else, if I were so exceedingly lucky as to escape out oftheir hands, I still had the chance of falling into those of some otherparty of the same kind.
I therefore patiently awaited the issue of their deliberations, which Imade no doubt affected me nearly.
I turned to the men who held me, and one after the other asked them, intheir own language, 'Why they held me?' adding, 'I am but a poor pedlar,as you see. I have neither money nor money's worth, for the sake ofwhich you should do me hu
rt. You may have my pack and all that itcontains, if you desire it--but do not injure me.'
To all this they gave no answer, but savagely desired me to hold mytongue.
I accordingly remained silent, determined, if the worst came, to declareto the whole party, who, I doubted not, were friendly, as were all theIrish peasantry in the south, to the Royal cause, my real character anddesign; and if this avowal failed me, I was resolved to make a desperateeffort to escape, or at least to give my life at the dearest price Icould.
I was not kept long in suspense, for the little veteran who had spokento me at first came over, and desiring the two men to bring me afterhim, led the way along a broken path, which wound by the side of thesteep glen.
I was obliged willy nilly to go with them, and, half-dragging andhalf-carrying me, they brought me by the path, which now became verysteep, for some hundred yards without stopping, when suddenly coming toa stand, I found myself close before the door of some house or hut,I could not see which, through the planks of which a strong light wasstreaming.
At this door my conductor stopped, and tapping gently at it, it wasopened by a stout fellow, with buff-coat and jack-boots, and pistolsstuck in his belt, as also a long cavalry sword by his side.
He spoke with my guide, and to my no small satisfaction, in French,which convinced me that he was one of the soldiers whom Louis had sentto support our king, and who were said to have arrived in Limerick,though, as I observed above, not with truth.
I was much assured by this circumstance, and made no doubt but that Ihad fallen in with one of those marauding parties of native Irish, who,placing themselves under the guidance of men of courage and experience,had done much brave and essential service to the cause of the king.
The soldier entered an inner door in the apartment, which openingdisclosed a rude, dreary, and dilapidated room, with a low plankceiling, much discoloured by the smoke which hung suspended in heavymasses, descending within a few feet of the ground, and completelyobscuring the upper regions of the chamber.
A large fire of turf and heath was burning under a kind of rude chimney,shaped like a large funnel, but by no means discharging the functionsfor which it was intended. Into this inauspicious apartment was Iconducted by my strange companions. In the next room I heard voicesemployed, as it seemed, in brief questioning and answer; and in a minutethe soldier reentered the room, and having said, 'Votre prisonnier--legeneral veut le voir,' he led the way into the inner room, which inpoint of comfort and cleanliness was not a whit better than the first.
Seated at a clumsy plank table, placed about the middle of the floor,was a powerfully built man, of almost colossal stature--his militaryaccoutrements, cuirass and rich regimental clothes, soiled, deranged,and spattered with recent hard travel; the flowing wig, surmounted bythe cocked hat and plume, still rested upon his head. On the table layhis sword-belt with its appendage, and a pair of long holster pistols,some papers, and pen and ink; also a stone jug, and the fragments of ahasty meal. His attitude betokened the languor of fatigue. His left handwas buried beyond the lace ruffle in the breast of his cassock, and theelbow of his right rested upon the table, so as to support his head.From his mouth protruded a tobacco-pipe, which as I entered he slowlywithdrew.
A single glance at the honest, good-humoured, comely face of the soldiersatisfied me of his identity, and removing my hat from my head I said,'God save General Sarsfield!'
The general nodded
'I am a prisoner here under strange circumstances,' I continued 'Iappear before you in a strange disguise. You do not recognise CaptainHardress Fitzgerald!'
'Eh, how's this?' said he, approaching me with the light.
'I am that Hardress Fitzgerald,' I repeated, 'who served under you atthe Boyne, and upon the day of the action had the honour to protect yourperson at the expense of his own.' At the same time I turned aside thehair which covered the scar which you well know upon my forehead, andwhich was then much more remarkable than it is now.
The general on seeing this at once recognised me, and embracing mecordially, made me sit down, and while I unstrapped my pack, a tediousjob, my fingers being nearly numbed with cold, sent the men forth toprocure me some provision.
The general's horse was stabled in a corner of the chamber where we sat,and his war-saddle lay upon the floor. At the far end of the room wasa second door, which stood half open; a bogwood fire burned on a hearthsomewhat less rude than the one which I had first seen, but still verylittle better appointed with a chimney, for thick wreaths of smoke wereeddying, with every fitful gust, about the room. Close by the fire wasstrewed a bed of heath, intended, I supposed, for the stalwart limbs ofthe general.
'Hardress Fitzgerald,' said he, fixing his eyes gravely upon me, whilehe slowly removed the tobacco-pipe from his mouth, 'I remember you,strong, bold and cunning in your warlike trade; the more desperate anenterprise, the more ready for it, you. I would gladly engage you, forI know you trustworthy, to perform a piece of duty requiring, it may be,no extraordinary quality to fulfil; and yet perhaps, as accidents mayhappen, demanding every attribute of daring and dexterity which belongsto you.'
Here he paused for some moments.
