diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/51278-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/51278-0.txt | 11713 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 11713 deletions
diff --git a/old/51278-0.txt b/old/51278-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 76adb44..0000000 --- a/old/51278-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11713 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Grace O'Malley, by Robert Machray - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Grace O'Malley - Princess and Pirate - -Author: Robert Machray - -Release Date: February 21, 2016 [EBook #51278] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRACE O'MALLEY *** - - - - -Produced by WebRover, Chris Curnow, Les Galloway and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - +GRACE O’MALLEY+ - - _PRINCESS AND PIRATE_ - - - - - _Told by_ - - RUARI MACDONALD - - REDSHANK AND REBEL - - _. . The Same Set Forth . . - in the Tongue of the English_ - - BY - - ROBERT MACHRAY - - - - - CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED - _London, Paris, New York & Melbourne_ - 1898 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - - - -[Illustration: Colophon] - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - PAGE - - SAVED FROM THE SEA 1 - - CHAPTER II. - - THE PRINCESS BEGINS HER REIGN 13 - - CHAPTER III. - - THE TITLE-DEED OF THE SWORD 25 - - CHAPTER IV. - - THE COLONEL OF CONNAUGHT 37 - - CHAPTER V. - - THE QUEEN’S PEACE 50 - - CHAPTER VI. - - GRACE O’MALLEY DANCES OUT OF GALWAY 64 - - CHAPTER VII. - - THE DIE CAST 81 - - CHAPTER VIII. - - THE CAPTURE OF THE _CAPITANA_ 94 - - CHAPTER IX. - - A CHEST OF GOLD 108 - - CHAPTER X. - - A WOMAN’S WILE 121 - - CHAPTER XI. - - “REDSHANK AND REBEL” 135 - - CHAPTER XII. - - THE WHISPERING ROCKS 149 - - CHAPTER XIII. - - A SURPRISE 164 - - CHAPTER XIV. - - THE GATE OF FEARS 179 - - CHAPTER XV. - - THE SIEGE IS RAISED 194 - - CHAPTER XVI. - - “OUR NATURAL LEADER” 210 - - CHAPTER XVII. - - A DEAR VICTORY 224 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - AT ASKEATON 239 - - CHAPTER XIX. - - THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS 253 - - CHAPTER XX. - - SUCH STUFF AS DREAMS 267 - - CHAPTER XXI. - - THE PERFIDY OF DESMOND 282 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - “ONLY A WOMAN” 297 - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - THE PARTING OF THE WAYS 310 - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - BARRINGTON BRIDGE 325 - - - - -GRACE O’MALLEY, - -_PRINCESS AND PIRATE_. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -SAVED FROM THE SEA. - - -It has now become so much a matter of custom--after that familiar human -fashion which causes us to turn our faces to the rising sun--to praise -and laud the King, James the Sixth of Scotland and First of England and -Ireland, in the beginning of whose reign over the three kingdoms--to -which he has been pleased to give the name of Great Britain--this -chronicle is written, that there would appear to be some danger of a -wonderful truth being forgotten. - -For there can be no doubt that his Highness follows upon a most -remarkable age--an age which must be known throughout all time to come -as the Age of Great Women. - -And when I think upon Elizabeth of England, who broke the power of -Spain, of Mary of Scotland, whose beauty and whose wickedness were at -once the delight and the despair of her people, and of the French -queens, whose talents in statecraft have never been equalled, I make -bold to deny that the period of the rule of his Highness will be in any -respect as glorious as that which immediately preceded his time, and in -which these great women lived. - -Now, whether it was from the influence and inspiration of these high -and mighty exemplars, or because it was born of the pith and marrow -of decreed circumstance, and so lay at the very heart of things, that -women should then lead the way, and that men should give themselves up -entirely to their service, I cannot say. Yet I know that there were -other women of less exalted rank than those I have mentioned, whose -powers, although displayed on but a small stage, were seen to be so -superior to those of men that men willingly obeyed them, and lived and -died for them--and living or dying were glad indeed. - -And the story which I have to tell is the story of such an one. - -It was my lot, for so had Destiny cast out from her urn the shell on -which my name was marked, that I, Ruari Macdonald, of the Clandonald, -of the family of the Lords of the Isles, both of the Outer and the -Inner Seas, having been unnaturally deprived of my home and lands -in Isla, should have been saved to become the servant of that -extraordinary woman called, in the tongue of the English, Grace -O’Malley. - -It is also not unusual for her to be spoken of by them as the “Pirate -Princess,” and the “Pirate Chieftainess of Galway,” and there have -been some who have described her as a “notable traitress,” and a -“nursing mother of rebels.” But to us Celts, and to me in particular, -her name can never be uttered in our own liquid speech without -something of the same feeling being stirred within us as when we listen -to the sounds of soft music--so sweet and dear a name it is. - -It is true, perhaps, that its sweetness has rather grown upon me with -advancing years. Be sure, however, there was a time when her name -uplifted my heart and made strong my arm more than the clamour of -trumpets and all the mad delight of war. But it seems far off and long -ago, a thing of shadows and not more real than they. And yet I have -only to sit still, and close my eyes for a space, and, lo, the door of -the past swings open, and I stand once more in the Hall of Memories -Unforgotten. - -Now that the fingers of time fasten themselves upon me so that I shake -them off but with fainting and difficulty, and then only to find them -presently the more firmly fixed, I think it well before my days are -done to set forth in such manner as I can what I know of this great -woman. - -I say, humbly, in such manner as I can. - -For I am well assured of one thing, and it is this--that it is far -beyond me to give any even fairly complete picture of her wit and her -wisdom, of her patience and her courage, and of those other splendid -qualities which made her what she was. And this, I fear, will still -more be the case when I come to tell of the love and the hate and the -other strong stormy passions which entered into her life, and which so -nearly made shipwreck of all her hopes, and which in some sort not only -did change her whole course but also that of her country. - -And, first of all, must I declare how it was that I, Ruari Macdonald, -a Scot of the Western Isles, came to have my fortunes so much bound up -with those of Grace O’Malley. In the ordinary circumstances of a man -of my birth there would have fallen out nothing more remarkable than -the tale, perhaps, of some fierce fighting in our Highland or Island -feuds, and that, most probably, would have circled round our hereditary -enemies, the Macleans of the Rinns of Isla. But thus was it not with -me, albeit it was to these same ancient foes of my tribe that I owe my -knowledge of Grace O’Malley. - -Well do I recall the occasion on which I first heard her voice. In -truth I was so situated at the time that while other recollections may -pass out of my mind, as assuredly many have passed away, the memory of -that never will. - -“Do not kill him, do not kill him!” said a shrill treble, piping clear -and high above the hard tones of men’s voices mingled together, and -harsh from the rough breath of the sea. - -“Throw him into the water!” cried one. - -“Put him back in the boat!” cried another. - -“Best to make an end of him!” said a tall, dark man, who spoke with an -air of authority. And he made as if to draw his sword. - -“No! no!” cried the shrill treble. “Do not kill him. See, he is only a -little boy, a child. Give him to me, father.” - -There was a burst of laughter from the men, and the shrill treble, as -if encouraged, again cried, “Give him to me, father.” - -“What would you do with him, darling?” - -“I know not, father, but spare him. You promised before we set out from -Clew Bay to give me whatever I might ask of you, if it was in your -power. And now I ask his life. Give him to me, father.” - -There was a silence for a short space, and I opened my weary, -fear-haunted eyes, gazing dazed and distracted about me. Then I saw -a small, ruddy-cheeked, black-haired maid on the deck of a ship, -while around her and me was grouped a band of sun-browned, unkempt, -and savage-looking sailors, clad in garments not very different from -those of my own people. In the midst of them was the man whom the maid -addressed as father. I, the little boy, the child of whom she had -spoken, was lying bound at her feet. - -My mind was distraught and overwhelmed with the terror and horror of -what I had already undergone. Hungry and thirsty, and bruised and -sore, I cared but little what might happen to me, thinking that death -itself could hold no greater suffering than that I had just passed -through. But the sight of the maid among these men of the sea awoke my -boyish curiosity. As I gazed at her, a great wave carried the vessel -up on its crest, and had she not put forth her hand and caught me by -the thongs of deer with which I was bound, I would have rolled like a -helpless log into the hissing waters. - -“See,” she said, “he is mine.” - -“Then be it so,” her father agreed, after some hesitation. “And yet, it -may not be well. Do you understand our language?” he asked of me. - -“Yes,” I replied. I knew the Irish tongue, which is almost the same as -our own, in which he addressed me. For there was much traffic between -the Scottish Islands of the West and the North of Ireland, where many -of my own clan had settled, the “Scots of the Glens” of Ulster. So I -had heard Irish spoken frequently. - -“Who are you?” he demanded. - -“I am Ruari Macdonald, the son of Tormod Macdonald of Isla,” I -answered, but with difficulty, for my mouth was parched and my tongue -swollen. - -“I know the breed,” said he, with a smile, “and the Clandonald are men -who may be trusted. Besides, you are but a boy.” - -He stooped down and cut away my bonds. I tried to stand up, but only -fell half swooning upon the deck. - -“Water, water!” cried the shrill treble. “He is fainting from thirst.” -And the voice seemed to keep my consciousness from ebbing utterly away. - -Then the maid in another instant was wetting my cracked and thickened -lips from a silver cup, and I drank and was refreshed. Next she brought -me food and a little Spanish wine. - -“Let him eat and drink,” said she, “so that his life may be whole -within him again.” - -Taking me by the hand as soon as I had sufficiently recovered, and -followed by her father, she led me to the poop of the ship, where there -was a sort of cabin, or “castle,” as it is called. - -“Now, Ruari Macdonald of Isla,” said the man, who was evidently the -commander of the vessel, “tell me how it was that you came to be on the -wide sea, lying bound and nearly dead, in that small boat we picked up -an hour or so ago?” - -“The Macleans,” I gasped, for speech was still a burden to me. But -before long my tongue was loosened, and I told them all I knew of what -had happened. - -“The Macleans,” said I, “of the Rinns of Isla, who were ever our foes, -but with whom we had been at peace for a long time, suddenly set upon -and surprised my father’s castle by night. I was awakened by the sounds -of clashing swords and the death shrieks of men and women--the most -fearsome cries--so that my blood ran cold and my heart stood still.” - -I stopped and choked as I spoke. The maid nodded kindly, and put her -little hand in mine. - -“Although I had never seen a fight,” continued I, “I had been told -often and often of battles, so I guessed at once what was going on. I -got up from my couch, and in the darkness called my mother’s name, but -she answered not. I was alone in the chamber. Terrified, I shrieked and -sobbed. Then the room filled with smoke. The castle was on fire. Making -the best of my way to the door I was clasped in my mother’s arms. She -carried a lighted torch, but I came upon her so sharply that it fell -out of her hand and was extinguished. - -“’We are lost,’ she wailed, pressing me wildly against her bosom, while -I could feel her heart beating fast and hard against my own. - -“’What, is it, mother?’ I asked; but I knew without any words from her. - -“We were standing in a corridor, but the smoke soon became so dense -that we could no longer endure it. Hardly knowing what she did, I -think, she dragged me along to a window in the room where I had slept, -and opening it, looked out. The yard of the castle was alive with men -holding blazing sticks of fir, and flames shot up from the burning door -of the central tower in which we stood. I also looked out, and noticed -dark, silent forms lying prone upon the ground. - -“’Fire or sword? What matters it?’ I heard her whisper to herself. -’Lost, lost, lost! Oh, Ruari, my son, my son!’ And she kissed me--the -last kisses she ever gave.” - -I broke down weeping. The little hand of the maid caressed and soothed -me. - -“We had been spied from the yard,” I went on, after I had had my fill -of crying, and a great hoarse voice rose above the din. - -“’Fetch me the woman and the child alive!’ was what it said. - -“’It is Red Angus Maclean,’ said my mother, hopelessly. - -“Then four clansmen plunged through the smoke and flame, and burst in -upon us. Seizing us roughly, they took us half dead to Red Angus. - -“’Do what you will with me,’ said my mother, falling on her knees -before him, ’but shed not the blood of the lad,’ she implored and -prayed of him. ’He has never done you any harm.’ - -“He scowled at us, and played with the handle of his dirk. - -“’Why should I not slay ye both?’ said he. ’When did ever a Macdonald -spare a Maclean, tell me that?’ He paused, as if in thought. ’But -listen,’ he began again. ’Choose you,’ said he, speaking to my mother, -’for such is my humour, choose you, your life or the boy’s.’ - -“’Thank ye,’ said my mother. ’Never did I think I should live to thank -a Maclean. Swear you will not shed his innocent blood, and I shall die -gladly.’ - -“’Have ye chosen?’ said he. - -“’Will ye swear not to put him to the sword?’ - -“’Yes,’ said he, and glared at her. - -“’Ye have chosen,’ said he at length. - -“’Yes,’ said my mother; and with her eyes fixed on me, she fell beneath -the stabs of his dirk; but even as she fell I sprang from the arms of -the men who held me, and leapt like a wild cat of Mull straight for his -throat, but he caught and crushed me in his grip. - -“’Remember your oath!’ cried my mother to him, and died. - -“Seeing that she was dead he laughed a terrible laugh, so empty of -mirth and so full of menace was it. - -“’Ay, I shall keep my oath,’ said he. ’No drop of his blood shall -be shed. But die he too must, and so shall this accursed brood be -destroyed from off the face of the earth. Bind him so that he cannot -escape,’ he ordered. - -“And they bound me with strips of tanned deerskin, even as you saw -when I was found in the drifting boat. Then he spoke to two of his -men, who carried me down to the beach, and threw me into the bottom -of the boat. Getting themselves into another, they towed that which I -was in some two or three miles from shore, until, indeed, I could hear -the struggling of the waters made by the tide, called the ’Race of -Strangers.’ And then they left me to the mercy of the sea.” - -“How long ago was that?” asked the maid. - -“Two days ago,” I replied. “I drifted, drifted with wave and tide, -expecting every moment to be swallowed up; and part of the time, -perhaps, I slept, for I cannot remember everything that took place. -And then you found the boat, and me in it,” I added simply. - -“’Tis a strange story,” said the maid’s father; and he turned away -to see to the working of the ship, which was straining and plunging -heavily in the swell, and left us two children to ourselves. - -I looked at the maid, who had been so tender and kind. - -“Who are ye?” I asked timidly. - -“I am Grace O’Malley,” said she proudly, “the daughter of Owen O’Malley -of Erris and of Burrishoole in Connaught--he who has just gone from us.” - -And then she told me of herself, of her father, and of her people, and -that the ship was now returning to Clare Island, which belonged to them. - -“See,” said she, pointing through a window in the stern, “there are the -headlands of Achill, only a few miles from Clare Island,” and I looked -out and saw those black ramparts of rock upon which the ocean hurls -itself in vain. - -“Now Clare Island comes into view,” she continued, and peeping out -again I beheld the shoulder of the hill of Knockmore looming up, while -beyond it lay a mass of islands, and still further away the mountains -on the coast. - -“All this,” said the maid with a sweep of her hand, “and the mainland -beyond, is the Land of the O’Malleys.” - -“And is the water also yours?” I asked, attempting a boy’s shy -pleasantry, for so had she won me from my grief. - -“Yes,” replied the maid, “the water even more than the land is ours.” -And she looked--what she was, though but a little maid--the daughter of -a king of the sea. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE PRINCESS BEGINS HER REIGN. - - -Ten years, swift as the flight of wild swans winging their way -southward when the first wind of winter sweeps behind them, passed -over our heads in the Land of the O’Malleys; nor did they pass without -bringing many changes with them. And yet it so happened that no very -startling or determining event occurred till at the very close of this -period. - -The little maid who had saved me from the sea had grown into a woman, -tall of stature and queenly in carriage--in a word, a commanding -figure, one to be obeyed, yet also one who had the gifts which made -obedience to her pleasant and easy. Already she had proved herself in -attack by sea or assault on shore a born leader, brave as the bravest -man amongst us all, but with a mind of larger grasp than any of ours. - -Yet were there times when she was as one who sees visions and feeds on -fantasies; and I was ever afraid for her and us when I saw in her face -the strange light shining through the veil of the flesh which spoke of -the dreaming soul. - -But more than anything else, she possessed in perfection a woman’s -power to fascinate and charm. Her smiles were bright and warm as the -sunshine, and she seemed to know what she should say or do in order -that each man should bring to her service of his best. For this one, -the ready jest, the gay retort, the laughing suggestion, the hinted -rebuke; for that, plain praise or plain blame, as she thought suited -the case. She understood how to manage men. And yet was she at times -a very woman--petulant, unreasonable, and capricious. Under the spell -of passion she would storm and rage and scold, and then she was ill -to cross and hard to hold. For the rest, she was the most fearless -creature ever quickened with the breath of life. - -I have heard it asserted that Grace O’Malley was wholly wanting in -gentleness and tenderness, but I know better. These were no lush days -of soft dalliance in the Ireland in which we lived; the days were -wine-red with the blood of men, and dark with the blinding tears of -widows and orphans. The sword, and the sword alone, kept what the sword -had taken. And yet was she of a heart all too tender, not infrequently, -for such a time. - -Chiefly did she show this gracious side of her nature in her fond care -of her foster-sister, Eva O’Malley, who had been entrusted when a -child, a year or two after my arrival at Clare Island, to Owen O’Malley -by a sub-chief who governed one of the islands lying off the coast of -Iar-Connaught. - -Never was there a greater contrast between two human beings of the -same kin than there was between those two women: Grace--dark, tall, -splendid, regal; Eva--fair, tiny, delicate, timid, and utterly unlike -any of her own people. - -Clay are we all, fashioned by the Potter on His wheel according to His -mind, and as we are made so we are. Thus it was that, while I admired, -I reverenced and I obeyed Grace O’Malley--God, He knows that I would -have died to serve her, and, indeed, never counted the cost if so be I -pleased her--I loved, loved, loved this little bit of a woman, who was -as frail as a flower, and more lovely in my sight than any. - -Men were in two minds--ay, the same man was often in two minds--as to -whether Grace O’Malley was beautiful or not; but they were never in any -doubt, for there could be none, of Eva’s loveliness. Howbeit, I had -said nothing of what was in my thoughts to Eva; that was a secret which -I deemed was mine alone. - -For myself, I had grown to man’s estate--a big fellow and a strong, who -might be depended upon to look after ship or galley with some regard -for seamanship, and not to turn my back in the day of battle, unless -nothing else were possible. - -Owen O’Malley had received me, the outcast of Isla, into his own -family, treating me as a son rather than as a stranger, and, although -I never ceased to be a Scot, I was proud to be considered one of the -Irish also. Under his tuition I learned all the ways and customs of his -people--a wild people and a fierce, like my own. So far as Connaught -was concerned, these ten years were for the most part a time of peace -among its tribes, and thus it was that I came to know like a native its -forests and mountains, its rivers and lakes, and the chief men of the -O’Flahertys and Burkes and O’Connors, whose territories marched with -those of the O’Malleys on the mainland. - -But I learned much more, for Owen O’Malley taught me how to steer and -handle a ship so that it became a thing of my own--nay, rather a part -of myself. He also gave me my knowledge of the coasts of Ireland, and -there was scarcely a bay or an inlet or a haven, especially on the -western shores, into which I had not sailed. And as he proved me and -found me faithful, he himself showed me the Caves of Silence under the -Hill of Sorrow--strange, gloomy caverns, partly the work of nature and -partly of man, once the homes of a race long perished, of whom no other -trace now remains. With the exception of Grace O’Malley, from whom he -kept nothing hid, and himself, no one but I was aware of the entrance -to them and of what lay concealed within. - -It had been the habit time out of mind of the O’Malleys to take toll -of all shipping in these waters, and to make raids from their galleys -upon unfriendly tribes living along the coast. The fishermen who came -over from Devon, and who paid tribute according to the number of their -smacks, went unmolested; but the merchant trader was ever thought to -be a fair prey. Thus, except in winter, when storms tied up O’Malley’s -ships in the harbours of Clare or Burrishoole, Owen’s three great -galleys were constantly at sea. - -After I had reached manhood it was usual for Owen himself to be in -command of one, Grace of the second, and myself of the third. It was -one of these expeditions which brought about an event that changed the -course of our lives. - -We had sailed southward, and were standing out one night late in spring -about three miles from the northern shores of Kerry, on the watch for -any trader on its way to the port of Limerick. The coolness of the -night still lay on the edge of dawn under the dying stars, when a fog, -dense, dark, and choking, encompassed us around, so that our three -ships lost sight of each other and soon drifted out of hail. - -Hours passed, and still the fog lay heavy and close. In the afternoon -it lightened and lifted and disappeared. There were no signs of our -companions. I made my course for a creek at the mouth of the Shannon, -where it had been arranged we were to meet in case of any mishap. -Towards evening the galley called _The Grey Wolf_, with Grace O’Malley -as its chief, came bowling up alongside. - -Obeying her summons to go over to her ship, I went on board _The Grey -Wolf_, when we exchanged greetings, enquiring of each other if we had -seen or heard anything of _The Winged Horse_, her father’s vessel. -Neither of us knew anything of it, and there was nothing to be done but -to await its arrival. We were chatting pleasantly, when I saw outlined -against the sunset flaming in the west the bulk of a merchantman, which -we guessed from her build and rig to be an English ship, probably from -Bristol, coming on under press of sail. - -On she came in stately fashion, with her sails bellying out in the -fresh breeze, and we could hear her men singing snatches of sailor -glees upon her decks. We gazed at her, and then we saw a dreadful and -an uncanny thing. Grace O’Malley was the first to speak. - -“Look, look!” she said. “What is that?” - -My eyes were fixed on the ship, but I could not tell what it was that -we saw. - -“I know not,” I replied. “Perhaps it is some new device of these -English. No; it can hardly be that. What is it, I wonder?” - -We stared and stared at it, but could make nothing of it. - -“It might almost be a phantom ship, Ruari,” she said. “But we see it -too plainly and hear the sailors too well for that.” - -Meanwhile, I noticed that the men in our galleys stood about the -bulwarks, rubbing their eyes and shading them with their hands, as if -they felt that here was some portentous thing. - -This is what we saw as the English vessel drew nearly abreast of us. - -On the white spread of the mainsail two huge, gigantic shadows of men -seemed to appear, to loom large, to grow small, to disappear, and then -to reappear again. - -A sort of awe fell upon us. - -“What can it mean?” I asked. - -“Wait,” said she; “we may know soon enough, for I think it is of evil -omen for us.” - -“’Tis nothing,” said I boldly, although I feared exceedingly; “nothing -but a trick played upon us by the sinking sun and its shadows.” - -“Nay, ’tis something more than that,” said she. - -Suddenly the wind fell off somewhat, and now the canvas of the -merchantman slapped against her masts with dull reports like the sounds -of an arquebus shot off at a distance. - -I saw her name in letters of white and gold--_Rosemary_, and as the way -she had on carried her past us, I understood what was the cause of what -we had seen. For as she swayed with the movements of wind and wave, we -beheld two bodies strung up from the yard of her foremast, swinging to -and fro with her every motion, looking, as they jerked up and down, as -if they were still alive, struggling and gasping in their last agony. - -I glanced at Grace O’Malley, whose face had grown in an instant white -and rigid. - -“Do you not see,” said she, after a moment’s silence, “that the poor -wretches are Irish from their dress? Thus do these English slay and -harry us day by day. Is there never to be an end of this wanton killing -of our people?” Then she became thoughtful, and added in a tone of -sadness, “My heart misgives me, Ruari; I feel the grip of misfortune -and grief.” - -“Make no bridge for trouble to pass over,” said I, and spoke many words -of comfort and confidence, to all of which she scarcely listened. -Respecting her mood, I left her, and went back to my own ship, _The -Cross of Blood_. - -That night, while I was on watch, I heard the soft splash of oars, and -presently out of the darkness there came the hail of a sailor from the -bow of _The Winged Horse_, as she rounded the point and slipped into -the creek where we lay. - -Something in the tone of the sailor’s voice, more perhaps in the slow -drooping of the oars, at once aroused my attention. Without words I -knew that all was not well. Where was the chief? There could but be one -reason why there was no sign of Owen O’Malley himself. Either he was -grievously wounded or he was dead. Hastily I swung myself into the boat -of my galley, and made for _The Winged Horse_, which was now riding at -anchor about a bow shot away. - -Tibbot, the best of pilots and steersmen in Ireland, met me as I -clambered up on to the deck. - -“Whist!” he entreated, as I was beginning to open my mouth in eager -questionings. - -“What has happened?” I asked in a whisper. - -“The chief has been badly hurt,” he replied. “He lies in the poop -cabin, bleeding, I fear, to death.” - -“What!” I exclaimed; “bleeding to death?” - -“Let me tell you----” - -But I interrupted him sharply. - -“I must see him at once,” I said, and I made my way to the poop, where, -stretched on a couch of skins, lay my friend and master. As I bent over -him he opened his eyes, and though the cabin was but dimly lighted, I -thought he smiled. I took his hand and knelt beside him. My anguish was -so keen that I could not speak. - -“Ruari,” said he, and that great full voice of his had been changed -into that of a babe; “is it you Ruari?” - -“Yes; it is I,” replied I, finding nothing else to say, for words -failed me. - -“Ruari, I am dying,” said he simply, as one who knew the state in which -he was, and feared not. “I have received the message of death, and soon -must my name be blotted out from among the living.” - -As he was speaking there was a rustling in the waist of the ship, and -Grace O’Malley stood beside us. - -“Father, father,” she cried, and taking his head and shoulders on -her breast, she crooned over him and kissed him, murmuring words of -passionate mourning, more like a mother than a daughter. - -“Grace,” said he, and his voice was so small that my breathing, by -contrast, seemed loud and obtrusive. “I am far spent, and the end of -all things is come for me. Listen, then, to my last words.” - -And she bent over him till her ear was at his lips. - -“In the blinding fog,” continued he, “we drifted as the ocean currents -took us, this way and that, carrying us we knew not whither--drifting -to our doom. The galley, before we could make shift to change her -course, scraped against the sides of an English ship--we just saw her -black hull in the mist, and then we were on her.” - -The weak voice became weaker still. - -“It was too big a ship for us, yet there was but one thing to do. I -have ever said that the boldest thing is the safest thing--indeed, the -only thing. So I ordered the boarders forward, and bade the rowers take -their weapons and follow on.” - -The dimming eyes grew luminous and bright. - -“It was a gallant fight,” he said, and his accents took on a little of -their old firmness, “but she was too strong for us. In the attempt we -lost several of our men, and two were taken prisoners. We were beaten -off. Just as the vessels drove apart, and the barque was lost in the -mist, a stray shot from an arquebus hit me in the thigh--and I know I -cannot survive.” - -“What was the name of the ship?” asked Grace. - -“_The Rosemary_, of Bristol,” he replied. It was the name of the -merchantman we had seen with the two corpses swinging from the yard of -her foremast. “You will avenge my death, Grace, but not now. You must -return at once to Connaught, and assemble our people. Tell them that my -wish, my command at the point of death, is that you should succeed me -in the chieftainship.” - -There was no sound for a space save only the cry of the curlews on the -shore, calling to their mates that another day was dawning. - -“Ruari,” said the ghost of a voice, “Ruari, I had hoped that you and -Grace----” - -But the cold fingers of death sealed the lips of the speaker. - -Grace O’Malley fell forward on the stiffening body; and, thinking it -best, I left the living and the dead together. In another hour the -three galleys were beating northward up the coast, and on the evening -of the second day after Owen O’Malley’s death we anchored in the haven -of Clare Island, where the body was buried with all the honours and -ancient ceremonies paid by the Irish to their chiefs. - -Then came the meeting of the clan to determine who should succeed Owen -O’Malley, for, according to a law similar to that which prevails among -our Celts of the Islands, the members of each sept who have reached -the age of the warrior, have a voice in the election of chiefs. As I -was not in reality one of themselves, nor could forget that I was a -Scot--a Redshank, as the English called me, albeit I could ruffle it on -occasion with the best Englishman that ever stepped--I took no part in -the council, nor spoke my mind until the older men had said their say. - -It was at once a beautiful sight and a memorable, this great gathering, -and the most beautiful and memorable thing of all was that men were -content, and more than content, that a woman should, for the first time -in their history, be called their chief. - -When it was my turn to speak, I related what I had heard fall from Owen -O’Malley as he was dying, and, without further words, dropping on my -knee I took the hand of Grace O’Malley, and swore by the Five Wounds of -God to be her servant so long as it might be her will. - -Then her people, old and young, pressed about her, calling her their -darling and their pride, and thus she became their leader and chief. - -But with the death of Owen O’Malley there was an end of the times of -peace and quietness in Connaught, whereat, like the hothead I was, I -rejoiced, not seeing the perilous adventures that lay before us. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE TITLE-DEED OF THE SWORD. - - -“Ruari!” - -It was the soft note of Eva O’Malley, calling to me as I came within -the gate of Carrickahooley Castle, whither Grace O’Malley, our -mistress, had come to fulfil her period of mourning for her father. -I had just crossed over from Clare Island on a small sailing vessel, -which now lay in the little harbour under the west wall. - -“Ruari!” - -It was ever a sound of gladness to me, that sweet voice; and looking up -to the chambers of the women, half-way up the front of the great square -tower, I beheld the fair face, framed in its pale-gold curls, against -the darkness of the embrasure of her window. My heart gave a quick -bound of pleasure, and then I grew hot and cold by turns. - -For I loved her, and the fear that is born of love made my strength -turn to weakness when I gazed upon her. Yet was I resolved to win her, -though in what way I knew not. Neither did I hope overmuch up to that -time that I understood her, for her manner was a riddle to me. - -And here let me set down what were then my relations with these two -women, or, rather, what was their attitude to me. - -Grace O’Malley clearly regarded me as a younger brother, and never -lost a certain air of protection in her dealings with me. To her I -remained always in some sort “a little boy, a child,” whose life she -had saved--although I was one of the biggest men in Ireland. - -Eva O’Malley, who was two years younger than I, had tyrannised over me -when I was a lad, and now that I was a man she mocked at and flouted -me, dubbing me “Giant Greathead”--I say “Greathead,” but in our -language Greathead and Thickhead are the same--and otherwise amusing -herself at my expense. But in her griefs and troubles it was to me she -came, and not to Grace, as might have seemed more natural. - -“Ruari!” she called, and I waved my hand to her in greeting. As I went -into the hall she met me. - -“I was waiting for you,” she said, “for I wished to speak to you before -you saw Grace.” - -“Yes?” I asked, and as I noticed the freshness of the roseleaf face I -marvelled at it for the hundredth time. - -“Grace has made an end of her mourning,” she went on, “and her purpose -now is to go to Galway to see the Lord Deputy, if he be there, as it is -said he is, or, if he be not, then Sir Nicholas Malby, the Colonel of -Connaught.” - -I could have shouted for joy, for I was weary of forced inaction while -the fine weather was passing us by, and all the harvest of the sea was -waiting to be gathered in by ready hands like ours. - -“Glad am I, in truth, to hear it,” said I heartily. I was not fond of -Galway, but I was anxious to be again on the waters, and who could tell -what might not happen then? There had been no fighting for a long time, -and the men were lusting for it, hungering and thirsting for it--only -biding, like dogs in the leash, for the word. And I was of the same -mind. - -“But listen, Ruari,” said Eva. “Is it well that she should go to -Galway? To my thinking there is a very good reason against it.” - -“Indeed,” said I, surprised. “What is it?” As I have declared already, -I had no special liking for Galway--and the sea is wide. - -“By going to Galway,” said she, “does she not run the chance of putting -herself in the power of the English? Is it not to thrust one’s head -into the very jaws of the lion? The English never loved her father, -Owen O’Malley, and the merchants of Galway were never done accusing -him of supplying himself from their ships at his good pleasure without -asking permission from them.” - -I smiled, for what she said about the dead chief was true. - -“’Tis not well to smile,” said Eva, frowning. - -“There is wisdom in your words,” I replied, becoming instantly grave -at her rebuke. “But why not say to Grace herself what you have said to -me?” - -“Oh, you mountain of a man,” she said, “to be so big and to be so----” -and she stopped, but I could fill up the gap for myself. - -“What have I said?” demanded I, still more abashed. - -“Think you not that I have already spoken to her?” she asked. “But she -will not hearken.” - -“Why should she,” said I, “care for my opinion?” - -“You know she does care,” she said testily. “But there is more to tell -you.” - -“More?” I asked. - -Her manner now showed the utmost dejection. Her eyes were downcast, and -as I regarded her I asked myself why it was that one so fair should -have dark, almost black eyelashes--eyelashes which gave a strange -shadow to her eyes. Her next words brought me quickly out of this -musing. - -“The ’WISE MAN’” said she, “is set against her going. His words are -of darkness and blood, and he declares that he sees danger for us all -in the near future. I’m afraid--you know he sees with other eyes than -ours.” - -And she said this with such evident terror that inwardly, but not -without some dread, I cursed the “Wise Man,”--a certain Teige O’Toole, -called “Teige of the Open Vision” by the people, who counted him to be -a seer and a prophet. He was certainly skilled in many things, and his -knowledge was not as the knowledge of other men. - -As she stood beside me, wistfully, entreatingly, and fearfully, I -pondered for a brief space and then I said-- - -“I will go and speak with Teige O’Toole, and will return anon,” and -forthwith went in search of him. - -I found him sitting on a rock, looking out to sea, murmuring -disconsolately to himself. Straightway I asked him what it was that he -had to say against Grace O’Malley’s intended visit to Galway, but he -would vouchsafe no reply other than the awesome words which he kept on -repeating and repeating-- - -“Darkness and blood; then a little light; blood and darkness, then -again light--but darkness were better.” - -Whereat I shuddered, feeling an inward chill; yet I begged of him not -once, nor twice, to make plain his meaning to me. He would not answer, -so that I lost patience with him, and had he not been an aged man and -an uncanny I would have shaken the explanation of his mysterious words -out of his lips, and, as it was, was near doing so. - -Rising quickly from the stone whereon he had been sitting, he moved -away with incredible swiftness as if he had read my thoughts, leaving -me staring blankly after him. - -What was it he had said? - -“Darkness and blood; and then a little light!” - -Well, darkness and blood were no strangers to me. - -“Blood and darkness; then again light--but darkness were better!” - -I could make no manner of sense of it at all; but I saw the meaning of -it plainly enough in the years that followed. - -I felt a gentle touch upon my arm, and Eva was by my side. - -“Grace wishes you to go to her at once,” she said. “O Ruari, Ruari, -dissuade her from going.” - -“I will do what I can,” I replied; but I knew beforehand that if Grace -O’Malley had settled what she was to do, nothing I could urge was -likely to change her purpose. - -Slowly I went into her presence. - -“Eva has told you,” she said, “that we set out at once for Galway.” - -“Yes,” I answered, “but I pray you to consider the matter well.” - -“I have considered it well,” she replied; “but say on.” - -“Is it a necessity,” I asked, “that you should go to Galway? Are there -not many more places in Ireland for us to go to? Is not the north open -to us, and the west, with plenty of Spanish merchantmen and English -trading on the broad waters?” - -“All in good time,” said she, smiling at my eloquence. - -“Here,” said I, emboldened to proceed, “here you are among your own -people, on your own land, and no one will seek to molest us. But in -Galway--everything is different.” - -“That is it,” she said earnestly. “That is the very reason--everything -is different there.” - -She stopped as if in thought. - -“Listen, Ruari! My mind,” said she, “is made up to go to Galway to talk -over our affairs with the English governor.” - -So this was the reason. - -“You say I am safe here,” she continued, “but am I? Word was brought -me only yesterday by a trusty messenger from Richard Burke, the -MacWilliam, that my father’s old-time enemy, Murrough O’Flaherty, -is whispering in the ear of Sir Nicholas Malby, the Colonel of -Connaught--perhaps into the ear of the Lord Deputy himself, for I hear -he is expected about this time in the city--that my father was an enemy -of the Queen, Elizabeth, and that I, his daughter, am sure to follow in -his steps.” - -“Murrough O’Flaherty!” cried I, “is he not content with his own wide -lands of Aughnanure?” - -“Content,” said she. “Such a man is never content! Then this insidious -whisperer goes on to hint that I am only a young woman, and that my -father has left no heir. It is plain enough, is it not, what he means?” - -“Sir Nicholas Malby,” said I, “is reputed to be a just man and a good -soldier.” - -“A just man--perhaps, who knows! That is why I am going to Galway. I -must make clear my right and title to my father’s possessions.” - -“Right and title,” I exclaimed, and unconsciously I placed my hand on -the hilt of my sword. - -She saw and interpreted the action. - -“Our title-deed,” said she, “has been that of the sword----” - -“And so shall it always be,” I broke in. - -“In one sense, yes,” she assented; “but we live in times of change, and -things are not as they were. All the chiefs and lords of Ireland are -now getting a title for their lands from the queen. Even my father did -something of the sort. If I go not to Galway to put forward my claims -it will be said that I am disloyal and a traitress.” - -“So,” I said, “it may be an evil to go, but it is a worse thing to stay -here.” - -“Yes,” she answered; “but I have other reasons. It is not that I put -so much trust in a piece of parchment, signed and sealed, although I -see no harm in getting it. Ruari, I have purposes that reach far beyond -Galway, and Connaught even, and for the present I deem it not well -openly to incur the enmity of the English.” - -This speech was beyond me, so I held my peace until I remembered what -the “Wise Man” had said; but when I mentioned it she replied that -she knew of the matter, and though it troubled her, it would make no -difference to her plans. - -Then she fell to brooding and thinking, as was her way, whereupon I -left her to get the ships ready for sea even as she wished. - -So, before another day was passed, the three great galleys drew away -from the shelter of Clare Island, and, speeding before a fair wind, -made for the south. Grace and Eva O’Malley were on _The Grey Wolf_, -Tibbot, the pilot, was in command of his dead master’s ship, _The -Winged Horse_, while I was on my own vessel, _The Cross of Blood_. - -We took a great company with us of nearly one hundred and fifty men, -including a band of arquebusiers, besides bards and pipers, and -a priest on each ship. The priests were not much to my liking on -shipboard, but Grace would have them. Both Grace and Eva brought of the -finest of their garments, all made of rich Spanish stuffs, so that they -might appear before the Governor as befitted their rank. I myself took -with me two full suits, also of Spanish make, and such as were worn at -courts, that I might not appear unworthy of my mistress. - -As the wind was steady, the black cliffs of Achill, with the mass of -Cushcamcarragh and the dome of Nephin behind them, soon grew distant in -our wake. The glowing cone of the Holy Hill of St. Patrick, a wonder of -light and shade as beam of sun or shadow of cloud fell upon it, sank -behind us. - -And on we went through a sea of silence, whereon we saw never another -ship; on past the grey or green islands off the coast, until the wind -dropped at sunset. Then the rowers bent their backs and knotted their -muscles over the oars, and so drove the galleys up the long, narrow arm -that is called the Bay of Killery, until we found anchorage under the -mighty shoulders of that king of mountains, the lonely Muilrea. - -At early morn, before the sun was up, albeit a far-off tender flush had -sprung up, like something magical, upon the western rim of the world, -the dirl, dirl, dirl, and the clamp, clamp, clamp, of the oars, as -they smote the groaning pivots on which they swung, was heard, and the -galleys went foaming out from the bay, the spray rising like a fine -dust of gems from under the forefeet of the ships. Then we caught a -breeze, and the sails swelled and drew, while the sailors gat them to -their places with shouts and laughter. - -Is there any coast in the four quarters of the globe where you will -find more splendid havens than in the portion of Ireland lying between -the Bay of Killery and the Bay of Galway? Well has that land been named -Connemara--that is, the “Bays of the Ocean.” The rugged cliffs, whereon -the weather and the wave have combined to throw all manner of cunning -colours far beyond power of painter to copy, still less devise, are -everywhere broken by inlets, in many of which all the fleets of Spain -and of England together might have ridden safely--hardly one of these -bays but has its island breakwater in front of it for its protection -from the storm and tempest. - -’Tis a rare home for seamen! - -As the day wore on we fell in with a Scottish ship hailing from -Wigtonshire, called _The Lass of Carrick_, going to Galway like -ourselves. But Grace O’Malley had given command that until her business -was finished with the Governor, we were to continue peacefully on our -course, so we left her without scathe, whereat our men were in no way -offended, there being but little profit to be got out of a ship coming -from Scotland. - -A vessel going back from Galway to Scotland was another thing, for she -generally carried a cargo of wines of divers sorts, to say nothing of -silks and other valuable materials. Therefore made I a note in my mind -to watch _The Lass of Carrick_ when we were come to Galway, and to -observe what she took away in that broad, ill-built hulk of hers when -she left the port. - -That night the galleys put in to the Bay of Caslah, the most eastern -harbour on that coast, and the following day, without adventure of any -sort--so calm a beginning might well have told me what storms there -would be before the end--we made Galway. - -As had been arranged between us, _The Cross of Blood_, my ship, let -go her anchor in the harbour between the mole and the bridge by which -the city is entered on that side, while the other galleys stood out -some distance in the bay. Sending a messenger ashore, I made known -the errand upon which we were come, and, after waiting a long time, -received answer that the Lord Deputy was not yet come to Galway, but -that Sir Nicholas Malby would see Grace O’Malley, and would give a -safe-conduct to her and her guard. - -It was now too late for our landing that day, so we remained where we -were all that night. Next morning the three galleys rode within the -harbour of the city, and not far from us were _The Lass of Carrick_ and -several other vessels, all come for the wines and the other merchandise -of the great and famous city of Galway. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE COLONEL OF CONNAUGHT. - - -It was about an hour from noon, a hot sun burning in a blue sky, when -Grace O’Malley signified from _The Grey Wolf_ that she was about to -land, and that it was her desire that I should accompany her, but that -I should go on shore before her, to make sure that she would not be -detained at the gate. Having made a suitable response to my mistress, -I gave command to the rowers and the helmsman of _The Cross of Blood_, -and the galley slowly drew up alongside the wall of the harbour, beside -the gate by which an entrance is made into the “Street of the Key,” as -it is called. - -Perhaps it was the fierce heat which indisposed to exertion of any -sort, but the place was strangely quiet and still. Two or three -soldiers, with steel morions on their heads and corselets of iron about -their bodies, gazed at us with indolent curiosity from the towers and -parapets that looked across the bay. - -At the gate itself were an officer and his guard, lounging about -listlessly enough in the sunshine, and taking apparently but a -little languid interest in our movements. A few sailors of different -nationalities, among whom the swarthy Spaniards predominated, and some -of the country fisher folkk, walked about the quay. Not far from us -_The Lass of Carrick_ was discharging her cargo; below us a fishing -smack, with its one great sail set, was being rowed out to sea. - -As my galley approached within a few feet of the quay, I heard a -whistle, or what seemed a whistle. Indeed, so swift and shrill did -the sound bite into the air, that it was as if someone standing close -beside me were trying in this fashion, very peremptorily, to excite -my attention. At the same time, or, mayhap, a little sooner or a -little later--the whole thing, it appeared to me, came together on the -instant, as it were--I felt the rush and the wind made by an arrow or -a bolt as it flew past my face. Then the crick-crack of the barb, as -it smashed and splintered the wood of the bulwark behind me, followed -immediately afterwards. Involuntarily, I put up my hand to my cheek. - -Death had passed close to me, had almost struck me. Yet, hardly -realising what had happened, I stood rooted to the spot. A queer, -quaking sob burst from me--the surprise was so sudden, so complete. - -My first thought was that the arrow had been intended for me, but I -had escaped it by the breadth of a hair, and no more. I was untouched. -Momentarily I expected other arrows; but none came. I asked myself what -was the meaning of the solitary arrow. At first sight it appeared as -if we were about to be dealt with treacherously--that we were being -beguiled to our destruction. Evidently, that was the mind of my men in -the matter, for they had made a quick and terrible outcry that we were -betrayed when they marked the flight of the quivering shaft. - -Holding up my hand for silence, but bidding them take their weapons as -quietly and calmly as they could, I waited for what might next befall. -Ordering the oarsmen to cease rowing, the galley lay motionless on the -water. Looking anxiously up at the parapet, and then at the gate, I -could perceive no unusual commotion among the soldiers, nor could I -see a bowman amongst them. It appeared doubtful if they had observed -that anything out of the ordinary had taken place, and, certainly, they -acted as if they had not. It plainly was no affair of theirs--that was -sure, for they were not more on the alert than before. - -Whence, then, had come the arrow, and for what purpose, if not one of -death? - -My second thought showed me clearly that, had the mysterious archer -intended to kill me, there would have been nothing easier, for, -standing as I did on the poop, I was the best mark in the world; nor -would he have required any marvellous expertness in his art to have -made an end of me. So, as everything about us now seemed favourable and -fair for us, I next turned my regard to the arrow itself, which was -fast in one of the beams of the galley. - -Now for the first time I noticed that it had been shot into the ship -in such a way that it was nearly or altogether hidden by the shape of -the vessel from being seen by those on shore; and I bethought me that -it must have been sped without hostile intent, but, on the contrary, -conveyed some message of warning which it would be well not to neglect. -Wrenching forth the missile with an effort from the beam, I examined -it carefully, and found, as I had begun to anticipate, a message; for -roughly inscribed upon it was the word “Beware!” - -With the dark, foreboding saying of the Wise Man still ringing in -my ears, it was not likely that I should overlook any measure of -precaution that was in my power, but the safe-conduct of the Governor -of Connaught had given me a feeling of security--which was, perhaps, -not justified. Thus it was that I could not but suspect that the -message of the arrow was meant to prevent me from putting trust -overmuch in Sir Nicholas--a man whom I had not yet seen. - -Instead, therefore, of taking with me only six spearmen, as I had -purposed, as part of Grace O’Malley’s bodyguard, I doubled the number. -Besides these there also landed three gentlemen of her household, -chiefs from the islands, men of proved courage, to whom the use of -the sword was as much a part of themselves as the breath they drew. I -had already sent ashore early in the morning a trusty steward, with -instructions to procure two horses for my mistress and Eva O’Malley, -and he now, as we made fast to the quay, came forth from the gate with -two splendid barbs, each attended, as is usual in Ireland, by its own -swift-footed horse-boy. - -While our landing was proceeding I could not help wondering who it was -that had sped the arrow, and why he had chosen this way of conveying -his warning. Manifestly he was one who was afraid, and desired to keep -in the background, for reasons that commended themselves sufficiently -to him. Rapidly thinking over the affair, I came to the conclusion -that our friend could be none other than Richard Burke, the MacWilliam -of whom I have already spoken, and who, I had some reason to guess, -cherished a tenderness for Grace O’Malley. - -And right mightily glad was I to think that one so strong and brave -was in Galway at this time. So great was his fortitude and tenacity -of purpose that he was quite commonly spoken of as Richard the Iron, -and never in the day of adversity was there a stouter heart or a more -vigorous arm than his. - -But why had he taken--or caused to be taken, as was most probable--this -extraordinary method of apprising me of immediate danger, for that and -no less I concluded was the meaning of that one word, “Beware”? The -future was to show, and that soon enough. - -To lay _The Grey Wolf_ alongside of _The Cross of Blood_ was the work -of a few minutes, and soon the two ladies were mounted upon their -horses, but not before I had told Grace O’Malley of the incident of the -arrow, and asked if she had any further commands to give. - -Now, my mistress was possessed of that high and proud sort of spirit -upon which the hint of danger acts as fuel to fire or spur to steed. -So she did but cast her eyes over the men I had picked out, and, -selecting a similar number from her own ship, said that her purpose was -unchanged. - -“Tell the officer on guard at the gate,” said she, “that I go to confer -with the Governor, Sir Nicholas Malby, on affairs of state.” - -The captain of the gate appeared to be somewhat dazed with the size -of our company, which numbered more than thirty swords, spears, and -battle-axes, and he arranged his men in a line as we advanced. Saluting -my mistresses with grave punctilio, he informed us that Sir Nicholas -was lodged at the house of the Mayor of Galway, where for the time he -held his court. But, he said, as he stood resting the point of his -drawn sword upon the ground, orders had been given to admit into the -town only the lady Grace O’Malley, her women, and not more than a few -of her people. - -When I protested against this, he replied that the Governor was very -strict; and as for himself, he was merely a soldier whose duty was to -do what he was bid. - -My mistress, as he spoke, flashed on me a glance of quick intelligence; -then she turned with a brilliant, compelling smile to the officer. - -“Sir,” cried she with animation, looking with her dark, lovely eyes -into the eyes of the Englishman, “you speak as a soldier should. But -here”--and she waved her hand round her company--”are not more than a -few of my people, as it were. You think that we be too many? Nay, sir, -’tis not so. Is it not fitting to do as much honour as I can to the -Governor? And the more of us the greater the honour done him?” - -And she smiled again upon the officer, who was a young man and -a gallant, to his undoing. While they were thus engaged in -parleying--they conversed for some time, but what further was said I -did not hear--we had pressed within the gate and filled up part of -the street beyond. Having gained this position, I had no thought of -retreating. The captain, noting our bearing, and partly won over by -Grace O’Malley’s woman’s wiles, partly making a virtue of necessity, -for we could easily have overpowered his men, again gravely saluted. - -“Be it as you wish, lady,” he said; and so we passed on up the Street -of the Key. - -It has been my lot to see of great cities not a few, but, though I had -scant reason to love the place, not many, I will say, that were finer -or more handsomely built than Galway was in these days. She was now at -the very height of her prosperity, and laid claim to be second in the -kingdom to Dublin alone, and proudly vaunted her superiority over her -ancient rival Limerick. - -As we marched up the Street of the Key, the ladies magnificently -attired in our midst, and presently entered the High Street, the tall -spires of the church of St. Nicholas of Myra--the patron saint of -mariners, who hath ever been most favourable to me--rose in front of -us; while the storehouses of the merchant princes of the city--the -Lynches, the Martins, the Blakes, the Kirwans, and others whose names -escape me--encompassed us with vast buildings of dressed stone on every -hand. - -On all sides were signs of abundance and wealth. And small wonder; for -there was hardly a port of France or Spain--nay, of all Europe--whither -the ships of Galway did not go. Her traders, ever unsatisfied, had even -sailed out beyond the Spanish Main to the Indies. - -But it must be remembered that Galway was not an Irish city, but an -English--where it was not Spanish. The strong walls and towers which -belted her in were not more for defence against an enemy who might -attack her from the sea, than against the Irishry who dwelt beyond her -gates. And keen and bitter as was the hatred between Englishman and -Spaniard, that between the Englishman of Galway and the Irishman, whose -home was in the country, was keener and more bitter still. The day was -not to close without a proof of this. - -On we passed, making a brave show, with the sun overhead shining on our -arms and harness, while the townsmen stood and gaped, and the women -looked out at us from their windows and doors. On we passed until we -halted before the mansion of Stephen Lynch, the Mayor, reputed to be -the richest man in Galway. Here, in front of the house, there was a -guard, and I could see through the archway that the courtyard beyond -was full of soldiers. - -After an exchange of greetings I was shown into an anteroom, and -thence sent word to Sir Nicholas that my mistress was without, and -waited his pleasure. After a slight delay, the Governor replied that -he was at meat, and that he would think it an excellent omen if my -mistress, her ladies and gentlemen, would honour him by their company. - -Then, to my surprise, the Major himself appeared, helped, with much -ceremony, Grace and Eva O’Malley to alight, and invited then myself and -certain of our comrades of rank to enter, at the same time commanding -that our men should be most courteously entertained. - -All this display of friendliness was so different from what I had -expected that I knew not what to think. Afterwards I learned that Sir -Nicholas had been informed of our numbers, and that this had led him -to change the plan that he had originally formed--which I understood -was that Grace O’Malley was to have been at once seized and held as a -prisoner until he had determined what was to be done in her case--and -this notwithstanding the safe-conduct he had given. - -Separated as I was by some distance at table from my mistresses, I -could not hear the conversation between them and the Governor, who -talked to them in a certain bluff, soldier-like fashion. Amongst others -present were Sir Murrough O’Flaherty of Aughnanure, Richard Burke of -Mayo, and other of the chiefs of Connaught who were known to us. But -all my attention was taken up in watching, as carefully as I could, Sir -Nicholas Malby, the Governor. - -There was no possibility of mistaking him for anything but what he -was--the successful soldier of fortune. He had the port of one used to -command, and there was a rough dignity about him that became him well. -His face was scarred and weather-beaten, and I had heard that he had -seen hard service, both in the Low Countries and in Spain. He did not -come, I had been told, of any noble or considerable family. His sole -possession had been his sword, and he had rather hewn than carved out -his path in the world with it. - -I at once recognised in him a shrewd and capable man, who would not -let many things stand in his way. Here was one, I knew, to be reckoned -with. Myself a man who both gave, and therefore expected to receive, -heavy blows; he was another of the same sort, and I felt a certain -respect for him. - -There was told a curious tale of the way in which he had become a -soldier--and ’fore God, it is not for me to say I think the worse of -him for it! It is never a custom of mine to set down anything I hear to -anyone’s despite, yet in this instance the story helps show the nature -of the man. - -In his youth, which was mean and poverty-stricken, he had been -arrested, convicted, and condemned to death for coining--so ’tis said, -and I understand this to be the truth. In some manner or other--I know -not how--he had made interest with one of the great nobles at the -English court, and was released on condition that he would enter the -nobleman’s service as a soldier, and proceed to the war then being -waged against the Emperor. And this he did, acquitting himself so -much to the satisfaction of his superiors, that he was soon placed in -command of a body of mercenaries, and displayed no little valour at -their head. - -Later, he had come over to Ireland under Sir Henry Sydney, who esteemed -him so highly, owing to the manner in which he had fought against the -O’Neils of Ulster, that, when Sir Henry was Lord Deputy of Ireland for -the first time, he had advanced him from post to post, until he was now -Governor, or “Colonel of Connaught,” as his title was. - -One thing we had heard, and that was, like all the rest of the English, -he was very greedy for money, and that his ears readily listened to an -argument that was backed up with gold. Therefore had we brought with us -rich presents for the Governor, which were duly delivered to him when -dinner was finished. - -Such, then, was Sir Nicholas Malby, upon whom the fortunes of my -mistress so much depended. I perceived that she was studying him with -no less intentness than myself, but that she hid this under a gay and -sparkling demeanour. - -When the meal was over, Sir Nicholas said that he desired to talk with -her alone, and they withdrew together to another room. Whereupon Sir -Murrough O’Flaherty and the other gentlemen of the Irish, gathered -around me, plying me with many questions, to all of which I returned -evasive replies, feeling in truth exceedingly anxious, and wishing -nothing so much as to be on board my galley again with my mistresses -safe in theirs. Nor did I have an opportunity--as I desired--to speak -privately to Richard Burke. - -It was about the middle of the afternoon when Grace O’Malley sent -for me and presented me to Sir Nicholas, telling him that I was her -foster-brother, and that I was pledged to her service. The Governor -scanned me narrowly up and down, then suddenly put forth his hand and -grasped mine with a grip of steel. I fancied, and herein I was right, -as events subsequently proved, that he had something of the same -feeling in regard to me as that I had experienced for himself. - -“I have but one desire,” said he, when he had talked for some time, -“and that is, the establishment of the Queen’s peace in Connaught.” -And he laid his hand heavily on my own. I bowed, but answered not, -thinking in my mind that silence was best, for what had we to do with -the Queen’s peace; we, who were the free rovers of the sea? - -Then it appeared that Grace O’Malley had been asked by the Mayor to be -his guest for awhile, and that she had accepted his invitation. So I -now learned that my mistresses were not to return to the ships at once, -but were to take up their abode in the mansion of the Lynches along -with the Governor. - -I was none too well pleased with this arrangement, remembering -the message of the arrow, but dissembled my fears and suspicions, -particularly when I was informed that no objection was made to her -keeping her guard. I further gathered from her air that she was not -ill-content with the result of her interview with Sir Nicholas, and -that all seemed to be going as she wished. - -Anon the Mayor entered, bringing with him his daughter Sabina, a dark, -handsome woman of twenty summers, who was to be the hostess of my -mistresses, for her mother was dead. And with her in this fair seeming -entered also the shadow of Destiny--a shadow not to be lifted for many -a day. - -It was never given to me to read the hearts of women, nor to comprehend -their ways, but, being but a man, I looked upon this woman with -pleasure, little dreaming what evil she was to work upon us. Here -was one, had I but known it, far more to be feared than the bluff, -determined soldier who was Colonel of Connaught. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE QUEEN’S PEACE. - - -It was some three hours or so from sunset when I took leave of my -mistresses, both of whom were in the highest spirits. I saw that my -young and innocent dear was delighted with her surroundings, and had -completely forgotten her objections to Galway. She and Sabina Lynch had -at once become friends, and, indeed, it was impossible for anyone to -see Eva O’Malley and not immediately to be gained over by her. - -But Grace O’Malley had a certain reserve in her talking with the -Mayor’s daughter--a reserve that sprang from instinct or intuition, or -a forecasting of the future, perhaps. - -My two ladies had entrusted me with various orders to their women with -regard to sundry boxes of apparel to be sent to the Lynch mansion, and -as I set off to _The Cross of Blood_, I felt in better humour with -myself and the world. Fortune at the moment appeared to smile upon -us. Sabina Lynch had told me, just before I bade her good-bye, that -her father was to give a revel with dancing--after the fashion which -obtained at the Court of Elizabeth, who was immoderately fond, I have -heard, of this form of entertainment--in a few days, in honour of the -Governor. - -I could see that my mistresses both looked forward to it with keen -anticipations of pleasure. At first I could not share in their -feelings, thinking that we did but waste our time in Galway, until -Grace O’Malley had confided to me, in an aside, that she believed her -affairs would soon be settled with Sir Nicholas. - -She had declared to the Governor that it was her desire to hold her -lands from the Queen, on condition that instead of being bound to -supply for her Highness’s service so many soldiers when called upon for -a hosting, she should maintain her ships and their crews of sailors and -fighting men so that they would be always ready to do the Queen’s will, -whether it was on the western coasts of Ireland or of Scotland. He had -not said “Nay,” but had put the matter off until he had considered it -more fully. - -As I was walking down the Street of the Key to the harbour, along -with the three gentlemen of our household who had gone with me to the -Mayor’s, we met a party of half a dozen citizens of the place, all -standing talking together. Their voices were raised either in anger or -debate, and as we approached I heard enough to understand that they -were discussing the action of the Governor with regard to my mistress, -and that it met with their strong disapprobation. - -“Our ships will never be safe,” cried one, as we came up with them. -They made no effort to let us pass, though the street was narrow at -this point, and seemed rather as if they intended to dispute the ground -with us. The odds were against us, but not too greatly; so saying, “By -your leave,” I went on. - -“Sir,” cried I, the hot, angry blood burning in my cheeks, as I -returned roughly enough the push I had received from one of those who -blocked the way, “sir, your manners stand in much need of mending--or -ending.” - -And my sword--a flash of living fire in the westering sun--was out in a -twinkling. - -I knew the fellow who had insulted me. It was Michael Martin, a rich -merchant and a person of authority in the town, notwithstanding his -comparative youth--he was not much older than myself--to whom I spoke. -He had deliberately jostled against me as I made to pass him, and I was -never blind to a hint of this kind. - -His action, coupled with the words I had heard, had quickly got me -out of the happy frame of mind with which I had quitted the Mayor’s -mansion, and my thoughts were immediately of my mistresses’ danger. His -unmannerly act meant more than hostility to me. - -“Draw!” shouted I furiously, and his sword flashed out at me. Martin -was neither a coward nor a poor swordsman, and my hands were full with -this business in another instant. - -“Manners,” quoth he, as our blades rang together as steel met steel; -“manners! Manners, forsooth! Who are you to teach a gentleman of Galway -manners? You--the scum of the sea!” - -And so he raved, keeping his eyes warily fixed on mine the while. - -These fresh insults maddened me like the stirring of venom from the -poisonous fangs of a wolf, and a sudden fierce storm of passionate -anger such as I had never before felt swept over me, as I cried to him -across the darting swords, “We shall see, we shall see!” - -Meanwhile my comrades ranged themselves beside me with their weapons -unsheathed, and several of those who had been talking with Martin were -not slow to follow their example, but it was rather, as it happened, -with a view to forming a ring round my opponent and myself, so that we -had the fighting to ourselves. - -“A brawl, a brawl!” someone cried, and there was the sound of the -shutting of windows and the closing of doors. - -My position placed me at a disadvantage, for the sun, now sinking -downwards behind the hills on the other side of the Bay of Galway, -cast its rays in my eyes, and caused me to blink, whether I would or -no, as the points of our swords, forming glittering circles of flame, -whirled this way and that. I endeavoured to force the fighting so that -my adversary would change his ground, but he was fully conscious of how -much he gained by maintaining his place, and all my efforts were vain. - -Now, as we thrust and parried, lunged and retired, my anger passed -away, and I found myself become as cool and collected as if I had been -on the deck of my ship. I had successfully met and defeated a stubborn -attack, at the same time piercing his breast for a short inch mayhap, -so that the blood spurted forth in a little jet, when Martin, saying -quickly with a choking gasp, - -“Another time, Redshank!” suddenly gave way, much to my surprise, not -seeing any reason for his change of front. Surrounded by his friends, -he turned swiftly, and in hot haste made off down the street, and, -entering a narrow lane not far from the wall, was lost to view. - -For one instant I stood, breathing heavily, sword still on guard. Then -I was about to follow, when a voice, harsh and commanding, cried: -“Halt! Stop! Halt in the Queen’s name! Halt, halt!” - -I knew the voice, although I had heard it for the first time in my -life that very day. It was Sir Nicholas Malby, the Governor himself, -and no other, who spoke. I also realised that I had gotten myself -into a position of some hazard, to say the least, with one to whom -the preservation of the Queen’s peace was the principal object of his -ambition. - -But the Governor was, above everything--so I said to myself--a soldier, -and I flattered myself he would understand, and even sympathise with, -my feelings in this matter. He was attended but by two of his officers, -yet he came up without hesitation, and the fierce question of his eyes -was full of challenge. - -“What is this?” he cried. “I will have no brawling in the streets!” - -I saluted with great deference, remembering, perhaps rather late in the -day, Grace O’Malley’s orders that we were to do everything we could -to make our stay in Galway a peaceable one, and made bold to say as -respectfully as I could-- - -“Sir, the fault scarcely lies with us;” and I went on to tell him -exactly how the affair had been brought about, protesting that I could -act in no other way than I had done, as the quarrel had been forced -upon me. As I told my story he nodded coldly, but not disapprovingly. - -“I am resolved to have an end of all strife,” said he; at length, -after thinking deeply for a short time: “Can you tell me who was the -aggressor?” he asked. “Did you know him?” Then, without waiting for -my answer, he continued threateningly, “I will hang any man whom I -find disturbing the Queen’s peace, be he prince or kerne, chief or -gallowglass!” - -Now, it was no part of my business to hand over Martin to the mercies -of the Governor, and it was very much my affair, I thought, that I -should settle my quarrel with him personally, so I made no reply to the -question of Sir Nicholas. - -“He was a stranger to you, I presume,” said he, and was about to pass -on, but changing his mind, he asked whither I was bound and for what -purpose. - -When I told him I was on my way to the galleys, and with what object, -he smiled a little grimly, and walked with me towards the gate. He -made many inquiries as to the number of fighting men there were aboard -of the galleys, and the manner in which they were armed. I asked Sir -Nicholas whether he would not pay a visit to _The Cross of Blood_, but -he declined, as it was his custom to make a survey of the walls at this -period of the day. - -“Your mistress,” said he, as he left me at the gate, “is in good -hands.” And I could not but muse somewhat darkly at this enigmatic -sentence. - -It was past the middle of the night, when I was aroused by someone -coming softly into my cabin. A lantern swung from the beam above my -head, and in the half darkness I made out Walter Burke, my chief -officer, and with him Richard Burke the MacWilliam. In a moment I was -wide awake, knowing that this secret visit of Richard the Iron was -pregnant with something evil. Eagerly I looked into his face. - -“What brings----!” I exclaimed loudly. But his fingers were placed on -my lips. - -“Quietly, quietly,” said he. “I do not suppose that there are any -traitors on _The Cross of Blood_,” continued he. - -“All staunch, staunch,” I interrupted, “everyone.” - -“’Tis well,” said he; “but what I am come to tell you is not a thing to -be proclaimed from the tops of our towers.” - -Stirred by a host of thronging fears, I waited, keenly apprehensive of -his next words. They were heavy enough, although the misgivings I had -felt had not left me altogether unprepared for tidings of the kind. - -“Grace O’Malley,” said he, in a low tone which thrilled me through, “is -virtually a prisoner in Galway. The Mayor, or rather, I should say, his -daughter, has made herself answerable to the Governor for her. While -your mistress is apparently free to come or go as she pleases, she is -in reality deprived of her liberty, as she will discover if she tries -to leave the mansion of the Lynches.” - -“Grace O’Malley a prisoner?” - -“That is what she is,” said Richard Burke. “She is not bound, nor is -she locked up in a room. Her every movement, however, is watched by -Sabina Lynch. While she may think herself a guest, and an honoured -guest, the hospitality is a mere pretence.” - -“But why, why?” - -“There are many reasons, as you well know,” he replied. “The mind of -the Governor is set against allowing any of the ancient customs of -the land; he is endeavouring quietly and skilfully--for he is not a -blustering bully as some others are--to reduce the power of the chiefs -and to make them pay tribute to the Queen. Where he does show his hand -plainly it is always to strike a deadly blow.” - -“Yes, yes,” I said, impatiently. Grace O’Malley a prisoner, and I -sitting quietly in my ship! The thing seemed impossible--yet it was -true. - -“No need for haste,” said he calmly. “Listen to what I have to say, and -then you will grasp the matter more surely. Sir Nicholas will offer no -violence if he can gain his point without it.” - -“What is his point?” I asked. - -“Is there any need to ask?” replied Burke. “Grace O’Malley is a -powerful princess in Connaught. She has her lands, her galleys, and -several hundred well armed men at her back. Is that not enough? Are the -English not trying to clip all our wings? But there is far more in the -case of your mistress.” - -“Go on, go on!” I said. - -“This,” said he. “The mind of Sir Nicholas has been wrought upon by -the merchants of Galway, who are ever about him, saying this and that, -offering him valuable gifts and such things as he loves.” - -“To what end?” - -“You know as well as I do, that these proud-stomached folk have no -great liking for us Irish,” said Burke. “Did you never hear that they -have a statute of the town that ’Neither Mac nor O’ shall strut or -swagger’ in the streets of Galway? There has always been, however, a -friendship between us Burkes of Mayo and one or two of the families -here, as, for instance, the Lynches, and I hear through them all that -is going on. - -“Owen O’Malley plundered the ships of the Galway merchants, making -scant distinction between them and Spanish or French or Scottish ships. -Grace O’Malley shared in many of her father’s doings before he died, -and the people of Galway think that she has inherited her father’s -nature and disposition as well as his lands and ships, and that as long -as her galleys roam the sea there will be no safety for their vessels.” - -The words were nearly the same as those Eva O’Malley had used when she -tried to dissuade my mistress from setting out from Clew Bay. - -“What would they have Sir Nicholas do?” I asked. - -“Break up her ships; scatter her people; hang, kill, burn, destroy -them; hold her a prisoner; or--for there is no advantage to be derived -from our shutting our eyes--kill her, too, by poison, perhaps, unless -she agrees to the terms of the Governor.” - -Burke now spoke in great excitement, and with labouring breath; nor -could I listen to his words with any degree of composure. - -“She will never agree to the Governor’s terms,” said I. “She is being -deceived, for she believes that Sir Nicholas is favourable to her suit.” - -“Put that hope out of your mind,” replied he. “Sir Nicholas is merely -playing with her--with what object you can easily guess. It is for no -other reason than to make her ruin the more complete.” - -I assented gloomily. - -“Now we know what to expect,” I said. “We are forewarned and so -forearmed.” - -“Your mistress pays no heed to warnings,” said Burke hotly. - -I thought of the arrow and its message. - -“The arrow!” I said. - -“Yes,” he replied. “I could not send you word openly, so I chose that -way, getting one of my men, who is a famous archer, to send the shaft -into your ship.” - -I thanked him warmly, remarking, however, that Grace O’Malley would pay -no attention to any warnings whatever, once she was resolved upon any -particular course. - -“She must be told now of her danger,” he said, “and at once.” - -“I suppose,” said I, “I can still see her.” - -“That I know not,” he replied; “but news of your fight with Michael -Martin is all over the town, and you will have to walk circumspectly. -Sir Nicholas spoke of his meeting with you, and declared that all such -conflicts must be severely punished. Go not into Galway--unless with a -strong guard.” - -The counsel was wise, but I was quite determined, if necessary, to -disregard it. My mind, however, suddenly went on another tack, and I -spoke out what my thought was. - -“I must see her, and that without delay,” I said; “but you mentioned -that you were friendly with the Lynches. Could not Grace O’Malley be -sent a message through them? If the Mayor is not to be trusted, surely -Sabina Lynch, his daughter, cannot sympathise greatly with the dark and -terrible projects of the Governor. Would she not convey a letter to my -mistress?” - -Richard Burke looked at me fixedly and searchingly. - -“That is doubtful,” said he, at length. Then he added, “I do not think -that we can place our confidence in Sabina Lynch in anything that -concerns Grace O’Malley.” - -“Why?” I asked simply. - -He did not answer immediately, but stopped and pondered awhile before -he replied-- - -“I am about to tell you, Ruari, what I never thought to say to you or -any other living soul. But the need is urgent, and I must speak. The -Lynches and myself are old friends. I have known Sabina Lynch since she -was a child, and I have been made aware in many ways--there is no need -to go further into that--that I am not displeasing to her now she is a -woman. And her father has as much as intimated that he regards me with -eyes of favour.” - -I saw it all in a minute. Sabina Lynch loved Richard Burke, and Richard -Burke did not return her affection. Did Sabina suspect that she had a -rival? Did she regard Grace O’Malley as a rival? These questions passed -through my mind with the speed of light. - -“What has Sabina Lynch to do with Grace O’Malley?” I asked. - -“I will not conceal from you,” said Burke, “that I am not in love -with Sabina Lynch, but am in love with your mistress. Once I imagined -that it was Owen O’Malley’s intention to wed you to his daughter, but -neither you nor she has a passion for the other. Is it not so?” - -“Yes,” I replied. “She is an elder sister to me--I am no more than a -younger brother to her.” - -“I love Grace O’Malley,” said he, “with all my soul and with all my -strength. I mean to ask her to be my wife----” - -I broke in harshly. - -“This is no time, surely, to talk of such a matter,” I cried, “now when -she is a prisoner, and helpless in the hands of people who are her -bitter enemies. Rather let us cast about for some means of delivering -her.” - -“I ask nothing better,” said Burke, “than to assist you--only remember -it is not well to place any confidence in Sabina Lynch.” - -Then we spent the next hour discussing plans, and having formed one -which had some promise of success, Burke left the galley as secretly as -he came--his boat disappearing into the darkness of the night. - -After he had gone, I tried in vain to sleep, and finding my thoughts -but dismal company, had myself rowed over to _The Winged Horse_, where -I saw Tibbot, the pilot, whom I informed of the visit of Richard -Burke, and of what we had concerted to do for the deliverance of -Grace O’Malley. And as we could not foresee what the next step of -the Governor might be, it was agreed that Tibbot’s galley should be -kept ready for instant action, and to provide against any surprise -by keeping her out in the bay, at such a distance that she should be -out of the range of the calivers and bombards mounted on the walls of -Galway. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -GRACE O’MALLEY DANCES OUT OF GALWAY. - - -As early in the morning as was possible, without causing remark or -exciting suspicion, I went into the town, taking with me several of -my own men. The same officer who had been in charge of the guard the -previous day was at the gate, and I advanced towards him boldly, as if -I had no notion in the world that there could be anything amiss, nor, -so far as he was concerned, was there. - -For he gravely returned my salutation, merely giving me “Good-day” -without waste of words, and waved his hand in the direction of the -church of St. Nicholas of Myra. - -When I had arrived at the mansion of the Mayor, I could see no -difference in the manner of the reception I was accorded, except such -as there would be owing to my mistress not being present on this -occasion. - -I sent in my name, with a request that Grace O’Malley might be informed -of my arrival, and after a short time--short as far as the actual -minutes, but it appeared an age to me, so impatient and anxious was -I--I was conducted into a spacious room, where I found my two ladies, -Sabina Lynch, and several gentlemen, most of whom were Irish. They -were in the midst of a conversation as I entered, and I quickly -gathered that they were talking about the entertainment the Mayor was -to give in honour of the Governor before many days. They were speaking -of corantos and other dances, in which I had but small proficiency, and -I could not help saying to myself that Grace O’Malley could have no -suspicion how slippery would be the floor for her feet! - -On endeavouring to get speech with her privately, I found myself -completely baffled, and that so subtly and craftily that I raged -and fumed inwardly. For when I attempted to draw her aside we were -instantly joined by Sabina Lynch, who smilingly disguised her purpose -of preventing us from talking together by ourselves under a mock of -empty but pleasant words. Indeed, so skilfully and readily did she -speak, and with so much apparently of goodwill, that I had constantly -to remind myself of all that Richard Burke had told me only a few hours -before. - -What my feelings were may be guessed, but I did my utmost to conceal -them, although not very successfully, as I afterwards was told by -Eva O’Malley. I never was one who could play the part of gallant or -courtier, and what I knew to be in the wind did not tend to assist me -in the efforts I now made to be at my ease and to seem confident that -there was not a cloud in the sky. - -And it could hardly be that one, who had seen so much of me as Eva had, -but would observe my clumsy attempts at gaiety and light-heartedness. -What she thus saw in my manner made her very uneasy, but at the time -she kept her ideas to herself. It was enough, however, to put her on -her guard, and caused her to watch more narrowly whatever was going on. - -A couple of hours were spent in this way, and, disturbed beyond measure -by reason of my inability even to breathe a word of warning to my -mistress--I had resolved to say nothing of their peril to the woman I -loved, fearing lest it might prove too hard a trial for her, wherein I -misjudged her strength most grievously--I bade them farewell for that -day. - -As I left I encountered the Governor, who was coming up the street. He -reined up his horse, and, after uttering a few courteous words, asked -me not to fail to go through the square of the town cross on my way to -the quay. He said this with so much curious insistence in his tone that -my interest was roused to the quick. - -As a man enters this square from the east side the first object which -meets the eye is not the town cross, but the town gallows. As soon as -I had turned the corner of the street I perceived that from the gibbet -there swung in the wind, forward and backward as the breeze rose and -fell, the figure of a man. That the Governor had intended me to see -this, and that it had some special lesson for me, I did not doubt, so I -pressed forward smartly. Yet it was with an amazed horror that I beheld -the dead man’s face. - -For the victim was none other than Michael Martin, my antagonist of -the previous afternoon. The Governor had followed the matter up, and -had discovered him whom he had called the aggressor in the interrupted -duel. Verily was the Queen’s peace being maintained with a vengeance. I -had read the ruthless character of Sir Nicholas aright. Here, what had -been a man, had been tried, sentenced, and executed in a few hours; and -that Martin had occupied no inconsiderable position in Galway showed -that the Governor was afraid of none. - -If he would not hesitate to act in this fashion in the case of one of -the English of Galway, how much less would he care for the Irish of -Connaught? This I perceived plainly enough was what he desired Martin’s -death to intimate to me. For myself, notwithstanding what had passed -between Martin and me, I was hot and indignant that a man so brave as -he should have been put to so foul a death. - -It was in a melancholy mood that I bent my steps to the quay, albeit -I made a great effort to keep from my face the troubled thoughts of -my mind. Not only had I failed in acquainting Grace O’Malley with her -real position, but I was also well aware that the hatred with which -she inspired the people of Galway would be made all the fiercer by the -death of Martin. - -Striving to cast aside these sombre reflections as unmanly, and likely -only to hamper me in any plan I might make for the freeing of my -mistress, I went on board _The Cross of Blood_. I, at least, was free -as yet, and ready to do and dare all. But so far I could not see my -way, and had I been left to myself to carry out the device Richard -Burke and I had formed, would probably have suffered some such fate as -that of Michael Martin. - -The next three days passed without any striking event. I had seen -my mistress once at the Mayor’s mansion, and the attempts I made to -reach her private ear were met and checked as effectively as before. I -noticed, however, that while she appeared as gay as ever, there was a -something about her that suggested in one way or another she was now -conscious that she was not at complete liberty. - -She had desired--so I got to know later on--to go down to her galley, -but obstacles had been put in her path and objections had been raised. -Then she had grasped the situation in which she had been placed, but -had both the courage and the wisdom not to let this be evident. - -It was the fifth day of our stay in Galway when _The Lass of Carrick_ -cast herself off from her moorings by the quay, and, towed out by her -two boats into the bay, made ready for sea. I watched the rich prize -slip out of our hands with dismay, but it was my only business at -present to stay where I was. Yet, as I noticed how deep the Scottish -ship lay in the water, I could not but regret that my hands were tied. - -The captain made some signs to me which I did not comprehend, but -which I interpreted as ironical farewells. I was the more mystified -when, as I watched her approach _The Winged Horse_, I saw a boat put -off from her for that galley. But when the night fell I had every -reason to bless and not curse _The Lass of Garrick_. For in the dark -Tibbot came on board my ship, bringing a letter from Grace O’Malley, -which she had managed through one of her women, who had made love to -the Scottish captain, to send thus secretly to me. - -Now, the revel which the Mayor was giving for Sir Nicholas was to take -place on the next day, and in this letter my mistress, who was now -thoroughly awake to her danger and also to the perfidy of Sabina Lynch, -set forth her plan of escape. It was at once bold and ingenious, and -had a fair prospect of succeeding. That it was not carried out exactly -as had been calculated--but this is to anticipate events. - -My part was simplicity