putting his open hand over his brows, peered down into the gloom, and said calmly in Irish, "Bee dhu hust ne wulh enan inh”-Hold your tongue, it is not yet the time. Every eye was now directed to the same spot, but, in consequence of its distance from the dim light on the altar, none could perceive the object from which the laugh proceeded. It was by this time nearly two o'clock in the morning.

He now stood for a few moments on the platform, and his chest heaved with a depth of anxiety equal to the difficulty of the design he wished to accomplish. "Brothers," said he, "for we are all brothers-sworn upon all that's sacred an' holy to obey whatever them that's over us, maning among ourselves, wishes us to do are you now ready, in the name of God, upon whose althar I stand, to fulfil yer oath?" The words were scarcely uttered when those who had stood beside the altar during the night sprung from their places, and descending its steps rapidly, turned round, and, raising their arms, exclaimed, "By all that's sacred an' holy we're willin'."

In the meantime, those who sat upon the steps of the altar instantly rose, and following the example of those who had just spoken, exclaimed after them, "To be sure-by all that's sacred an' holy we're willin'."

"Now, boys," said the captain, "arn't yees big fools for your pains? an' one of yees doesn't know what I mane."

66

'You're our captain," said one of those who had stood at the altar, "an' has yer ordhers from higher quarthers; of coorse whatever ye command upon us we're bound to obey you in." "Well," said he, smiling, "I only wanted to thry yees, an' by the oath yees tuck, there's not a captain in the county has as good a right to be proud of his min as I have. Well, yees won't rue it, may be, when the right time comes; and for that same raison every one of yees must have a glass from the jar; thim that, won't dhrink it in the chapel can dhrink it widout; an' here goes to open the door for them." He then distributed another large glass to every man who would accept it, and brought the jar afterwards to the chapel door, to satisfy the scruples of those who would not drink within. When this was performed, and all duly excited, he proceeded

Now, brothers, you are solemnly sworn to obey me, an' I'm sure there's no thraitor here that id parjure himself for a trifle anyhow; but I'm sworn to obey them that's above memanin' still among ourselves-an' to show you that I don't scruple to do it, here goes"-he then turned round, and taking the Missal

between his hands, placed it upon the holy altar. Hitherto every word was uttered in a low precautionary tone; but on grasping the book he again turned round, and looking upon his confederates with the same satanic expres sion which marked his countenance before, he exclaimed in a voice of deep determination

"By this sacred an' holy book, I will perform the action which we have met this night to accomplish, be that what it may, an' this I swear upon His book an' His altar!"

At this moment the candle which burned before him went suddenly out, and the chapel was wrapped in pitchy darkness; the sound as if of rushing wings fell upon our ears, and fifty voices dwelt upon the last words of his oath, with wild and supernatural tones that seemed to echo and to mock what he had sworn. There was a pause, and an exclamation of horror from all present, but the captain was too cool and steady to be disconcerted; he immediately groped about until he got the candle, and proceeding calmly to a remote corner of the chapel, took up a half-burned turf which lay there, and, after some trouble, succeeded in lighting it again. He then explained what had taken place; which indeed was easily done, as the candle happened to be extinguished by a pigeon which sat exactly above it. The chapel, I should have observed, was at this time, like many country chapels, unfinished inside, and the pigeons of a neighbouring dove-cot had built nests among the rafters of the unveiled roof, which circumstance also explained the rushing of the wings, for the birds had been affrighted by the sudden loudness of the noise. The mocking voices were nothing but the echoes, rendered naturally more awful by the scene, the mysterious object of the meeting, and the solemn hour of the night.

When the candle was again lighted, and these startling circumstances accounted for, the persons whose vengeance had been deepening more and more during the night, rushed to the altar in a body, where each in a voice trembling with passionate eagerness, repeated the oath, and as every word was pronounced, the same echoes heightened the wildness of the horrible ceremony by their long and unearthly tones The countenances of these human tigers were livid with suppressed rage their knit brows, compressed lips, and kindled eyes fell under the dim light of the taper with an expression calculated to sicken any heart not absolutely diabolical.