I own I felt somewhat flattered by the terms in which he spoke of me,knowing him to be but little given to compliments; and not having anyplan in my head, farther than the rendering what service I might to thecause of the king, caring very little as to the road in which my dutymight lie, I frankly replied:
'Sir, I hope, if opportunity offers, I shall prove to deserve thehonourable terms in which you are pleased to speak of me. In a righteouscause I fear not wounds or death; and in discharging my duty to my Godand my king, I am ready for any hazard or any fate. Name the service yourequire, and if it lies within the compass of my wit or power, I willfully and faithfully perform it. Have I said enough?'
'That is well, very well, my friend; you speak well, and manfully,'replied the general. 'I want you to convey to the hands of GeneralBoisleau, now in the city of Limerick, a small written packet; there issome danger, mark me, of your falling in with some outpost or stragglingparty of the prince's army. If you are taken unawares by any of theenemy you must dispose of the packet inside your person, rather than letit fall into their hands--that is, you must eat it. And if they go toquestion you with thumbscrews, or the like, answer nothing; let themknock your brains out first.' In illustration, I suppose, of the latteralternative, he knocked the ashes out of his pipe upon the table as heuttered it.
'The packet,' he continued, 'you shall have to-morrow morning. Meantimecomfort yourself with food, and afterwards with sleep; you will want,mayhap, all your strength and wits on the morrow.'
I applied myself forthwith to the homely fare which they had provided,and I confess that I never made a meal so heartily to my satisfaction.
It was a beautiful, clear, autumn morning, and the bright beams of theearly sun were slanting over the brown heath which clothed the sidesof the mountain, and glittering in the thousand bright drops which themelting hoar-frost had left behind it, and the white mists were lyinglike broad lakes in the valleys, when, with my pedlar's pack upon myback, and General Sarsfield's precious despatch in my bosom, I setforth, refreshed and courageous.
As I descended the hill, my heart expanded and my spirits rose underthe influences which surrounded me. The keen, clear, bracing air of themorning, the bright, slanting sunshine, the merry songs of the smallbirds, and the distant sounds of awakening labour that floated up fromthe plains, all conspired to stir my heart within me, and more like amad-cap boy, broken loose from school, than a man of sober years upona mission of doubt and danger, I trod lightly on, whistling and singingalternately for very joy.
As I approached the object of my early march, I fell in with acountryman, eager, as are most of his kind, for news.
I gave him what little I had collected, and professing great zeal forthe king, which, indeed, I always cherished, I won upon his confidenceso far, that he became much more communicative tha
n the peasantry inthose quarters are generally wont to be to strangers.
From him I learned that there was a company of dragoons in William'sservice, quartered at Willaloe; but he could not tell whether thepassage of the bridge was stopped by them or not. With a resolution, atall events, to make the attempt to cross, I approached the town. WhenI came within sight of the river, I quickly perceived that it was soswollen with the recent rains, as, indeed, the countryman had told me,that the fords were wholly impassable.
I stopped then, upon a slight eminence overlooking the village, witha view to reconnoitre and to arrange my plans in case of interruption.While thus engaged, the wind blowing gently from the west, in whichquarter Limerick lay, I distinctly heard the explosion of the cannon,which played from and against the city, though at a distance of elevenmiles at the least.
I never yet heard the music that had for me half the attractions of thatsullen sound, and as I noted again and again the distant thunder thatproclaimed the perils, and the valour, and the faithfulness of mybrethren, my heart swelled with pride, and the tears rose to my eyes;and lifting up my hands to heaven, I prayed to God that I might bespared to take a part in the righteous quarrel that was there so bravelymaintained.
I felt, indeed, at this moment a longing, more intense than I have thepower to describe, to be at once with my brave companions in arms, andso inwardly excited and stirred up as if I had been actually within fiveminutes' march of the field of battle.
It was now almost noon, and I had walked hard since morning across adifficult and broken country, so that I was a little fatigued, and inno small degree hungry. As I approached the hamlet, I was glad to see inthe window of a poor hovel several large cakes of meal displayed, as ifto induce purchasers to enter.
I was right in regarding this exhibition as an intimation thatentertainment might be procured within, for upon entering and inquiring,I was speedily invited by the poor woman, who, it appeared, kept thishumble house of refreshment, to lay down my pack and seat myself by aponderous table, upon which she promised to serve me with a dinner fitfor a king; and indeed, to my mind, she amply fulfilled her engagement,supplying me abundantly with eggs, bacon, and wheaten cakes, which Idiscussed with a zeal which almost surprised myself.
Having disposed of the solid part of my entertainment, I was proceedingto regale myself with a brimming measure of strong waters, when myattention was arrested by the sound of horses' hoofs in brisk motionupon the broken road, and evidently approaching the hovel in which I wasat that moment seated.
The ominous clank of sword scabbards and the jingle of brassaccoutrements announced, unequivocally, that the horsemen were of themilitary profession.
'The red-coats will stop here undoubtedly,' said the old woman,observing, I suppose, the anxiety of my countenance; 'they never pass uswithout coming in for half an hour to drink or smoke. If you desire toavoid them, I can hide you safely; but don't lose a moment. They will behere before you can count a hundred.'