itself. - -My mistress told me to come to the revel, as I had been invited, as -if attending revels had been my occupation all my life, and to bring -with me as many armed men as I thought could be got safely into Galway. -But on no account was I to omit to fetch the two pipers--Phelim of the -White Lock (he had an odd-looking tuft of white hair on his forehead) -and Cormac, his brother. What they had to do will appear later. - -Further, I was commanded to have the galleys ready to put instantly to -sea, for the favourable outcome of the matter depended in the end on -the swiftness of our movements. - -Having received this letter, my breast swelled with joy. The calm was -at an end, I said, and now for the storm; and ever in these days loved -I storm more than calm. My spirits rose immediately as this week of -wearisome waiting drew to an end and the time of action was at hand. - -As soon as the day had come I called my chief officers together, and -bade them be ready to sail that night, and I gave a similar charge to -those of _The Grey Wolf_. Then I picked out several of the older men, -and, for a pretext that they might be admitted into the town the more -easily, despatched them with boxes and bales for our mistresses, which -they were to carry to the mansion of the Lynches. I also sent a gift to -the Governor, in order that he should have no ghost of a suspicion that -I knew how matters stood. - -In this manner, then, I introduced twenty more of our men into Galway, -making up for their absence from the two galleys by causing Tibbot to -send me some of his. - -To those sent into the town I gave as a common meeting-place at a given -hour the tavern that is under the sign of “The Golden Eagle,” bidding -them thereafter to assemble in the High Street near the Mayor’s house. -There they were to await my coming with my mistresses, if events should -fall out according to our wish, and then, if there should be any need, -I should tell them what to do. - -At the appointed time I presented myself at the Lynch mansion. Here I -found a considerable company was gathered together, many of the chiefs -having arrived from the surrounding districts, north and south and -east. In the streets was a great throng of gallowglasses and kernes, -who had come into the place along with their chieftains. - -The scene was one of bustle and movement and confusion. Among the -crowd, engaged in keeping some sort of rough order, were a few English -soldiers, part of the garrison of Galway. I noticed many of our own -men, and as I passed through them I succeeded in telling them to take -as little part as possible in any sports or quarrels that might be -going on, but to hold themselves prepared to rally to me, and to follow -when I should call upon them to do so. - -When I entered the large room in which the revel was to take place, I -saw Sir Nicholas and his officers standing in a group by themselves, -receiving the chiefs and their ladies, as well as the principal -citizens of Galway and their wives, as they came up. - -Near them were the Mayor and his daughter, who was the centre of a -number of beautiful maidens and stalwart young men. The instruments of -music were already sounding forth their sweetest strains, inviting to -the dance; and Sir Nicholas, making a stiff bow to the radiant Sabina, -asked her to join him in a coranto. - -The dance ended, many compliments were paid to the pair, although to -my mind the Governor had disported himself like a clumsy bear, such -as the Spaniards and the men of the South have to dance for their -amusement. - -Sabina Lynch, on the other hand, was, I will confess, a stately figure, -and as she had been taught the coranto in Spain, where she had been -brought up for some years, and so was vastly proficient in it, met -with great and deserved attention. Indeed, I heard one of the English -officers declare that he had never seen anyone more graceful or -accomplished--no, not even at the Court of Elizabeth. - -After a brief rest, Sir Nicholas again appeared, now leading forth -Grace O’Malley. Although she thoroughly understood what a mockery all -this courtesy on the part of the Governor was, she let no sign of her -knowledge escape her. She had too great a soul for that; but had she -not been cast in this mould of heroes she might, as a woman, have acted -just as she did, so that she should give no triumph to Sabina Lynch. - -Dance followed dance in quick succession, and both of my mistresses -took their full share of all that went on. Both of them appeared to be -devoting themselves without reserve to the pleasure of the occasion, -and I could not but admire them. My love for Eva O’Malley was quickened -anew, if that were possible, when I saw how unmoved she was, and how -brave a carriage she kept, despite the fact that she knew they were but -prisoners in the hands of the English, and in grievous peril of their -lives. - -I felt I could not have danced with a halter round my neck, yet here -was this small, delicate woman doing this, and doing it as if she did -not see the dangers that threatened her. The body, indeed, was weak, -but the heart--how big it was! - -Thank God, I say, for the great hearts of women! - -I tried to acquit myself also in the course of the entertainment to the -best of my ability, but for the most part, being no skilled performer -in the matter of corantos and other dances, was perforce compelled to -spend much of the time leaning against the wall. Once, as the Governor -was passing me by, he stopped and spoke. - -“Sir,” said he, “I have to render you my grateful acknowledgments for -the handsome gift you have sent me this day.” - -“Sir Nicholas,” replied I, “the gift was sent you by command of my -mistress.” - -The cruel, fierce eyes twinkled, and too late I perceived that my -thoughtless words were making him suspect that some communication had -passed between Grace O’Malley and myself in spite of his efforts and -those of Sabina Lynch to prevent it. Thinking to undo the effect of my -heedless speech, I made speed to continue. - -“I thought,” said I, “that had my mistress been on her galley she would -not have come to this revel in your honour with empty hands.” - -“’Tis well spoken, by St. George!” said he. “Yet methinks there be few -in Ireland that can afford to be so generous.” - -The Governor’s brow relaxed, then clouded over again, for, on -reflecting on my speech, he saw there was that in it which suggested I -was not unaware that my mistress had been debarred from going down to -her ships. - -“You must reap rich harvests,” continued he, after a brief hesitation, -“on the coast of Clew Bay, yet am I informed that nothing grows there -but rocks.” - -Howbeit the strains of music, rising and falling like a summer sea, -were borne upon the air, and Sir Nicholas moved off to his own place. -But his manner made me anxious that what we had planned might not long -be postponed. - -The hours one by one went by, and the time came. - -I saw my mistress, laughter in her eyes and on her lips, approach Sir -Nicholas, and enter into a gay conversation with him. I moved up nearer -to the top of the room. - -“If you have never seen it, Sir Nicholas,” I heard her saying, “sure am -I you would like to see it.” - -I listened in painful suspense for the answer of the Governor. -Everything depended on it. “Who could resist Grace O’Malley, when she -chose to be resistless?” I asked myself. Then I remembered what I had -heard and seen of Sir Nicholas, and I replied to my beating heart that -here was a man who might resist. But he had no suspicion whatever, and -he fell into the trap, baited so cunningly by a woman’s wit. - -“I have seen it,” said he, “and if you will honour me by dancing it -with me----?” - -“The honour, Sir Nicholas,” quoth she, saucily, “is mine.” - -The matter did not fall out quite as we had hoped, for it had been part -of our plan that I was forthwith to have danced one of our wild Irish -measures, which are more a test of endurance than an exhibition of -grace, with my mistress. - -It was soon spread through the assembly that the Governor and my -mistress were to dance the dance of the country people, and on this -proof of his affability towards us there were loud shouts of approval. -Then there was a cry for the pipers, and, presently, just as we -had schemed, in strode Phelim of the White Lock, and Cormac, our -men--striding along the hall, with their pipes blowing the quick step -to a merry and rollicksome tune. - -Forward came Sir Nicholas and Grace O’Malley, while the people stood -round about in a wide circle. But the Governor was no match for my -mistress, and he soon began to hang out signals of distress, whereupon, -greatly to his discomfiture, she wheeled about and beckoned to Sir -Murrough O’Flaherty, of Aughanure, her bitter enemy, to take his -place--displaying in this selection her wonderful craft; for how -could anyone suppose--the Governor certainly least of all--that the -O’Flaherty was chosen but to throw dust in his eyes? - -My mistress danced with gliding, pit-patting feet that never tired, -while the applause which greeted her every motion grew to a wild -enthusiasm. Sir Murrough O’Flaherty had to acknowledge himself beaten, -and retired. Grace O’Malley now cried aloud to me to come forward, and -I stepped from the crowd, my heart beating faster than it had ever done -in the day of battle. - -“Dance, dance, dance!” cried she to me, and she whirled about like a -mad thing. - -“Have ye no pity on the pipers?” I exclaimed, with a laugh that rang -out, it seemed to me, false and hollow, but I was determined to follow -her lead as best I might. - -“The feet were never made,” said she, as she advanced more slowly -towards me and I took up my position opposite to her, and began the -steps, “that can out-play a piper.” - -The company smiled, grimaced, and murmured with delight at her answer, -and the pipers, well pleased also, played as they never had played -before. And the wild and furious dance went on to the wild and furious -music of the pipes. Meanwhile I was watching my mistress with hungry, -eager eyes, waiting for her to give the sign. - -“Pipe, pipe!” she cried; and again, “Pipe, pipe!” and the playing of -Phelim and Cormac was like the roaring of the storm among the trees of -the forest. - -So the dance went madly on until all the people about us grew quite -still and silent, looking on more breathlessly than we who were dancing -to that mad music--looking at such a measure as they never had -witnessed before in all their lives, or ever, I dare swear, saw the -like of again. - -Then came the sign. - -Grace O’Malley’s uplifted hand slowly dropped to her side as with -sheer weariness; the tall, queenly figure seemed to droop, to sway -uncertainly, to totter, to fall upon the floor, but even as she fell I -had gathered her up in these great arms of mine, and was carrying her -through the press towards the chambers of the women. - -Eva O’Malley flew to my side, her face full of fear, as it appeared to -be. The pipers’ music suddenly ceased. But no more I saw or heard of -what happened next in the room of the revel. - -No sooner had the door of the apartments of the women closed upon us -three, than Grace O’Malley slipped from my arms and stood up, her -faintness--which had been merely assumed--disappearing at once. - -“Quick, quick!” she cried, pointing to a door. “There is the stair! -That is the way!” - -They stopped, however, for a little, to get a couple of heavy cloaks -with which they hoped they might be able to conceal themselves somewhat -from curious eyes. Short as the time was which this took, it was -enough to permit Sabina Lynch to enter the apartment, and she at once -perceived not only that my mistress had recovered in a marvellous brief -space, but also what our project was. - -“Seize her,” said Grace O’Malley, as she and Eva were leaving the room. - -I rushed towards the woman, and, clapping my hand to her mouth, -prevented her from giving forth the scream she was on the point of -uttering. As I was glancing about for something with which I might gag -her, and so effectually silence her, my mistress again appeared, and -said, her eyes blazing with anger:-- - -“Bring her with you, if you can; the way is clear.” - -“A gag!” I said, and Grace O’Malley made with her own hands one, with -which she stuffed Sabina Lynch’s mouth, and next she bound the woman’s -arms. Then I took Sabina Lynch up, and in silence we descended the -stair which led us into the street some twenty yards from the main -entrance into the Mayor’s house. - -It was now dark, but not sufficiently so as to hide us completely from -observation, and an instant’s thought convinced me that carrying a -bound woman, as I was doing, it was impossible to go very far without -being seen by someone who would instantly give the alarm. Therefore, -still keeping in the shadow of the house, I sent forth into the night -the O’Malley battle cry, knowing that our men could not be out of -hearing; and the sound had not died away when there arose a great noise -and shouting. - -“O’Malley! O’Malley! O’Malley!” was heard on all sides. - -“To me, to me--here!” I cried. - -And, in less time than seemed likely, there were gathered about us -nearly all our men, but mixed with them several Burkes, O’Flahertys, -and others of the Irish. Recognising their mistress, the O’Malleys set -up a joyful sound. Forming some of them in a line across the street, I -begged Grace O’Malley and Eva to take with them the rest, and to hasten -toward the gate, and this they accordingly did, while two of our people -carried Sabina Lynch between them in the same direction. - -In the meantime the flight of my mistresses had been discovered. I saw -lights flitting about the courtyard, and heard the words of command -given in the strident tones of Sir Nicholas, then the tramp, tramp of -the feet of the soldiers smote upon the night air. - -To have a conflict in the streets of Galway, just at the place where -the English were strongest, was not to be thought of, as it was not -more foolish than it was unnecessary, so I ordered my men to retreat as -swiftly as was practicable towards the gate, and to endeavour to catch -up to Grace O’Malley before the gate was reached by them. - -But when we came to the gate we found it had already been forced by our -chieftainess, who had taken the feeble guard completely unprepared, -and so had quietly made an end of them. It was all the work of a -few seconds; yet in the struggle, short as it was, Sabina Lynch had -effected her escape. Without delay we proceeded to embark in the -galleys, and to put out to sea. - -While we were engaged in this manner the great bell of the church of -St. Nicholas suddenly boomed sharply through the night: soldiers began -to appear on the battlements, torches flared from the walls, and -bullets and arrows poured upon us as the galleys drew away from the -quay. Some of the shots were aimed so well that two of our people, one -of whom was Walter Burke, were slain and several others wounded. - -Then, as we proceeded on our way into the bay, the sputtering fire -ceased. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE DIE CAST. - - -That night I reflected with joy that the die was cast, as, after our -breaking out of Galway, there could be no peace between Grace O’Malley -and Sir Nicholas--at any rate, until the matter was composed in some -definite fashion. - -I trod the deck with a feeling of extraordinary buoyancy, and sniffed -the salt air with delight as the galleys headed for Inishmore, the -largest of the three isles of Arran, which have been thrown for a -protection by the hand of God, almost in a straight line, across the -entrance to the bay of Galway. - -All that I cared for in the world was held in these ships, now speeding -over the water under the leadership of Tibbot the Pilot. - -It was with deep satisfaction that I went over the events of the -evening which had brought us with such success out of the town, and I -looked forward with wide-eyed eagerness to the morning when I should -meet my mistress, and hear her narrative of all that had passed when -she and Eva were prisoners in the mansion of the Lynches. - -Eva, who had kept up so bravely while the danger was greatest, had -become faint and unstrung when the peril was past. Grace O’Malley -would suffer no one but herself to tend her, and thus I had had no -opportunity for conversing with either of them after we had made good -our escape. - -When we had arrived at the island, and had let go our anchors in a -fair depth of water in a small bay, which was sheltered from the full -shock of the Atlantic by a range of abrupt craggy headlands, I went on -board _The Grey Wolf_ to see my mistresses, but Grace O’Malley received -me alone, her foster-sister not having altogether recovered from the -fatigue of the preceding evening. There was a new hardness, even a -harshness, both in the face and voice of Grace. - -At first, however, she was in no mood for recounting her experiences, -and could do nothing but lament the fact that Sabina Lynch had managed -to get away when the gate was forced. Indeed, her escape appeared -entirely to overshadow in her mind her own escape and that of Eva. - -“Had it not been for her plottings and schemings,” said she, “I should -have brought the Governor round to my will. I had several interviews -with Sir Nicholas, and at the beginning he was inclined to grant my -suit, but soon I felt I was being thwarted by one more subtle than Sir -Nicholas. How that woman hates me! I did not suspect her at once, for I -had given her no cause of offence.” - -“Did you find out,” asked I, “why she hates you?” - -“’Tis from jealousy,” said she. “Sabina Lynch would be Queen of -Connaught, but she thinks that as long as I am free and powerful I am -her rival.” - -“Is there no other reason?” inquired I, remembering the words of -Richard Burke. “Is there not between you two a cause more personal?” - -“There may be,” she replied thoughtfully; “for clever as she is, she -was not sufficiently so to conceal from me her predilection for the -MacWilliam. But what is that to me? Richard Burke is nothing to me.” - -“You may be much to him, however,” I answered, whereat she grew more -thoughtful still. Being a woman, I said to myself, she could hardly -have failed to read the signs of his regard for her. Then I told her -of the midnight visit he had paid me, saying nothing, nevertheless, of -what Richard Burke had confided to me in regard to his love for herself. - -“He is a friend,” said she, after musing for awhile, “and I may have -need of many such.” - -“Tell me what passed between you and Sir Nicholas.” - -She paced the floor of the poop-cabin with quick, uneven steps; then -she stopped and spoke. - -“After our first meeting,” said she, “he was much less open with me, -asking me many questions, but giving no expression of his own views -with respect to the ships. Two things, however, he impressed upon me. -One was that he considered that I should make immediately a suitable -marriage----” - -“A suitable marriage!” I exclaimed. - -“The other was that it was common report that my father had left great -riches behind him, and that, as he had never paid any tribute to the -Queen, I must now make good his deficiencies in that respect.” - -“Tribute,” said I blankly. - -“He proposed to marry me--for he declared I was in reality a ward of -the Crown, and, therefore, at his disposal--to Sir Murrough O’Flaherty, -a man old enough to be my father--and our enemy. I would have none -of it. I fancy I have to thank Sabina Lynch for suggesting it to Sir -Nicholas, and I replied to him, with indignation, that I was a free -woman, and would give my hand where I pleased. It was then that I -discovered that I was no longer at liberty, for it was told me that I -must on no account leave the Lynches’ house without the permission of -the Governor, but that no harm would come to me if I consented to his -terms. I spoke of the safe conduct which Sir Nicholas had given me, but -that was of no avail; and ’reasons of State,’ said he, overruled any -safe conduct.” - -“This is how they keep faith!” I cried, bitterly. - -“It was no time for railing,” continued Grace O’Malley, “as I was in -the Governor’s hands, and could see no way of getting out of them. -Therefore I made as though I were about to submit myself, and I desired -to see the Governor again with respect to the tribute to be paid to the -Queen. My request being granted, Sir Nicholas acquainted me with his -determination, demanding a thousand cows and two hundred mares, or -their equivalent in gold and silver, by way of payment of the arrears, -and two hundred cows each year for the future.” - -“To all of which you said No!” cried I. - -“Nay, Ruari,” replied she, “I had to match my wits against his power -over me--was not I his prisoner?--and so I returned him no immediate -answer, but, on the contrary, besought that I might have a week to -deliberate in, bemoaning my hard fate, and protesting that I should -never be able to comply with his demands, yet that I would do what was -within my ability to compass.” - -“And then?” I said. - -“He pondered long and deeply, hesitating and doubtful; so, knowing the -covetous nature of the man,” said she, “I took the cross I was wearing -from my neck, and, giving it to him, begged that he would grant me the -delay I sought.” - -“Your jewelled cross?” I said. - -“My case was an evil one,” replied she, “and I did it not without pain, -for the cross had been my mother’s, and was, besides, of great value.” - -“He consented?” - -“He became very gracious because of the bribe,” replied she, “and then -asked me to be present at the revel. ’Why,’ said he, ’should you not -take part in it, if you would care so to do?’ As I was resolved to -humour him, I was complaisant, and replied that nothing would be more -agreeable to me; but even as I uttered these words, some inkling of the -plan for our deliverance which we carried out was forming itself in my -mind. My woman afterwards managed to leave the Lynches’ unobserved with -the letter I wrote you, and gave it to the captain of the Scottish ship -we passed on our way to Galway. My only fear was that he might inform -the Governor, and so our plans would have been frustrated; but he has -proved himself a true man, and one who may be trusted.” - -“There is no confidence to be put in Sir Nicholas,” said I. - -“The man is hard, stark, relentless,” said she, hotly, “but he -shall find I am as hard, stark, and relentless as he is himself. -Vengeance--vengeance, and that speedy, will I take!” - -Never had I seen Grace O’Malley so carried away by passion as now. Her -eyes were blazing fires; the line made by her lips was like the edge -of a sword, so clear and sharp it was; the cheeks lost their colour -and roundness, and, as she restlessly moved about, her black hair flew -round her head like a coronal of quivering water-snakes. - -“Vengeance--vengeance!” she cried. - -Her vehemence bore me along as upon a fast-flowing tide. - -“Vengeance--vengeance!” I shouted, so that my voice rang out far beyond -the galley. - -“It is in our own hands,” she said, more composedly. “The wine fleet -from Spain is expected in Galway to-day or to-morrow--at any moment we -may see their sails on the southern edge of the sea. Then, then,” cried -she furiously, her anger rising again like the sudden, fierce blast of -the tempest, “shall I teach Galway and Sir Nicholas to fear and dread -my name.” - -The wine fleet! This was a quarry, indeed! - -For each year at this season there set out from Cadiz for Limerick and -Galway a goodly fleet of galleons, each of which carried a burden more -to be desired than a king’s ransom. These ships were laden with many -barrels of the wines both of France and Spain, with rolls of silks, -with bales of fine leather, with suits of raiment and shirts of mail, -and blades of Toledo, and with other articles of price, the products of -Europe, and, even, to some extent, of the mysterious Orient, where Turk -and infidel held their sway. These were exchanged against the fish--for -which our island was famous--the hides, salt, meat, wheat, and barley -of the country. - -Grace O’Malley’s vengeance on Galway was to attack, capture, or destroy -that portion of the wine fleet, as it was commonly spoken of, the -destination of which was that town. The boldness and daring of the -project took my breath away; but I could conceive of nothing that was -so likely to cause consternation and terror as its successful issue to -the great merchants of the city, and to mortify and enrage the Governor. - -It was a great enterprise--this attack--and one which, if the event -went against us, would probably be the end of us all. But there was -one thing that gave us an advantage, which, skilfully used, could not -fail to be of such importance as to be almost in itself decisive. This -was that the wine fleet had arrived safely at Galway year after year, -without falling in with any danger other than that which came from the -ordinary risks of the sea. Hence the immunity they had so long enjoyed -would breed in them a feeling of complete security, and dispose them to -be careless of precautions. - -Still I was staggered; and what was passing through my mind being seen -in my face, Grace O’Malley inquired, a trifle disdainfully: - -“Think ye, Ruari, the venture too much for me?”--and the accent fell on -the last word of the sentence. “I tell you, Nay!” - -“Nothing--nothing,” exclaimed I, wildly, “is too high for you! As for -me, it is yours to command--mine to obey.” - -Then we took counsel together, first having summoned Tibbot the Pilot, -and the other chiefs and officers who were in the galleys. When Grace -O’Malley had made her purpose known there was at first the silence of -stupefaction, then there followed the rapid, incoherent, impulsive -exclamations of fierce and savage glee. - -While we were occupied in this manner, a fishing smack had come into -the bay, and on it were the pipers Phelim and Cormac and some others -of our men, whom we had been forced to leave behind, but who had -made their way out of Galway, being secretly helped therein by the -fisher-folk who dwelt in a village by themselves without the gates. -These brought word that the city was in a state of great alarm, and -that the Governor had declared that he would not rest until he had sent -out an expedition to raze Grace O’Malley’s castles to the ground, to -destroy her galleys, and to blot out her name from Ireland. - -Nothing had been needed to add to our determination, but, if need there -had been, here it was. We were now all proclaimed rebels and traitors, -so that we could look for nothing but torture and death at the hands of -the English. A price would soon be placed upon our heads, and whoever -wrought us a mischief or an injury of any kind would be considered as -doing the Queen a service. - -Such was our situation. To most of our people the Queen of England was -no more than an empty name, and even to those of us who appreciated -the might and resources of that princess, it appeared better that we -should be aware of who were our foes and who were our friends, and if -her representative, Sir Nicholas Malby, were our open enemy, as we were -now well assured he was, we knew with whom our quarrel lay, and what we -might expect from him. - -When all was said, the Governor had no overwhelming force at his -disposal, and he was without ships, so that we felt no whit downcast -with our lot; contrariwise, there was such gladness amongst us at the -promise of the fighting with which our circumstances were pregnant -that the hearts of any who doubted were uplifted and made firm and -steadfast. - -As we were discussing our affairs Eva O’Malley entered the cabin. As -our eyes met she smiled upon me, and held out her hand in greeting. - -“’Twas well done,” said she, referring to our escape from Galway, her -thoughts still dwelling on the adventures of the past night. But when -she heard of what we had been speaking, and of the proposed attack on -the wine fleet, her sweet face became pale and troubled. - -“Darkness and blood,” said she, turning to me. “Oh! Ruari, the words of -the Wise Man are to be fulfilled.” - -“What must be, must be,” said I, “and there is none can gainsay that.” - -She shook her head. - -“Eva,” said Grace O’Malley, “the end is as it is appointed from the -beginning.” Then she began to reason gently with her foster-sister, and -to show her that if the English found they had good reason to fear her -they would gladly consent before long to make peace, and to concede -what she had asked of Sir Nicholas. - -But it was easy to see that my dear was sad and heavy of heart. Grace, -ever most tender to her, put her arms about her, and made her sit -beside her on a couch, and said many loving words, so that Eva was -comforted, albeit some of her brightness vanished from that day, never -to return. Although she had already shown how brave she was, and was to -exhibit a courage far greater than my own or that of any man I ever -knew--her courage being that born of the spirit and ours but of the -body--she sure was never made for that hard life of ours. - -Gentle and sweet was she, yet the strain of the O’Malley blood ran in -her veins, and made itself felt whenever the trials of her strength -came. - -Leaving the two ladies together, each went to his place in the ships. -Some of my men, who had been ashore, now returned and informed me that -they had learned that it was the annual custom to light a great fire on -the headland of Arran, on which stand the ruins of the ancient castle -called Dun Aengus, as soon as the vessels of the wine fleet hove into -sight. - -The smoke of this fire, if it were day, or the flame of it, if it were -night, was a signal to the merchants of Galway, who, as soon as they -saw it, made preparations for the reception of the ships--this being -the chief event each year in the life of the town. To the end that -the office of this beacon should be better fulfilled, they had placed -a small body of soldiers and others in huts that stood between the -crumbling walls of the old fort. - -I debated with myself whether it would not be more prudent to have -the lighting or the not lighting of the fire in my own power, but, -being in no little doubt, put the matter off until later in the day. -By the middle of the afternoon, however, there were abundant evidences -that the weather, which had for days past been fine, was about to -change; and as the sun fell, dark clouds were gathering sullenly in -the sky, the wind from the south-west was blowing stormily across the -island--though our galleys felt it not at all, being under the lee of -the land--and already we could hear the thunder of the waves as they -rushed upon the further coast. And all the night through a tempest of -terrible violence raged. - -When the morning came, the fury of the gale rather increased than -diminished, and so that day and the next, when the winds and waves -began to subside, we remained at anchor in our harbour, safe from the -storm. On the night of the third day the wind died down to a breeze, -and the moon struggled fitfully through the scud and drift of the -clouds. - -Uncertain as to how the storm might shift, the galleys had been kept -ready to put out from the shore at any moment, and therefore it fell -out that nothing had been done by us with regard to the Galway men at -Dun Aengus. In the middle watch, it being very dark save when the moon -shone out, to be hidden again as fast as it appeared, we saw a bright -tongue of flame shoot up, flashing and shining brightly against the -blackness of the sky. Quickly raising our anchors, we made off past the -island of Inishmaan, and on by Inisheer until we ran close in by the -point of Trawkeera. - -I wondered how it was that on such a night the watchman at Dun Aengus -had made out the coming of the fleet, but discovered as we went upon -our course, that another beacon had been lit far down the southern -coast, and as soon as they had seen it they had set a torch to their -own. Thus were we also apprised of the coming of the wine fleet, and -that by the hands of the people of Galway themselves, as it were. -As the day began to dawn, greyly and drearily, a large, unwieldy -Spanish galleon entered the South Sound, about half a league outside -of Trawkeera. Not more than half her sails were set, and she rolled -heavily from side to side in the swell left by the storm. A few sleepy -sailors stood in the waist of the ship, and no armed watch was to be -seen. - -It had been arranged between Grace O’Malley and myself that I was to -attack the first vessel that came in sight, and in the still, spectral -light, we stole silently out from the shadow of Inisheer, the one great -mainsail of _The Cross of Blood_ being set, and the oars shipped until -the word was given. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -THE CAPTURE OF THE _CAPITANA_. - - -As we crept on towards the unsuspecting merchant ship, I noticed that -she presented a battered appearance, as if she had felt the full fury -of the storm which we had ridden out so safely, and that she had not -come out of it without much damage. - -The foremast had been broken off, and now a great spar lashed to -the stump had taken its place. About the middle of the vessel the -bulwark showed a breach some five feet in length, and a piece of rough -sailcloth had been fastened carelessly over it, so that the ragged -edges of the broken wood were plainly seen jutting out from under it. - -Doubtless the sailors were worn out with the stress of the working -of their ship through the tempest, and this also accounted for the -slackness of the watch and the ghostly quietness on board. - -Otherwise, she was a splendid ship, the like of which was seen at no -other time in these seas, save only when the wine fleet came each year -to Galway. She was built with high castles both at the stern and at the -bows; and she was, perhaps, of two hundred tons’ burthen, according to -the measure of the English. - -Her name, cut out of solid wood and painted a deep blue, was the -_Capitana_. She flew the flag of Philip of Spain, and along with it at -the stern were to be seen the ensigns of some gentlemen adventurers, -who were in her, and who probably commanded her fighting men, or who -had accompanied the expedition merely for the sake of seeing another -part of the world. - -For the galleon’s defence against the rovers of of the sea, who were -to be found in great numbers off the French and English coasts, she -showed her teeth in the guise of the black muzzles of twelve cannon, -all formidable ordnance, and, armed with this equipment, as compared -with that of _The Cross of Blood_, looked as if she might devour us at -her leisure and with the utmost ease. - -But it was not my purpose that these guns should ever be pointed at us, -and so high were they out of the water--far above us, in fact--that -there was no such terrible danger to be apprehended on this score. -Besides, we were now too near her, and she was, in any case, unprepared. - -When we had approached within four hundred yards of the _Capitana_, I -gave orders that the sail of _The Cross of Blood_ should be lowered -to the deck quickly, and yet as quietly as might be, and that the -rowers should get them to their oars, and speed us with all their might -towards the Spanish ship. - -So well was this effected that we were but, as it seemed, a stone’s -throw from her, and the beak of the galley, as she rose to the swell, -pointed straight for the breach made by the storm in the waist of the -galleon, when the watch on board of her had their suspicions all too -tardily aroused. If they had heard the noise made by the running of the -tackle when the sail was got down, they had not grasped its meaning; -but they could hardly fail to guess readily enough what our appearance -indicated as we dashed towards them, our deck showing an array of -arquebusiers and spearmen, standing to their weapons. - -The men of the _Capitana_ began to rush to and fro, and suddenly the -clear notes of a trumpet blared forth from her poop--the all-too-late -summons to arms. Her helmsmen, now alert to the danger which menaced -them, endeavoured to swing her round on her heel into the wind, so as -to keep us off. - -We had stopped rowing, and our men were resting with their hands on the -heads and handles of their oars, waiting for the order to ship them, -when, as the Spaniard went about, her side caught the oars on the right -side of the galley, and I heard the sharp cracking and splintering of -the wood of which they were made as they were broken in pieces, and the -piercing cries, most lamentable to the ear, of the rowers as they were -knocked from their benches and jammed together, a huddled, mangled mass -of shrieking and cursing, of wounded and dying men. - -Amid the din and outcry which attended this disaster to us, there arose -the voice of Calvagh O’Halloran, the master of the rowers, encouraging, -directing, and calming the others. What had befallen us was a serious -matter, as it deprived us of any hope of getting away from the -_Capitana_ if our attack should prove unsuccessful. - -I ran along the deck, telling our people to be of good heart, as all -would yet be well; and, as nothing so inspired them as the war-cry of -their tribe and the lust of fighting, I shouted loud and clear-- - -“O’Malley! O’Malley! O’Malley!” - -The swinging of the Spaniard fended the galley off from her, so that -there was a clear space for the breadth of a couple of oars, or a -little more. As Calvagh got the rowers at work again, and _The Cross of -Blood_ went forward, the sides of the two ships grated together with a -shock. They ground apart once again, and the water swished and swirled -between them, foaming white and flecked with red as the blood of the -rowers who had been injured dripped from the galley. - -“On board, on board!” I cried. “A ring of gold to him who first boards -her!” and I threw my battle-axe among her sailors. “Follow that!” I -said. - -The Irish were howling about me like hungry wolves, and _The Cross of -Blood_ shivered and trembled like a living thing as the rowers, Calvagh -at their head, rushed from the benches, eager to revenge themselves for -the death of their comrades of the oar, yelling hoarsely-- - -“O’Malley! O’Malley! O’Malley!”--the words stinging the ear like blows. - -Now the sides of the vessels strained and groaned as again they smote -together. The grappling-irons were fastened as they touched each other, -and, regardless of the thrusts made at us, we together clambered -up the _Capitana’s_ side, entering by the breach over which the -sailcloth had been stretched, and were immediately engaged in a hot and -bloody fight, the issue of which stood in no kind of doubt from its -commencement, as we far outnumbered the sailors in this part of the -Spaniard. - -One burly fellow came at me with a pike, but so uncertainly that I -caught it from him with my left hand, and ran him through with the -sword in my right. He dropped without a sound at my feet. - -But while this contest was going on, and we were sweeping all before -us, we soon were made to feel that, while so far successful, we were -yet in a position of the greatest peril; for we were now assailed by -shots from arquebuses fired down upon us both from the castle at the -bows and that at the poop as well, and the air hummed with the arrows -of our foes. - -As there was no cover or protection of any kind where we stood, divers -of our men fell sorely wounded, and some were slain outright. What the -event was to bring forth then seemed nothing but our destruction, for -we were caught, as it were, in a trap, and that one of our own making. - -The doors leading into the castles were both shut, and, I conjectured, -barricaded by this time against us. However, to remain where we were -was to be slaughtered like cattle, and the attempt had to be made to -force these entrances. The principal array of the enemy was in the -poop castle, and I instantly decided that it must be stormed, else we -should all perish miserably, and to break in the door was the readiest -way. - -Calling on the Irish to follow me, I strode across the slippery deck, a -bullet narrowly missing me, to the arched doorway through which lay the -way to the castle on the poop. - -Whether it was that our assault had been so little looked for, or -that what had already taken place had occupied so brief a breath, as -one may say--for who can take count of time in the heat of battle?