As soon as this dreadful rite was completed we were again startled by several loud bursts

of laughter, which proceeded from the lower darkness of the chapel, and the captain on hearing them turned to the place, and reflecting for a moment, said in Irish, "gutsho nish, arohelhee"-Come hither now, boys. A rush immediately took place from the corner in which they had secreted themselves all the night, and seven men appeared, whom we instantly recognized as brothers and cousins of certain persons who had been convicted some time before for breaking into the house of an honest poor man in the neighbourhood, from whom, after having treated him with barbarous violence, they took away such firearms as he kept for his own protection.

It was evidently not the captain's intention to have produced these persons until the oath should have been generally taken, but the exulting mirth with which they enjoyed the success of his scheme betrayed them, and put him to the necessity of bringing them forward somewhat before the concerted moment.

The scene which now took place was beyond all power of description; peals of wild fiendlike yells rang through the chapel as the party which stood on the altar and that which had crouched in the darkness met: wringing of hands, leaping in triumph, striking of sticks and firearms against the ground and the altar itself, dancing and cracking of fingers, marked the triumph of some fiendish purpose. Even the captain for a time was unable to restrain their fury; but at length he mounted the platform before the altar once more, and with a stamp of his foot recalled their attention to himself and the matter in hand.

'Boys," said he, "enough of this, and too much; an' well for us it is that the chapel is in a lonely place, or our foolish noise might do us no good. Let thim that swore so manfully jist now stand a one side till the rest kiss the book one by one."

The proceedings, however, had by this time taken too alarming a shape for even the captain to compel them to a blindfold oath; the first man he called flatly refused to swear until he should first hear the nature of the service that was required. This was echoed by the remainder, who, taking courage from the firmness of this person, declared generally that until they first knew the business they were to execute none of them should take the oath. The captain's lip quivered slightly, and his brow once more knit with the same evil expression, which I have remarked gave him so much the appearance of an embodied fiend; but this speedily passed away, and was succeeded by a malignant sneer, in which lurked, if there ever

did in a sneer, "a laughing devil," calmly, determinedly atrocious.

"It wasn't worth yer whiles to refuse the oath," said he mildly, for the thruth is, I had next to nothing for yees to do; not a hand maybe would have to rise, only jist to look on an' if any resistance should be made to show yerselves; yer numbers would soon make them see that resistance would be no use whatever in the present case. At all evints the oath of secrecy must be taken, or woe be to him who will refuse that; he won't know the day, the hour, nor the minute when he'll be made a spatch-cock ov.' He then turned round, and placing his right hand on the Missal, swore "that whatever might take place that night he would keep secret from man or mortal, except it was the holy priest on his dying day, and that neither bribery, nor imprisonment, nor death would wring it from his heart;" having done this, he struck the book violently, as if to confirm the energy with which he swore, and then calmly descending the steps, stood with a serene countenance, like a man conscious of having performed a good action. As this oath did not pledge those who refused to take the other to the perpetration of any specific crime, it was readily taken by all present. Preparations were then made to execute what was intended; the half-burned turf was placed in a little pot; another glass of whisky was distributed, and the door being locked by the captain, who kept the key as parish master and clerk, the crowd departed silently from the chapel.

The moment that those who lay in the darkness during the night made their appearance at the altar, we knew at once the persons we were to visit; for, as I said before, these were related to the miscreants whom one of these persons had convicted, in consequence of their midnight attack upon himself and his family. The captain's object in keeping them unseen was that those present, not being aware of the duty about to be imposed on them, might have less hesitation in swearing to its fulfilment. Our conjectures were correct, for on leaving the chapel we directed our steps to the house in which this man, the only Protestant in the parish, resided.