I thanked the good woman for her hospitable zeal; but I felt arepugnance to concealing myself as she suggested, which was enhanced bythe consciousness that if by any accident I were detected while lurkingin the room, my situation would of itself inevitably lead to suspicions,and probably to discovery.
I therefore declined her offer, and awaited in suspense the entrance ofthe soldiers.
I had time before they made their appearance to move my seat hurriedlyfrom the table to the hearth, where, under the shade of the largechimney, I might observe the coming visitors with less chance of beingmyself remarked upon.
As my hostess had anticipated, the horsemen drew up at the door of thehut, and five dragoons entered the dark chamber where I awaited them.
Leaving their horses at the entrance, with much noise and clatter theyproceeded to seat themselves and call for liquor.
Three of these fellows were Dutchmen, and, indeed, all belonged, as Iafterwards found, to a Dutch regiment, which had been recruited withIrish and English, as also partly officered from the same nations.
Being supplied with pipes and drink they soon became merry; and notsuffering their smoking to interfere with their conversation, theytalked loud and quickly, for the most part in a sort of barbarouslanguage, neither Dutch nor English, but compounded of both.
They were so occupied with their own jocularity that I had very greathopes of escaping observation altogether, and remained quietly seated ina corner of the chimney, leaning back upon my seat as if asleep.
My taciturnity and quiescence, however, did not avail me, for one ofthese fellows coming over to the hearth to light his pipe, perceived me,and looking me very hard in the face, he said:
'What countryman are you, brother, that you sit with a covered head inthe room with the prince's soldiers?'
At the same time he tossed my hat off my head into the fire. I was notfool enough, though somewhat hot-blooded, to suffer the insolence ofthis fellow to involve me in a broil so dangerous to my person andruinous to my schemes as a riot with these soldiers must prove. Itherefore, quietly taking up my hat and shaking the ashes out of it,observed:
'Sir, I crave your pardon if I have offended you. I am a stranger inthese quarters, and a poor, ignorant, humble man, desiring only to drivemy little trade in peace, so far as that may be done in these troubloustimes.'
'And what may your trade be?' said the same fellow.
'I am a travelling merchant,' I replied; 'and sell my wares as cheap asany trader in the country.'
'Let us see them forthwith,' said he; 'mayhap I or my comrades may wantsomething which you can supply. Where is thy chest, friend? Thou shalthave ready money' (winking at his companions), 'ready money, and goodweight, and sound metal; none of your rascally pinchbeck. Eh, my lads?Bring forth the goods, and let us see.'
Thus urged, I should have betrayed myself had I hesitated to do asrequired; and anxious, upon any terms, to quiet these turbulent menof war, I unbuckled my pack and exhibited its contents upon the tablebefore them.
'A pair of lace ruffles, by the Lord!' said one, unceremoniously seizingupon the articles he named.
'A phial of perfume,' continued another, tumbling over the farrago whichI had submitted to them, 'wash-balls, combs, stationery, slippers, smallknives, tobacco; by ----, this merchant is a prize! Mark me, honestfellow, the man who wrongs thee shall suffer--'fore Gad he shall; thoushalt be fairly dealt with' (this he said while in the act of pocketinga small silver tobacco-box, the most valuable article in the lot). 'Youshall come with me to head-quarters; the captain will deal with you,and never haggle about the price. I promise thee his good will, and thouwilt consider me accordingly. You'll find him a profitable customer--hehas money without end, and throws it about like a gentleman. If so be asI tell thee, I shall expect, and my comrades here, a piece or two in theway of a compliment--but of this anon. Come, then, with us; buckle onthy pack quickly, friend.'
There was no use in my declaring my willingness to deal with themselvesin preference to their master; it was clear that they had resolved thatI should, in the most expeditious and advantageous way, turn my goodsinto money, that they might excise upon me to the amount of theirwishes.
The worthy who had taken a lead in these arrangements, and who by hisstripes I perceived to be a corporal, having insisted on my taking adram with him to cement our newly-formed friendship, for which, however,he requested me to pay, made me mount behind one of his comrades; andthe party, of which I thus formed an unwilling member, moved at a slowtrot towards the quarters of the troop.
They reined up their horses at the head of the long bridge, whichat this village spans the broad waters of the Shannon connecting theopposite counties of Tipperary and Clare.
A small tower, built originally, no doubt, to protect and to defend thispass, occupied the near extremity of the bridge, and in its rear,but connected with it, stood several straggling buildings ratherdilapidated.
A dismounted trooper kept guard at the door, and my conductor having,dismounted, as also the c
orporal, the latter inquired:
'Is the captain in his quarters?'
'He is,' replied the sentinel.
And without more ado my companion shoved me into the entrance of thesmall dark tower, and opening a door at the extremity of the narrowchamber into which we had passed from the street, we entered a secondroom in which were seated some half-dozen officers of various ranks andages, engaged in drinking, and smoking, and play.
I glanced rapidly from man to man, and was nearly satisfied by myinspection, when one of the gentlemen whose back had been turned towardsthe place where I stood, suddenly changed his position and lookedtowards me.
As soon as I saw his face my heart sank within me, and I knew that mylife or death was balanced, as it were, upon a razor's edge.