--I -know not; but this entrance had not been strongly secured, for hurling -myself impetuously with all my force against the barrier I burst the -door open, and that so violently and quickly that I had much ado to -keep myself from stumbling, and so being trampled upon and killed by -my own men. Recovering myself with an effort, I found myself in a wide -chamber, in which there were tables and chests and other furniture, but -not a single soul was to be seen. - -At one end of it was a flight of steps leading up to the deck of the -castle. Stopping my men, I bade them wait in this sheltered room while -I ascended the steps, and reached another large cabin, also deserted -as far as I could see, while above me I heard the trampling of many -feet. Summoning my followers, I dashed up a second flight of steps, the -Irish, who gave tongue like bloodhounds tracking deer, pushing in and -swarming up behind me. - -I was like enough to have paid for my rashness with my life, for as I -emerged upon the deck of the poop, the point of a sword flashed off my -body-armour, and I received so shrewd a buffet upon my shoulder from a -mace or battle-axe of some kind, that I nearly lost my footing, and, as -it was, would have done so but for the press of men behind me. - -As I appeared a crowd of Spaniards rushed upon me from all sides, -praying to Our Lady and all the saints for their aid, and above all -naming “Santiago.” - -Now sweeping my sword in a great shining circle round my head, now -stabbing and hacking and cleaving, while my strength seemed to grow -with my necessity, I held them at bay, albeit in what way I escaped the -deadly thrusts of spears and pikes, and the bullets aimed at me at such -close quarters, I cannot tell. - -Two or three slight wounds did I receive, and the sight of my own blood -drove me into a perfect fury of killing, and rendered me regardless -of myself; but as for the wounds themselves I heeded them not, and -indeed in the fiery heat of that encounter scarce felt them at all. -Soon, however, would I have been overborne and destroyed, if I had not -been joined by Calvagh and the others, who charged upon the enemy with -inconceivable fury. - -Nothing could have stood before the tremendous outpouring of such -incredible rage. - -The gallant men of Spain fought on, and met us bravely, brave with -something more than the courage which is born of dark despair. For, -to say the truth, never yet saw I any of that nation--even of its -commonalty--that might be called a coward. - -It is my belief, and good reason have I for it, that no more doughty -men ever wielded sword or pike than those of Spain, nor were there -any better sailors in those days in all the world. There be many, -who, having regard to what she was--this great power of Spain--and -considering what has happened to her, and how she is now shorn in no -small degree of her glory, can account for it in no other way than by -saying that she lieth under the Wrath of God. Howbeit, this is too high -a matter for me. Only know I full well that the crew of the _Capitana_, -whether fighting men or sailors, made such a stern and grim battle -against us that grey morning in the Bay of Galway, as the most valiant -knights could not have bettered. - -Near the centre of the poop there rose up a mast, and around this our -enemies gathered in a cluster, among them being some half-armed men -whom I took to be the adventurers whose ensigns floated beside the -standard of the galleon, and who carried themselves with an air. - -They had had no time to have their armour put upon them and fastened -with proper care, but as they proved themselves to be accomplished -swordsmen they made a determined resistance to us. If they had come -at me when I appeared at the top of the steps, I should never have -reached the deck of the poop alive; they had, however, tarried too long -in the attempt to be clothed with their harness. - -They were surrounded, and, though I offered them their lives, declaring -that they would be held for ransom and would be well treated by Grace -O’Malley, they would not listen to me, preferring rather to die, -fighting, so long as the breath was in them, like the valiant men of -Spain they were. - -One only, who appeared to be the captain of the ship, I commanded to be -taken alive--a business which was done with difficulty, so madly did he -struggle, notwithstanding that the blood flowed in streams from several -of his wounds. - -“Yield yourself,” said I, “Señor Captain, for the ship is ours, and -further fighting is useless. Give me your parole.” - -But he refused, snarling and showing his teeth like a mad dog. Then I -ordered him to be bound, and laid on the deck for the present. - -The greater part of the galleon was now in our hands, but there still -remained a band of Spaniards in the forecastle, who galled us with the -fire from their pieces and the arrows of their bows. When they saw how -their comrades had been overcome on the poop castle, they cut down the -spar which had been lashed to the broken foremast, and using it and the -sailcloth about it as a kind of barricade went on firing at us from -behind this shelter. - -Telling Calvagh, who had come out of the fight without a scratch, -to take what men he thought needful, I directed him to attack the -forecastle, and at the same time protected his assault of it by a -discharge from the poop of a small cannon I found there loaded. This -position of the Spaniards, however, was one of such strength that they -inflicted heavy loss upon us before they were all put to the sword. - -We were now masters of the entire vessel, but its capture had cost -us dear. Fifteen of the Irish were killed, and as many more wounded, -several of them seriously; and when the sun rose across the dim outline -of the hills away beyond Galway its rays fell upon decks that ran dark -with blood, and upon a wearied band of men, whose gasping breath came -and went in sobs of pain, now that the excitement was past, and who -threw themselves down in sheer exhaustion. I myself was sore spent, but -the day was only begun, and the rest of the wine fleet might come into -view at any moment. Therefore I bade my men rise up as soon as they -had rested somewhat, and then endeavoured to put the _Capitana_ into -sailing trim. - -While this was being done I shaped our course for Inisheer, remaining -on the _Capitana_ myself with some of my crew, and sending Calvagh to -take charge of _The Cross of Blood_. I also had the captain of the -galleon brought before me, to see if I could get any information from -him about the other ships of the fleet. - -“Señor Captain,” said I, “the chance of war has delivered you and your -ship to me. Ye fought well, and I am grieved that so many valiant -souls no longer see the light; yet would I have spared them, as many as -I could, but they would not. You are in no danger of your life, if you -will but answer the questions I ask of you.” - -I spoke in English, my knowledge of Spanish being slight, but I judged -that the captain of a ship trading to Ireland, and particularly to the -English city of Galway, would be certain to understand the English -tongue. At first it appeared, however, as if he did not comprehend my -words. - -“Kill me, kill me!” he exclaimed in Spanish, while his face was -distorted with impotent rage. - -Replying to him mildly that I had no intention of putting him to death, -I informed him that I had no sufficient acquaintance with his own -language, and therefore I was unable to converse with him in it. - -“You surely understand English,” said I. - -One of the Irish who was on guard over him thrust a dagger into him for -an inch or more before I knew what he would be about, whereupon the -Spaniard cursed him and us and himself and his ship and the day he was -born in as good English as ever I heard. - -“I shall tell you nothing,” said he. “No, by St. Jago, nothing, -nothing, nothing!” - -I felt a pity for the man, and told one of those standing near me to -fetch him some wine, and that as speedily as might be, and again asked -him if he were resolved to die; but he merely glared at me like a wild -animal, and I left him alone, reserving him to be questioned by Grace -O’Malley. - -When the wine was brought he drank it thirstily, saying, “If it is -poisoned, so much the better.” - -And now we drew near again to Inisheer. Rounding the Point of -Trawkeera, we dropped anchor beside the two other galleys, and my -mistress came on board of our prize. When I told her of the great fight -the Spaniards had made, and what it had cost us to take the ship, she -sighed and became pensive. - -“We can ill afford so many men,” she said, “but the other ships of the -wine fleet may be captured or destroyed more easily. Bring the captain -of the galleon to me, and let me see if I can learn anything from him -of his companions.” - -“He will say nothing,” I exclaimed. - -Grace O’Malley’s face grew dark, but she merely repeated her command. -When the Spanish captain was fetched in, he was struck with amazement -when he beheld a woman, young, handsome, and, as some thought, -beautiful, who appeared to be the chief and leader of us all. At first -he gazed at her as one who sees an apparition or a phantom. - -“Madre de Dios! Madre de Dios!” he said aloud in his astonishment, and -for some time acted as one might who suspected that his sense of sight -was playing him a trick. He was faint and pale from loss of blood, and -presented a piteous appearance. - -“Free him from his bonds,” said Grace O’Malley, and I cut away the -thongs that held him. - -“Señor Captain,” continued she when this had been done, “I have a -quarrel with the Governor of Connaught and the people of Galway, who -have treated me despitefully,--therefore has your galleon been taken.” - -“You, Señorita!” he said. - -“I was beguiled with fair words and promises,” said she, “and then -they made me a prisoner, but I escaped from them. War have I declared -against them, and a great revenge shall I take. You, I hear, are a -brave man, and I have need of such in this contest with the English. -Will you join me?” - -“That will I not,” said he; and I heard him muttering to himself, “She -is a devil.” - -“Better consider before you speak,” said I, seizing his arm roughly. - -“Let me be, let me be,” said he, “for I am a dying man!” And he swooned -upon the deck. Reviving in a few minutes, he staggered to his feet, -whereupon I put my arm round him for his support. - -“Where are the other ships of the fleet, tell me,” said Grace O’Malley, -“and how many are there?” - -“You can kill me,” said he, “and I shall thank you for it, but that -which I know I shall never tell you.” - -And again I heard him muttering, “Devil, devil!” and calling upon -“Santiago” to protect him from her spells. - -Grace O’Malley gazed at him, and of a sudden there was in her -eyes--what I never looked to see in them on such an occasion--a dew of -tears springing from an unsuspected fount of pity. After all, she was a -woman, as I have said. - -“You are a brave man and a true,” said she, “and I will not plague you -more. Let him die in peace,” cried she to me, “if die he must.” - -As I was about to place him with his back against a mast so as to ease -him, he made a snatch at the dagger which was in my belt; his fingers -closed over it, but even as he grasped it his lips parted and his -spirit fled. - -“God rest thee, thou gallant mariner of Spain!” said Grace O’Malley, -when she saw that the captain of the galleon was dead. - -“Amen,” cried I, for the firmness of the man had seemed to me a very -noble thing. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -A CHEST OF GOLD. - - -The day had worn on to noon but without its brightness, for the sky had -again become full of heavy clouds driven up from the west; the wind -moaned and raved over land and sea, and the waves beat drearily upon -the shore. The thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, while the -pelting rain came down in huge drops that sounded on our decks like -hail or the cracking of whips. - -The ensanguined waters flowed in floods from the planking and the sides -of the captured galleon, which lay like some great wounded monster of -the deep, sweating blood. Closer into the land we steered, and so saved -ourselves from the worst of the gale. - -For the present all thoughts of searching for the other vessels of the -fleet had to be given up, and fain was I to rest, for my wounds, though -slight, were sore, and the dull aching of my shoulder was hard to bear. -Seeing my state, Grace O’Malley bade me go to her own galley, where Eva -would attend to my wounds with her gentle fingers, and then, perhaps, -sing me to sleep with one of the songs of her people. - -This command went so well with every beating of my heart that my pains -were all but forgotten, and when I reached _The Grey Wolf_, Eva met me, -and waited upon me, and made so much of the “Mountain of a Man,” as she -often called me, that the only pangs I felt were those caused by my -love for her--so much so that the tale of it was trembling on my lips, -though I could not for the life of me put it into words, but dumbly -looked, and longing--looked again and again at her. - -Fool that I was, dolt that I was, not to have spoken then! But my -tongue was tied, as with a ribbon of steel, and if one were to ask me -why this was, I could not tell, nor can I now, looking back across the -blunt edge of years. Yet here was such an opportunity, if I could have -grasped it, but it passed. - -Eva sang softly to me as I lay with my harness off on a couch, until I -fell a-sleeping and a-dreaming, and all through the sleeping and the -dreaming did I hear the sound of her singing, far off, indistinctly, -and murmurous, like that of the brooks among the silent hills. - -When I awoke, it was evening, and both she and Grace O’Malley were -seated by my side. The storm had abated, and already a weak, watery -moon was riding in the heavens, and, as I opened my eyes, its faint -beams fell whitely upon the faces of my mistresses, so that to me, -being still only half awake, they looked like spirits. I rose to a -sitting posture, and felt that my strength had come back to me. - -“Has your weariness left you?” asked Grace O’Malley, smiling kindly at -me. - -For answer I stretched my limbs and my body, and smiled at her without -speaking, though the pain in my shoulder still troubled me, and I could -not move without feeling it. - -“While you have slept, Ruari,” she went on, “I have gone over as much -of the galleon as might be in the hours of daylight at my disposal, and -the riches in her are truly wonderful. Never saw I so great a store of -all manner of things of value in a ship before. ’Tis a splendid spoil, -and the merchants of Galway will have good cause to remember me, and -Sir Nicholas will be beside himself with rage.” - -“We have not yet finished with them or with Sir Nicholas,” said I. “The -_Capitana_ is not the only ship of the wine fleet.” - -“Neither has Sir Nicholas done with us, I fear,” said Eva, sadly, “nor -the people of Galway.” - -“Sometimes it seems to me, Eva,” said Grace to her foster-sister, -“as if you were only half an O’Malley.” Then she turned to me again. -“Ruari, I have more to tell about the galleon. On board of her there is -a chest of gold--all money of Spain, coined pieces, bearing the effigy -of the late Emperor, Charles. Now, hearken! A strange, wild story goes -with this chest of gold, and there is that in it which may concern us -very closely.” - -“Yes,” I said, my interest being keenly stirred as I guessed from the -slow and almost solemn way in which she addressed me, that she had -stumbled probably on some mystery of the sea--something, at any rate, -unexpected and out of the way, and yet something that might touch us -nearly. “Yes,” I said, watching her intently, “it is naught of evil -import for us, surely?” - -“That I know not as yet,” she replied. “Rather does it portend a -benefit; time alone can tell. This is how we came to find the gold, and -we might never have gotten it of ourselves--we were told of it.” - -“How was that?” - -“While our search through the galleon was being made, two men, bound -in fetters and chained together, were discovered in a small, dark -den, low down in the ship; a hole, indeed, so cunningly concealed -from observation that even the very sailors on board the _Capitana_ -might not have known of its existence, if its being hidden from them -were deemed necessary or expedient. The men were half-starved, and so -utterly wretched that when they were brought into the light they were -as the blind, and gibbered like idiots. What they say, now that they -have come to themselves, is pitiful enough, and I believe they are -telling the truth.” - -“Who are they?” asked I, as she meditated on their story. “What account -do they give of themselves? You have said nothing about the chest of -gold.” - -“One of them,” said she “tells me that he is a Geraldine, a near -relative of Garrett, Earl of Desmond.” - -“An Irishman!” I broke in. - -“Yes, so he says, and I doubt it not,” said she. “The other is a -Spaniard, Don Francisco de Vilela by name, a man of rank, if one may -judge of him from his speech and carriage. But you will see them -yourself shortly.” - -“What is their explanation of their being prisoners on board of the -galleon? Is it concerned with the chest of gold?” - -“Yes, so they say,” she replied; “and they relate that before the -_Capitana_ left Spain they made a bargain with its captain to convey -them to Ireland for a certain sum of money, which they paid over to -him before he put out from port. Their compact with him was that they -were to be landed at some lonely point or secluded place on our western -coasts, and not at any town, such as Limerick or Galway.” - -“Why was that?” I asked. “Doubtless the captain of the galleon made a -similar inquiry of them.” - -“They say he asked them no questions whatever,” replied she; “but he -must have understood that they had some business of a very private -nature, probably concerned with State affairs. Evidently that business -lay with the native Irish, and not with the English, from whom they -wished their movements to be kept secret, else would there have been no -need to have avoided any of the English towns in Ireland.” - -“It may be,” said I, for I could not help seeing the drift of her -words, “that they are the bearers of some message from the King of -Spain to the Earl of Desmond, or some other chief of the Irish.” - -“You do not fall very short of the mark,” said she. - -“But,” asked I, “how came it about, or what happened to cause them -to be thrust into chains, and that on board a Spanish ship? Those -who brought a message from the Spanish King would surely have been -well-treated, and even honoured, by the captain of a ship coming out of -Spain. Plainly, there is something here which fits not in with their -narration.” - -“They say that it was because of the chest of gold,” she replied. “The -captain is dead, so that we shall never hear his version of the affair, -but they affirm he could not withstand the temptation of the gold. -Brave, as we know he was, and an excellent sailor, as they say he was -reputed to be, yet would he have sold his very soul for gold.” - -“How did he know of it?” - -“So heavy a chest could hardly have been brought on board without -his knowledge, and to conjecture what it contained was no such -difficult matter. They did not conceal from him their anxiety for -its safe-keeping, and one or other of them was always on guard over -it. Anyone would have known, therefore, that it held a treasure of -some kind. All went well until they reached the coast of Kerry, when, -reminding the captain of their agreement with him, they requested him -to send them, the chest, and the rest of their belongings ashore in a -boat. The sea was very rough, however, and he assured them the thing -was impossible. - -“That might well have been the case,” said I. - -“They therefore confided to him--what he most likely knew already--that -they had come over on a secret embassy from the King of Spain, and -besought him, by his fidelity to his King, to put them ashore. He -protested that their landing at the time would be attended with -difficulty, and even danger, and again refused their request. - -“They expostulated with him, but in vain; he was not to be moved, -having already, they say, determined that they should never deliver -their message. Next they offered him a large sum of money, and, when he -asked where they were to get it from, told him of the gold, but without -informing him of the amount they had in the chest. Still, he would not -give way, and, at length, on their continuing to urge him, he became -sullen, angry and abusive, hurling many hurtful words at them in his -wrath. His real reason, they began to fear, was not the roughness of -the sea, for some sheltered bay or inlet with calm water might have -easily been reached, had he so desired, but that he had resolved to -possess himself of their treasure.” - -“They had played into his hands by speaking of the contents of the -chest,” I said. - -“That was their mistake, and they have had to repent themselves of it. -That same night, while they slept, they were seized, put into manacles, -and thrown into the close and filthy den in which they were discovered -by us. - -“They saw the captain but once after their imprisonment, and he had -told them--for their comfort--that it had been his original intention -to fling them overboard, but that he had changed his mind, and would -deliver them up, instead, to the English Governor of Connaught, when -the ship arrived at Galway, as plotters against the peace of Ireland. -Then they never would be heard of again, for all men knew of what sort -of stuff Sir Nicholas Malby was made, and how short and sharp were his -dealings with those who conspired against the Queen, once they were in -his power.” - -This was an evil hearing in regard to one who in his dying had shown a -not unmanly kind of virtue; but who is there that does not know that -gold is for most men the god of the whole earth? The story of the two -struck me as being true, as it was stamped through and through with a -sort of human naturalness. And I said as much. - -“When the captain told them,” continued Grace O’Malley, “of the fate -in store for them, they offered him all the gold they had in the chest -if only he would let them go. But he answered them that it was his -already, and that he had no intention of parting with it. If they -lived, he would never feel safe--and the dead had no tongue. Hearing -this, they gave up all hope, and abandoned themselves to the gloom of -despair, cursing the captain for his perfidy. - -“Then the storm came on, and the galleon drove hither and thither with -the tempest. Their wretchedness increased, until they reflected that -it would be better to perish by drowning than to live to undergo the -torture and miserable death which Sir Nicholas would be certain to -inflict upon them.” - -“The tale,” I said, when I had pondered it for a few minutes, “does not -sound to me as if it were false.” - -“It was so far confirmed,” said Grace O’Malley, “inasmuch as the chest -of gold, the possession of which worked their undoing, lay concealed -in the cabin which the captain had occupied. For safe-keeping I had it -removed to this galley.” - -“Did they tell you,” said I, my thoughts reverting to what, after all, -was the most important part of their statements, “what was the burden -of their message from the King of Spain?” - -“Not fully,” she replied, “and I forebore from questioning them more -narrowly until they had recovered. They did say that Philip wishes well -to Ireland, or rather, he loves not the English, who condemn him to his -face, and singe his very beard. They hinted that the King had sent Don -Francisco to spy out the land, and to become acquainted with the wishes -of the princes and chiefs of the island.” - -“For what purpose? To what end?” - -“To encourage them to rebel against the Queen, by giving them such help -as is within his power. At the same time, he does not wish to appear to -be concerned in the affairs of Ireland at all.” - -I had heard of Philip before as a man who was uncertain of purpose and -infirm of will, timid when he should have been bold, and bold when he -should have been timid; one who covered himself and his designs with a -cloak of clumsy cunning which it required no skill to see through, and -of deceit which deceived none of the least discerning of his enemies. -Therefore said I not a word, but contented myself to wait for what my -mistress might say further on the matter. - -She was silent, however, and I could see from her rapt, indrawn look, -that her thoughts had wandered far away from us and the galleys and -the wine fleet--perhaps to Spain and its shifty King. I, too, was busy -thinking, and, as I conceived that we had affairs immediately before us -of more importance than even Philip of Spain, I made bold to interrupt -her reveries. - -“We can at least gather from the two men,” said I, “how many ships were -in the wine fleet. The rest of them cannot now be far off from us.” - -“Yes,” said she, rousing herself from her musings like one from -slumber, “they informed me that there were nine galleons in the fleet -when they left Cadiz, four of them were bound for Limerick and five for -Galway.” - -“Then there are still four ships for us to fight,” I exclaimed. “Let -the chest of gold and the King of Spain wait, say I. Would it not be -well, now that the wind has fallen, to send one of the galleys to keep -a look-out?” - -“Tibbot the Pilot,” she replied, “already watches the Sound in _The -Winged Horse_. The galleons will most likely have been separated from -each other by the recent storms, but if any one of them comes into -sight we will quickly be apprised of it.” - -“Have you not had enough of fighting for one day?” asked Eva. - -“We have vowed vengeance on Galway,” I said, and Eva said no more, but -sighed deeply. - -There was a knocking at the door of the cabin, and a servant entered -with the message that Don Francisco de Vilela and Dermot Fitzgerald -desired speech of Grace O’Malley, to thank her for her kindness to -them. Permission being granted, the two men soon made their appearance. -They had eaten, had washed themselves, and were attired in fresh -clothes taken from the supplies on board the galleon, and looked very -different, I imagine, from what they had done when they had emerged -from the hole in the _Capitana_, where they had been imprisoned. - -Both of them bowed with a profound reverence to my mistresses, and I -took note, even in the half-light, of the contrast they made as they -stood together. The Irishman was fair and ruddy, the Spaniard dark and -swarthy as most Spaniards are. Fitzgerald was tall--nearly as tall as -myself--Don Francisco of the middle height, but having a very soldierly -bearing and an air of resolution which his comrade lacked. Thus much I -saw at a glance. - -De Vilela was the first to speak, and his accent had all the smooth -deference of the court rather than the rough sincerity of the camp. - -“Señorita,” said he, “if you will suffer a poor gentleman of Spain to -offer you his thanks----” - -“Madame,” said the Irishman, interrupting him impulsively, “I never -dreamt the day would come when I should be glad to be a prisoner----” - -“Nay, nay!” quoth Grace O’Malley, “no more of that, I beg.” - -The glance of the two men swept past her, de Vilela’s to fasten on Eva -O’Malley, Fitzgerald’s on me, while my mistress made us known to each -other. Then they entreated her to say what was her will in regard to -them, and what ransom she demanded for their release. But she replied -that she had not yet determined, and so put them off. - -She conversed for some minutes with de Vilela, speaking to him of the -West Indies, whither, it appeared, he had been in one of the very ships -for which Tibbot the Pilot was watching--the _San Millan de Simancas_. - -I now had had leisure to observe him more closely, and he gave me the -impression of a man of high breeding. He discoursed with a tongue of -winning sweetness, more like a woman’s than a man’s, and yet one had -only to examine with a little carefulness the lines of his face to be -convinced that these soft tones were like the fur over claws, and that -there was nothing else of the feminine about him. - -His companion, Fitzgerald, was of a very different type, although he, -too, was of knightly birth--rash, unstable, easily swayed, but generous -and warm of heart, with quick, unstudied manners, and no capacity for -much besides the wielding of his sword. - -Ever as the Spaniard spoke his dark, eloquent eyes wandered from one -to another of us, resting with an absorbed intensity longest on Eva--a -thing in no wise to be wondered at, but which I did not care to see, -although I had no right to be jealous. - -And then there broke upon the hush of the night, now grown still and -calm, the zip-zap-swish, zip-zap-swish of the oars of a galley, quickly -driven by its rowers through the water; there was the low, clear call -of Tibbot as _The Winged Horse_ came up towards us, while at his word -the oars hung motionless and glistening in the pale moonlight, and I -went out to hear what tidings he brought. - -He reported that the tops of the masts of two large ships were to be -seen on the horizon, and that there might be more, as the light was but -faint owing to the clouds that still passed over the sky. I hastened -back to inform my mistress of Tibbot’s news. The door of the cabin -opened before I had reached it and Grace O’Malley appeared upon the -scene, and as the door closed behind her I saw that Don Francisco was -speaking earnestly to Eva, who, for her part, was listening to him with -deep attention. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -A WOMAN’S WILE. - - -“What news?” demanded Grace O’Malley. - -Repeating Tibbot’s words to her, I asked what her commands were. - -“This afternoon while you slept, Ruari,” she replied, “the idea of a -certain artifice or stratagem came into my mind, and the darkness of -the night is so much in favour of its successful issue that there is -no reason why it should not be attempted. It was suggested to me as I -went over the stores of the galleon by the quantities of all manner of -garments on board of her----” - -So had spoken very rapidly, being conscious that with the galleons not -far away there was no time to spare. - -“Enough, at present,” she continued. “I will tell you more of it when I -have made a disposition of our ships.” - -“The prisoners?” I questioned. “They can scarcely be expected to -join us in an attack on Spanish ships--even although these ships are -in reality more the property of the merchants of Galway than of any -others.” - -“Transfer them,” said she, “to _The Cross of Blood_, which I shall -leave here under Calvagh’s charge. When you have seen them safely in -his hands come to me--I shall be on the _Capitana_.” - -“The _Capitana_!” I exclaimed, surprised. - -“Yes,” said she. “In a little while you will see why I say the -_Capitana_.” - -I hurried off into the cabin, and telling Don Francisco and Fitzgerald -that they were to be put for the night aboard of my galley, and having -whispered to Eva that there was something in the wind, but that I knew -not quite what it was, I conducted the two men to _The Cross of Blood_, -and delivered them over to Calvagh, bidding him keep a close guard -over them. Then I got into a boat, and in a trice was on the Spanish -galleon’s deck. - -Just as I reached it the clouds drifted from off the face of the moon, -and as I looked up around me I could scarcely believe my eyes at what -I saw. Pausing not to think, I placed my hand upon my sword, and had -pulled it half-way out of its sheath, when a voice which I recognised -as Tibbot the Pilot’s, sang out close to my ear, while there was a -splutter of laughter in his throat, as he said-- - -“’Tis a wise man who sometimes doubts his seeing aright, Ruari -Macdonald. Know you not your friends from your foes?” - -Tibbot, I perceived, was not attired in the Irish fashion, but had -discarded his saffron mantle and his long, wide-sleeved jacket, and had -replaced them by a sober Spanish suit, under which, one might be sure, -was a shirt of mail. - -And now I noticed that the sailors who moved about us, getting the -galleon ready for sea, were no more our own wild kernes of Mayo, but -all mariners of Spain! - -“Tibbot,” said I, “what is the meaning of this? Wherefore is this -mummery?” - -“’Tis by our mistress’s order,” said he, “and ’tis herself will have -good reason for it, I’m thinking.” And his cheeks creased with laughter. - -Grace O’Malley had said something of a stratagem,--was this it? One -quicker of apprehension than myself would have seen what her intentions -were, but I had to go and ask her for an explanation. - -And, lo, on the poop deck, where a few hours before there had been so -great a struggle, I found not my mistress, but a youthful, handsome, -smiling, debonair knight of Spain, who yet had the eyes and the accents -of our princess! By her side there stood the captain of the _Capitana_, -risen from the dead--or such a passable imitation of him in face and -figure as might well have deceived the living. - -I stared stupidly at them both,--and then I understood. For the nonce, -we were no longer O’Malleys or other free Irish rovers of the sea, but -dons and señors--if you please,--soldiers and sailors under the flag -of Spain; the _Capitana_ for the time being had not been taken, but -was still bound in all security for the port of Galway--only haply, -that being stayed by storms, she had taken shelter behind the island of -Arran, from which she would presently emerge to meet the other galleons -as they came up. - -And then--the thing was plain enough. - -A woman’s wit is a wonderful thing, and well is it for us men that the -loves and the hates of women do dim the brightness of it, else would we -be dazzled and blind and dumb all our days, and our strength be but a -vain thing. - -“What think you of my plot?” said the young gentleman adventurer, this -Spanish knight, who was my mistress. - -“You are a great magician, señor!” said I, taking her humour. “And what -would you with this Ruari Macdonald--once the sworn servant of an Irish -princess, known as Grace O’Malley?” - -“By my faith,” cried she, “I would not have him changed for all the -world.” - -And the words were dear to me, so that my heart glowed within me--even -as it does now at the memory of them. - -Then she spoke to me with some fulness of the snare she was preparing -for the two galleons, now beating up towards the Sound. - -It was the case, no doubt, said she, that the five ships of the wine -fleet had been scattered over the western seas by the storm, but those -Tibbot had seen had managed to keep by each other or had come together -again, and were travelling as slowly as possible, with a view to -picking up their companion vessel, and, further, that their sailing -powers would most probably have been reduced by the damage wrought upon -them by the tempest. - -Her purpose was to stand off and on in the Sound, manœuvring the -_Capitana_ in such a way as to indicate that she had also suffered -from the violence of the weather; to allow the ships to come up within -near hail of her--which they would be certain to do, as they could have -no suspicion of what had befallen the _Capitana_, especially as they -would be able to see nothing strange in the appearance of the galleon -or in the dress of those on board of her--and then to trust to the -chances of the hour for the rest. - -When I raised the objection that this plot of hers necessitated the -absence of the galleys from the attack, she replied that no more than a -bare guard had been left on board of them, and that she had as many as -eighty men out of them, and had placed them on the _Capitana_, a number -which she thought more than sufficient for the enterprise. - -“If all goes well,” said she, “I will myself lead the assault on the -first ship, and Tibbot on the other--if they have to be fought together -at the same time; do you remain on the _Capitana_, for she must be seen -to by one who is a seaman, and much may depend on the way in which she -is managed. Besides, you must still be weary of the fight of a few -hours ago. But circumstances will guide us.” - -“Surely,” said I, “there is no need for you to expose yourself, and my -fatigue is gone.” - -“Nay, nay!” said she, “let the thing stand.” - -The anchor was gotten up, and out beyond the point of Trawkeera went -the ship, the moon now shining more clearly, and the stars showing here -and there like diamonds through a scarf of clouds. And there, not more -than a mile away, loomed up the two galleons for which we were on the -watch. - -The wind was light, and the sails of the galleon, which was the nearer -of the two to us, showed up in grey shadows against the velvety black -of the sky. She was of the usual build of the merchant ship of Cadiz, -with the same lumbering breadth, the same high castles at poop and -bows, and the same rig in every respect as had that which we had -captured, and was of much the same size. Some distance behind her was -her companion, and the two vessels were so much alike that the second -appeared to be the double of the first. - -As soon as we were within view, a lantern was waved three times towards -us from the bows of the leading ship--a signal to which we responded by -also waving a lantern three times, surmising that some such answering -sign would be expected back in return. - -We waited with an anxious curiosity to see how this would be taken, and -as we saw the dark figures of the watch hurrying, in evident alarm, to -the bulwarks to gaze at us, and heard their voices raised in discussion -coming faintly across the waters, we could not fail to understand that -some other token had been looked for. - -In their perplexity they knew not what to make of us, and we could -see plainly enough that there was an argument going on among them -in respect of us. As the distance between us slowly lessened, their -uncertainty and indecision were increased when they beheld, as we took -excellent care they should, a few of the O’Malleys standing on the -fore-deck of the _Capitana_. Even had it been as bright as day, they -could not have imagined that they were other than Spanish sailors like -themselves. - -Our men had been ordered to remain quite still and silent, and under -the moon, over which a web of cloud was being spun, they appeared like -figures carved out of stone. - -The watchman on the bows of the galleon hailed us, and though his -voice sounded clearly to us, we pretended not to hear; he called again -through the quiet of the night, and when we returned no answer we could -see that he ran with a sort of terror of he knew not what from his -place, and was lost in the darkness of the forecastle. - -In the meantime we had come close up to her, her sailors bending -blanched, fear-stricken faces over her bulwarks upon us, and perhaps -thinking that they saw before them the fabulous _Ship of Death_, upon -which for ever sail the souls of those foully murdered on the sea, and -which for the nonce had taken on the form of the _Capitana_ to lure -them to their doom, for never might human eyes behold that dreaded -sight and live. - -The two ships were now so near each other that it required but a -touch of the helm and the quick ringing word of command from Grace -O’Malley--the statues sprang to life, and a host of the O’Malleys -jumped on board the galleon at different points. - -It was all the work of a twinkling, so soon was the ship carried. The -watch on deck were overpowered and made prisoners with scarcely a -blow being struck. Tibbot crept through a window in the poop of the -Spaniard, and, followed by a dozen of the Irish, had secured those who -were asleep or half-awakened before they could make any resistance. In -the forecastle alone was there any struggle, for there a handful of men -stood to their weapons, and, refusing quarter, fought on till everyone -of them was slain. - -I had watched with straining eyes through the gloom for the form -of that young Spanish knight who was my mistress, and, not seeing -it anywhere, was in sore dismay; not many minutes, however, went -by--the action had moved with the speed with which things change in a -dream--when she appeared on the poop, as I thought. - -Nor was I mistaken, for she called to me to trim the _Capitana_ and to -wear down upon the other galleon, which had changed her course, and was -striving to make off southwards for the open sea. Her watch had given -the alarm, and we could see the dark bodies of her crew and of her -fighting men making to their posts. - -Sending back to me some of our Irish for the better working of the -_Capitana_, she caused the newly-captured vessel to be released from -the grapplings and fastenings, by which I had had her bound to us -while the attack was going on, and we swung apart. Crowding on sail in -hot haste, we put about, and went in pursuit of the fleeing galleon, -which not only had the start of us, but now also appeared to be a -better sailer than either of us, as we did not gain on her, but, on the -contrary, rather fell back. - -It was apparent that she would escape us if we were to trust to our -sailing powers alone. I had just determined to train one of the cannon -on board the _Capitana_ on to her, when a loud explosion shook the air. - -Of what had occurred, then and afterwards on the _Santa Ana_, as the -ship Grace O’Malley had just taken was named, I was not a witness, nor -was Tibbot, who told me of it, either; but it is narrated here just as -I heard it. - -Seeing that there was a likelihood of the galleon, to which we were -giving chase, showing us a clean pair of heels, she ordered Tibbot to -the helm of the _Santa Ana_, and, telling him of what she intended, she -herself went among the prisoners, who were lying bound in different -parts of the ship. - -Among them she found divers persons who understood the Irish tongue, -and them, by both promises and threats, she compelled to bring before -her the master of the ordnance and those who assisted him in loading -and firing the cannon. Surrounding these men with her own, each of whom -had sword, spear, or battle-axe ready in his hand, she marched them to -the forecastle and forced them, on pain of instant death, to serve the -two great cannon which were in the bow-ports. The first discharge of -these was the explosion I had heard. - -The balls from these pieces were so ineffective, passing wide of the -mark and splashing into the sea a considerable distance from the -galleon, that her anger was kindled, and she warned the master of the -ordnance that if he were not more successful on a second attempt she -would not spare him, being assured that he was merely trifling with her. - -Whether it was because of the terrifying effect of her words, or -because he was determined to give the galleon every opportunity for -getting away from us, and was reckless of what became of himself, the -succeeding shots flew as wide as before. When Grace O’Malley perceived -this she was transported with rage, and, crying that he had brought his -fate upon his own head, ran him through with her sword. - -Had she not quickly interfered, all his companions would have been -instantly despatched by the Irish, who were eager to emulate the -example she had set them. - -Aghast at the death of the master of the ordnance, and suspecting that -there was no hope of anything else for themselves, they cried out -sharply, breathlessly, tremblingly, each protesting and vowing by all -the saints that he would undertake to do whatever he was bid, if only -his life were promised him. - -Seeing from their look that they were likely to do as they said, but -fearing lest they should be unstrung, being so wrought upon by their -terror, she agreed that they should not be slain, but commanded -them to chose from out of their number him who was the most skilful -cannoneer, so that there should be no mistake in regard to the fit -service of the ordnance. At the same time she told them that all their -lives depended on him, for if he failed at the next discharge to damage -the galleon, not only would he be immediately killed, but that all of -them would likewise suffer instant death. - -They chattered for a second together, and then one of them, perhaps -bolder or more desperate than the rest, stepped forward, and accepted -her offer. - -Having warned him again, Grace O’Malley had the guns loaded once more, -and stood over the man with drawn sword as he applied the burning match -to the touch-hole of first one cannon and then of the other. When the -smoke had cleared away, it was seen that the mainmast of the galleon -had been shot through and had fallen over, so that it lay partly across -her waist and partly was in the water. - -Thus impeded, the galleon almost at once lost her sea-way, and both -the _Santa Ana_ and the _Capitana_ began rapidly to come up with her. -Meanwhile shouts and shrieks resounded from her decks; her sailors ran -about in fear and confusion, but after awhile they appeared to be got -into some kind of order, and, as a ball from her boomed across our -bows, it was evident that her captain was resolved to fight for his -ship. - -As our vessels approached, we received a broadside from her which -did us both no little harm, especially to our hulls and rigging, -and a shot tore along the forecastle of the _Capitana_ in an oblique -direction, killing two of my crew and wounding three or four men before -it plunged into the sea. - -But it was impossible for her to prevent us from coming up alongside -of her, and so soon as we had made ourselves fast to her our boarders -poured in upon her. And thereupon ensued a battle not more terrible -than obstinate, while the faint streaks of a cold and troubled dawn -stole upon us, shedding its gleams on the dead and dying as they lay in -pools of blood upon her decks. - -No quarter was asked or given. Whom the sword or the battle-axe or -the spear smote not, him the sea received, for many of the Spaniards, -crying that all was lost, threw themselves from the galleon into the -water and were drowned. There remained, however, towards the end of -the fight a small company of arquebusiers and swordsmen upon the poop, -and among them was the captain of the ship, his clothing stained and -disordered, and a great, red sword in his hand. - -Seeing that no hope remained, he made signs that he wished to -surrender, and begged that his life and the lives of those with him -might be spared, to which Grace O’Malley straightway assented. - -As he walked towards her with his sword in his hand, with the purpose -apparently of presenting it to her in token of his submission, he -seemed to stumble on the planks, which were slippery with blood, and -then, suddenly recovering himself, he made a mad, swift rush forward, -and would have wounded, perhaps killed, my mistress if his intention -had not been guessed by Tibbot, who in the very nick of time dashed -aside the point of the captain’s sword and brained him with his -battle-axe. - -So incensed were the Irish at this act of treachery that they would -show no mercy, and not a soul was left alive. - -Thus was the _San Miguel_, as she proved herself to be, taken. - -Our first care now was to return to Inisheer, so the three galleons -were trimmed as well as was within our power, and our course was shaped -for the island, where our three galleys lay, and which was reached in -due time without our seeing any more ships of the wine fleet. - -And here we remained, among the islands of Arran, for several days, -waiting for the other two galleons of which we had heard; but as they -did not come into sight, we conjectured that they had either put into -some port in another part of Ireland or had been driven on the rocks -and wrecked. - -Then we bore northwards with the Spanish galleons and our three galleys -to a sequestered bay on the coast of Iar-Connaught, where we concealed -in caves and other secret places well known to us a portion of the -great treasure and of the rich stores that had been found in the -merchant ships. Some of their ordnance was put on board the galleys and -the rest cast into the sea. - -As for the galleons themselves, they were steered within a mile of the -harbour of Galway, in full view of its walls, set on fire, and then -sent adrift, blazing, in the bay; while the prisoners, all save Don de -Vilela and Fitzgerald, were landed on the coast, and left to make the -best of their way to the city, where on their arrival they published -abroad all that Grace O’Malley had done. - -And I have not wit enough to describe the amazement and anger of Sir -Nicholas, nor the disappointment and vexation of the merchants at the -losses they had sustained through the destruction of the wine fleet. - -But homeward to Clew Bay we sailed, and little cared we. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -“REDSHANK AND REBEL.” - - -Before we had left the Bay of Galway for the north I had been so -constantly occupied with the unlading of the galleons, the disposal of -our plunder, and the care and the landing of the prisoners, that I had -got no more than glimpses of my mistresses, and then they were seldom -alone. For de Vilela and Fitzgerald, although they had a cabin given -them on _The Cross of Blood_, were but rarely on my galley during the -hours of day, spending most of the time with the two ladies on _The -Grey Wolf_. - -I perceived they were treated rather as honoured guests than as -captives, and I knew that Grace O’Malley held many long and earnest -conversations with Don Francisco, the subject of which was ever the -same--to wit, what Philip of Spain would do on behalf of the Irish if -they rose in rebellion against the Queen. - -Now, it mattered not at all to me who was King or Queen of Ireland, -whether it was Philip or Elizabeth who should be sovereign of the -island, and I had as lief it were the one as the other. - -I owed no fealty to England or to Spain, and, being a Macdonald of the -Isles, no more to the Queen, King, or Regent of Scotland than could be -forced from us Macdonalds of the West, and that was never overmuch. -But I was sworn to the service of Grace O’Malley, and if she preferred -Spain to England, then it was Spain for me! Yet what I had heard of -Philip made me conclude that the Irish would not find him to their -liking, as certainly he was not to mine. - -For, as a thing of course, there arose this question: If Philip helped -the Irish to drive the English out of Ireland, and the English were -expelled from the island, what reward would Philip expect to receive in -return? Would he not look to become its king? However, so far as I was -concerned, the answer lay with my mistress and not with me. - -What struck deeper to my heart, so that it was filled with aching every -hour, was no such great affair as the possession of a kingdom; yet was -it greater to me than all the kingdoms of the world. It was that I -began to doubt--nay, to fear--that the dear, sweet, fair woman whom I -loved would never be mine. - -I had dreamed that I, too, would be a king--her king. Now I saw, or -seemed to see, myself uncrowned, disrobed, and beggared, thrust outside -the gates of the palace in which she dwelt. But I had never been -crowned, nor robed, nor rich, save in visions, and was in truth the -veriest beggar on the face of the earth. - -Although I was able to be so little with my mistresses, I was not so -blind as not to see that de Vilela was entirely fascinated by Eva -O’Malley. She had impressed him from the first, and herein I blamed -him not. And the more he saw of her the more her charm worked upon him. -That surprised me not; it would have been surprising if it had not. - -What stung me to the soul was that Eva was evidently interested in -the man, listening absorbedly to everything he said. Many strange and -curious tales had he to tell of Spain and of the Moors, and, most of -all, of those new lands beyond the seas, inhabited by the Indians, -with their magical cities of gold and their wondrous mines of gems -and precious stones. Spoke he, too, of the mysteries of those far-off -regions; of the lakes and forests and mountains that floated above the -clouds, swimming in the silent air; of sacred temples rising tower -above tower, exceeding majestical, out of wide plains of gleaming -verdure; of their princes and priests and people--all themes as -entrancing as any story of chivalry. - -Nor lacked he such also, for he could tell of those splendid feats of -arms which have made the glory of the world. He was a master, too, of -the secrets of courts, and stood high in the councils of his King. - -’Twas no wonder that that soft tongue of his wooed and won upon our -women, who had so often heard with delight the ruder stories of our -bards. Who was I to match myself against this paragon, this paladin, -this gentle and perfect knight? - -My thoughts were bitter and gloomy, like one walking in the shadow of -death, and I had not even the poor consolation of saying to myself -that Don Francisco was nothing more than a squire of dames--at home -rather in my lady’s bower than in the tented field--for there was that -about him which proclaimed him a soldier, and even a veteran of war. -Good reason, too, had we to know him before many weeks were past for -the bold and ready sword he was. - -And when we had returned to Clew Bay, and the galleys were safe in the -haven under Knockmore, both de Vilela and Fitzgerald accompanied us to -the castle of Carrickahooley, where they were received by my mistresses -as if they held them in their kindest regard. Indeed, they were so -courteously entertained that the darkness of my spirits deepened, so -that I hardly knew myself. - -I was in as many moods as there were hours in the day, until I felt a -shame of myself and of my weakness born in me. At first, I had chafed -and fretted like a spoiled child; then a sullen and savage temper -had possessed me, so that I could see that the crews of the galleys -observed me, thinking that perhaps the bite of my wounds still hurt and -galled; now, recovering myself, I bade myself endure hardness, and bear -the lash of the whip of fate, and be a man. - -But my dear was very dear to me, and my heart rebelled. - -In the meantime I was going backward and forward among the islands and -on the mainland, distributing portions of the plunder we had taken -from the galleons to the widows and relatives of those who had fallen -in the fighting, as was the custom of Grace O’Malley with her people. -Other parts of the spoil were for greater security put into the strong -chambers under the castle and elsewhere. - -There remained the chest of gold and various vessels and chains and -rings of silver and gold, many of them richly jewelled, to be hidden -away, and, for this purpose, Grace O’Malley and I went in a boat by -ourselves to the Caves of Silence under the Hill of Sorrow. And as I -rowed, and considered the while what significance there was in the -gold not being restored to those who made claim to being its owners, I -experienced a sudden lightening of my spirits. - -I reasoned that there must be some doubt in the mind of my mistress -of the truth of the story she had been told of the chest of gold, or -else she would not have kept it. She could not entirely trust them--de -Vilela and Fitzgerald--or she would have returned the money to them. So -I thought, but even this comfort was taken from me. - -When we had reached the dark, narrow strait that lies between the high -cliffs, the grim sentinels which guard the entrance to the caves, the -boat shot into it like an arrow, and, without a word, we went swiftly -for a distance of half a mile or more--the zip-drip of the oars alone -being heard, eerie and startling, as the sound shivered up the black -walls of rock. - -There, jutting out from them, was the Red Crag, that is in shape like -the head of a bull even to the horns; beyond, a strip of beach, and, -at the side of it, a ledge of grey-blue stone; then again the rock -walls, ever narrowing and becoming yet more narrow, until they closed -in an archway, and we lost the light of day as the boat passed on up -the fissure that runs deep into the bowels of the Hill of Sorrow. There -was not room for rowing, and I forced the boat along with a hook, Grace -O’Malley having lighted a torch. - -Then we came to the black, slippery block of stone which seems to close -up the passage, but the secret of which was known to us, and to us only. - -Here we entered--by what way I may never tell--and were in the first -cave of silence, a vast, gloomy, ghostly, dimly-lit hall, with tables -and altars and seats carved out of the living rock by hands dead these -many thousand years, and on the floor where it was stone and not water, -a grey, powdered dust, faintly coloured here and there as with specks -of rust--and all that dust was once alive, for these caves are the -graves of men. - -Out of this vast chamber opened a number of smaller caves, that -looked not unlike the cells of monks--and monks of some sort perhaps -were they who lived and died here. And everywhere silence--a chill, -brooding, fearful, awful silence; and the living rock, hewn and cut; -and the floors that were partly stone and partly water; and the grey, -rust-spotted dust of death! - -In one of these caverns we deposited the treasure taken from the -galleon, hardly speaking except in whispers as we did so, for the hush -of the place lay on us like a spell. - -I ever felt a creepy horror of these dim, dumb shades, and was glad, -when our work was done, to return again to the light of the sun. - -It was on our way back to the castle that Grace O’Malley spoke of what -was in her mind. Her face was stern and set and full of purpose. - -“Ruari,” said she, “much has happened since last we visited these caves -together with my father, Owen. Now he is gone, and I, his daughter, am -proscribed by the English. To what better end could the treasure in -these caves be put than to help to drive the English out of Ireland?” - -“The treasure is yours,” said I slowly, for her words killed my -new-found hope, “to do with as you list, and your will is mine. But the -English are many, and brave and strong. Remember Shane O’Neil, and how -he fell before them. It would be a terrible thing to lose the treasure, -and still to have the English in the land.” - -“We are at war with them in any case,” said she. “As for Shane O’Neil, -he was unsuccessful because he stood alone, but if all the princes -and chiefs of the island unite, the result would surely be different. -Then there is the power of Spain to be thrown into the balance on our -behalf. The King has promised to send both men and money, if we will -but compose our own feuds, and band ourselves together for the one -common object.” - -I answered not a word, but pulled at the oars doggedly. - -“Ruari!” she exclaimed. “Why this silence? It is not like you to be so -quiet when the sound of battle is in the air.” - -“Say on,” cried I, “I am your servant.” - -She gazed at me, as one who considered anxiously a thing which puzzled -her. - -“It is not the treasure, surely?” said she. “When did you care for -anything save the taking of it?” Then a light leaped into her eyes, and -she laughed more heartily than she had done for days. “You do not like -Don Francisco? That is it!” And she laughed again. - -“Don Francisco is well enough,” said I, but she passed the empty words -by. - -“Eva is but a young lass,” said she, with the hardness gone from -her face, so tender had it become all at once, “and the Don, who is -certainly a gallant gentleman, and not a love-sick boy, gives her -pleasure with his tales and romances. That is all!” - -A love-sick boy! That was I, Ruari Macdonald. So Grace O’Malley knew my -secret; did Eva know it also? - -“Grace O’Malley,” said I, resting on the oars, in anguish, for her -words brought no solace to me, “my heart is sore.” - -“Ruari,” said she impatiently, “you are nothing but a big boy. Eva had -a liking for de Vilela, and so have I, but neither of us has any love -for him.” - -“She does not love him!” cried I doubtfully, yet with a gladness -unspeakable conquering the doubt; “she does not love him!” - -“Listen, Ruari!” said my mistress, with a deep, almost melancholy -gravity. “If this noble Spaniard love her truly, and she do not him, -consider how terrible a misfortune has befallen him. To love greatly, -nobly, truly--”and then she paused--”and to find that such a love is -unreturned----” and again she stopped. “But love is not for me; these -Caves of Silence give me strange thoughts,” continued she. - -Here was my mistress in a mood that was new to me, and I held my peace, -wondering. I had deemed that her thoughts were set on war and her -quarrel with the Governor of Galway, forgetting, as I so often did, -that she was a woman as well as our princess and chief. - -“Do you not understand,” said she again, “that the English will not be -satisfied to let our affairs remain as they are? This is not like the -strife between two of our septs. Think you that Sir Nicholas is the man -to be easily defied? Not so; the matter is no more than begun. He will -try to have his revenge, nor will he tarry long over it. See, then, how -great an advantage it is for us that de Vilela should have come to us -at such a time, with the assistance of the King of Spain. Will not the -whole island rise against the Queen of England?” - -“To make Philip King of Ireland?” asked I. - -“I know not that,” replied she; “but the first thing is to expel the -English.” - -Then she told me that Fitzgerald and de Vilela were soon to set out, -making their way across the country to the Earl of Clanrickarde, and, -later, to the Earl of Desmond, who was known to be disaffected to -the government. By the spring of the following year, it was hoped a -general rising would be arranged for, and in the interval soldiers and -money would arrive from Spain, and a camp would be formed at a point -on the coast, chosen for its ease of access from the open sea, and the -readiness with which it could be fortified. - -It was much, nay, it was everything, for me to know that Eva O’Malley -was not in love with Don Francisco, and it was with very changed -feelings that I returned to Carrickahooley. - -Yet, though I had my mistress’s assurance that all was well, I soon -became doubtful and dissatisfied, for time passed and de Vilela made -no preparations to depart on his mission to Clanrickarde, while his -devotion to Eva was more evident day by day. I asked myself why he -lingered, considering the importance of the business on which he was -engaged, and Eva was the only reply to that question. - -It was when I was in this unhappy frame of mind that one of Richard -Burke’s messengers, who had come by way of Lough Corrib and Lough Mask -from Galway, arrived at the castle, bringing news that Sir Nicholas -Malby was on the point of setting out to eat us up. - -Beyond this, the man, who was a half-witted creature, and so permitted -to wander about at his pleasure, no one doing him hurt because such as -he were counted outside of the course of nature, could tell us little -or nothing. Richard the Iron had either not trusted him with more than -the barest message, or else had had no opportunity for saying more. It -was possible, also, that he had not been able to find out exactly what -was intended against us. - -The season was still fine and open, and if the Governor so determined -it, he could attack us by bringing a force along the shores of the -lakes, and then up by the valley of the Eriff. Or, if he designed -to assault us from the sea, as he might if he had obtained some of -Winter’s ships of war, he might purpose to come that way at us. But -Burke’s messenger could tell us nothing of this. - -It seemed more likely that, as the march through Connaught would be -slow and tedious, and beset by the dangers which attend the passage of -a large body of men through a difficult and little known country, he -would strive to reach and assault us by sea. - -Therefore, Grace O’Malley commanded me to take _The Cross of Blood_, -and, sailing southwards, to keep a look-out for Sir Nicholas and the -English vessels of Winter, then in charge of a great part of the fleet -of Queen Elizabeth. And, indeed, I was eager to be gone, not only -because I was ever ready for action of one kind or another, but also -because I felt it would be a relief to the painful uncertainty in which -I was with regard to Eva. - -I had several times resolved to speak to my dear of the love for her -which burned within me, but no fit occasion seemed to arise, and, shy -and timid where she was concerned, I had not had the wit to make -one for myself. And I marvelled at myself, being bold, not to say -foolhardy, in most matters, and yet not a little of a coward before -this one small, fair woman. - -Out from Clew Bay put we with all haste, the wind and sea not being -amiss, and here for two days we drove before the breeze without coming -in sight of a ship of any size. On the third day we lay off shore in a -bay not many leagues from Galway, and there the hours passed by, and -still there was no sign of Winter’s vessels. - -I was in two minds, nor could at first settle with myself whether to -return to Clew Bay at once, having come to the conclusion that Sir -Nicholas was to attack us by land, or to endeavour to enter Galway, and -so to discover what he had done, or was about to do. - -Now it was of the utmost consequence that we should learn what were the -plans of the Governor, if they could be come at in any way, and, having -informed my officers of what I proposed, I determined to disguise -myself and to enter the city to obtain what we were in search of. - -Bidding my people return to Clew Bay if I came not back to the galley -in three days at the furthest, I put on the dress of a mendicant friar, -and in the night was rowed to the fishing village that is just outside -the gates of Galway. Landing, I made my way to the huts, and saw a -light burning in one. When I knocked at the door, a man appeared, who, -seeing a priest, as he thought, asked my blessing and invited me to -enter. - -After a few words, I threw myself down on the earthen floor, and, -saying that I was weary and fain would sleep, closed my eyes and waited -for the dawn. The fisherman made some rough provision for my comfort, -and left me; but I could hear him whispering to his wife, and her -replying to something he had said. - -When the morning was come, I asked to be shown the house of the nearest -priest, whom I found, early as it was, astir and busy with his office. -Discovering myself to him--and this I did because I knew all the Irish -priests were our friends--I requested him to tell me where Sir Nicholas -was. - -But he made answer that he went seldom within the walls of the city, -as the watch was very strict since the escape of Grace O’Malley, and -that no one was suffered to go in or out save only by permission of -the marshal. He had heard, however, that since her flight the Irish in -Galway and the neighbourhood were regarded with suspicion, and that -some of them had been cast into prison. Sir Nicholas, he thought, was -still in Galway. - -As for Grace O’Malley, she had been proclaimed a traitress by the -Governor, and an enemy of the Queen. I myself, Ruari Macdonald, was -also proscribed as an abettor of her treasons, and a great reward was -offered for the head of the “redshank and rebel,” as Sir Nicholas was -pleased to call me. - -And these things did not disquiet me exceedingly, but what did was, -that I could learn nothing of Richard Burke, whom I desired above all -to see. Him, then, had I first to seek out, and, so soon as the gates -were open, I set out for Galway, trusting that my priest’s dress would -satisfy the watch, and that I should be allowed to enter without any -trouble or disturbance. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE WHISPERING ROCKS. - - -The air was cool and the light clear as I stepped briskly along from -the village in a northerly direction, up over the high, wooded lands -that lie on that side of Galway. From an open space I obtained a view -of the town and its harbour, and was well pleased to note that no -ship of war, or large vessel of any kind, rode at anchor in the bay. -Plainly, the English admiral, Winter, had not yet arrived. - -Then I struck across to the east, and so fetched a compass round until -I came upon the road that leads to the great gate of the city, and -there, no distance off, was the gate, open. Two carts, going to market -with provisions, were passing in, and their drivers were stopped by the -watch and interrogated. - -Now, I had no overweening confidence in the completeness of my -disguise, and it was evident that what the village priest had told me -was true as to the care exercised in the admission of anyone within the -walls, so I drew off and tarried awhile, to see if chance would not put -some opportunity into my hands. - -I reflected, too, with perturbation, that I had no weapon with me -except a dagger--the robe I was wearing making it impossible to conceal -a sword beneath it. But then, again, came the thought that, however -well I might have been armed, I was but one man with one life, and that -I was about to adventure it in a city full of my enemies. Yet is there -that in the mere grip of the cold cross of a sword that keeps the blood -a flowing fire in one’s veins, and I regretted that I had had to leave -my good blade behind. - -While I was thus communing with myself, I saw two Franciscans approach, -going towards the gate, and I straightway resolved to join them. They -were talking loudly, as if there were a bone of contention between -them, and, when they observed me, they both, in one breath, as it were, -addressed me, each one asking me to give a decision in his favour on -the subject they differed about, which was--Whether St. Patrick were an -Irishman or not? - -I answered craftily that I should like to hear the arguments on both -sides of the question, and requested them to choose which of them -should be the first speaker. Whereupon, they halted in the road, -disputing which should have the preference, and were like to have spent -the morning before they had settled this, as neither would yield to the -other, if I had not made a movement towards the gate. - -“Sir,” said I, turning to one of them--they had now ranged themselves -on either side of me as we walked on--”what say you? That the holy -Patrick was----?” - -“I say he was an Irishman,” burst in the other, on my left, before I -had finished the sentence. - -“An Irishman!” exclaimed the Franciscan on my right, “an Irishman! Not -he. He was a Scot!” - -“I say he was an Irishman!” - -“And I maintain he was a Scot!” - -“An Irishman!” - -“A Scot!” - -Their voices rose into shoutings and roarings, as they glared across me -with angry eyes. - -“St. Patrick was never born in Ireland,” cried the one. - -“St. Patrick was never born anywhere else,” retorted the other. - -“I tell you, by the Mass, that St. Patrick was a Scot.” - -“I tell you, by St. Peter, he was not.” - -And thus they wrangled until we had reached the gate, where I perceived -the noise they made had already attracted the notice of the watch. -Without appearing to pay any attention to the soldiers, I nodded now to -the Franciscan on my right, and now to him on my left, as if I followed -their words intently. - -All my senses, however, were on the stretch, and my heart throbbed and -fluttered in my breast, for the danger was great. - -“’Tis Father Ambrose and Father Gregory,” I heard one of the soldiers -say, “and another of the fathers.” Then he glanced at me inquiringly, -but only asked, “To the Church of St. Nicholas, fathers?” - -“Yes,” was the reply, and we were passing in when an officer of the -Governor’s came down the street, and, scowling at us, bade us halt. - -“Whither go ye?” he demanded gruffly. - -“To the Church of St. Nicholas,” said we as with one voice, for I had -made up my mind to go thither also. - -“There be too many priests in Galway already,” said he, with stern-knit -brows, “and, had I my way, I should hang ye all. Know ye these men?” he -called to the watch. - -I held my breath. Father Ambrose and Father Gregory they appeared to -know, but as to myself, what would they say? - -“Yes, sir,” said the soldier who had spoken before, and as soon as I -heard this, I moved on, the Franciscans accompanying me, and beginning -their dispute over again. - -And so on we walked to the Church of St. Nicholas, while I could -scarcely credit having thus fortunately made my entrance into Galway. -Having arrived at the church, I directed my steps to the shrine of my -patron saint, where, on my knees, with more than the devoutness of many -a monk, I offered him my gratitude for his favour and protection, and -implored a continuance of the same. - -Thus engaged, I had not at once observed that someone had come up -behind me, and was kneeling two or three paces away. When I looked up I -saw the figure of a woman, but her face I could not see for the shadow -of a pillar that intervened. - -Somehow, the form seemed familiar, and when she rose up from praying -and turned to go, I was startled to find myself gazing at Sabina Lynch. -She glanced at me curiously, but, beholding only a friar, passed on -sedately out of the building, little thinking at the moment that she -had ever been carried, and that not too gently nor so long ago, in that -friar’s arms. - -To keep up the character I had assumed I began begging, according to -the manner of the order of mendicants, from door to door, so soon as I -had quitted the church, hoping in this way to light upon someone from -whom I might safely ask if Richard Burke were lodging in the town. - -And in this it appeared altogether probable that I should have no -success, for in many instances I was driven from the doors of the -people without ceremony, or paid no heed to whatever. Indeed, the whole -town seemed to be agog with something, and, as the streets were now -filled with soldiers marching in companies, it was easy to be seen that -there was good reason for the excitement. - -When I inquired of a man who had given me an alms, and who was of a -friendly disposition, what was the cause of all this moil and stir, he -replied that surely I must be a stranger not to know that Sir Nicholas -was bringing an army together in the town with which he meant to punish -the rebels of Connaught. - -“What rebels?” asked I innocently. - -“That pestilent and notable woman,” said he, “Grace O’Malley, and all -her tribe of robbers and murderers and pirates.” - -Then he told me how she had destroyed the wine fleet of Galway, and so -had come near to ruining the trade of the port. - -“She is a devil,” quoth he, and he crossed himself, “and the Governor -will kill her and her people.” - -“A woman!” cried I, with a great show of being astonished beyond -measure. - -“Ay, a woman,” said he, “but she must be a devil.” And he crossed -himself again. Then he added: “If she be not the very devil in the -shape of a woman, there is with her a man, a giant--a great, strong -giant--whom she calls her brother, but who is said to have come out -of the sea, and is no man at all, but a devil too. Some say he is a -Redshank of the Scots, but I tell you he is a devil too.” - -And thus the fellow maundered on, while I found some trouble in -restraining myself from bursting into laughter in his face. Having, -however, thanked him civilly for his alms and information, I gave him -my blessing--a devil’s blessing--and so left him. - -We were devils! - -What, then, were those who thought nothing of breaking a safe-conduct, -or of poisoning the wine at banquets to which they had invited their -victims as loving guests? Yet the first had happened in the case of my -mistress, and the second had been the fate of many an Irish chief. - -We were devils, and so to be feared! It was no such bad thing at that -time and in that land to be counted as devils, for men who had no fear -of God before their eyes, nor of his saints, were afraid of devils. - -I had now come to the tavern that is under the sign of the Golden -Eagle, and from inside proceeded the sound of eating and of drinking, -of festivity and of mirth. Entering in, I was about to beg for alms, -when I saw among the company a man whom I recognised as one of the Mayo -Burkes, a gallowglass of the MacWilliam’s. Him I at once addressed, -incautiously enough, asking if his master were well, and where I would -find him, as I had a message for his private ear. - -“Richard the Iron,” said he, “is lodged in the North Street; and who -are you, father, that know not that?” - -“I have been there,” said I, lying boldly, “but he is away from the -house.” - -“If he be not at the mansion of the Joyces,” said he, “then I know not -where he is.” - -So Richard Burke was at the mansion of the Joyces in the North Street. -Here was good news indeed, and, having said some fair words to the man, -I went out of the tavern; but when I reached the North Street I found -that my falsehood had this much of truth in it--that Richard Burke was -not there. I sat down on a bench in the courtyard of the mansion, and -waited impatiently for his return. Tiring of this, I walked up the -street towards the Little Gate, and whom should I meet on the way but -Richard Burke riding with Sabina Lynch. - -Well did I recall what Richard Burke had said to me some weeks before, -when he had come secretly to _The Cross of Blood_. He had declared that -Sabina Lynch loved him, but that he only cared for Grace O’Malley. Yet, -as I looked at them, it seemed to me as if he were paying Mistress -Lynch no little court, and they appeared to take pleasure in each -other’s society. - -But when I thought of the messenger he had sent to Carrickahooley, -and of his service, though unavailing, to us before, I conceived that -he was playing a double part, holding that love and war, perhaps, -justified any means so long as the end were gained. And, for that -matter, I, the false friar, was no better than a cheat myself. - -I was determined to get speech with him without further delay--the -feeling of impatience was so strong upon me--and, as I was casting -about in what way I should accomplish this, Sabina Lynch tossed me a -piece of silver as an alms, while I was yet three ells’ length from the -horses. - -“Take that for the poor, father,” cried she merrily. - -It happened that the coin after it had struck the ground, rolled in -front of Richard Burke’s horse, and I rushed forward to pick it up -before it was trampled into the dust. I also trusted that under cover -of this action I should be able to say a few words which would make me -known to him, without being perceived by his companion. - -As I stepped into the street, he was compelled to rein in his horse, -and then to pass by the side of me. - -“What a greedy, clumsy friar he is!” laughed Sabina Lynch. - -In truth, I was as clumsy as clumsy could be, for as I drew myself up -and tried to stand erect I hit my shoulder against Richard Burke’s -foot, whereupon he stopped. - -“Father,” said he, good-humouredly, “have you no care for yourself? -Then, prithee, have a care for me.” - -And he smiled; but when he had looked into my face, and had met my -eyes, I saw the blood suddenly leave his cheeks, and knew that he had -penetrated my disguise. - -He gave so great a start that his horse leaped up under him, and, as it -did so, the friar’s cowl, which covered my head and partially hid my -face, was thrown back, and there stood I, Ruari Macdonald, disclosed -and discovered, before Sabina Lynch. - -She gazed from the one to the other of us in silence, then, striking -her horse violently, galloped off, exclaiming: “Treason, treason!” - -Richard Burke was in a maze. - -“Ruari!” he gasped, and could say no more. - -“I have come to Galway,” said I quickly, “that I might have knowledge -of the Governor’s intentions against us. This is no place for us now,” -cried I, to rouse him, for he was like one that dreamed, “come, come -with me before the hue and cry is raised.” - -And I seized the bridle of his horse and turned its head, and led it -towards the Little Gate. - -“Not that way,” said he wildly. “I have just come from thence.” - -Then he gathered himself and his wits together. - -“The Great Gate is best. Ay, this is no place now for me any more than -it is for you. Well said you that. We will go together; but let us not -go too swiftly, otherwise the watch, suspecting something is wrong, -will not let us pass. We have a few minutes to spare before the gates -can be closed. Do you walk a little way behind me.” - -I had replaced the cowl about my head, and, hardly knowing whether to -be glad or sorry at what had fallen out, marched at a rapid pace after -him up the street of the Great Gate. - -Richard Burke was well known to the watch, and no objection was made to -our passing out. As long as we were within sight of the walls we went -at a walk, but when a turn of the road had hid them from us, I grasped -the saddle-cloth and ran beside the horse, which its rider now urged -along at the top of its speed. - -We had gone about two miles, and had gained an eminence partly -sheltered by trees, when, looking back, we saw the figures of horsemen -spurring after us out of the city. On we sped again, until I could run -no more. Then I besought Burke to leave me as I was spent and blown. -But this he would not hearken to at first. - -“It will be a strange thing,” said I, “if I cannot conceal myself -somewhere in the trees and bushes, or among the rocks, for the night. -In the morning I will make my way back to the galley.” - -And I persuaded him to ride on towards his own territory, but not -before he had told me that Sir Nicholas had drawn a force of a hundred -men from Athlone, everyone of whom was a trained and hardened soldier, -and with these, his own men, and the gallowglasses of Sir Morrough -O’Flaherty of Aughnanure, who had promised to support him, was about to -set out at once for our overthrow. - -The Governor was terribly enraged against us, and in his anger at the -destruction of the wine fleet had sworn he would make an end of us all. -His wrath burned not only against Grace O’Malley, but against many -others of the Irish, and there had been such a killing and a hanging of -those who were thought hostile to the government as had never before -been seen or heard of in Galway. - -Richard Burke had only escaped because of his friendship with the Mayor -and his daughter Sabina Lynch, but his every act was spied upon. - -“I remained in the city for no other reason,” he declared, “than to see -if I could not afford some help to you in one way or another.” - -As he departed, he said, as he wrung my hand, “I shall cast in my lot -with yours, and, if it can be done in the time left to us, I shall -bring all the Burkes of Mayo to your assistance. Should you reach -Carrickahooley first, tell your mistress that.” - -Then he swung himself again into the saddle, and was gone. - -He was hardly out of sight, when I heard the sound of hoofs beating on -the road, and creeping in through the bushes that lined a small stream -by the wayside I laid me down to rest, and soon I was listening to the -voices of the men in pursuit of us as they drew near. They made no -pause, but swept on past the spot where I lay. - -I was about to emerge from my place of concealment, when again the -tramp of horses fell upon my ear, and, looking out, I saw Sir Nicholas -and several of his officers come riding slowly along. They stopped -quite close to me, and, dismounting, made a survey of the land all -around, but, my star favouring me, they moved to the further side of -the stream. - -“Let the camp be pitched here,” said Sir Nicholas, “and do you remain -until the men come up.” - -I guessed that he had been told of my presence in Galway, and had -immediately ordered the soldiers to set out to catch me so that we -should have no advantage from our being warned of his purpose. - -My position was now one of extreme peril; I was cut off from returning -to my galley; and I could see nothing for it but to remain where I was -until the soldiers had gone on on their journey, unless I took the -chances of the darkness. - -There I lay, and, as the night fell, the men of Sir Nicholas marched -up and lit their watch-fires not more than a stone’s throw from where -I hid. For hours, not daring to move, I heard them singing and talking -and jesting with each other. When, at length, silence came upon the -sleeping camp, I stole as softly as I could out of the bushes, and -moving on, like a cat, so that each step of mine was no more noticed -than a puff of wind, I managed to gain the road that leads past Oorid -and Sindilla at the foot of the mountains. I walked fast, and sometimes -ran, until the day broke, when I turned aside, and, having sought -for and found a dry cave on the side of a hill, fell down utterly -exhausted, and ere long was in a deep slumber. - -I was awakened many hours later, for it was dark again, by a strange -sort of cheeping noise at my very ears. - -I started up, and the noise ceased; I lay down, and the sound began -once more. As I listened, my face to the rocky floor of the cavern, I -fancied I could distinguish words, but, as it were, coming from a great -way off. - -Now, thoroughly aroused, I listened yet more earnestly, and I made out -that there were two or three voices, and that the sound of them was -not coming from the inside of the cave, nor yet from the outside, but -seemed to issue, like a thin whistle, through the rock itself. - -I moved stealthily towards the far end, and, lying down again prone, -applied my ear to the ground. I now heard quite distinctly, the words -being audible, though faint, and with an extraordinary effect of still -coming from an immense distance. - -I then understood I was in one of the chambers of the Whispering Rocks -as they are called, for a wonder of nature has so constructed them that -it is possible to hear through them, when all around is still, whatever -is said within these caverns. And how this miracle comes to pass I know -not, but I had often heard of it; otherwise I might have thought that -these sounds came from the spirits of the mountain, and so might not -have discovered the vile plot that had been hatched for our ruin. - -For, as the voices grew more and more clear, I found myself listening -to the story of how these men who were speaking were to present -themselves at the castle of Carrickahooley in advance of the English -army, and, having gained admittance on the plea that they were fleeing -to Grace O’Malley for protection, were treacherously to betray her and -the castle into the hands of the Governor by secretly opening the gate -as soon as the attack began. - -I gripped my dagger in impotent rage, for, placed as I was, I could do -nothing. After a time the voices ceased, and, moving noiselessly to -the mouth of the cave, I saw that the night was clear and starry, and, -feeling refreshed by my long repose, I made on towards Ballanahinch, -which I reached in the morning, and where I obtained milk and the -flesh of a kid from the wife of one of the kernes, who took me for a -wandering priest, and gladly supplied my wants. - -For two days and the greater part of two nights I toiled over the -mountains and through the forests, seeing no indication of the English, -until I came to the fiord of the Killery, where some of our own people -dwelt under Muilrea. From thence they brought me round to Clew Bay in -a fishing boat, and I was back again at Carrickahooley, more dead than -alive from the fatigues I had undergone, inured though I was to all -kinds of hardness. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -A SURPRISE. - - -As I stepped from the boat on to the face of the rock, which forms a -natural quay on one side of the small harbour on the sea-front of the -castle, both Grace and Eva O’Malley, who had seen me coming across the -waters, met me and asked how I fared. - -I was not so spent with the travail of my wearisome journey as not to -be conscious of a novel sort of shyness on the part of my dear, who -seemed rather to hang back behind her foster-sister, and not to be so -open and outspoken with me as formerly. With some bitterness of soul I -attributed this change of manner to her thoughts being engrossed with -de Vilela--so little was I able to read the maid’s mind. - -But it was no fitting time for either the softness or the hardness of -love, and my first care was to relate all that had chanced since I had -seen them last. - -Great was their astonishment at the way in which Sabina Lynch came -again into the tale of our fortunes, and I could see, from a certain -fierceness with which Grace O’Malley alluded to her, that a heavy -reckoning was being laid up against her by my mistress. Eva, however, -appeared to be more struck by the hopelessness of Sabina Lynch’s -affection for Richard Burke, and found it in her heart to pity her. - -When I gave Richard Burke’s message to Grace O’Malley, she rejoiced -exceedingly thereat, and from that moment--at least, so it seems to me -looking backward to those days--she began to esteem him more highly -than heretofore, and to cherish some feeling of tenderness for him, -her enmity against Sabina Lynch, though she would not acknowledge that -there could be any rivalry between them, helping, perhaps, thereto not -a little. - -And it appeared to me as a thing curious in itself, and not readily -explained, except by saying that my mistress was not free from -weakness, that she should have shown a compassion, as she had done when -she had spoken to me some time before of de Vilela, for the hapless -love of a man, and had nothing of the kind for Sabina Lynch. - -Whatever were her thoughts on these matters, what she said afforded no -indication of them, for, so soon as she had heard that the MacWilliam -purposed to bring over from the country of the Lower Burkes, as they -were called, to distinguish them from the Burkes of Clanrickarde, his -gallowglasses to her aid against the English, she at once proceeded to -count up how many swords and spears were at his command. Moreover, she -regarded, she said, his rising against the Governor as a splendid and -sure sign of what would shortly take place over the whole of Ireland. - -Continuing the tale of my adventures, I related the conversation I -had overheard in the case of the mysterious Whispering Rocks, and my -mistress ordered that when the men, whose council of treachery I had -become acquainted with in so strange a way, made their appearance, -they should forthwith be admitted into the castle, as if we had had no -knowledge of their intended perfidy, and that they should not be dealt -with as traitors until she deemed that time was ripe for it. - -And now, having been thus forewarned of what was in store for her on -the part of Sir Nicholas, Grace O’Malley immediately set about placing -the castle in a position of secure defence. To this end, several pieces -of the ordnance which had been taken from the captured galleons of -the wine fleet, and which had been put on board _The Grey Wolf_ and -_The Winged Horse_, now at Clare Island, were brought across Clew -Bay, and mounted on the walls and towers of Carrickahooley, while -the gates and the other more vulnerable parts of its fortifications -were strengthened. In all these matters we were much assisted by Don -Francisco, who had had a large experience of sieges, and was familiar -with the onfalls and the outfalls and the other incidents of such -warfare. The Spaniard and I therefore were together more than we had -ever been before, and towards me he carried himself like the courteous -and knightly man he was, while I strove to pattern myself upon him. - -That he loved Eva O’Malley I was in no doubt. Indeed, when he assured -me, as he frequently did, how glad he was that he had not been able -to leave the castle as he had intended doing, and how well pleased he -was to have an opportunity of espousing our quarrel with the English, I -understood that it was a delight to him to be near her in this our time -of peril, for was not that what I also told myself continually? - -That he bore a hatred towards England was true, but his love for Eva, -as he was to prove, was something far greater than his hatred of the -English. Yet already, though I knew it not then, he must have been well -aware that she was not for him. But no sign of grief or disappointment -did he allow to appear, albeit, always grave, as is the Spanish manner, -he seemed still graver before the assault began--and this, when I -observed it, I took to mean that he considered our situation was such -as called for seriousness. - -Whilst our preparations to repel the English were being made, some days -elapsed, and, on the fifth of them, Calvagh O’Halloran brought _The -Cross of Blood_ into port at Clare Island, where to his great relief, -not knowing what had been my fate in Galway, he was told that I was -before him at Carrickahooley. - -Meanwhile, tidings were being brought us by bands and families of -kernes and peasants, fleeing before the enemy, that the English were -approaching. And, as they marched northwards through Connaught, the -days were red with blood and the nights with fire. - -Everywhere their presence was marked by the smoke and flame of -homesteads wantonly burned, and by the slaughter of all who fell into -their hands, neither the old nor the decrepit, nor the nursing mother, -nor the tender maiden, nor the sucking child being left alive! - -Among the despairing wretches who flocked to the castle for protection -it was impossible to single out the plotters, whose knavery they had -themselves unwittingly disclosed in the Whispering Rocks, for everyone -apparently was in the same evil case. A close watch, however, was kept -on all the men who came in, and who were retained within the walls to -help in the defence, while the women and children were conveyed to -Clare Island, where they would be in safety. - -Don Francisco dropped a half hint that Eva might better be sent to -Clare Island until the fortune of battle had declared itself, but I -knew that this would seem to her to be of the nature of deserting us at -a time of crisis, and so the proposition was carried no further. - -And all through the siege she moved a bright, winsome, and always -cheerful presence, generally attended by the Wise Man, Teige O’Toole, -who constituted himself her body-servant, and who, during this period, -uttered no prophecies of evil, but cheered and sustained us with the -certainty of victory. - -At length, on the tenth day after my return to Carrickahooley, our -spies came in from their lairs in the forests and hills with the news -that the English army was camped two leagues away, and that it appeared -to be the intention of its leaders to spend the night there. The spies -described the army as an immense host, there being more than three -hundred well-armed soldiers, besides a great swarm of the gallowglasses -of Sir Murrough O’Flaherty of Aughnanure, who himself had accompanied -the Governor. - -When I inquired eagerly if Sir Nicholas had any ordnance, the spies -averred that they had seen none. And, whether the difficulty of -dragging heavy pieces through Connaught had been found insurmountable, -or, strong in numbers and relying on the terror inspired by the name of -the English, he had resolved to dispense with them altogether, I knew -not; but to my mind the absence of these engines of war more than made -up for his superiority over us in men. - -Doubtless, his action in this respect was founded on the confidence he -entertained that we were about to be betrayed to him by the traitors -within the castle itself, nor could he dream that the galleries of the -Whispering Rocks had given up his secrets to me. - -All that night the guard, of which I was in command, stood to their -arms upon the battlements; but there was not a sound save such as ever -comes from the sleeping earth or the never-sleeping sea. The morning -dawned still and fair, and the sun rose out of the world, tinting with -a fresh bloom the slopes of the distant hills now purpling with the -bursting heather, and changing the thin, vaporous mist that lay over -land and water below them, into one great gleaming sheen of silver. - -All that night, too, our spies lay concealed in the woods, and noted -every movement within the English camp; and now, as the day advanced, -they came in to report that Sir Nicholas was marching down to the -seashore. By noon he had established himself in and about the Abbey of -Burrishoole, no regard being had to the sacredness of the building. -And here he halted for the rest of the day, probably being greatly -surprised that we had not so far offered any resistance to his approach. - -Now this ancient religious house stands on a rocky height looking -across the small bay that is next to that on the edge of which the -castle is built, and therefore the distance between the enemy and -ourselves was so inconsiderable that it behoved us to be constantly on -the alert. - -In the evening, then, when the night-watch was posted on the walls and -about the gate, I doubled the number of the guard, choosing such men, -and those chiefly from my own crew of _The Cross of Blood_, as were of -proved endurance and courage. - -De Vilela had proffered his services, as my second in command, and -I had given him charge of a picked company whose station was beside -the gate of the drawbridge--that is, the gate on the landward side of -Carrickahooley. - -Grace O’Malley herself saw that everything was disposed according to -her mind before she withdrew to the apartments of the women in the -main tower. But well did I know that it was not to sleep that she had -gone. She had now attired herself in the