The night was still stormy, but without rain; it was rather dark too, though not so as to prevent us from seeing the clouds careering swiftly through the air. The dense curtain which had overhung and obscured the horizon was now broken, and large sections of the sky were clear, and thinly studded with stars that looked dim and watery, as did indeed the whole

firmament, for in some places large clouds were still visible, threatening a continuance of severe tempestuous weather. The road appeared washed and gravelly, every dike was full of yellow water, and each little rivulet and larger stream dashed its hoarse music in our ears; the blast, too, was cold, fierce, and wintry, sometimes driving us back to a stand-still, and again, when a turn in the road would bring it in our backs, whirling us along for a few steps with involuntary rapidity. At length the fated dwelling became visible, and a short consultation was held in a sheltered place between the captain and the two parties who seemed so eager for its destruction. Their firearms were now charged, and their bayonets and short pikes, the latter shod and pointed with iron, were also got ready: the live coal which was brought in the small pot had become extinguished; but to remedy this two or three persons from the remote parts of the parish entered a cabin on the wayside, and, under pretence of lighting their own and their comrades' pipes, procured a coal of fire, for so they called a lighted turf. From the time we left the chapel until this moment a most profound silence had been maintained, a circumstance which, when I considered the number of persons present, and the mysterious and dreaded object of their journey, had a most appalling effect upon my spirits.

At length we arrived within fifty perches of the house, walking in a compact body, and with as little noise as possible; but it seemed as if the very elements had conspired to frustrate our design, for on advancing within the shade of the farm-hedge, two or three persons found themselves up to the middle in water, and on stooping to ascertain more accurately the state of the place, we could see nothing but one immense sheet of it spread like a lake over the meadows which surrounded the spot we wished to reach.

in broken lines, and to be multiplied fifty-fold in the many-faced mirror on which we gazed. Over this was a stormy sky, and around us a darkness through which we could only distinguish in outline the nearest objects, whilst the wild wind swept strongly and dismally upon us. When it was discovered that the common pathway to the house was inundated, we were about to abandon our object, and return home; the captain, however, stooped down low for a moment, and almost closing his eyes, looked along the surface of the waters, and then raising himself very calmly, said, in his usual quiet tone, "Yees needn't go back, boys, I've found a path; jist follow me." He immediately took a more circuitous direction, by which we reached a causeway that had been raised for the purpose of giving a free passage to and from the house during such inundations as the present. Along this we had advanced more than half way, when we discovered a break in it, which, as afterwards appeared, had that night been made by the strength of the flood. This, by means of our sticks and pikes we found to be about three feet deep, and eight yards broad. Again we were at a loss how to proceed, when the fertile brain of the captain devised a method of crossing it:

"Boys," said he, "of course you've all played at leap-frog-very well, strip and go in a dozen of you; lean one upon the shoulders of another from this to the opposite bank, where one must stand facing the outside man, both their shoulders agin one another, that the outside man may be supported-then we can creep over you, an' a decent bridge you'll be, any way.' This was the work of only a few minutes, and in less than ten we were all safely

over.

Merciful heaven! how I sicken at the recollection of what is to follow: on reaching the dry bank, we proceeded instantly, and in profound silence, to the house; the captain divided us into companies, and then assigned to each division its proper station. The two parties who had been so vindictive all the night, he kept about himself, for of those who were present they only were in his confidence, and knew his nefarious purpose; their number was about fifteen. Having made these dispositions, be, at the head of about five of them, approached the house on the windy side, for the fiend po sessed a coolness which enabled him to seize upon every possible advantage; that he had combustibles about him was evident, for in

house was enveloped in flames. On seeing this, the others rushed over to the spot where he