The name of this man whose unexpected appearance thus affected me wasHugh Oliver, and good and strong reason had I to dread him, for sobitterly did he hate me, that to this moment I do verily believe hewould have compassed my death if it lay in his power to do so, even atthe hazard of his own life and soul, for I had been--though God knowswith many sore strugglings and at the stern call of public duty--thejudge and condemner of his brother; and though the military law, which Iwas called upon to administer, would permit no other course or sentencethan the bloody one which I was compelled to pursue, yet even to thishour the recollection of that deed is heavy at my breast.
As soon as I saw this man I felt that my safety depended upon theaccident of his not recognising me through the disguise which I hadassumed, an accident against which were many chances, for he well knewmy person and appearance.
It was too late now to destroy General Sarsfield's instructions; anyattempt to do so would ensure detection. All then depended upon a castof the die.
When the first moment of dismay and heart-sickening agitation hadpassed, it seemed to me as if my mind acquired a collectedness andclearness more complete and intense than I had ever experienced before.
I instantly perceived that he did not know me, for turning from me tothe soldier with all air of indifference, he said,
'Is this a prisoner or a deserter? What have you brought him here for,sirra?'
'Your wisdom will regard him as you see fit, may it please you,' saidthe corporal. 'The man is a travelling merchant, and, overtaking himupon the road, close by old Dame MacDonagh's cot, I thought I might aswell make a sort of prisoner of him that your honour might use him asit might appear most convenient; he has many commododies which are notunworthy of price in this wilderness, and some which you may condescendto make use of yourself. May he exhibit the goods he has for sale, an'tplease you?'
'Ay, let us see them,' said he.
'Unbuckle your pack,' exclaimed the corporal, with the same toneof command with which, at the head of his guard, he would have said'Recover your arms.' 'Unbuckle your pack, fellow, and show your goods tothe captain--here, where you are.'
The conclusion of his directions was suggested by my endeavouring tomove round in order to get my back towards the windows, hoping, bykeeping my face in the shade, to escape detection.
In this manoeuvre, however, I was foiled by the imperiousness of thesoldier; and inwardly cursing his ill-timed interference, I proceeded topresent my merchandise to the loving contemplation of the officers whothronged around me, with a strong light from an opposite window fullupon my face.
As I continued to traffic with these gentlemen, I observed with no smallanxiety the eyes of Captain Oliver frequently fixed upon me with a kindof dubious inquiring gaze.
'I think, my honest fellow,' he said at last, 'that I have seen yousomewhere before this. Have you often dealt with the military?'
'I have traded, sir,' said I, 'with the soldiery many a time, and alwaysbeen honourably treated. Will your worship please to buy a pair of laceruffles?--very cheap, your worship.'
'Why do you wear your hair so much over your face, sir?' said Oliver,without noticing my suggestion. 'I promise you, I think no good of thee;throw back your hair, and let me see thee plainly. Hold up your face,and look straight at me; throw back your hair, sir.'
I felt that all chance of escape was at an end; and stepping forward asnear as the table would allow me to him, I raised my head, threw back myhair, and fixed my eyes sternly and boldly upon his face.
I saw that he knew me instantly, for his countenance turned as paleas ashes with surprise and hatred. He started up, placing his handinstinctively upon his sword-hilt, and glaring at me with a look sodeadly, that I thought every moment he would strike his sword into myheart. He said in a kind of whisper: 'Hardress Fitzgerald?'
'Yes;' said I, boldly, for the excitement of the scene had effectuallystirred my blood, 'Hardress Fitzgerald is before you. I know you well,Captain Oliver. I know how you hate me. I know how you thirst for myblood; but in a good cause, and in the hands of God, I defy you.'
'You are a desperate villain, sir,' said Captain Oliver; 'a rebel and amurderer! Holloa, there! guard, seize him!'
As the soldiers entered, I threw my eyes hastily round the room, andobserving a glowing fire upon the hearth, I suddenly drew GeneralSarsfield's packet from my bosom, and casting it upon the embers,planted my foot upon it.
'Secure the papers!' shouted the captain; and almost instantly I waslaid prostrate and senseless upon the floor, by a blow from the butt ofa carbine.
I cannot say how long I continued in a state of torpor; but atlength, having slowly recovered my senses, I found myself lying firmlyhandcuffed upon the floor of a small chamber, through a narrow loopholein one of whose walls the evening sun was shining. I was chilledwith cold and damp, and drenched in blood, which had flowed in largequantities from the wound on my head. By a strong effort I shook off thesick drowsiness which still hung upon me, and, weak and giddy, I rosewith pain and difficulty to my feet.
The chamber, or rather cell, in which I stood was about eight feetsquare, and of a height very disproportioned to its other dimensions;its altitude from the floor to the ceiling being not less than twelve orfourteen feet. A narrow slit placed high in the wall admitted a scantylight, but sufficient to assure me that my prison contained nothing torender the sojourn of its tenant a whit less comfortless than my worstenemy could have wished.
My first impulse was naturally to examine the security of the door, theloop-hole which I have mentioned being too high and too narrow to afforda chance of escape. I listened attentively to ascertain if possiblewhether or not a guard had been placed upon the outside.