mantle, leather-quilted jack, -and armour of an Irish gentleman, and her eyes were full of the fierce -light of battle; but, deeming it likely to increase the confidence of -her people if they saw her retire according to her usual custom, she -had left us to ourselves. - -I was leaning upon the edge of the parapet, gazing into the deepening -darkness of the night, and musing on many things, when one of my -officers came up, and informed me that among those who had fled to us -for refuge from the English were certain kernes who passionately begged -to be permitted to share the night-watch, being consumed with zeal -against the enemy. - -Knowing the treachery that was contemplated, Grace O’Malley had had all -the refugees confined during the previous night within the buildings of -the castle, and not suffered to go abroad except in the daytime, and -now when I heard the request I felt a certainty that the men who made -it could be no other than those whose voices I had overheard, and who -were the traitors in the pay of the Governor. - -As it was above all things necessary they should have no suspicion that -we had any knowledge of their purpose, I gave my officer an answer in -an offhand manner, saying I would see these kernes in a little while, -and, if I found them likely to make good soldiers, might add them to -the guard. - -Debating with myself whether I should at once go and tell my mistress -what I thought, and also, if I was correct in my surmise, what was the -best way in which to proceed, so that the discomfiture of these men -might be complete, the night grew apace, and still I had come to no -decision. - -Suddenly, a slight, scarcely-seen motion--so slight, so scarcely-seen -that it might have been caused by the vagrant breath of a passing -breeze, only there was a perfect calm--seemed to the keenness of my -sea-trained vision to make itself felt by a sort of tremulousness in -that breadth of shadow that lay opposite me under the cold gleam of the -stars, which I knew to be the side of the hill on which was the abbey. - -Sounds, too, there came, but so faintly that I could not disentangle -them from the ordinary voices of the night. Then, as I strained my eyes -and ears, both sound and motion faded away as in a dream. I waited and -watched for some minutes, but all was as silent as death. - -Thinking I might have been mistaken, I went down from the battlements, -and calling to the officer who had spoken of the wish of the refugee -kernes, I bade him bring them to me in a chamber that served as a -guard-room. - -As I entered, a solitary wolf-call came howling through the air, and -then, as the kernes came in, there was a second. - -The first wolf-call had startled me, for surely, with such a host near -us, it was a strange thing for a wolf to be thus close at hand; but -when I heard the second one there was no doubt left in my mind. These -calls were no other than the calls of human wolves signalling each -other. - -So, bidding the men to be kept in the guard-room till I returned, I -went to the gate, and told de Vilela that I conjectured the enemy was -stealing upon us in the darkness to take us by surprise, expecting -that their allies within our walls would have so contrived as to make -the way easy for them, and I said I thought I could now put my hand on -these very men. - -When I saw the kernes again, they affirmed that they were three men of -the O’Flahertys of Ballanahinch, between whom and the O’Malleys there -was a friendship of long-standing. Now, between these O’Flahertys and -the O’Flahertys of Aughnanure there was a desperate family feud, and -their tale was not lacking in plausibleness. They appeared to be very -eager to be employed against the enemy, and implored to be sent to help -to guard the gate, which was the weakest part of our defences. - -I replied that it was for me, and not for them, to say where they -should be put, but that their prayer would be granted. As for the -gate being the weakest part of our defences, how could they say that? -Whereupon they were silent. However, I had now determined what I was -to do, so I bade them begone to the company of de Vilela, who had no -difficulty in understanding that they were the knaves of whom I had -spoken to him. - -A short time afterwards I saw the Spaniard, and communicated to him -my plan, which was that he was to appear to give the kernes every -opportunity of carrying out their designs, but, without seeming to do -so, was not to lose sight of them for one moment, and that thus he -would probably be in a position to defeat their intent. - -To speak the truth, I did not see how I could act in any other manner, -yet I was very uneasy, and, as the event showed, not without reason. - -For I had been no more than back again at my place in the black corner -of the parapet, when I heard a loud shouting at that angle of the wall -next the sea, and the sound of blows. Running thither, I saw the dark -forms of men climbing from ladders to the top of the wall, and the pale -glitter of steel striking steel. - -In an instant the whole castle rang with the cries of the alarmed -guard, as they hurried from all sides to the point of attack, and -torches blazed out from the tower. The glare from these lights fell -weirdly on the forms of our people as they pressed on to mount the -parapet, yelling with lusty throats the war-cry of the O’Malleys. I -stopped and looked down on them, and as the dancing torches flew their -flags of red and orange flame, now this way, now that, I noticed among -the crowd the faces of two of the kernes whom I had sent to de Vilela. - -To make certain I looked again. There assuredly they were, pushing on, -and pointing to the place of assault, and shouting more loudly even -than their neighbours. I asked myself why they had left the guard at -the gate, and at once concluded that they must have slipped away in the -confusion, for de Vilela was not likely to have given them permission. - -What was their object? - -And where was the third man? I could only see two. - -There they were--the two whom I now plainly discovered stepping -forward, apparently as keen for the fight as any of ourselves, making -straight for the parapet, and _helping to draw others along with them -away from the gate of the drawbridge_. - -Was that it? - -This thought came like the quick flashing of an inward light, and then -was succeeded by another. - -If this were so, then it followed that the attack we were engaged in -repelling was a mere feint meant to deceive us, and that the real -assault would be made--probably at the gate--while our attention was -held elsewhere. In any case there were sufficient, as I conceived, of -our gallowglasses now upon the walls to beat back the enemy, and I -hastened toward the gate. - -As I moved forward I was met by de Vilela and most of his company, and -when I stopped and asked him why he had quitted his post, he replied -that it was in obedience to a request from me which he had just -received. Now, I had sent no such request, and the fear which had -sprung up within me was at once confirmed, as it was evident that he -had been duped by a false message, the result being that the gate was -left nearly unprotected. - -“Come with me,” I said, at the same time telling him quickly how the -matter stood, and of the dread that possessed me. Such of our men as I -encountered on the way I also bade turn about and follow me. Nor were -we a moment too soon. - -Drawing nearer, we could hear the rattle and the clank of the heavy -chains of the drawbridge as it was being lowered, and the creaking of -the ponderous gate as it swung inwards on its heavy hinges. The flames -of torches blazing from the wide doorway of the main tower flashed upon -the steel jacks and the gauntlets of English soldiers, dim-flitting in -the half-gloom of the opening mouth of the gate. - -The traitor had done his work and had done it well; yet it passes me, -even to this day, to understand how he had been able to accomplish his -end thus so swiftly and thoroughly. - -“O’Malley! O’Malley!” I cried in a great voice that rang out far above -all the din and disorder of the night, so that it reached the ear of my -princess, who now came hurrying on along with some of the gentlemen of -her household and a body of swordsmen. - -“O’Malley! O’Malley!” - -Behind me the pure deep tones of my mistress’s cry mingled with the -hoarse, harsh accents of her people. - -“O’Malley! O’Malley!” - -Fierce and terrible beyond all power of words to express was the hardly -human cry. - -With a couple of bounds I had reached our foes. The glimmer of a sword -passed by me, and I parried the point of a spear thrust at my breast. -Then I felt my knees gripped, and I tripped over upon the body of the -man who held me. As I stumbled, my weapon falling from my hand, I -caught a glimpse of de Vilela standing over me, his long sword playing -like lightning, holding the enemy in check. - -There was a rush of feet, and across me and the man beneath me, as -across a wall, did the battle rage. - -I had fallen with my whole weight upon the man who had seized my legs, -and I heard him gasp and sob and try for breath as he lay underneath. - -As I felt along his form for his throat, I noticed that he wore no -armour, and my fingers became as steel when I realised that this was -no other, could be no other, than the traitor who had opened the gate. -Whoever or whatever he was, his secret died with him there, for I did -not relax my grasp upon his neck until I was well assured that I had -twisted and broken it. - -And when in the morning we found the body amongst a heap of slain, it -was trampled out of all semblance of human shape, but not so as not to -show the sign of the broken neck. - -How I managed to roll myself out of that press and coil I cannot tell, -but yet somehow I did it, and all the while I was strangely conscious -that de Vilela’s sword watched and warded over me, so that I escaped -with my life. This affair of mine took not so long in the doing as -in the telling of it, and when I had struggled to my feet he was in -front of me--”Santiago! Santiago!” on his lips, as that long sword of -his sang its songs of death. Plucking my battle-axe from my girdle I -stepped to his side. - -And now about us were my mistress and her fiery swordsmen, mad with -rage and thirsting for blood. With wild screams we fell upon and fought -back the Englishmen, who stubbornly contested every foot of ground, -until we hurled them broken across the bridge, pursuing them for some -distance beyond the castle. Then, facing round, we attacked from the -rear those who had attempted to enter by scaling the walls; and perhaps -some escaped in the darkness, but of those who were seen by us not one -was spared. - -So, favourably for us, our first fight with the English came to a -close. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE GATE OF FEARS. - - -During what of the night remained we continued under arms, expecting -that the attack might be renewed, but the morning--another sunny -splendour--came, and we were undisturbed. We were now in a better -position to estimate what had occurred, and the peril from which we had -so narrowly escaped. - -The number of our dead and wounded was not great, but among the latter -was Fitzgerald, who had been by the side of Grace O’Malley in the fight -for the gate. Eva O’Malley, along with Teige O’Toole, the Wise Man, -who was also a mediciner, and skilled in the use of herbs and simples, -ministered to the wants and relieved the pangs of the sufferers, as far -as lay within her power. - -And as she passed in and out among them, her passing seemed to me, and -to others I doubt not, as the passing of an angel. My mistress and de -Vilela were unhurt, and I had nothing more than some bruises to show -for my share in the battle. - -Neither among the killed nor the wounded could the two traitorous -kernes be seen, and I feared that they had contrived to make good -their flight, a thing which did not appear improbable considering the -darkness and confusion of an assault by night. However, I had every -portion of the castle searched and scrutinised with the utmost care, -and finally the knaves were found hiding in a storeroom, which held a -large quantity of loose corn, and there, amongst the grain, they were -discovered nearly suffocated. - -They had deserved no mercy and they were shown none. Desirous of -knowing who they in reality were, and of obtaining any information they -possessed of the purposes of the Governor, I ordered that they should -be taken into one of the underground dungeons, and put to the question. - -But they were stout of heart, being, as I think, no common men, so -that torture even failed to worry their secrets from them. When -Grace O’Malley heard that they could be forced to disclose nothing, -she directed that they should be taken and hanged from a great -gallows-beam, that sprang out from the summit of the tower, and which -could be plainly descried by the English from Burrishoole. - -No sooner had the fight for the gate come to an end, than I became -greatly disturbed in my mind as to the debt I felt myself to be owing -to de Vilela, for, had it not been for that marvellous sword-play of -his I had never come out of the fray alive. - -That was the kind of debt in payment of which a man might almost -give his all, even life itself. In what way was I to discharge it? I -consoled myself with the thought that the chances of warfare might -provide me with the opportunity, but if not--what then? - -The matter lay heavy upon me, and that Don Francisco was my rival -for Eva’s love, and, as I was more than half disposed to imagine, my -successful rival did not make the burden of it the lighter to bear. But -one thing I could do, and that, the business of the perfidious knaves -being despatched, I did. I sought him out, and, offering him my hand, -thanked him with such words as flowed from a full, if troubled breast, -for the great service he had done me. - -“Señor,” said I impulsively, “I believe that I am indebted to you for -the greatest service one man can render another.” - -His attitude was that of protest, nay, of entreaty, that I should say -no more. - -Now I have written to little purpose if I have not made it evident -that de Vilela was my superior in every way save with respect to my -strength of body, which was the one special gift God had given me. I -had acknowledged the fact to myself, although, being human, not perhaps -ungrudgingly. As I looked into his face, whatever poor, paltry feeling -I had nourished against him was swept away by a wave of strong emotion. - -“Yes, señor,” said I, “how am I to thank you? But for you--I would have -perished. What am I to say? What can I do?” - -“Señor Ruari,” cried he, in that soft, quiet way of his, “between -soldiers, brothers-in-arms, there is no debt.” - -“Señor,” said I---- - -“Be generous, Señor Ruari,” exclaimed he, “and say not a word more,” -and he smiled somewhat wistfully and sadly. “We are friends, at any -rate, whate’er befall, are we not?” - -“By God’s wounds!” swore I. - -And we clasped hands again, and so parted. - -The day which followed that night of stir was one of quiet at the -castle, and its very peacefulness seemed to me well-nigh intolerable. -But we learned from our spies, and could to some extent see for -ourselves, that there was a great commotion in the English camp, -indicating the arrival of fresh troops. - -By the evening, Sir Nicholas had so disposed his forces that we -were completely hemmed in on the land side, and our spies had to be -withdrawn within the walls. The sea was still open to us, and much I -wondered that the Governor did not take this more into his account, for -so long as we could get to our galleys and procure food by way of Clew -Bay, we could laugh at him and bid him defiance. - -But I might have been sure that Sir Nicholas was too experienced a -soldier not to know well what he was about. - -Another night and another day dragged themselves slowly away, and the -Governor moved not from the positions he had taken up. There he lay all -round us, just out of reach of our ordnance, of which we gave him a -taste from time to time, so that he should keep his distance; there he -lay, inactive, waiting, expectant--but of what, or, of whom? - -These were the questions Grace O’Malley discussed with de Vilela and -myself, and the answers to them did not present themselves at once. - -“Can it be,” asked my mistress--and her words showed the direction in -which her thoughts were turning “that Sir Nicholas has heard Richard -Burke is coming with all the men of Mayo behind him to our aid, and -that he has decided to engage him before attacking us?” - -“He is perhaps making some engines with which he hopes to batter down -your walls,” said de Vilela. - -“Our ordnance will prevent that,” said I. - -“I think the Governor must himself expect to receive ordnance from some -quarter,” said de Vilela, “otherwise the success of the siege he must -know is impossible.” - -Grace O’Malley and I looked at each other, the same thought in our -minds. There was only the one way by which there was any probability of -his obtaining heavy pieces, and that was over sea. - -Did Sir Nicholas reckon on the support of a heavy ship of war, and was -he now quietly looking for its arrival? Had he foreseen, or, at least, -provided against the failure of the plot of the kernes? - -That seemed very likely, and the more I thought of it the more likely -did it seem. I now realised, as I had not done before, the seriousness -of our situation. - -“That must be it,” said Grace O’Malley. “That must be it. He is not -a man given to slackness, but he is perfectly aware that he can now -effect nothing unless he has cannon, and so he tarries until his -ordnance comes. Doubtless he has arranged that a war-vessel shall meet -him here, and, if that is how the matter stands, it may arrive very -soon.” - -“What you have conjectured,” said, de Vilela, “will, I think, prove to -be correct.” And I also said that her words expressed my own opinion. - -Now, the three great galleys lay in the harbour at Clare Island, and -as Grace O’Malley had withdrawn most of their crews they were without -sufficient defenders, and might be easily taken and destroyed. - -“The galleys must at once be brought over here,” said she with decision -to me, “or better still, if it be not too late, sailed into Achill -Sound, and hidden away in one of its many bays. This very night, as -soon as the darkness has fallen, you, Ruari, must take as many men as -can be got into the boats we have here, and make for Clare Island with -all speed. When you have reached the island, do with the galleys as -seems best to you.” - -Accordingly, when the shadows of night had overspread the land and -the sea, I set about to fulfil her behest. The day-breeze had died -away, and the waters were calm and tranquil as we pulled out from the -castle. Rowing steadily and strongly along the north shore of Clew Bay, -the sound of our oars alone breaking the silence, we held on until we -arrived at Clare Island, where I was overjoyed to find our ships riding -at anchor in the peaceful security of the haven. - -And there, partly to rest my weary men, and partly because I could see -no reason for any immediate action, I resolved to lie still till dawn. - -I had hardly, as it appeared to me, laid myself down to sleep in my -cabin on _The Cross of Blood_, though some hours had passed, when I -was aroused by Calvagh O’Halloran, who had been left in charge of the -galleys, with the tidings that the watchers he had placed on Knockmore -had come down from the hill with the intelligence that they had seen, -in the first light of the morning, the tops of the masts of a large -ship coming up, faint and dim, on the south against the sky. - -Springing from my couch, I bade Calvagh get the galleys ready to put -to sea, and while this was being done I went ashore, and, climbing the -slope of Knockmore with swift steps, gazed seaward at the approaching -vessel. - -At first I was inclined to hesitate as to what to make of her, but -as I looked, and as she kept coming on into fuller view, any doubt I -entertained was set at rest. - -There was a bright flashing of flame, then a heavy boom from one of her -ports, succeeded by three shots fired in rapid succession. - -I concluded that she was still too far out at sea for her commander to -have intended these for anything but signals, and therefore I continued -to stand watching her, my purpose being to discover if she intended to -make for Clare Island or would hold on towards the mainland. - -This took some time, for, as the breeze was off the shore and against -the tide, she sailed very slowly. At length it became apparent that she -was to endeavour to go on to Burrishoole or Carrickahooley, and so -would have Clare Island well on her left, for, as she passed the Point -of Roonah, she was swung around between us and the coast. - -I could tell from her movements that her captain was far from being -certain where the channel lay among the islands that stud all the -eastern side of Clew Bay; and, indeed, it takes a man who knows these -parts more than well to steer a ship of middling tonnage safely through -the rocks and shoals into the fairway by Illamore. I felt confident -that it would be many hours before he could reach his destination, -and this put into my mind to attempt to carry out a project which had -occurred to me, and which might prevent him from ever reaching it at -all. - -The project was of a somewhat desperate nature, and if it resulted in -failure then in all likelihood there would be an end so far as regards -_The Cross of Blood_ and its company; but if success should favour our -enterprise, we might compel Sir Nicholas to raise the siege before it -was well begun, and so bring the war to a close for the present by his -retreat. - -As I was weighing the chances both for and against us, there sounded -forth from the English ship-of-war a single loud report, and shortly -afterwards three shots were fired--a repetition, in fact, of the former -signal. This acted on me like the pricking of a spear on a charger. - -What I had in view was nothing less than the wreck of the enemy’s -vessel. - -When I had regained the deck of my galley the anchor was weighed, and -we put out into the bay, leaving _The Grey Wolf_ and _The Winged -Horse_ in the harbour, with orders to follow us on the next tide. - -Summoning Calvagh to my side, I unfolded to him the course I thought -of pursuing, and as much would depend on the stoutness and endurance -of our rowers, I enjoined on him to exhort them to be steadfast, and -not to be thrown into a fury and a frenzy of excitement even when they -heard the shots of the Englishman roaring past their ears and we seemed -to be going to certain destruction. - -They were not to abandon their places at the benches unless _The Cross -of Blood_ should be so damaged by the enemy as to appear to be in a -sinking condition. Should that disaster be imminent, then, and only -then, would it become a case of each man for himself. - -I judged it to be needful to give these instructions because, while -I could trust everyone of my men where a matter of fighting was -concerned, I was not so sure that when it came to our running away--and -that was the very soul of my scheme--they would do as I wished with an -equal heart. For they were of the temper in which it is easier to fight -and die than to flee and live. - -As we drew out from Clare Island the English ship was about two miles -in front of us, with her bows pointing for the south side of Illamore, -between which and the rocky islets opposite it there is a clear span -of water, but before she could come abreast of Illamore there was a -distance of a couple of leagues of open sea. - -She went along lumberingly, and the galley, bounding forward like a -racer under the swift, measured swing of the oars, had the speed of -her, and began to come up with her rapidly. When we were within a mile -of her, and Illamore perchance a league away, I shifted my course and -bore off to the north. - -The galley had no doubt been seen by the Englishmen as soon as we had -emerged from Clare Island; and now, when they perceived that we were -heading away from them and going north, they fetched about and came -round after us. - -Would their captain give chase, or would he content himself with noting -whither we went and following us for a time and then turning about -again? I had felt certain from the beginning that he had no pilot on -board, for where were there any people who knew Clew Bay but ourselves? -And sure was I that no O’Malley would ever guide a hostile ship through -these waters. - -What I feared was that the Englishman might pursue us for two or three -miles, and then, seeing how thick the islands were in that part of the -bay and how narrow the channels between them, might be deterred from -proceeding further in our direction, and therefore stand off again for -the other side of Illamore, as had been his purpose at first. - -As I was determined to draw him on at all hazards, I made a sign -to Calvagh, at whose word our oarsmen ceased pulling their great -sweeping strokes, and made no more than a pretence of rowing, so as -only to keep steering-way on _The Cross of Blood_, and to deceive the -Englishman into imagining that he was catching her up, as indeed he -was, though not as he understood the matter. - -On he came, as I had hoped, the gap between us growing less, until a -ball fired from his bows fell so near as to warn me that we were within -range of his guns. - -The English vessel was a heavily armed ship, her sides bristling with -large pieces of ordnance, and it would have required not more than -a few of her shots, had they struck the galley, to send her to the -bottom. And as there were but two falconets on _The Cross of Blood_, -her other cannon having been removed from her to the walls of the -castle, we were not able to reply to the enemy’s fire with any effect. -But it was not my intention to use these falconets, except to lure him -into that trap I was setting for him. - -Therefore I shouted to Calvagh, and the galley plunged forward again -under the strong, full beat of the racing oars as he ran up and down -between the rowers commanding them to pull for their lives. We could -hear the cheering and the laughter on board the Englishman as he -watched what he took to be our frantic efforts to escape. - -And, in truth, we had put on this burst of speed none too soon, for the -shots now sent after us fell so little short of our stern that I was -afraid we were lost. But the peril passed, and we quickly drew away. - -And thus for two miles or more the pursuit of us went on, the -Englishman coming up with us and discharging his pieces at us as we -slacked off rowing, and then falling behind us as the oarsman drove the -galley on again. I repeated this manœuvre several times, and once only -had a ball struck _The Cross of Blood_, but, as fortune would have it, -without inflicting any serious injury upon us. - -Now that the supreme moment was almost at hand I became conscious of a -singular tumult, a very fever in my veins, and that at a time when I -desired above all things to be calm and self-possessed. - -I was standing by the helmsman as he steered, and, as I turned to give -him the direction, I could see in the pallor that showed beneath the -brown of his skin, in the fixedly gleaming eyes, in the shut lips that -had no colour about them, in the whole tense attitude of the man, the -visible expression of my own feelings. - -For there before us lay the islands; all shapes and sizes were they, -some grim and bare, others green and fair to see; island upon island, -one crowding upon the other, as it were, like a wide range of low hills. - -Immediately in front of us a grey, craggy rock reared its head; on one -side of it was a small, round islet, a shining girdle of spray half -hiding it, on the other, separated from it by a narrow passage, a great -rampart of black cliffs, on whose heights the eagles loved to build, -towered aloft into the sky, the waves rolling themselves in empty -thunders at its feet. - -Beyond this passage was seen a spacious land-locked bay as it appeared -to be, so closed in did it seem on all sides by islands. And through -this passage did I give command to go. - -There was a mute protest in the look the helmsman gave me, for this -passage is none other than that called the Gate of Fears, and no -mariner ever makes use of it save from direst necessity and with many -crossings of himself and murmured vows. But the galley made a half-turn -obedient to the helmsman’s hand, and so was headed for the dreaded Gate. - -The Englishman was at our heels, bent upon our capture or destruction, -but when he saw us approach this passage he hesitated, and was like to -draw back. Whereupon I ordered Calvagh to bid the oarsmen stop rowing, -and bringing the falconets into position trained them on the enemy, -myself putting the blazing torch to the touch-hole. - -At the same time our sailors sent up a loud taunting, derisive cry, -which was answered back full-throated by the English ship. Provoked -beyond endurance at us, and thinking, it might be, that where a large -galley like _The Cross of Blood_ might go she might venture also, she -again came on at us, firing as she came. - -I had to endure an agony of suspense, for there was still time for two -things to happen, either of which would be fatal to my purpose. - -Until the English commander had fairly entered the Gate of Fears, and -so would be forced to go on, he might hold off after all. That was the -first. And to tempt him on I had to keep the galley so close to the -range of his ordnance that it was very probable that he might hit and -sink her. That was the second. - -He had, however, made up his mind that we were within his grasp, and -had determined to have us. As he came slowly nearer, our oarsmen sent -the galley on through the passage, and on he moved after us. - -There was now a lull in his cannonading, and a strange silence fell -upon us all. In that silence I waited anxiously, a prey to mingled -doubts and fears, expecting to hear a slight grating, scraping -sound, and to see the galley shiver and quake as she passed over the -knife-edges of rocks that lie a few feet below the surface of the sea -at the further end of the Gate. The tide was high, as I had reckoned, -else I never would have attempted it. - -Then there was a sudden tempest of smoke and flame from the Englishman, -in the midst of which _The Cross of Blood_ swayed and reeled as if she -had been struck. I sickened with apprehension, but the swaying and the -reeling quickly ceased. We were safely over the jagged barrier of rock; -we had passed through the Gate, and were in the deep water beyond. - -Below me I could see Calvagh’s white, set face as he looked up; then, -as he realised that we were out of the dangers of the passage, a war -chant broke from his fierce lips, the oarsmen rowing mightily, and -keeping time to that savage, deep-chested music of his. - -And on behind us came the unwitting Englishman. - -In a few minutes more, looking towards her, I saw her bows tilt up -and then plunge high into the air. She was lifted up and dashed down -again and again on the rocks, so that her back broke, and she was torn -to pieces before my eyes, while some of her sailors cast themselves -into the water, with outcries and bewailings very piteous to hear, and -others got into the ship’s boats and put out to sea, where I know not -what fate overtook them. - -My men clamoured that they should be pursued, but this I would not -suffer, for my end was attained, as Sir Nicholas now would have no -ordnance for the battering down of the walls of Carrickahooley, and -must therefore raise the siege. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE SIEGE IS RAISED. - - -Perchance it was that my spirits had been affected by the sinking -of this fine ship, even though I myself had been the cause of the -same--the loss of a vessel, I cannot help saying, being a thing more -to be deplored than the deaths of many human beings; or it may have -been that my mind, now the necessity for prompt and decisive action had -passed, became, as it were, relaxed and unstrung; but, as _The Cross -of Blood_ threaded her way through the maze of the islands towards -Carrickahooley, I could think of nothing save of how I stood in the -debt of de Vilela. - -In vain I strove to comfort myself by recalling the successes and the -victories that had been achieved by and in the name of my mistress, -Grace O’Malley, and by telling myself that she had won for herself and -us an imperishable renown. Not thus could I silence the voice of my -heart, which cried out that all these were but as barrenness and as -nothingness so long as Eva O’Malley was not for me. For _there_ was the -pain, there the grief and the sadness. - -Against myself did I consider myself called upon to fight. I was as -deep in the Spaniard’s debt as a man could be, and yet I could not -bring myself to resign all hopes of my dear, even to de Vilela, without -the bitterest struggles. - -Which of us twain possessed the maid’s love? Was it de Vilela, or was -it I? Did she love either of us?--that was the all-important question. -For myself, my love had grown with my growth, was, I felt, growing -still, and would keep on growing as long as I lived. - -De Vilela, however, was a stranger, blown in upon us, as it were, by -the chance winds of heaven. My claim was perhaps the better claim, but -a maid’s heart acknowledges no real claim but the claim of her love, -and if her heart’s love was de Vilela’s, then was my claim void and -empty indeed. - -Therefore, let the maid decide. My thoughts had worked round to this -point, when I remembered once more what Grace O’Malley had said about -the Don and Eva. What if Eva loved me after all? Again, Let the maid -decide, said I. - -Yet, somehow, this did not altogether satisfy me. Then it occurred to -me that I might pay a part of my debt to de Vilela in the following way. - -He could scarcely tarry much longer with us at the castle, as he must -soon depart to endeavour to carry out the objects of the secret mission -with which he had been entrusted by his master, the King of Spain. -The way for him would be clear and open, for I had no doubt that Sir -Nicholas would not now be able to continue the siege, and that we would -be left in peace and quiet till the spring of the next year, when the -war would most probably be renewed against us with larger forces, and -with greater determination, both by land and sea. But all that lay in -the womb of the future. - -As for Don Francisco, I thought it likely that he would try to make the -most of the time that remained to him before setting out for the Earl -of Desmond’s, that he would ask for Eva’s hand from Grace O’Malley, -and that thus the matter would be determined. What I set myself to do -was, so long as he remained at Carrickahooley, to keep out of Eva’s -presence, and in a manner, as it were, to leave the field to de Vilela. - -If the maid loved him, I was out of court; if she loved me, she would -tell her foster-sister that she could not accept the offer of the -Spaniard; if she cared for neither of us, or wavered between us, then -I was resolved to forego whatever advantage I possessed over de Vilela -until he had received his answer and had taken his departure. - -If she accepted his suit, they would be married, I supposed drearily, -before he left, and then they would set out together, and that which -was unutterably and unalterably rare, dear, and precious would be gone -out of my life. If Eva willed otherwise--it all rested with her. But, -in any case, de Vilela was to have his chance free from any mean or -unmannerly interference from me. - -Little did I guess how severely the strength of my resolution was to be -tested, but I thank God, now that all is done, that it bore the strain. - -It was not much past the middle of the day when _The Cross of Blood_ -drew up at Carrickahooley, but long before we had reached the castle we -could hear the sounds of battle rolling towards us from off the land, -and could see the tiny clouds of smoke made by the arquebuses as they -were fired off. - -Disembarking with all haste, and bringing with me most of my crew, I -was instantly admitted within the water-gate. There I was told that -Grace O’Malley, with de Vilela, her gentlemen, and most of her people, -was making a sally on the English. - -Rushing to the parapets, I could see that the centre of the fighting -was between the castle and the Abbey of Burrishoole, and that it was of -a very terrible and bloody character, the Englishmen displaying that -dogged courage for which they are famed, while the Irish, inspired by -their mistress, performed wonderful feats of valour, and were thrusting -their enemies slowly back to their principal position, where, however, -their further retreat was speedily checked on their being strengthened -by fresh supports. - -Now the purpose of Grace O’Malley in this outfall could not have -extended beyond inflicting upon the Governor considerable loss, as -she knew his force was far superior to her own in numbers; and I -was therefore not surprised to witness the Irish at this juncture -beginning to retreat, the English attacking them fiercely in front and -on their flanks. - -It was at this instant that Sir Nicholas, who was himself directing the -operations of his troops, conceived that he might cut our people off -altogether from the castle by sending forward some soldiers he had held -as a reserve, and placing them between the Irish and the castle. - -I could see all this quite plainly from the walls, and, fearing lest he -might succeed, I summoned my men, and, issuing from the castle gate, -marched to meet this new body of the enemy, in order, if so be I was in -time, to defeat the attempt, which, if well carried out, could not but -be attended with the greatest possible danger, and perhaps disaster, to -my mistress. - -Being delayed by the roughness of the ground from coming up as quickly -as I could have wished, and as they had the start of us, the English -had effected their purpose, and the Irish were surrounded. - -But, as we ran forward, some of the enemy faced about to meet us, and -so, being taken, as it were, between two fires--Grace O’Malley with her -men on the one side, and I with mine on the other--they were speedily -thrown into the utmost confusion, of which we did not fail to make a -good account. Still the contest was by no means entirely in our favour, -for the resistance of the Governor’s soldiers was protracted and -bitter, each man contending for his own hand with all the strength and -cunning he was possessed of. - -At length the main body of the Irish under Grace O’Malley fought their -way through the enemy and joined themselves to us, my mistress being -both surprised and rejoiced to find that we had returned, and had been -able to come to her assistance. Beside her, their swords gleaming redly -in their hands, were Brian Ogue, and Art, and Henry O’Malley, and the -other gentlemen of her household; and leaning upon the arm of one of -them, and supported and protected by two men, I beheld de Vilela, -desperately wounded! - -His face was pale, drawn, deep-lined, and spotted with blood, the eyes -being closed, and the lips shut tight; the figure within his armour was -bent with weariness, and weakness, and wounds; the fingers of the right -hand still grasped the handle of his sword, but they shook and trembled -as with palsy. Truly, he looked like one whose doom is sealed, and my -heart went out to him with a great compassion. - -Calling to four of my men, who were armed with spears, I caused them -to make a rough litter with their weapons, and upon this rude but -soldierly contrivance we laid the Spaniard, and so bore him to the -castle, while behind us the fight still continued, but with less and -less fierceness. - -Not a sound came from Don Francisco, although the jolting must have -given him the most intense pain, save once when my mistress took his -hand and spoke to him, when he made reply in Spanish that “all was -well” with him. And I thought the words were not unworthy, but well -became the brave soul of the man. - -“I will go in with him,” said Grace O’Malley to me, when we had arrived -at the gate; “Ruari, do you gather our people together, and lead them -within the walls.” - -And I did her bidding, so that in a short time I had them collected in -a compact body, and under cover of the ordnance, belching forth from -the battlements, retreated within the gate, bearing most of our wounded -with us. There I found Grace O’Malley waiting to hear the news I had -brought. - -“De Vilela?” I first inquired. - -“He is still alive,” said she, “but I fear the hour of his passing is -already upon him.” - -“’Fore God,” cried I, with a sob in my throat, “I trust not.” - -“Eva tends him,” said she--and in a flash I remembered everything. - -“He is in good keeping,” said I. - -“He is in the hands of God,” said she, in a voice and manner so touched -with unwonted solemnity and deep feeling that I gazed at her in -amazement. - -Then a wild thought came to me: could she, did she, our princess, care -for this man? But no sooner had the thought arisen in my mind than I -dismissed it. “What have I to do with love?” she had said on a former -occasion, and she had meant it. - -Her next words, however, appeared to give point to my suspicion, but -when I considered them more carefully, I saw I was wrong. For what she -had said was, “There are few men like Don Francisco,” but the tone in -which they were spoken was not that, it seemed to me, of a woman who -loves; rather was it that of one who deplores the expected loss of a -dear friend. Yet sometimes, in the silent watches of the night, have I -wondered--and I wonder still. - -“We have heard the roar of great guns from time to time this morning,” -said she, changing the subject abruptly, “and, knowing that you had -no ordnance to speak of, I feared for your safety. Tell me what has -happened.” - -Whereupon I related all that had taken place, and how that the English -war-vessel had been dashed to pieces on the rocks at the hither end of -the Gate of Fears. - -Much I spoke in praise of Calvagh and the rowers of _The Cross of -Blood_, and said that it was fitting they should be given a rich -reward, for, notwithstanding the terrors inspired in all seafaring men -by the place, and in spite of the ordnance of the Englishman making the -passage like the mouth of hell, they had stood fast every one. - -“And what of yourself?” cried she, between smiles and tears. “What of -yourself, my Ruari?” - -And she took from the mantle upon her shoulder a brooch of gold, with -mystic signs, of which I knew not the meaning, engraved upon it, and in -the midst of it a sapphire, with the deep blue in it of the unfathomed -abysses of the sea. This she handed to me, one of her arms about my -neck, and I was uplifted with pride, albeit there was some shame mixed -with it too. But the gift I compelled myself to decline. - -“I may not take it,” cried I; for the brooch was one of the tokens of -her chieftainship to her people, and firmly resolved was I that there, -in the land of her fathers, no man should ever have the slightest cause -to think there was any other chief save her, and her alone. But if I -took the brooch--”No,” said I; “I may not take it.” - -Then, seeing I was determined, she sighed, said no more, but kissed -me on the cheek--a thing she had not done since I was a little child, -playing with her, a child too, on the sands of the shores of Clew Bay. - -Thereafter together we went into the chamber of the main tower where de -Vilela had been laid. There by his couch was my dear, a presence soft, -tender, and full of sweet womanly pity and of the delicate ministries -that spring from it. There upon the couch lay the wreck of a man; so -calm, so pale, so worn, that he looked like one dead. - -“He still breathes,” said Eva, in a whisper. - -Perhaps it was the result of the conversation I had just had with Grace -O’Malley, or it may have been the subtle influence of that scene, with -that quiet figure stretched upon the couch for its centre, but there -was no bitterness in my breast when I saw Eva there. Who, indeed, could -have felt any other emotion at such a time but that of sorrow? - -For two days de Vilela hung between life and death. More than once -did it seem that his spirit had left his shattered body, and yet it -did not. On the third day the Spaniard rallied; Teige O’Toole, our -physician, declared that there was hope; and from that instant Don -Francisco began slowly to recover. - -All within the castle rejoiced, and I as much as any; but when I saw -how constantly Eva was with him, and how the sick man was restless -and uneasy in her brief absences from his side, and how she watched -over and soothed and tended him, her mere presence being a better -restorative than all the healing simples of Teige O’Toole, is it to be -marvelled at that I found the determination I had come to of leaving -the field open to him, and of withdrawing from it, become more and more -difficult to maintain? - -Neither did Sir Nicholas nor his army help greatly to distract my -thoughts. For there, outside our walls, at a safe distance from our -cannon, did the Governor lie day after day for a long week, waiting, -doubtless, for the warship that never came. - -We did not, on our side, stir out of the castle, for whatever -advantage, if any, had been reaped from the sally had been purchased at -too heavy a price. Grace O’Malley rightly had come to the conclusion -that we had everything to gain by sitting still, and that Sir Nicholas, -seeing that he could do nothing against us without ordnance, would -soon grow tired of this futile business, and so go back to Galway. - -Whether he had heard in some way that the vessel he had expected had -been wrecked, or feared that events had happened which had prevented -it from being sent at all by Winter, the English Admiral, I know not; -but one night he stole away from Burrishoole, and when the