and his gang were standing, and remonstrated earnestly, but in vain; the flames now burst forth with renewed violence, and as they flung their strong light upon the faces of the foremost group, it is impossible to imagine anything more satanic than their countenances, now worked up into a paroxysm of infernal triumph at their own revenge. The captain's lcok had lost all its calmness, every feature started out into distinct malignity, the curve in his brow was deep, and ran up to the root of the hair, dividing his face into two sections, that did not seem to have been designed for each other. His lips were half open, and the corners of his mouth a little brought back on each side, like those of a man expressing intense hatred and triumph over an enemy who is in the death-struggle under his grasp. His eyes blazed from beneath his knit eyebrows with a fire that seemed to have been lighted up in the infernal pit itself. It is unnecessary and only painful to describe the rest of his gang; demons might have been proud of such horrible visages as they exhibited; for they worked under all the power of hatred, revenge, and joy; and these passions blended into one terrific scowl, enough almost to blast any human eye that would venture to look upon it.

When the others attempted to intercede for the lives of the inmates, there were at least fifteen loaded guns and pistols levelled at them. "Another word," said the captain, "an' you're a corpse where you stand, or the first man who will dare to speak for them: no, no, it wasn't to spare them we came here-'No mercy' is the password for the night, an' by the sacred oath I swore beyant in the chapel, any one among yees that will attimpt to show it, will find none at my hand. Surround the house, boys, I tell ye; I hear them stirring-No mercy -no quarther-is the ordher of the night."

Such was his command over these misguided creatures, that in an instant there was a ring round the house to prevent the escape of the unhappy inmates, should the raging element give them time to attempt it; for none present dared withdraw from the scene, not only from an apprehension of the captain's present vengeance, or that of his gang, but because they knew that even had they then escaped, an early and certain death awaited them from a quarter against which they had no means of defence. The hour now was about half-past two o'clock. Scarcely had the last words escaped from the captain's lips, when one of the windows of the house was broken, and a human head, having the hair in a blaze was descried, apparently a woman's, if one might judge by the profusion

of burning tresses, and the softness of the tones, notwithstanding that it called, or rather shrieked aloud for help and mercy. The only reply to this was the whoop from the captain and his gang, of no mercy-"No mercy," and that instant the former and one of the latter rushed to the spot, and ere the action could be perceived, the head was transfixed with a bayonet and a pike, both having entered it together. The word mercy was divided in her mouth; a short silence ensued, the head hung down on the window, but was instantly tossed back into the flames.

This action occasioned a cry of horror from all present except the gang and their leader, which startled and enraged the latter so much, that he ran towards one of them and had his bayonet, now reeking with the blood of his innocent victim, raised to plunge it in his body, when dropping the point, he said in a piercing whisper that hissed in the ears of all: "It's no use now, you know; if one's to hang, all will hang; so our safest way, you persave, is to lave none of them to tell the story: ye may go now if you wish; but it won't save a hair of your heads. You cowardly set! I knew if I had tould yees the sport, that none of ye except my own boys would come, so I jist played a thrick upon you; but remember what you are sworn to, and stand to the oath ye tuck."

Unhappily, notwithstanding the wetness of the preceding weather, the materials of the house were extremely combustible; the whole dwelling was now one body of glowing flame, yet the shouts and shrieks within rose awfully above its crackling and the voice of the storm, for the wind once more blew in gusts, and with great violence. The doors and windows were all torn open, and such of those within as had escaped the flames rushed towards them, for the purpose of further escape, and of claiming mercy at the hands of their destroyers; but whenever they appeared, the unearthly cry of no mercy rung upon their ears for a moment, and for a moment only, for they were flung back at the points of the weapons which the demons had brought with them to make the work of vengeance more certain.

As yet there were many persons in the house, whose cry for life was strong as despair, and who clung to it with all the awakened powers of reason and instinct; the ear of man could hear nothing so strongly calculated to stifle the demon of cruelty and revenge within him, as the long and wailing shrieks which rose beyond the element, in tones that were carried off rapidly upon the blast, until they died away in the darkness that lay behind the surround