Not a sound was to be heard. I now placed my shoulder to the door, andsought with all my combined strength and weight to force it open. It,however, resisted all my efforts, and thus baffled in my appeal to mereanimal power, exhausted and disheartened, I threw myself on the ground.
It was not in my nature, however, long to submit to the apathy ofdespair, and in a few minutes I was on my feet again.
With patient scrutiny I endeavoured to ascertain the nature of thefastenings which secured the door.
The planks, fortunately, having been nailed together fresh, had shrunkconsiderably, so as to leave wide chinks between each and its neighbour.
By means of these apertures I saw that my dungeon was secured, not by alock, as I had feared, but by a strong wooden bar, running horizontallyacross the door, about midway upon the outside.
'Now,' thought I, 'if I can but slip my fingers through the opening ofthe planks, I can easily remove the bar, and then----'
My attempts, however, were all frustrated by the manner in which myhands were fastened together, each embarrassing the other, and renderingmy efforts so hopelessly clumsy, that I was obliged to give them over indespair.
I turned with a sigh from my last hope, and began to pace my narrowprison floor, when my eye suddenly encountered an old rusty nail orholdfast sticking in the wall.
All the gold of Plutus would not have been so welcome as that rustypiece of iron.
I instantly wrung it from the wall, and inserting the point between theplanks of the door into the bolt,
and working it backwards and forwards,I had at length the unspeakable satisfaction to perceive that the beamwas actually yielding to my efforts, and gradually sliding into itsberth in the wall.
I have often been engaged in struggles where great bodily strength wasrequired, and every thew and sinew in the system taxed to the uttermost;but, strange as it may appear, I never was so completely exhausted andovercome by any labour as by this comparatively trifling task.
Again and again was I obliged to desist, until my cramped finger-jointsrecovered their power; but at length my perseverance was rewarded, for,little by little, I succeeded in removing the bolt so far as to allowthe door to open sufficiently to permit me to pass.
With some squeezing I succeeded in forcing my way into a small passage,upon which my prison-door opened.
This led into a chamber somewhat more spacious than my cell, but stillcontaining no furniture, and affording no means of escape to one socrippled with bonds as I was.
At the far extremity of this room was a door which stood ajar, and,stealthily passing through it, I found myself in a room containingnothing but a few raw hides, which rendered the atmosphere nearlyintolerable.
Here I checked myself, for I heard voices in busy conversation in thenext room.
I stole softly to the door which separated the chamber in which I stoodfrom that from which the voices proceeded.
A moment served to convince me that any attempt upon it would be worsethan fruitless, for it was secured upon the outside by a strong lock,besides two bars, all which I was enabled to ascertain by means ofthe same defect in the joining of the planks which I have mentioned asbelonging to the inner door.
I had approached this door very softly, so that, my proximity beingwholly unsuspected by the speakers within, the conversation continuedwithout interruption.
Planting myself close to the door, I applied my eye to one of the chinkswhich separated the boards, and thus obtained a full view of the chamberand its occupants.
It was the very apartment into which I had been first conducted. Theouter door, which faced the one at which I stood, was closed, and at asmall table were seated the only tenants of the room--two officers, oneof whom was Captain Oliver. The latter was reading a paper, which I madeno doubt was the document with which I had been entrusted.
'The fellow deserves it, no doubt' said the junior officer. 'But,methinks, considering our orders from head-quarters, you deal somewhattoo hastily.'
'Nephew, nephew,' said Captain Oliver, 'you mistake the tenor of ourorders. We were directed to conciliate the peasantry by fair and gentletreatment, but not to suffer spies and traitors to escape. This packetis of some value, though not, in all its parts, intelligible to me. Thebearer has made his way hither under a disguise, which, along with theother circumstances of his appearance here, is sufficient to convict himas a spy.'
There was a pause here, and after a few minutes the younger officersaid:
'Spy is a hard term, no doubt, uncle; but it is possible--nay, likely,that this poor devil sought merely to carry the parcel with which he wascharged in safety to its destination. Pshaw! he is sufficiently punishedif you duck him, for ten minutes or so, between the bridge and themill-dam.'
'Young man,' said Oliver, somewhat sternly, 'do not obtrude your advicewhere it is not called for; this man, for whom you plead, murdered yourown father!'
I could not see how this announcement affected the person to whom it wasaddressed, for his back was towards me; but I conjectured, easily, thatmy last poor chance was gone, for a long silence ensued. Captain Oliverat length resumed:
'I know the villain well. I know him capable of any crime; but, by ----,his last card is played, and the game is up. He shall not see the moonrise to-night.'
There was here another pause.
Oliver rose, and going to the outer door, called:
'Hewson! Hewson!'
A grim-looking corporal entered.
'Hewson, have your guard ready at eight o'clock, with their carbinesclean, and a round of ball-cartridge each. Keep them sober; and,further, plant two upright posts at the near end of the bridge, witha cross one at top, in the manner of a gibbet. See to these matters,Hewson: I shall be with you speedily.'
The corporal made his salutations, and retired.
Oliver deliberately folded up the papers with which I had beencommissioned, and placing them in the pocket of his vest, he said:
'Cunning, cunning Master Hardress Fitzgerald hath made a false step;the old fox is in the toils. Hardress Fitzgerald, Hardress Fitzgerald, Iwill blot you out.'
He repeated these words several times, at the same time rubbing hisfinger strongly upon the table, as if he sought to erase a stain:
'I WILL BLOT YOU OUT!'
There was a kind of glee in his manner and expression which chilled myvery heart.
'You shall be first shot like a dog, and then hanged like a dog: shotto-night, and hung to-morrow; hung at the bridgehead--hung, until yourbones drop asunder!'
It is impossible to describe the exultation with which he seemed todwell upon, and to particularise the fate which he intended for me.
I observed, however, that his face was deadly pale, and felt assuredthat his conscience and inward convictions were struggling against hiscruel resolve. Without further comment the two officers left the room,I suppose to oversee the preparations which were being made for the deedof which I was to be the victim.
A chill, sick horror crept over me as they retired, and I felt, for themoment, upon the brink of swooning. This feeling, however, speedilygave place to a sensation still more terrible. A state of excitement sointense and tremendous as to border upon literal madness, supervened; mybrain reeled and throbbed as if it would burst; thoughts the wildestand the most hideous flashed through my mind with a spontaneous rapiditythat scared my very soul; while, all the time, I felt a strange andfrightful impulse to burst into uncontrolled laughter.
Gradually this fearful paroxysm passed away. I kneeled and prayedfervently, and felt comforted and assured; but still I could not viewthe slow approaches of certain death without an agitation little shortof agony.
I have stood in battle many a time when the chances of escape werefearfully small. I have confronted foemen in the deadly breach. I havemarched, with a constant heart, against the cannon's mouth. Again andagain has the beast which I bestrode been shot under me; again and againhave I seen the comrades who walked beside me in an instant laid forever in the dust; again and again have I been in the thick of battle,and of its mortal dangers, and never felt my heart shake, or a singlenerve tremble: but now, helpless, manacled, imprisoned, doomed, forcedto watch the approaches of an inevitable fate--to wait, silent andmoveless, while death as it were crept towards me, human nature wastaxed to the uttermost to bear the horrible situation.
I returned again to the closet in which I had found myself uponrecovering from the swoon.
The evening sunshine and twilight was fast melting into darkness, whenI heard the outer door, that which communicated with the guard-room inwhich the officers had been amusing themselves, opened and locked againupon the inside.
A measured step then approached, and the door of the wretched cell inwhich I lay being rudely pushed open, a soldier entered, who carriedsomething in his hand; but, owing to the obscurity of the place, I couldnot see what.
'Art thou awake, fellow?' said he, in a gruff voice. 'Stir thyself; getupon thy legs.'
His orders were enforced by no very gentle application of his militaryboot.
'Friend,' said I, rising with difficulty, 'you need not insult a dyingman. You have been sent hither to conduct me to death. Lead on! Mytrust is in God, that He will forgive me my sins, and receive my soul,redeemed by the blood of His Son.'
There here intervened a pause of some length, at the end of which thesoldier said, in the same gruff voice, but in a lower key:
'Look ye, comrade, it will be your own fault if you die this night. Onone condition I promise to get you out of this hobble
with a whole skin;but if you go to any of your d----d gammon, by G--, before two hours arepassed, you will have as many holes in your carcase as a target.'
'Name your conditions,' said I, 'and if they consist with honour, I willnever balk at the offer.'
'Here they are: you are to be shot to-night, by Captain Oliver's orders.The carbines are cleaned for the job, and the cartridges served out tothe men. By G--, I tell you the truth!'
Of this I needed not much persuasion, and intimated to the man myconviction that he spoke the truth.
'Well, then,' he continued, 'now for the means of avoiding this uglybusiness. Captain Oliver rides this night to head-quarters, with thepapers which you carried. Before he starts he will pay you a visit,to fish what he can out of you with all the fine promises he can make.Humour him a little, and when you find an opportunity, stab him in thethroat above the cuirass.'
'A feasible plan, surely,' said I, raising my shackled hands, 'for a manthus completely crippled and without a weapon.'
'I will manage all that presently for you,' said the soldier. 'When youhave thus dealt with him, take his cloak and hat, and so forth, and putthem on; the papers you will find in the pocket of his vest, in a redleather case. Walk boldly out. I am appointed to ride with CaptainOliver, and you will find me holding his horse and my own by the door.Mount quickly, and I will do the same, and then we will ride for ourlives across the bridge. You will find the holster-pistols loaded incase of pursuit; and, with the devil's help, we shall reach Limerickwithout a hair hurt. My only condition is, that when you strike Oliver,you strike home, and again and again, until he is FINISHED; and I trustto your honour to remember me when we reach the town.'
I cannot say whether I resolved right or wrong, but I thought mysituation, and the conduct of Captain Oliver, warranted me in accedingto the conditions propounded by my visitant, and with alacrity I toldhim so, and desired him to give me the power, as he had promised to do,of executing them.
With speed and promptitude he drew a small key from his pocket, and inan instant the manacles were removed from my hands.
How my heart bounded within me as my wrists were released from theiron gripe of the shackles! The first step toward freedom was made--myself-reliance returned, and I felt assured of success.
'Now for the weapon,' said I.
'I fear me, you will find it rather clumsy,' said he; 'but if wellhandled, it will do as well as the best Toledo. It is the only thing Icould get, but I sharpened it myself; it has an edge like a skean.'
He placed in my hand the steel head of a halberd. Grasping it firmly, Ifound that it made by no means a bad weapon in point of convenience; forit felt in the hand like a heavy dagger, the portion which formed theblade or point being crossed nearly at the lower extremity by a smallbar of metal, at one side shaped into the form of an axe, and at theother into that of a hook. These two transverse appendages being muffledby the folds of my cravat, which I removed for the purpose, formed aperfect guard or hilt, and the lower extremity formed like a tube, inwhich the pike-handle had been inserted, afforded ample space for thegrasp of my hand; the point had been made as sharp as a needle, and themetal he assured me was good.
Thus equipped he left me, having observed, 'The captain sent me tobring you to your senses, and give you some water that he might find youproper for his visit. Here is the pitcher; I think I have revived yousufficiently for the captain's purpose.'
With a low savage laugh he left me to my reflections.
Having examined and adjusted the weapon, I carefully bound the ends ofthe cravat, with which I had secured the cross part of the spear-head,firmly round my wrist, so that in case of a struggle it might noteasily be forced from my hand; and having made these precautionarydispositions, I sat down upon the ground with my back against the wall,and my hands together under my coat, awaiting my visitor.
The time wore slowly on; the dusk became dimmer and dimmer, until itnearly bordered on total darkness.
'How's this?' said I, inwardly; 'Captain Oliver, you said I shouldnot see the moon rise to-night. Methinks you are somewhat tardy infulfilling your prophecy.'
As I made this reflection, a noise at the outer door announced theentrance of a visitant. I knew that the decisive moment was come, andletting my head sink upon my breast, and assuring myself that myhands were concealed, I waited, in the attitude of deep dejection, theapproach of my foe and betrayer.
As I had expected, Captain Oliver entered the room where I lay. He wasequipped for instant duty, as far as the imperfect twilight would allowme to see; the long sword clanked upon the floor as he made his waythrough the lobbies which led to my place of confinement; his amplemilitary cloak hung upon his arm; his cocked hat was upon his head, andin all points he was prepared for the road.
This tallied exactly with what my strange informant had told me.
I felt my heart swell and my breath come thick as the awful moment whichwas to witness the death-struggle of one or other of us approached.
Captain Oliver stood within a yard or two of the place where I sat, orrather lay; and folding his arms, he remained silent for a minute ortwo, as if arranging in his mind how he should address me.
'Hardress Fitzgerald,' he began at length, 'are you awake? Stand up, ifyou desire to hear of matters nearly touching your life or death. Getup, I say.'
I arose doggedly, and affecting the awkward movements of one whose handswere bound,
'Well,' said I, 'what would you of me? Is it not enough that I am thusimprisoned without a cause, and about, as I suspect, to suffer a mostunjust and violent sentence, but must I also be disturbed during thefew moments left me for reflection and repentance by the presence of mypersecutor? What do you want of me?'
'As to your punishment, sir,' said he, 'your own deserts have no doubtsuggested the likelihood of it to your mind; but I now am with you tolet you know that whatever mitigation of your sentence you may look for,must be earned by your compliance with my orders. You must frankly andfully explain the contents of the packet which you endeavoured this dayto destroy; and further, you must tell all that you know of the designsof the popish rebels.'
'And if I do this I am to expect a mitigation of my punishment--is itnot so?'
Oliver bowed.
'And what IS this mitigation to be? On the honour of a soldier, what isit to be?' inquired I.
'When you have made the disclosure required,' he replied, 'you shallhear. 'Tis then time to talk of indulgences.'
'Methinks it would then be too late,' answered I. 'But a chance is achance, and a drowning man will catch at a straw. You are an honourableman, Captain Oliver. I must depend, I suppose, on your good faith. Well,sir, before I make the desired communication I have one question moreto put. What is to befall me in case that I, remembering the honour ofa soldier and a gentleman, reject your infamous terms, scorn yourmitigations, and defy your utmost power?'
'In that case,' replied he, coolly, 'before half an hour you shall be acorpse.'
'Then God have mercy on your soul!' said I; and springing forward, Idashed the weapon which I held at his throat.
I missed my aim, but struck him full in the mouth with such force thatmost of his front teeth were dislodged, and the point of the spear-headpassed out under his jaw, at the ear.
My onset was so sudden and unexpected that he reeled back to the wall,and did not recover his equilibrium in time to prevent my dealing asecond blow, which I did with my whole force. The point unfortunatelystruck the cuirass, near the neck, and glancing aside it inflicted but aflesh wound, tearing the skin and tendons along the throat.
He now grappled with me, strange to say, without uttering any cry ofalarm; being a very powerful man, and if anything rather heavier andmore strongly built than I, he succeeded in drawing me with him to theground. We fell together with a heavy crash, tugging and straining inwhat we were both conscious was a mortal struggle. At length I succeededin getting over him, and struck him twice more in the face; still hestruggled with an energy which noth
ing but the tremendous stake at issuecould have sustained.
I succeeded again in inflicting several more wounds upon him, any oneof which might have been mortal. While thus contending he clutched hishands about my throat, so firmly that I felt the blood swelling theveins of my temples and face almost to bursting. Again and again Istruck the weapon deep into his face and throat, but life seemed toadhere in him with an almost INSECT tenacity.
My sight now nearly failed, my senses almost forsook me; I felt uponthe point of suffocation when, with one desperate effort, I struck himanother and a last blow in the face. The weapon which I wielded hadlighted upon the eye, and the point penetrated the brain; the bodyquivered under me, the deadly grasp relaxed, and Oliver lay upon theground a corpse!
As I arose and shook the weapon and the bloody cloth from my hand, themoon which he had foretold I should never see rise, shone bright andbroad into the room, and disclosed, with ghastly distinctness, themangled features of the dead soldier; the mouth, full of clotting bloodand broken teeth, lay open; the eye, close by whose lid the fatal woundhad been inflicted, was not, as might have been expected, bathed inblood, but had started forth nearly from the socket, and gave to theface, by its fearful unlikeness to the other glazing orb, a leer morehideous and unearthly than fancy ever saw. The wig, with all its richcurls, had fallen with the hat to the floor, leaving the shorn headexposed, and in many places marked by the recent struggle; the rich lacecravat was drenched in blood, and the gay uniform in many places soiledwith the same.
It is hard to say, with what feelings I looked upon the unsightly andrevolting mass which had so lately been a living and a comely man. I hadnot any time, however, to spare for reflection; the deed was done--theresponsibility was upon me, and all was registered in the book of thatGod who judges rightly.
With eager haste I removed from the body such of the militaryaccoutrements as were necessary for the purpose of my disguise. Ibuckled on the sword, drew off the military boots, and donned themmyself, placed the brigadier wig and cocked hat upon my head, threwon the cloak, drew it up about my face, and proceeded, with the paperswhich I found as the soldier had foretold me, and the key of the outerlobby, to the door of the guard-room; this I opened, and with a firmand rapid tread walked through the officers, who rose as I entered, andpassed without question or interruption to the street-door. Here I wasmet by the grimlooking corporal, Hewson, who, saluting me, said:
'How soon, captain, shall the file be drawn out and the prisonerdespatched?'
'In half an hour,' I replied, without raising my voice.
The man again saluted, and in two steps I reached the soldier who heldthe two horses, as he had intimated.
'Is all right?' said he, eagerly.
'Ay,' said I, 'which horse am I to mount?'
He satisfied me upon this point, and I threw myself into the saddle; thesoldier mounted his horse, and dashing the spurs into the flanks of theanimal which I bestrode, we thundered along the narrow bridge. At thefar extremity a sentinel, as we approached, called out, 'Who goes there?stand, and give the word!' Heedless of the interruption, with my heartbounding with excitement, I dashed on, as did also the soldier whoaccompanied me.
'Stand, or I fire! give the word!' cried the sentry.
'God save the king, and to hell with the prince!' shouted I, flingingthe cocked hat in his face as I galloped by.
The response was the sharp report of a carbine, accompanied by the whizof a bullet, which passed directly between me and my comrade, now ridingbeside me.
'Hurrah!' I shouted; 'try it again, my boy.'
And away we went at a gallop, which bid fair to distance anything likepursuit.
Never was spur more needed, however, for soon the clatter of horses'hoofs, in full speed, crossing the bridge, came sharp and clear throughthe stillness of the night.
Away we went, with our pursuers close behind; one mile was passed,another nearly completed. The moon now shone forth, and, turning in thesaddle, I looked back upon the road we had passed.
One trooper had headed the rest, and was within a hundred yards of us.
I saw the fellow throw himself from his horse upon the ground.
I knew his object, and said to my comrade:
'Lower your body--lie flat over the saddle; the fellow is going tofire.'
I had hardly spoken when the report of a carbine startled the echoes,and the ball, striking the hind leg of my companion's horse, the pooranimal fell headlong upon the road, throwing his rider head-foremostover the saddle.
My first impulse was to stop and share whatever fate might await mycomrade; but my second and wiser one was to spur on, and save myself andmy despatch.
I rode on at a gallop, turning to observe my comrade's fate. I saw hispursuer, having remounted, ride rapidly up to him, and, on reaching thespot where the man and horse lay, rein in and dismount.
He was hardly upon the ground, when my companion shot him dead with oneof the holster-pistols which he had drawn from the pipe; and, leapingnimbly over a ditch at the side of the road, he was soon lost among theditches and thornbushes which covered that part of the country.
Another mile being passed, I had the satisfaction to perceive that thepursuit was given over, and in an hour more I crossed Thomond Bridge,and slept that night in the fortress of Limerick, having deliveredthe packet, the result of whose safe arrival was the destruction ofWilliam's great train of artillery, then upon its way to the besiegers.
Years after this adventure, I met in France a young officer, who I foundhad served in Captain Oliver's regiment; and he explained what I hadnever before understood--the motives of the man who had wrought mydeliverance. Strange to say, he was the foster-brother of Oliver, whomhe thus devoted to death, but in revenge for the most grievous wrongwhich one man can inflict upon another!