morning was -come, lo, there was not an Englishman anywhere to be seen. - -It was an unfortunate coincidence in one respect that the very morning -which saw the siege raised should also have witnessed the arrival of -Richard Burke, attended by fifty horsemen and more than a hundred -gallowglasses, for if we could have counted on such a number of -fighting men in addition to our own, we should certainly have again -attacked the Governor’s forces and not stood so much upon our defence. - -But in another respect it fell out luckily enough for us, and this was -that we might now pursue him with some hope of overtaking him, and of -stopping him from plundering the country, owing to the assistance of -the Burkes. There was nothing more certain than that Sir Nicholas, as -he retreated towards Galway, would drive before him all the cattle and -horses of the land, and thus he would, after all, unless prevented, -gather an enormous spoil, depriving us, and those who looked to us for -protection, of a great part of our wealth. And already he had done us a -vast amount of injury and harm. - -So soon, therefore, as Richard Burke, who was sorely disappointed that -he had not reached Carrickahooley sooner, had come into the castle, and -had been received and entertained by my mistress, from whom he heard a -narrative of what had recently occurred, Grace O’Malley proposed that -he and I should set out with a large force to endeavour to recover -from the English the plunder they were taking away. And to this the -MacWilliam gladly assented, observing that no proposal could please him -better than to take part in getting back her property for her. - -“And,” continued he, “as it is impossible for Sir Nicholas to move -quickly, hampered as he must be with many herds of cattle and bands of -horses, we can catch him up before he has gone very far.” - -“You will also have many opportunities,” said Grace O’Malley, “of which -I am sure you will not fail to make the most, of coming upon detached -bodies of his troops as they struggle through the thick forests and the -passes of the mountains, and of cutting them off. You can harass and -harry him nearly every step of his retreat, so that when he at length -reaches Galway it will be with greatly lessened forces, and with so -slender a spoil that he will not care to boast of it.” - -“You would not offer him battle?” asked I. - -“You must be the judges of that for yourselves,” said she; “but Sir -Nicholas is a fine soldier, and as wary as a fox in warfare, and I -think you can do him far more deadly hurt by acting as I have said. -You will risk but little, and may gain much.” - -Then Grace O’Malley and Richard Burke began talking of what prospect -there was of a general rising of the Irish against the Queen, and of -the help that might be looked for from Philip of Spain, and of other -matters, some of which, I suspect, lay even nearer the heart of one of -them, at least. - -But of this I cannot tell, for when they commenced to speak of affairs -of State I went out from the hall in which they were, to get my men -in readiness to pursue the English. And welcome to me was it that our -expedition, and its hard service, held out the promise of drawing off -my thoughts from Eva and de Vilela. - -I was eager that we should make a start at once, but the Burkes were -weary and footsore with their long, toilsome journey. For that day, -then, they rested, Grace O’Malley giving them and all in the castle a -great feast, filling them with food and wine, while her harpers stirred -their souls with songs of the mighty deeds done by the mighty dead. - -Songs, too, they made to music now sweet, now fierce, in honour of -my mistress, acclaiming her as not the least in the long list of a -line of heroes! Whereupon the castle rang with tumultuous shoutings -of applause. Then the minstrels cunningly turned their themes to the -Burkes of Mayo, English once, but Irish now--ay, even more Irish than -the Irish themselves. - -And so the day passed. - -In the morning we left Carrickahooley with a hundred horsemen and a -hundred running footmen, besides horse-boys and others. Behind us -came many of the fugitives who had come to us fleeing from before the -English, and who now were returning to their homes, or to what poor, -charred remains of them might be found. - -As we moved swiftly on, we saw many evidences of the havoc wrought by -the ruthless invaders; here the hut of the wood-kerne, who lives by -hunting, there the hovel of the churl, who tills the fields, burnt to -the ground; while over all brooded the silence of desolation and death. - -It was not till evening was upon us that we knew by many indications -that we were close on the enemy. Then we halted and waited till the -night had fully come, sending out in the meantime our spies to see what -the English were doing. - -Softly, like thieves, they returned with word they had discovered -that Sir Nicholas and the greater portion of his army were not to be -seen, having apparently gone on, but that a small company of English -soldiers and most of the O’Flahertys of Aughnanure were camped some two -or three miles away, having in their charge great droves of cattle. -Having no thought that they were being followed up by us, they had made -no preparations for defence, and therefore might easily fall into our -hands. - -Leaving our chargers to the care of the horse-boys, we divided -ourselves into two bands, Richard Burke being in command of the one, -and I of the other; and, going very circumspectly so as to give no hint -of our approach, we burst upon the enemy, many of whom were slain at -the first onset, but a far larger number escaped us in the darkness. We -spent the rest of the night in their camp, having secured the cattle; -and when daylight made manifest everything to us I saw that we had -accomplished all this victory without the loss of a single man, there -being but few wounds even among us. - -Then we rode on that day and two more, now and again falling in with -scattered companies of the enemy, whom we slew or dispersed, and -recovering from them whatever plunder they were taking out of the land. -But Sir Nicholas we did not meet with, as he had gone on day and night -without halting, having heard, as I afterwards learned, that the Burkes -of Clanrickarde, under Ulick, the son of the earl, had brought together -several hundred men, including many Scots, and that they were even now -threatening Galway itself. - -As we were not purposed to go on to Galway after the Governor, we -returned to Carrickahooley at our leisure. - -And now, as we journeyed northwards, Richard Burke’s talk to me was all -of his love for my mistress. How brave, how strong, how great she was! -And of how wonderful a spirit and so wise withal! Did I think that she -had a regard for anyone in especial? Or, that he might have a chance -with her? - -And thus he talked and talked, until I, who had my own love trouble, -and found it hard enough, was first constrained to listen, then to -utter words of sympathy, and, last of all, was unfeignedly glad -when our arrival at the castle put a stop to the outflowing of his -eloquence. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -“OUR NATURAL LEADER.” - - -“The Earl of Desmond,” said Grace O’Malley to me, “is our natural -leader against the English, and I wish you to go and see him.” - -These words my mistress addressed to me shortly after Richard Burke and -I had returned. She and I were alone, and, indeed, she had sent for -me expressly, so that I knew it was of some matter of importance she -wished to speak to me. I had not anticipated, however, that it would be -this. - -“Yes,” I said. “When do you desire me to go? De Vilela will hardly -be able to be moved for some time yet, and I suppose that he will -accompany me.” - -Don Francisco was better, but several weeks would have to elapse before -he would stand on his feet, or even be moved from his bed with safety. - -“No,” said she. “I do not think it prudent to wait so long a period -as may have to pass before de Vilela has sufficiently recovered. You -must take Fitzgerald with you, and set out at once for the Desmond -stronghold at Askeaton. Fitzgerald is now nearly well, his wound being -all but healed. He possesses something of the confidence of the King -of Spain, which Don Francisco enjoys to the full, and is therefore in -a position to speak with Desmond, and to find out what his intentions -are.” - -“As you will,” said I, not without gladness, for it would be a way, and -that a perfect one, to enable me to keep my resolution with regard to -Eva and de Vilela--if I were out of the castle altogether, then indeed -would the field be left to him alone. But, at the same time, there was -a gripping about my heart that certainly was not caused by pleasure. - -“It would be most unwise to delay,” continued she. “Sir Nicholas Malby -will come against us so soon as he can raise a large army; if not Sir -Nicholas, then another; if not this year, and he will scarcely do so -now the winter approaches, then next year. And thus will the contest go -on till the end has come. Under Desmond, the head of the Geraldines, -the greatest noble of the South, all the Irish people will rally.” - -My mistress’s voice was full of excitement; but I was not so sure of -Desmond, and so made haste to remind her that he had been out against -the Queen before, and had got nothing but imprisonment and grievous -loss for his pains. - -“It is not the same now,” replied she, with her ardour undiminished; -“for Philip of Spain will throw his sword into the balance. When -Desmond understands that he will be backed up by the ships and the -soldiers and the money of Spain, he will throw off all irresolution, -and show himself to be the great prince he is. Tell him that we are -with him heart and soul. Tell him that the Burkes, both the Upper -and the Lower Burkes, will forget their feuds, and unite for this one -common purpose. Tell him there will be no lack of treasure; and as an -earnest of this we will now go to the Caves of Silence, and take from -thence the chest of gold found on the _Capitana_--I have spoken to de -Vilela about it--and some gems as well, as a present from me.” - -My mistress’s mind was made up, and vain would it have been for me to -try to cause her to change her determination. And why should I try? Was -not what she said true? Was not Desmond a prince in the land? If he -could not be depended upon to lead us against the English, then on whom -could we depend? So I stifled whatever of doubt I felt. Grace O’Malley -was my leader, and if she were content with Garrett Desmond, then so -was I. - -We went together to the Caves of Silence, and brought away from them -the chest of gold, a casket richly chased and adorned with rare jewels, -and a dagger, the handle and sheath of which were studded with precious -stones. - -“What hatred of the English may not accomplish,” said my mistress, -“gold will. Many a good sword may be bought when neither love nor hate -would affect aught; many a waverer made steadfast on the rock of gold.” - -I was to sail early next morning in _The Cross of Blood_, and in the -evening when I sat in the hall, she straightly charged me that I was on -no account to adventure the ship or myself in any sort of peril, and -that I was not to attack any vessel, however fair and goodly a prize it -might seem; nay, on the contrary, I must keep out of the track of ships -as far as was practicable. - -When the two ladies left us for the night, and I rose to bid them -farewell for a time, I held Grace O’Malley’s hand, and she pressed mine -warmly. I would have given all that I had in the world, or ever hoped -to possess of it, if Eva would but have clasped my hand with something -of the same fervour, or that I could have held hers and caressed it -with a lover’s fondness. - -And the eyes of my dear, too, were soft and kind, so that my heart -cried out for a token, but my debt to de Vilela stood between us, and I -only touched the little hand. - -She looked at me somewhat strangely, I fancied, as if the coldness of -my manner made her marvel, and I think that there perhaps was a faint -gleam of laughing malice in the face of Grace O’Malley, who stood by. -But in the morning, there, at the window high up the tower, were to be -seen both my mistresses, with their fingers to their lips kissing me -good-bye, as the galley was pulled out from the harbour. - -It was now October, a month of storms, and we had to encounter head -winds, heavy seas, and much stress of weather, so that our progress -southward was slow. Keeping close in shore, we took advantage of -whatever protection the coast, or the islands along it, afforded us, -having frequently to put in and stop in one or another of the bays of -Connaught. - -A full week was thus taken up before we had gotten through the South -Sound between Inisheer and the mainland, and, with the exception of -some fishing boats, we had had the sea to ourselves. - -As we passed down the rocky, mountain-crowned coast, we were sorely -buffeted and wrought upon by the winds and waves. By the time we were -abreast of the Cliffs of Moher, so furious a tempest was raging that I -feared never would we live through it. - -The stoutness of the galley, however, and perhaps some skill of -seamanship, brought us safely to the Head of Cregga, which we essayed -to round, but experienced so great a travail in the doing of it, albeit -we did it, that we were well-nigh exhausted with the labour. But, once -round the Head, we found ourselves in a stretch of water which, by -comparison with that we had gone over, was as a quiet pool, to wit, the -Bay of Liscanor. - -And here we remained for some hours, looking for such an abatement of -the storm as would allow us to proceed; but in this our hope was not -to be realised as soon as we had expected, for the night fell, and the -fury of the tempest was not spent. - -The first object that met our gaze when the light of morning had come -was a ship, all her masts gone, and the waves sweeping over her, go -driving to her doom on the rocks of Cregga. As now her bows, now her -stern was lifted up, so that we got a full view of her hull, there -was that about her that seemed to me not unfamiliar, but I could not -say then what it was. Clutching the ropes and bolts on and about what -remained of her bulwarks were a few men, clinging desperately in the -face of death to their last hold on life. - -There was no possibility of the ship being saved, and there was hardly -a greater likelihood of saving the lives of any of these miserable -sailors, but I resolved to make the attempt, at least. - -Bringing up _The Cross of Blood_ as near as I dared to the Head, and -having made ready to lower her two small boats, I waited for the moment -when the vessel would crash upon the rocks, and be crushed and broken -upon them. As she neared the cliffs, the spume of the waves shooting -high and white in the air, the foaming, roaring waters, dashed back -by the rocks, caught and twisted her about, so that, as her side was -turned to us, I saw her name in letters of white and gold. - -She was _The Rosemary_, a shot from which had caused the death of my -master, Owen O’Malley, a few months before, and well did I remember -how I saw her sail up the Shannon on her way to Limerick, with the two -eerie figures shadowed against her canvas. - -For an instant I felt an impulse to stand off, and to make no effort -to avert the fate of any of her men--it was uncertain, I told myself, -whether at the best I could render them any assistance. But, after all, -we had no quarrel with these wretched mariners, about to be swallowed -up by the ever-hungry sea, and, if we had had, this extremity of -theirs was of a kind which we could not look upon as our opportunity -and have been worthy of the name of men. - -Therefore, when _The Rosemary_ rose to the waves for the last time, and -was borne aloft on the black edge of a huge roller, and then shattered -to fragments upon the rocks, did we keep a sharp look-out for the -bodies, living or dead, if any, which might appear on the water near -where we were. - -And five poor souls, by means of our boats, did we save alive, or, -being as the dead, did bring to life again--and one of them was a woman. - -Surely this was the queerest trick that fate ever played upon me, for -the woman was none other than Sabina Lynch! Nor do I wonder that, when -she had come to herself and, seeing me, knew upon whose ship she was, -she did imagine she had but escaped from one kind of calamity to meet -with another, and that perhaps worse: for she had to be restrained, and -that by force, from casting herself back into the sea, preferring death -to being in my hands. - -And, verily, I was in a grievous quandary with regard to her. - -She would not eat nor drink nor rest nor sleep, but only cried and -sobbed and moaned, till she fell into a sort of stupor. Recovering -after awhile, she did naught but cry and sob and moan again, and was -so distraught that I felt a pity for her. Then, what was I to do with -her? True, I could keep her a captive, and take her back with me when -I returned to Carrickahooley, and give her over to my mistress, who -would doubtless accord her the grimmest of welcomes. And this, perhaps, -was my duty. If it were, I failed in it. - -Urged on by a woman’s spite and jealousy, Sabina Lynch had played a -treacherous and cruel part in regard to Grace O’Malley, and she was, in -a measure, the cause of our quarrel with Sir Nicholas and the English. -Sure was I that my mistress would not be merciful to her, nor would she -expect me to be. Why, then, should I have been? - -I have no other answer, if it be an answer, except that I was deep in -love with Eva O’Malley, and that my love for her made me feel certain -that Eva, much as Grace was to her--as to me--would have told me to act -as I did towards this woman. For I determined to let her go free. - -It is not in me to explain this matter further, nor to tell how often I -argued it with myself, ever coming back, however, to what I conceived -would be the desire of Eva--to let Sabina Lynch go. And if the other -course was my duty, there was meted out to me, as will be seen, -punishment out of all proportion to my fault. - -Having come to the conclusion that Sabina Lynch should be set at -liberty when a suitable opportunity presented itself, I acquainted her -with my decision. She could scarcely believe her ears, and was not -convinced that I meant what I said until I informed her that she might -move about the galley as she pleased, and that I would put her ashore -at Liscanor if she wished it, or take her on with us if that was her -will. - -When she saw that I did not intend to deceive her, nor to do her any -hurt, she told me that she was going to Limerick. Inquiring why she had -left Galway, I now heard of the rising of the Upper Burkes under Ulick, -the son of the Earl of Clanrickarde, which had caused Sir Nicholas to -hurry back to that city--as I have before recorded. It appeared that -the people of Galway were in the extreme of terror, as nearly all the -fighting men of the place had been withdrawn from it, and from Athlone, -where was the next English garrison, as well, for the expedition -against Grace O’Malley, and the city was thus left without defenders. - -The Burkes had met with no resistance on their march to Galway, and -the city was in great danger of being taken and sacked. A way out, -however, remained, by the sea; and so grave was the state of affairs -that Stephen Lynch, the mayor, had gladly availed himself of an -opportunity of sending his daughter away for safety by _The Rosemary_, -which happened to be leaving for Limerick. Along with her had also gone -several ladies of Galway, but they had all perished in the wreck. - -I now informed Sabina Lynch that I was bound for the Shannon, and that -I would put her ashore at some point on the river near Limerick, if our -voyage had a favourable termination, but that I thought it would be -better for her to land here at Liscanor. - -However, she replied that she had friends at Limerick, but knew -no one in Liscanor, and so begged to be allowed to remain on _The -Cross of Blood_. She prevailed upon me with her entreaties, and I -consented--wherein, God wot, I was weak enough, though nothing short of -her death could have prevented what was to occur. - -There is a saying among us Celts, “What will be, already _is_,” and -this saying is true. - -The day which succeeded that on which _The Rosemary_ was destroyed saw -us out of the Bay of Liscanor, and, the weather being propitious, the -next found us entering the mouth of that most beautiful of all the -beautiful rivers of Ireland, the Shannon. But it was not until two days -later that I brought the galley into the bay of the creek upon which, -some miles inland, stands Askeaton, the fortress of the Desmonds. - -During this time, being fully occupied with the working of the ship, -I had seen little or nothing of Mistress Lynch, who, however, had had -many conversations with Fitzgerald, and often did I hear them laughing -and jesting, the one with the other, as if there were no such things in -the world as bad weather and storms, and shipwrecks and war, and the -deaths of men. - -Now the bay in which the galley lay was no great distance from -Limerick, and as it would have been the height of madness to go any -nearer that city, which could not but be very hostile to us, I told -Sabina Lynch that our journey was at an end, and that she was free -to go. Whereupon she thanked me, and along with Fitzgerald, who had -offered himself as her escort for part of the way, and who was well -acquainted with the country--for it was all the territory of the -Geraldines--left _The Cross of Blood_. - -On his return, he and I, accompanied by some of our men, and taking -with us the presents sent by my mistress, set out for Askeaton, where -we were received by the Earl of Desmond. - -The castle was one of the largest and most formidable in Ireland, -consisting of several towers and strongly built houses and stables, the -whole surrounded by high walls around which flowed the waters of the -creek, so that it looked like a town on an island in the middle of a -lake. A village, with a church at one end of it, stood on the rising -ground that led up from one of the banks of the stream over against the -castle. - -When the drawbridge was lowered--Fitzgerald making the matter of an -entrance easy for us--and we had passed within the walls, I saw in the -yard a considerable number of the gallowglasses of the Geraldines, some -having arquebuses, but most of them only spears or battle-axes and -swords. - -One of the knights of the Earl’s household approached us, and said that -his lord was ready to see us. Fitzgerald and he--they were cousins, -it appeared--began at once to talk, and they introduced me to several -other gentlemen whom we met. And so we went into the presence of the -Earl. - -Grace O’Malley had said that he was “our natural leader” against the -English, and narrowly did I scan the features of Garrett Desmond as he -rose from his chair to offer me his hand. - -My first impression was that of extraordinary disappointment, for I -could see nothing very notable about him. Then, as he spoke, I noticed -a twitching of the lips that strongly savoured of indecision, to say -the least, and also that his eyes roamed restlessly, not settling -fixedly on man or thing for a single instant. And as I observed him the -closer, the keener was my disappointment. - -Yet this noble was a great power in the land. Once the Desmond war-cry -was sounded forth from Askeaton, thousands would shake their spears in -ready response. He had but to say the word and the whole South-West -of Ireland would spring to arms. He had said it once and might say it -again, but I distrusted and misliked him from the first. - -Courteously, however, did he receive me, and graciously the gifts which -I presented to him in the name of my mistress. He inquired of me many -things respecting her, to all of which I replied to the best of my -ability. Indeed, during the time I spent at Askeaton, he never appeared -weary of hearing about her and her exploits, which seemed, he said, -incredible in one so young. - -Then, after we had feasted together, he called Fitzgerald and myself -aside and took us into an inner room where we three were by ourselves. -And now Fitzgerald told him of the help, both in men and money, which -Philip of Spain promised in the event of a general rising against the -Queen, and I repeated to him all the words which Grace O’Malley had -charged me to say to him. - -Never once did I take my glance off him, but he would not meet my eyes. -For the most part he paced up and down the room, and one could easily -see the travail of his mind in the working of his face. At one moment -there would be gladness and the look of resolve, then doubt and gloom -would take their place the next. The same uncertainty could be seen -even in his walk, which was now swift, now slow. - -At last he said that it was a heavy matter, and not lightly to -be undertaken, and invited me to stay at the castle until he had -considered it more at large. I pressed for an immediate reply to my -mistress, but he asked me to tarry for a few days, and, as I could not -well do otherwise, there did I remain until one morning he gave me a -letter for Grace O’Malley and many presents for her and myself, and so -dismissed me. - -During the time I waited for his answer I heard from several that a -Spanish army was looked for in the spring, and I could see that the -Earl knew all that was going on. Therefore I did not doubt but that he -had sent a message to my mistress that would please her well. - -And while I was thus waiting, the hours hanging heavily on my hands, -I made myself well acquainted with the castle--its towers and strong -rooms and walls--and thus acquired a knowledge which was to stand me in -good stead before the end was come. - -Then it was Ho! for _The Cross of Blood_, and Ho! for Carrickahooley, -which we reached after a voyage unmarked by any incident worthy of -record. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -A DEAR VICTORY. - - -Chiefly by reason of the tempestuous weather, my journey to Askeaton -and back again had occupied not far short of a month,--which was -a much longer time than had been reckoned upon. On my arrival at -Carrickahooley my mistress was naturally very impatient to hear what -was the response of the Earl of Desmond to her message, and also what -my opinion of that noble was. - -First of all I delivered to her the letter and the presents he had -sent. When she had read his letter she handed it to me, and there was, -I could see, a great light of happiness on her face. But when I had -glanced over the missive, I was not so satisfied with its contents as -she plainly was. - -The letter was not a long one, and, in brief, was nothing more or less -than an invitation from Desmond, asking my mistress to go on a visit to -him at Askeaton, where his countess would give her a warm welcome, so -soon as spring was come, or as early as would be convenient for her. - -With regard to any rising against the Queen he said not a word, but -intimated that he was very desirous of meeting one of whom he had heard -so much, and of discussing with her such matters as affected their -mutual interests. - -This last phrase Grace O’Malley took as a hint that the Earl, not -caring to commit himself to anything definite on paper, was of the same -mind as herself, for they had no interests in common save such as lay -in the expulsion of the English from the island. - -Now the message my mistress had sent him was frank and open, so that -there could not be two opinions as to its import. But these words of -his, it seemed to me, partook in no degree of the same character. They -might mean much or little or even nothing at all, so vague were they. - -If I had not seen the Earl my view might have been different, but -in the cloudiness of his letter I again saw his weakness and want -of purpose. I did not, I could not, suspect him of anything worse. -However, Grace O’Malley, although I expressed to her what I felt about -Desmond, was assured that he could only mean one thing, and that was -that he shared in her ideas, and would be ready to give such effect to -them as he could. - -“Yes,” said she, “Garrett Desmond is the man.” - -And she was the more certain of this when I went on to tell her that I -had heard a great deal at Askeaton, and that with hardly a pretence of -secrecy, of the army which the King of Spain was to send in aid of the -Irish the following year. - -“Do you not see,” said she, “that Desmond must be heart and soul in the -business, or else he would have suffered none of this talk of Philip -of Spain?” - -I had, indeed, made a similar reflection when at Desmond’s castle, but -what I distrusted was the character and strength of the man himself. -But my mistress was my mistress, so I said no more then of the Earl. - -I had had no small disputings with myself as to whether I should tell -Grace O’Malley about what had occurred with respect to Sabina Lynch -or not. I could not blame myself, albeit these very searchings of my -spirit did show some doubt if I had done what was best, and tell her I -did. - -Whereupon for a minute she fell into a fit of silent rage, which, -however, presently passed away--the only thing she said being the -question, sharply asked-- - -“Would you have acted in that way, Ruari, _if it had been a man_?” - -And the sting of the taunt, for such I felt it to be, lay perhaps in -its truth. Howbeit, neither of us ever referred, in speaking to each -other, to the matter again. - -Richard Burke and his followers had left the castle, and had gone back -to their own territory. He had made me the confidant of his hopes and -fears with regard to his love for Grace O’Malley, and I desired greatly -to know how he had sped in his wooing. - -It was not, however, till long afterwards that I discovered he had -pressed his suit, and that not altogether without success, but that -she would give him no definite promise so long as her affairs were in -so unstable a condition. - -I did not know of any man in all the world whom I esteemed a fit mate -for her, but the MacWilliam had many things in his favour, not the -least being that he was a valiant soldier. That he had ranged himself -on her side in her quarrel with the Governor also had its weight with -her. I think, however, that at this time he had a very small share in -her thoughts, as she was entirely wrapped up in the Earl of Desmond, -whom she looked upon as the Hope of Ireland, and in the furtherance of -her plans. - -De Vilela was still at Carrickahooley, and had so far got healed of his -wounds that he was able to be about for an hour or two each day. He -greeted me with his never-failing courtesy, and after I had seen more -of him I noticed that the air of melancholy gravity he had borne during -the siege had in nowise changed, unless it were by being even deeper -than before. - -The sufferings he had undergone and the feebleness he still endured -might easily have accounted for this. But I was persuaded that there -was another reason, although it took me some time to arrive at this -conclusion. - -What put me in the way of it was that I caught him, when he believed -himself free from observation, looking at me, not once, nor twice, but -often, with a wistful intentness, as if he were trying to read my very -thoughts, and so to pierce to the innermost soul of me. Why was this? -Why was he thus weighing me as it were in the balance? - -Eva was not so much with him now that he was regaining his strength, -and, whether he was with her or not, he had not the look of a happy -lover, that look which, me thinks, would be present notwithstanding -pain and the shadow of death. - -And I put the two things together, though not hastily, for I feared -nothing so much as to be wrong in this, and guessed that he had lost -all hope of her for himself, and was asking himself whether, if so be -she loved me, I was in any way worthy of her. But I think the chief -care of this very noble gentleman of Spain was not pity for himself, -nor my worthiness or unworthiness--which is the truer word, but that -this woman whom he loved should have her heart’s desire, on whomsoever -that desire might fall, and at whatsoever cost to himself. - -I did not perceive this in one day, or for many, and, pursuing the -course I had before determined on, abode firm in my resolve not to -appear even to come between him and Eva O’Malley. - -The winter wore on to the day of the Birth of Christ, and all was quiet -and peaceful in Connaught. - -Hardly, however, did the new year open--it was that year of grace, -1579--when messengers from various chiefs in the north-west of Ireland -began coming to and going away from Carrickahooley. - -Sometimes their business was with my mistress, but still more -frequently was it with de Vilela, for it had gone abroad that he -was with us, and that he was in the confidence of the King of Spain, -from whom he had a mission to the Irish. Among these were some of the -MacSweenys of Tir-Connall, who spoke for themselves and also for their -prince, O’Donnell, whose wife was a Macdonald, and a kinswoman of my -own. Many were the plots on foot, my mistress striving to bring about a -great confederacy of the north. - -Sir Nicholas Malby, after he had repulsed the Burkes of Clanrickarde -and driven them back to their mountains, lay at Galway darkly -meditating schemes of vengeance. But, for the present, with the land -all about him in a ferment, he did nothing but bide his time. - -Indeed, by the coming of spring, the whole island was stirring with -the fever of war, some looking to Spain, and some to Desmond, so that -the commanders of the English, from the Lord Deputy at Dublin to the -poorest of his captains, were in sore trouble and disquiet. - -So passed the winter away. - -“Darkness and blood; then a little light,” had been the saying of Teige -O’Toole, the Wise Man. Now was the time of the little light of which he -had spoken; it was immediately to be followed by the period of which -he had said, “blood and darkness, then again light, but darkness were -better.” - -It was in April, then, of this year of fate that de Vilela, having -perfectly recovered of his wounds, Grace O’Malley bade me get _The -Cross of Blood_ in readiness to convey him to Askeaton. - -De Vilela was anxious to be gone, having trespassed upon our -hospitality, as he said, beyond all measure. And he was the more -eager as now he knew for certain that Eva had nothing stronger than a -friendship for him. He had not asked her, I imagine, so sure was he -that she did not love him, and it was like the man, that, knowing this, -he would not vex her even with words. - -At the last moment, and unexpectedly, my mistress determined to sail -with us, and Eva O’Malley also came, Tibbot being left in charge at -Clare Island and Carrickahooley. - -With fair winds, and hopes as fair, did we leave Clare Bay behind us, -and for two days all went well. On the third day of the voyage, the -wind having changed, the watch descried a ship coming up against the -line of the sky, and when we had observed her for a short time we saw -that she was making towards us. Being much higher out of the water than -the galley, she had no doubt seen us first. - -We edged in closer to the land, which loomed up some miles away on our -left; whereupon she shifted her course as if to cut us off. As she -came within nearer view she appeared to be a great ship, carrying many -pieces of cannon, and flying the English flag. The morning sun fell -upon her, and disclosed her deck covered with men whose armour and -weapons sparkled in the light. - -It was abundantly evident that she was a ship-of-war of the English, -and well prepared in every respect to attack and overwhelm us. Both as -regarded her ordnance and the numbers of her crew, that she was vastly -superior to us was plain. Should she get the range of us I made no -doubt that we should be quickly knocked to pieces. - -On the high seas, a galley like _The Cross of Blood_ could not be -opposed to such a ship except with the one result, and that the worst. -Our case was little short of desperate, but I did not lose heart. - -Nor did my mistress give up hope. She and I held a hurried consultation -with Calvagh O’Halloran, and determined that we should first try to -escape by rowing. There was the land before us, and a rocky cape -jutting from it held out, as it were, a friendly beckoning hand. - -Once we had made it, and were safely round it, we would be in a shallow -bay, into which flowed a river--up which the galley might go, but not -so large a ship as the Englishman. We therefore bent our whole energies -to this end, but all in vain. It became apparent before we were -half-way to the shore that we were completely outsailed, and were at -the mercy of the enemy. - -When I had fully grasped the extreme peril in which we were, and -reflected that my whole world was on board this galley, to say nothing -of the fact that every timber of it was dear to me, my heart well-nigh -fainted within me. Here was that great woman whom I served; here also -the woman whom I loved. - -Was it to this destiny they had been born? Notwithstanding our danger, -I could not believe it. - -What was the worst that the spite of fortune could wreak upon us? - -Either _The Cross of Blood_ would be sunk by the enemy’s fire, and we -would perish in the sea, or she would be captured, many of us being -killed in the struggle, and the rest taken--what would be their fate? - -But there was no need to ask that; for I was well assured that the -people of the English ship knew who we were, or, at least, whose galley -it was, for who in Ireland had such a vessel as _The Cross of Blood_, -except Grace O’Malley? - -Such were my thoughts when my mistress spoke in my ear, and said that -as it was impossible to escape from the Englishman we must fight him. - -“With all my heart,” cried I; “but how?” - -Then she told me what to do. - -I went forward to Calvagh, and bade him order his oarsmen to row with -all their might until I gave a signal; when it was given they were -to get their arms ready, but without making a noise or leaving their -benches, and having their oars resting on the water. - -_The Cross of Blood_ raced on, but the English ship went faster, until -a shotted gun fired across our bows made us well aware of what we had -known sufficiently already--that we must be sunk, or give ourselves up, -or, at least, appear to do so. - -Calvagh looked at me, but I gave no sign. Grace O’Malley changed the -galley’s course, so that we gained a little by it; and on we plunged -again, making for the open sea. But the advantage we had thus obtained -was of no real value to us, and the Englishman, with his square bulging -sails swelling in the breeze, was quickly at our heels. - -And now a second and, as it were, more peremptory message of iron bade -us throw up the game and lie to. The great shot fell so close to the -poop of the galley, and made so heavy a splash in the water, that the -spray from it might almost have fallen on our deck but for the wind. I -glanced at my mistress and she nodded. - -There was no purpose to be served in rowing any longer, for in another -second we might be sent below the waves. Nor did we make any attempt to -return the enemy’s fire, and so, perhaps, invite a broadside from him -which would probably have settled our affairs for ever. - -Calvagh’s eyes were fastened on me, and now I gave him the signal; his -voice roared hoarsely through the galley; the oarsmen sat erect on -their benches, and the rowing ceased. - -Something that was between a sob and a groan came from the lips of our -men; a sort of quiver passed over them, as each of them quietly got his -sword or battle-axe from its place; and then there was a silence, only -broken by the waters as they lapped along our sides and swished under -the blades of the oars. - -De Vilela, who had gone into his cabin to put on his armour as soon as -the chase of us began, now appeared. Approaching my mistress and me, -and in accents tremulous as I had never before heard from him, he asked -a question of Grace O’Malley. - -“Señorita,” inquired he, “tell me, you do not intend to give up the -galley thus tamely to the English? Surely it were better to die.” - -“Better to die,” said she, “yes, by the Cross!” And then she rapidly -spoke a few words, which I could see were not displeasing to him. And -I like to recall the man, as he stood beside me that day; clad in his -suit of mail, with the crest of his house shining on his helmet, his -naked sword drawn, its point resting on the deck of the poop; and his -eyes bright and steadfast, while a smile was on his lips. And we looked -towards the English ship, saw the scowling faces of our foes hanging -over her bows, and waited on the will of the God of Battles. - -Grace O’Malley in the meantime went down to her cabin to speak words -of hope and comfort to Eva. When I thought of my dear, my heart again -fainted within me; then it seemed to grow so big and strong, calling, -as it were, loudly to me to play the man this day, that I felt there -was nothing that was wholly impossible to me! - -My mistress now returned to the poop-deck, and taking the helm from -the steersman, as we stood close in by the enemy’s vessel, she put it -down sharply, so that the galley was thrown into the fore-chains of the -Englishman. - -“O’Malley! O’Malley! O’Malley!” I cried, and quicker than a flash, -before the English had got over the suddenness of the movement, our -men, with de Vilela and myself at their head, had leaped on board of -her. - -With thrust of sword and blow of battle-axe we made good our footing -on the deck, and for a space the English fell back before us. Their -captain, a towering figure in armour, save for his head, on which was a -broad cap with a dancing plume of feathers in it, rallied them, and led -them on at us, shouting for St. George and England. - -They were more in number than ourselves, but despair nerved our arms, -so that we withstood them, albeit we were hard pressed, and the -fighting was terrible beyond all words. I sought to engage the captain, -but de Vilela was before me. - -Then there occurred an unexpected and almost unheard-of and incredible -thing. - -I knew the voice at once, and, turning in the direction from whence it -came, and thus being partly off my guard, could not altogether ward off -the dart of a sword, so that I was wounded in the throat, and, had it -been but a little truer, would have been slain. - -Above the clang of meeting weapons and the rattle of armour and the -shouts and sobs and the catchings for breath of the foemen, the voice -of my mistress was heard crying in the tongue of the Irish: - -“Let the O’Malleys divide, and stand on each side of the ship!” - -It was a difficult matter in itself to accomplish, and some there were -of the Irish who were unable to do so; but such of us who could obeyed -her command without pausing to try to understand what she would be at. - -Then there came forth a great tongue of fire, a blinding cloud of -smoke, and so tremendous a report that the ship was shaken from stem to -stern. - -And this is what had taken place: - -When we had sprung on board of the English ship, Grace O’Malley was -left standing at the helm of _The Cross of Blood_. She had watched the -contest, and, fearing that we were overmatched, had cast about for some -means of assisting us. Then, taking with her a few of the men whom she -had kept in the galley for her own guard, she had climbed up into the -forecastle of the enemy, and, as their attention was entirely occupied -with us, had, unperceived by them or seen too late, run in board one of -the Englishman’s bow-chasers, and had turned it on its owners. - -The piece, thus levelled at this terrible short range, swept the deck -of its defenders, and among the heaps of the slain and the wounded were -several of our own people who had not been able to gain the bulwarks. - -I was myself leaning against one of the ship’s beams breathing hard, -and clutching with the fingers of my left hand my bleeding throat, -while my right still grasped my sword. So dreadful was the sight of the -deck that now met my eyes that I could not help closing them, while a -shudder shook my whole frame. - -But our work was not yet done. For when we essayed to carry the poop -we were beaten back in spite of all our endeavours, and what might -have been the end I know not if Grace O’Malley had not held possession -of that piece of ordnance. A second and a third discharge from it -shattered and destroyed the poop, and at length the ship was ours, its -whole crew being killed or captured or drowned, for many of the English -jumped into the sea and perished. - -Having collected her men together, and along with them having brought -away the prisoners and what treasure was found on board of _The Star -of the Sea_, which was the name of the ship, she ordered it to be -scuttled, and then withdrew to the galley. - -But when we came to count up what this battle had cost us, our loss -was so great that my mistress deemed it expedient to go no further -with her journey at that time, and thus we returned again to Clew Bay, -having been absent but a few days. And there was much mourning among -us, for many of our people had been slain. De Vilela, however, had come -unscathed from the fray, and my own wound was, after all, not much more -than a scratch. - -But the uncertainty of the issue of our whole conflict with the English -had been brought home to me in so decided a manner that for the first -time I realised how dark and menacing was the path that lay before our -feet. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -AT ASKEATON. - - -I was never one to whom it is easy to sit still with folded hands, -still less the man to muse darkly for long over the chances and -mischances of war. Mine certainly was it not to consider and to see -the end of a thing even from its beginning; the hour and its work were -enough for me. Scarcely, then, were we come back but I burned to be -again on the water with the deck of _The Cross of Blood_ beneath my -feet, and rejoice did I exceedingly when my mistress told me what her -purpose now was, and bade me get the three galleys ready for sea. - -She was resolved to put her whole fortune on the hazard, and to employ -her entire strength in the struggle, and, at the same time, to get what -aid she could from others. - -Thus, undeterred by our encounter with the English ship-of-war--from -which we had so hardly emerged--nay, rather made the more determined -by it, she had sent messengers, fleet of foot and strong, to Richard -Burke, the very day we had arrived at Carrickahooley, inviting him to -come to her with his best and his bravest, and, if he would serve her, -as he had professed himself ready, to tarry not by the way. - -I was nowise in doubt as to what the answer of the MacWilliam would -be. Not only was he committed as much as we ourselves to the contest -against the Governor, but he had promised to support Grace O’Malley in -any manner she might desire; nor could I imagine anything that would -give him a keener pleasure than to comply with her request. - -Two or three weeks passed, however, before he appeared at the castle, -but when he did come it was at the head of a picked company of his -gallowglasses, two hundred strong. - -In the battles and fights of the previous year our force had been -reduced by perhaps a third, and our numbers had been still further -lessened in the bloody engagement with _The Star of the Sea_. Welcome, -then, were these stalwart Burkes of Mayo. True, they were unused to the -sea, but it was my mistress’s intention that we should all land, and -hold ourselves at the disposal of the Earl of Desmond. - -“If need be,” said she, discussing her plans with Richard Burke and me, -“I will burn the galleys behind me.” - -Whether I fought on the sea or on shore was a matter of indifference -to me; but I could not hear her say this without a pang, although I -recognised to the full the spirit which inspired the words. - -“There will be no necessity for that,” said de Vilela, who was present, -smiling, “for the ships of my master, the King of Spain, will sweep the -sea clear of the English.” - -It was the month of May, and the earth was arraying herself once again -in her garments of green, when we weighed out from the harbour of Clare -Island. - -At first, the weather being unsettled, we made but slow progress; -however, on the night of the second day of our voyage a fair wind -sprang up, and on the fourth day we were in the Shannon, going up with -the tide, under a blue sky warm with the promise of summer. Casting -anchor between the Island of Aughinish and the mainland for the night, -I went ashore to see if I could hear any tidings of Desmond, or if -anything was known of the expected ships from Spain. - -The sight of the three galleys had drawn a number of the peasants to -the bank of the river, and, when I had dispelled their fears of us, I -found that they were willing enough to talk. Howbeit, they could tell -us nothing of Desmond, nor had they any word of the Spanish ships. - -When I had repeated this to my mistress on my return, she asked me to -go next day to Askeaton, and to inform the Earl, if he were there at -his fortress, that she was on her way to him, but if he were absent to -ascertain where he was. Accordingly I proceeded in _The Cross of Blood_ -to the bay into which flows the stream on which the castle stands, and -arrived at my destination. - -As I was already well known at Askeaton I was admitted within the -gate without demur, and almost the first man I met was Fitzgerald, -who greeted me with much warmth. But I had not conversed with him -long before I perceived that he did not seem to be in his accustomed -spirits, and when I told him that my mistress, Eva O’Malley, Richard -Burke, and de Vilela were no great distance away, he appeared to be -somewhat distressed. - -“Is Garrett Desmond here?” I asked, and the usually frank expression of -his face was instantly clouded over. - -“He is expected back at the castle to-morrow,” he replied. Then as I -looked hard at him, waiting to hear more, he broke out-- - -“Desmond went to Limerick yesterday in attendance on the President of -Munster.” - -“The President of Munster!” I exclaimed. Then I stopped in the -courtyard, put my hand on his arm, and gazing earnestly at him, asked, -“What is the meaning of this?” - -The President of Munster was the English Governor of all this part of -Ireland, and I could not but think this was a strange piece of news. -That he and the Earl of Desmond should be together, evidently on terms -of friendship, boded no good to Grace O’Malley, or to myself, or to our -cause. - -“O,” said Fitzgerald testily, “the explanation is simple. The -country is excited over the prospect of the coming of ships from -Spain, and the President rode over from Limerick to Askeaton to see -Desmond--ostensibly on a visit merely of courtesy, but in reality to -spy out what was going on here. I would not have suffered him to enter -the castle had I been Desmond, but Desmond thought otherwise, saying -the time was not yet ripe.” - -This was plausible, but did not account, I thought, for the moody looks -of Fitzgerald. There was something behind all this, but I did not press -him further, save to inquire-- - -“What is to prevent the President from seizing Desmond, and thrusting -him into prison at Limerick?” - -“He has a strong guard,” said he, “and the President has very few -soldiers in Limerick. Besides, he feels confident that Desmond will be -true to the English.” - -“Has Desmond given him any pledge of good faith?” - -“No. He places his trust in Desmond too fully for that.” - -When I thought over what I had been told, it seemed probable enough -that the Earl concealed his real intentions under the mask of a -pretended loyalty to the Queen, and would do so perhaps until the time, -as he said, was ripe. Yet the uneasiness I always felt with respect to -him increased in spite of this supposition. - -Then it occurred to me that perchance Fitzgerald, now that he had -had time to become better acquainted with his cousin, was not more -satisfied with him than I, and that this was the reason for his change -of aspect. - -However, when I met the Earl next morning, my suspicions and fears -melted away before the cordiality with which he received me. And when -I told him that my mistress was in the vicinity, he declared that there -was nothing he desired more in all the world than to see her. - -“The President of Munster,” said he, “has just gone back to Limerick -from here, and for a time at least we will be free from his spying on -us. Nothing could have fallen out better,” he continued, rubbing his -hands together like one who was greatly pleased, “so tell your mistress -to make haste and come.” - -Likewise his Countess, who was with him, bade me say to Grace O’Malley -that she was welcome to Askeaton. - -When I returned to my mistress, I repeated to her the messages; but I -thought it right to tell her also that Desmond had been entertaining -the President of Munster. As I dwelt upon this matter, and remembered -Fitzgerald’s manner, something seemed to knock at my heart, and my -suspicions sprang up anew. - -“He finds it needful,” said Grace O’Malley, thinking of Desmond, “to -wear a double face as affairs stand at present, but when the Spaniards -arrive he will come forward without disguise as our leader.” - -And, in truth, when we were come to Askeaton, both the Earl and his -Countess made so much of my mistress that I felt a sort of shame that I -had ever had any distrust of him. - -Great entertainments were given in her honour, all the noblemen and -gentlemen of Desmond’s household vying with each other in paying her -court, while the Earl himself seemed never to be able to see enough -of her. Indeed, he showed her so much attention that it soon became -apparent that she occupied a large part in his thoughts--so much was -this the case that Richard Burke grew very jealous of him, nor did the -Countess of Desmond regard the matter without displeasure. - -Meanwhile the time was slipping by. Our galleys lay in the stream, and -though I visited them frequently to make sure that they were safe, -I could not but be aware that it was no good thing that they should -be there, tied up in the Shannon, within easy reach of any English -man-of-war that might ascend the river. - -They were concealed, however, from view; but there was ever the fear in -my mind that a rumour of our being at Askeaton would be bruited abroad, -and come to the ears of the English. All the Burkes, and a considerable -portion of our own O’Malleys, had been withdrawn from our vessels, and -the force left upon them could scarcely be reckoned as formidable. - -Another cause for uneasiness was that nothing more was heard of the -landing of the Spaniards. I had many conversations with de Vilela, who -was certain of their coming, but who knew the time of it no more than -myself. He did not exhibit the impatience which possessed me, but in -his heart I doubt not he longed for action as ardently as did I. - -Of Fitzgerald I saw very little, for two days after the arrival of my -mistress at Askeaton he rode over to Limerick, and there remained. - -When I spoke of him to de Vilela, he said he had heard that Fitzgerald -was madly in love with a lady who was staying in that city, and that -that probably accounted for his being there. Knowing what Fitzgerald’s -disposition was, I could not forbear smiling, and now fancied that I -had discovered the cause of his want of spirits in that he had not been -very successful in his wooing. - -I thought no more of him or of his affairs, little dreaming who the -lady was, until the mention of her name one day filled me with lively -feelings of astonishment and vexation, and, as I pondered this new and -perplexing turn of events, with something close akin to terror. - -It so happened that I was talking and jesting with one of the -Geraldines, when the conversation came round to Sir Nicholas Malby, and -the iron rule he had imposed on Galway and a large part of Connaught. - -“Grace O’Malley,” said he, “was more than a match for him.” - -“Sir Nicholas,” said I, “is the best soldier the English have in -Ireland, and if he did not prevail against my mistress, it was rather -because he underrated her strength and her prowess, than from any other -reason. He esteemed her as no more than a feeble woman, and so was -deceived.” - -“By the way,” asked he, “are you well acquainted with Galway?” - -“Yes--well enough,” replied I, somewhat crisply. - -“And do you know the Mayor of the town, one Stephen Lynch?” - -“Yes,” I assented, wondering. - -“A great merchant?” he inquired. - -“The richest in Galway, perhaps in Ireland,” I answered. - -“With a daughter, an only child, who will inherit his whole wealth?” - -“Yes,” said I, wondering still more. - -“Mistress Sabina Lynch?” - -“The same,” said I; “but why do you ask these questions?” - -“The woman is beautiful, is she not?” he went on, without replying -immediately to my query. - -“No doubt of that,” I replied. - -“Rich and beautiful!” he exclaimed, and then he laughed very merrily. - -“Tell me,” said I again, “why have you sought to know all this?” - -“Ask Dermot Fitzgerald,” said he, and would say no more, but I -understood--all. - -Dermot Fitzgerald was in love with Sabina Lynch! And she was in -Limerick, where were the President of Munster and his soldiers, and -Fitzgerald too! Here, indeed, was a pretty heap of faggots, and it was -my hand, as it were, that might have placed the fire beneath, and set -it in a blaze! - -I saw at a glance how easy it would be for Fitzgerald, without -intending in any way to do mischief or to betray us to the English, to -let drop a word or a hint that might suggest to a quick-witted woman -to inquire further into his meaning, and that so dexterously as not to -excite in the least any alarm on his part. - -And what might not be looked for when she learned that Grace O’Malley, -the woman she hated most, and Richard Burke, the man she loved best, -were together at Askeaton? And Fitzgerald was said to be madly in love -with her! He would therefore be as wax in her hands, and she could -mould him to her will as she pleased. Small wonder, then, that I was -disturbed, and felt that we were far from secure. - -And now there fell out what, at the time, gave me the keenest -regret and even pain, though afterwards it proved to be of the most -inestimable service to us. - -It had become very plain to anyone who gave it the slightest thought, -or, indeed, to anyone who used his eyes, that Desmond was infatuated -with my mistress. Every moment that he could find was spent in her -society, to the neglect of other matters, however important they were. -Before he had seen her he had been fascinated by what I had told him of -her and her deeds; now that he saw her for himself, and marked how like -a queen she was, he was as one bound hand and foot before her. - -Grace O’Malley had a great power over men when she chose to exercise -it; and now, on her side, she appeared not only to encourage him, but -also to be bent upon his complete subjugation. - -I marvelled at her, yet assured myself that she could have no love -for the man, but that, perceiving the weakness of his character, she -took this course in order to make certain of his firm adhesion to our -cause. But it was a course full of danger, for the strength of the -passion of a man, even of a weak man, is no more to be reckoned up and -measured than is the force of a mighty tempest, beginning in a breath -and dying out in ruin. - -Desmond’s countess grew pale and silent, and I noted that the furtive -glances she stole at my mistress were touched at first with dismay, -then with anger. She must have known the kind of stuff of which her -husband was made, but her rage, as might be seen, was directed wholly -against my mistress. I felt a sort of compunction, and sometimes wished -that we had never come to Askeaton at all. - -And this wish was made much stronger, for Richard Burke, who bore and -endured for awhile the utmost torture when he saw how matters stood -between Grace O’Malley and the Earl, told me that he could suffer to -see it no longer, and so was determined to speak to her and remonstrate -with her. - -What passed between them I do not know, but it was of such a nature -that the MacWilliam shortly afterwards withdrew in high dudgeon from -the castle with all his men. - -I attempted to restrain him from going, but in vain. He admitted that -he had received no promise from Grace O’Malley of her hand, but as she -had not repulsed him utterly when he had preferred his suit to her, and -had come to Kerry at her request, he had hoped that the matter was in a -fair way to be settled as he desired. Now, he said, she had no thought -of him, her whole mind being taken up with Desmond. - -I endeavoured to gainsay this, but without success, and I had -sorrowfully to witness the departure of the Burkes from Askeaton. I -so far prevailed upon him, however, that he agreed to stay in the -district, and, having obtained permission from the Earl, he pitched his -camp a few miles away in the woods. - -Richard Burke’s troubles made me think of my own love affairs, which -were in the same position as before, for, albeit, I had a secret, -satisfying conviction that Eva O’Malley had no special regard for de -Vilela, I still adhered to my resolution not even to appear to come -between them. Wherein, perhaps, in my stupid pride, I did my dear, to -say nothing of myself, a great injustice, for she might have supposed -that I cared for nothing but the fierce, mad joy of battle. But never -loved I anyone save her alone. - -It was on the second or third day after Richard Burke had left us that -the arrival of the messengers from the President of Munster with a -letter for Desmond threw me into a state of great concern. And when I -knew what the tenor of that letter was, I was disquieted the more, for -I could but conclude that what I had dreaded would happen with respect -to the intimacy of Sabina Lynch and Fitzgerald had indeed come to pass. - -The Earl received the President’s messengers with some state, several -of his gentlemen and myself being with him. - -As he read the letter they presented to him, he was evidently -disconcerted by its contents, looking now at it, now at the -messengers; but when he had perused it a second time, he laughed -strangely, and said he would give no answer at once, but would consider -what was to be done. - -In the evening, when we were all together in the great hall of the -castle, my mistress also being of the company, he was in a boisterous -humour, and bade his harpers sing of the glories of the house of -Desmond. He sat beside Grace O’Malley, and I saw him, under cover of -the music, speaking to her very earnestly; and presently he called me -up to them. - -“What think you, Ruari?” said my mistress, and her eyes danced and -smiled, “what think you, does the President of Munster ask from the -Earl of Desmond?” - -“What is his demand?” cried I. - -“Nothing less or more,” said she, and the laughter suddenly went out -of her face, “than that he should instantly deliver up a certain Grace -O’Malley, as a notable traitress to the Queen and a spoiler of ships, -at present lodged in his castle of Askeaton, and should forthwith cause -her to be conveyed to him at the city of Limerick, to be there dealt -with according to her deserts and the pleasure of her Highness. What -think ye of that?” - -“What says the Earl of Desmond?” cried I. - -“What, indeed!” said she, answering for him, and turning to him with a -smile. - -“Ay--what, indeed!” said he, meeting her look, and smiling back at her. - -At that instant there was a commotion at the further end of the hall, -and there entered a man, with his garments stained with travel and -befouled with mire. - -As soon as de Vilela saw him he sprang forward with a great cry of -delight, and, careless of us all, embraced him, while a sort of silence -came upon us, and the bards ceased their singing; but the whisper soon -and quickly ran among us that the Spaniards at last were come. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -THE LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS. - - -It was a strange moment. - -There were the representatives of the President of Munster, two of the -justices from Limerick--these stood for the Queen. - -There were Grace O’Malley, her gentlemen, and myself--proclaimed rebels. - -There were Desmond and his Geraldines. - -And now here were de Vilela and this stranger from Spain! And we were -all met together in the great hall of the castle of Askeaton. - -A strange moment, and a strange meeting! - -De Vilela advanced towards Desmond, and, with that grace of manner -which this man possessed in greater perfection than any other I have -ever seen, presented the new comer to the Earl. I leant forward to -catch the name. It was the family name of the famous Lieutenant of -Santa Cruz, the still more celebrated Grand Admiral of Spain. A brother -or a cousin of Martinez, I said to myself, as the two men bowed low -before Desmond. - -“Will your lordship permit?” said de Vilela. “Don Juan de Ricaldo, my -friend and comrade!” - -And the Earl extended his hand to Don Juan. - -“You are welcome, señor,” said Desmond, but without much warmth, -for was he not, as it were, between the devil and the deep sea, with -England on the one side and Spain on the other? - -Then he conversed with the two Spaniards in a low tone of voice, so -that I could hear but imperfectly what was said, but it was impossible -not to see that he was in great perplexity. The two messengers of the -President looked darkly on, their countenances knit into scowls, while -Desmond shot a curious glance at them now and again. - -After a few minutes spent in this fashion, Don Juan, excusing himself -on the score of being weary in the extreme from his journey, retired -from the hall along with de Vilela. When they had withdrawn there was a -constraint upon us all, no one caring to speak his thoughts, for what -could we say that would not have been noted by those two sharp-eared -gentlemen from Limerick? - -For myself I was fair bewildered; but the one thing that bulked out -most largely in my mind was the fact that now there must be an end -of our uncertainty, as the Spaniards had come into the country, as I -supposed, and the time for deeds, not words, was upon us. - -Nor was our sitting in the hall prolonged that evening, for each one -who was in authority preferred to say nothing, and while the others -talked together in little knots, it was in whispers, and all were glad -when the Earl gave the signal for retiring. - -The same night I was awoke from a sound sleep by de Vilela, who bade -me dress and go with him. We went into a room high up in the tower, and -there were my mistress, Desmond, and de Ricaldo waiting for us. - -“Ruari,” said Grace O’Malley, her face bright with excitement, “this -gentleman is Don Juan de Ricaldo”--we saluted each other--”and he is -the bearer of news of the highest importance, which concerns us most -nearly.” - -Don Juan bowed again. - -“The ships of the King of Spain have arrived?” I asked, as my mistress -paused. - -“One ship has come,” said she, “that of which Don Juan is the -commander, and others are on the way. They set out at the same time, -but a storm separated them; he has reached Ireland first, but the rest -cannot be far off.” - -“’Tis the best of good news,” cried I. “Would to God they were all -beside our galleys on the Shannon!” - -“Don de Ricaldo’s ship lies off Dingle, on the coast of Kerry,” said my -mistress, smiling at my sally, “and the others must be guided to the -same harbour. They may have already cast anchor elsewhere, or they may -still be at sea. But I wish you to take _The Cross of Blood_ and search -for them. Both of these gentlemen,” she nodded to the two Spaniards, -“will accompany you.” - -“And then?” inquired I. - -“You will then render them,” said she, “any help they may require, as, -for instance, choosing the most suitable place for making a landing, -or whatever it may be.” - -“And then?” asked I again. - -“Return here,” said she. - -“May I ask,” said I, “if any plans have been formed.” - -“They will depend,” said Desmond, quickly “on the number of the Spanish -soldiers--and on other things,” he added, more slowly. - -“You will go at once, Ruari?” asked Grace O’Malley, but her question -was a command. - -“At once,” I agreed; then a thought came to me. “Richard Burke should -be told of this,” said I. - -“All Ireland will have heard the news within a week,” said Desmond -impatiently, “and the MacWilliam among the rest.” - -This was true enough, but I made sure that he knew, for I sent a trusty -man to his camp who told him what had taken place. I did this later -that night. - -As I was taking my leave I asked my mistress if she were satisfied that -all was going well, and she replied that she was. - -“You will stay on here till I return?” asked I. - -“Surely!” It was Desmond who spoke. - -I had half a mind to suggest to her that it might be better for her to -go back to her own galley, but it seemed like a presumption on my part, -and I held my peace. - -But once we were on board _The Cross of Blood_, swinging down the -stream in the hours of the morning, I wished that I had been bolder. - -Yet, what was there to fear? So I repeated to myself, but the fear came -again and again. For there were Grace O’Malley and Eva in Desmond’s -power, the guard they had with them being of the slenderest now that -Richard Burke was out of Askeaton with his gallowglasses, and I myself, -with de Vilela and some of our choicest men, going further away with -every mile. - -Was she justified in placing herself so entirely in the hands of the -Earl? There was the rub. My mistress, however, had declared that she -was well pleased with the way in which our affairs were moving, and -with that assurance I had perforce to be content. And I verily believe -she had no doubt but that she could do with Desmond as she chose. - -I had been ordered to keep a look-out for the Spanish ships, and I put -in at various bays and havens where I thought it might be possible that -they had anchored, but I reached Dingle without having seen anything -of them. And I well remember that it was towards evening, after we had -borne the blaze of the July sun all day, that we came up alongside of -Don Juan de Ricaldo’s vessel, and de Vilela and myself went on board of -her with her captain. - -Next morning I put out to sea again, and, sailing slowly down the coast -for perhaps a couple of hours, fell in with the rest of the Spanish -ships, tacking to the north-westward. - -Having made signs that I wished to speak to them, they lay to. As I -approached I saw a man waving his hand to me from the ship that was -nearest us, and him I afterwards knew to be Sir James Fitzmaurice, a -relative of the Earl of Desmond, and having the reputation of being a -skilful soldier. He had already fought against the English in Ireland, -but had been beaten by them, and compelled to sue for peace. - -Beside him there stood three or four priests, and, a little way off, -a group of men wearing armour, their swords shining brightly in their -hands. There was also a goodly muster of footmen, having arquebuses, -spears and other weapons. And my heart warmed when I beheld this array. - -Quitting my galley, I went on board of the ship, and presently had told -Fitzmaurice, who evidently was the leader of the expedition, who I was, -and for what purpose I was come. I also delivered to him letters which -de Vilela and de Ricaldo had given me for him. Having read these over -very carefully, he began to ply me eagerly with many questions. - -Was Desmond well? What preparations had he made to rise against the -English? What was the general state of the country? Did its princes -and chiefs know that he was coming, and were they ready to drive the -English into the sea? Were the English in force, and where lay their -army? Who was there now at Limerick? - -All these and many other things did he inquire of me, listening to my -replies with the closest attention, comparing what I said with what was -written in the letters I had brought, and making a commentary of his -own. But I soon found out that he was in reality as well informed as I -was. - -Here was one, I said to myself, who was a very different man from -Desmond. The way he bore himself was so instinct with firmness, courage -and resolution that he at once instilled a feeling of confidence in all -who met him. Then the questions he had addressed to me impressed me as -being just such questions as a soldier and a man of action would ask. -But what struck me most was that when he spoke of Desmond, while he -said not a word in his dispraise, he was apparently not certain of him. -And this was so much in my own manner of thinking of the Earl that my -fear of him was intensified. - -It was now my turn to ask questions, and I inquired how many men -Fitzmaurice had with him, and if these were all, or were we to look for -more? - -“There are four hundred of us--Spaniards, Italians, Irish, and English; -these English,” he added, “are not of the Queen’s religion. And as to -what we may expect, Father Sanders will tell you more,” and he turned -to one of the priests standing near. “Father,” said he to the priest, -“this is Ruari Macdonald, foster-brother of Grace O’Malley of Erris and -the Isles of Connaught.” - -“You have just come from Desmond,” said Sanders; “I have heard -something of what you have been saying, and your mistress is with us.” - -“Yes,” I replied, “Grace O’Malley is at Askeaton.” - -“She is firm in the cause?” - -“She, and all of us, are proclaimed rebels,” cried I, “so you may judge -for yourself.” - -Then he exchanged glances with Fitzmaurice, and continued, “And -Desmond? what of him?” - -Thereupon I gave them an account of what had occurred at Askeaton since -our arrival there. - -“I do not see,” said Sanders, when I had done, “how the Earl could have -acted otherwise. As he said, he had to wait till the time was ripe. -But now, the time is ripe, and the Desmond war-cry will soon resound -on every side!” And the priest looked fixedly at Fitzmaurice, who, -however, remained silent. - -Sanders then began speaking again, and told me how that the Pope had -blessed the expedition, and had given both men and money, and would -send more ere long. Next he took me to see a splendid banner, all blue -and gold, with the figure of our Lord upon it, which he had received -from Rome. - -“This will march with our hosts,” cried he, “and lead us on to victory!” - -Now, with the priests and the mysteries of religion I have never had -much to do, and while the spirit of the man was in itself a beautiful -thing, and the banner, too, a thing beautiful to behold, yet I could -not forbear from thinking that fighting men were what we most stood in -need of, and that four hundred soldiers, however brave they were, even -added to our own, were far from being sufficient to drive the English -out of Ireland. For I knew the English by this time, and that they were -no mean foes. - -And when I said what was in my mind to Fitzmaurice, who I was sure -would agree with me, he replied that I must remember that the force he -had with him was but the advance guard of a great army, which, even at -that very instant, might be already on its way to our coasts. So I took -fresh courage, and hoped for the best. - -After we had had a long conversation I said that my present business -was to see his ships safe into the harbour of Dingle, or into any other -haven which might be selected in Kerry, and as de Ricaldo’s vessel was -not at Dingle, I purposed, if it was agreeable to him, to go on ahead -in my galley and show him the way, as it were, to the place. To this he -assented, and I went back to _The Cross of Blood_. We made Dingle soon -thereafter, and I could see that Fitzmaurice and Sanders immediately -got ready to land. - -There had already gathered upon the shore a crowd of the Irish -belonging to that part of Kerry. Partly, I imagine, to impress them, -and partly because of the nature of the occasion itself, Fitzmaurice -and Sanders had deemed that their landing afforded a fit opportunity -for no little display. They had therefore arranged a sort of -procession, and I watched it, as it moved along, with keen interest; -nor was I cold and stolid myself at the sight of the joy of the country -people, who received it on shore with loud shoutings and a tumult of -cheers. - -Two friars, chanting a psalm, stepped first on shore; behind them came -a bishop, clad in the robes of his sacred office, with a mitre on his -head and a pastoral staff in his left hand. His right hand was raised -solemnly invoking a blessing on the land, and his lips moved as if in -prayer, while the Irish knelt upon the shore as his feet touched the -ground. - -Then came Father Sanders, the banner which the Pope had consecrated -waving above him, and, immediately after him, Fitzmaurice and those -of knightly rank--gallant, mailed, long-sworded gentlemen every one! -And now the foot-soldiers, each in a company under its own captain, -streamed from the ships--making altogether a brave show. - -As soon as a camping place for the night had been chosen, Fitzmaurice -appeared at the side of my galley, and, having come on board, said -that the harbour of Dingle from its shape--the mouth of the bay being -narrow--was one from which it would be difficult to escape in an -extremity, and asked me to suggest another. - -Whereupon I replied that the haven of Smerwick, four miles to the north -across the tongue of land where we now were, would be more to his mind. -And thither the next day Fitzmaurice marched his troops; the ships were -brought round, and, all his stores having been fetched ashore, he at -once set his men to work, making a trench and fortifying the place. - -As I had now accomplished the mission my mistress had entrusted me -with, I set about preparing to return to Askeaton. But Fitzmaurice -prevailed upon me to stay two or three days longer, telling me he had -sent horsemen to Desmond with a letter, in which he had urged his -kinsman to declare war against the Queen without delay, and saying the -reply might be of such a character as to change my plans. He hoped the -answer would be speedy, and in any case, he said, it was well that I -should know exactly what the Earl wrote. - -But several days passed, and still no word came from Desmond. - -In the meantime, Sir John, a brother of the Earl, arrived at Smerwick. -This man, with whom a hatred of the English was the chief passion of -his life, greatly lamented the supineness of his brother, but he had -no knowledge of the Earl’s movements. There was no mistaking that Sir -John was sincere, and when he asked Fitzmaurice, de Vilela, and myself -to accompany him on his return to his castle of Tralee, where, he said, -our reception would give full proof of his devotion to the cause, I for -one gladly assented. - -We took with us a considerable number of men, so as to guard against a -surprise, but we reached Tralee without adventure of any sort. - -Before we had gained the castle itself, however, we were met by one -of Sir John’s gallowglasses, who warned him that two officers of the -English had arrived there that very day, and that, as one of them was -well known to Sir John, they had been allowed to enter within its walls -without question. - -Hastily calling a halt, we consulted together what was the wisest -course to pursue. Sir John was for our going on, but Fitzmaurice -thought it would be more prudent for Sir John to ride forward with his -own attendants, and then, when night had fallen, we might secretly -enter the castle. - -“Who are the Englishmen?” asked I, thinking that they might be known to -me. - -“One is Carter, the Marshal of Munster,” replied Sir John, “and the -other is Davell, a captain in the garrison at Limerick.” - -I was acquainted with neither, but I remembered that I had heard of -Davell, and what it was, and I looked steadily at Sir John. - -“Sir John,” said I, “the name of Davell is not unfamiliar to me, and, -if my memory serve me aright, you must know him well.” - -“Yes,” said he shortly; “he once stood between me and death in a former -war. But what of that,” added he grimly, “as things are now?” - -I held my peace, whereupon he exclaimed passionately: “I will suffer -nothing to stand between me and the deliverance of Ireland! Let us -proceed.” - -Fitzmaurice, however, would not agree to this; so Sir John went on, as -had been suggested, and we withdrew into the forest not far from the -castle. But about midnight Sir John sent to say that the Englishmen had -gone to bed, and that, as all was now quiet, he invited us to come. Nor -did we refuse. - -When we had entered within the silent castle, Sir John met us, and -led us, who were leaders, into the hall, but our men lay down in the -courtyard. When wine and meat had been put before us, the waiting-men -going about on tiptoe, Fitzmaurice inquired of Sir John if we might be -told on what business it was that Carter and Davell had come to Tralee. - -“As spies. What else?” said Sir John. “The tidings of your landing have -reached the ears of the President, and they have ventured hither for -more news. They tell me they wish to see for themselves what is going -on.” - -“What say they of Desmond?” I asked. - -“They say--what I cannot believe,” cried he, forgetting to whisper, as -we had been doing; “they say that Desmond himself sent a letter to the -President--a letter he had received from you,” and here he glanced at -Fitzmaurice--”and that he has offered to drive the Spaniards back to -their ships.” - -We were all silent. As for me, my mind was as a blank, while my heart -beat so furiously that it was like to rend my body. - -“I will never believe it,” said Sir John. “’Tis nothing but a base lie!” - -In the anguish of my spirit I groaned aloud, so that the rest looked -curiously at me. - -“You believe it!” slowly said Fitzmaurice; “and, by the Mass! so do I.” - -“No, no!” exclaimed Sir John. “Not that--not that!” - -Then he sprang from his place, and, even in the dim light of the -candles, I could not but see how ghastly was his face. - -“Not that--not that!” he cried again, then with swift steps turned and -left us. - -I heard the sound of his feet as he went up the stair to the -sleeping-rooms above; presently the noise ceased, but in another moment -the stillness was rent by a piercing cry, quickly followed by another -and another. - -We gazed at each other fearfully, asking mutely what this might -portend, when Sir John returned to the hall, his mantle and his hands -stained with blood. - -“Let this,” cried he in wild accents, and he shivered as the blood -dripped from him, “let this be a pledge of the faithfulness of the -Desmonds to you and to the cause!” - -“What have you done?” asked Fitzmaurice. - -“There are no English spies alive now in Tralee,” said he more calmly, -“to carry tales to Limerick.” - -He had stabbed to death Carter and Davell, as they lay asleep, with his -own dagger. - -And one of them had saved his life, and both had counted themselves his -friends! - -I felt myself growing sick with horror of the man and his deed. To slay -men in a fight was one thing, but to kill sleeping men under one’s own -roof was another and a very different thing. - -And with the horror there came a nameless fear. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -SUCH STUFF AS DREAMS. - - -Once the first shock of this terrible affair was over my thoughts were -so many, and withal so dreary, that it was impossible for me to get any -sleep in the short hours which yet remained before the day dawned. - -I sought and found excuses for Sir John, but the excuses did not wholly -satisfy me. For, if against this act of treachery of his, there might -and could be set instances as base on the part of the English rulers of -Ireland, that made it not the less foul. - -He no doubt justified himself in his own sight by believing he had -committed his brother, the Earl, irrevocably to the cause, and that now -all his hesitation must cease. But would it? I asked myself. - -Carter and Davell had declared that Desmond was in communication with -the President of Munster; no sooner had I heard this than I felt it -must be true. So, too, had said Fitzmaurice. And if it were, in what -position, then, was Grace O’Malley? - -After all, was it true? - -Sir John had denied it; but had it not been the very fear that it was -true, which had driven him as by a sort of frenzy into this dark and -dreadful act of slaying his defenceless guests? - -And if Desmond were a traitor, where and in what case was my mistress? - -And what of Eva? - -One thing was clear, and that was that Tralee was no place for me. -I now regretted deeply that I had not returned to Askeaton at once -after the harbour of Smerwick had been chosen by the Spaniards, and -determined to get back to _The Cross of Blood_ and to set out for the -stronghold of Desmond immediately, for it was there that I should be. - -With the first blush of day I roused up my own men, and bade them -be ready to march. As I was standing among them in the yard, both -Fitzmaurice and de Vilela approached, and beckoned to me to join them. -As I came up, a dozen horsemen or more swept past us, and fled across -the bridge. - -“There goes the rising of Munster,” cried Fitzmaurice joyfully, nodding -towards the horsemen. “They have been charged with messages to all the -chiefs of the province, and before night has fallen the battle-cry -of the Desmonds will have been sounded forth throughout the whole -territories of the Geraldines.” - -“You have heard, then, from Desmond?” asked I, greatly relieved by his -words. - -“Not yet,” replied he; “but, after last night, Desmond can have no -choice. Surely you must agree with me in that?” - -“No,” said I, very slowly. “I am not sure that I agree with you.” - -“Which means you do not!” cried he, with anger in his tones. “But why?” - -It was not easy to put what I thought into so many words, and I did not -answer at once. - -“Why? why?” again asked Fitzmaurice. - -“I can hardly tell you,” replied I; “but you heard, as well as I did, -the report of his dealings with the President, and”--here I spoke out -quite bluntly--”I have no firm faith in Desmond.” - -“Perchance, he hesitated,” said Fitzmaurice, “perhaps he did at the -beginning; but all that will now be at an end. He must declare himself -openly. His hand has been forced by Sir John, and he cannot stand out -against us and his people.” - -“What are your plans now?” I asked, rather wearily, for I was tired of -this incessant reference to Desmond. - -“To wait at Tralee till I hear from him,” said he. “You will wait also?” - -“No,” said I, “I return to Smerwick to-day.” - -“Return to Smerwick? I shall not let you!” - -“Indeed,” said I, with some heat. “You are not my commander, and I owe -you no obedience. It is not yours to say what I shall do; that is the -right of my mistress alone.” - -“Your mistress!” said Fitzmaurice with a sneer. - -My hand went to my sword, but de Vilela, who had so far taken no part -in the conversation, interfered. - -“Señor,” said he to Fitzmaurice sternly, “you can mean no disrespect to -the lady, Grace O’Malley; she is my dear friend----” - -“Señor,” said I, interrupting him, “this affair is mine.” - -“Señor Ruari” said he, “had any offence been intended, it would have -been mine, too.” - -Fitzmaurice, who quickly saw that he had made a mistake, declared that -he had neither said nor implied anything to the despite of my mistress, -but his look was sullen, and I wondered at him. - -It was apparent that he had something on his mind that was not -favourable to her, but he said no more. It was possible that he had -heard about her in connection with Desmond, so I concluded, and this -urged me to the more haste in leaving Tralee. - -“I am going to Smerwick at once,” said I to them both. - -Fitzmaurice was about to speak, but, changing his mind, walked away. De -Vilela then asked me why I was in so great a hurry to be gone. - -“My place is with my mistress,” said I briefly, for I could not tell -him my thoughts. - -“That is a true word,” said he; and there was a strange catch in his -voice, so that I looked at him curiously, expecting him to say more, -but he was silent. - -No objection being made to our departure, my men and I left Tralee, -and, before night had set in we were at Smerwick. Having saluted the -officers of the Spanish ships, and acquainted them with my intention, I -weighed out from Smerwick the following morning, and on the third day -came up with _The Grey Wolf_ and _The Winged Horse_, which were quietly -riding at anchor in the bay, not far from the castle of Askeaton. - -Many had been the questionings of my spirit as we had gone up the -Shannon; many my doubts and fears of I knew not quite what; but the -mere sight of the galleys, thus peacefully resting on the water like a -pair of great sea-birds, dispelled them at once. - -Tibbot, who had been in chief command during the absence of Grace -O’Malley and myself, came on board of _The Cross of Blood_ as soon as -we had let go our anchor, and I could see from the very way he carried -himself that all was well with the ships. He had nothing stirring to -tell me, so it appeared, but was exceedingly anxious to hear about the -men from Spain, and what was being done. - -But before I had gratified him in this respect, I inquired when he had -last seen or had word of our mistress, and he answered that she and the -Earl of Desmond and a numerous party had visited the galleys a day or -two after I had sailed down the river; and that, since then, he had had -no tidings of her. Nothing, moreover, save vague rumours of Fitzmaurice -and the Spaniards had reached him through the people living on the -shore of the stream. - -So far as was known, Desmond still lay at Askeaton, and had not joined -in the rising against the Queen. - -Tibbot seemed sure that everything and everybody remained at the castle -in the same position as when I had left it; but I resolved to go -thither without loss of time, and to see for myself how the land lay. - -I charged Tibbot in the meantime not to allow our men to wander away, -but to keep them, as far as possible, in the galleys, and so to be -prepared for any emergency. And I enjoined upon him that he was not to -offer attack, but only to stand on his defence in case of assault. - -Having spoken in the same terms to Calvagh, who was to act as Tibbot’s -lieutenant, I took but one attendant, thinking that if more went with -me I should not be able to get to Askeaton as quickly as I wished. - -It was not yet evening as I came in sight of Askeaton, and as I gazed -down upon it from the high ground opposite, I noticed that there was -nothing unusual in its appearance, except that the drawbridge was up, -and that there were perhaps a few more soldiers on the walls than -was customary. Descending the edge of the stream I shouted to the -watch, peering at me through the wicket, to open the gate. I could -not but have been well known to them, but I was kept waiting for some -minutes--at which I marvelled much. I had no thought, however, of -turning back. - -At length, the chains of the drawbridge, as they clashed and clattered -through the sheaves, began to move, and the bridge fell into place, the -gate being opened at the same instant. - -What followed was so sudden that I have only a confused recollection of -it. - -My feet had no more than trodden the creaking planks of the drawbridge, -as it seemed to me, or I may have been just within the door, when I was -set upon by several of Desmond’s men. - -I was taken completely off my guard, albeit I struggled with all my -strength, but, being at a disadvantage, this availed me not a whit. In -any case, I must soon have been overpowered; but the matter was the -quicker settled by a blow on my head, under which I went down like a -felled ox. - -When I had come somewhat to my senses again, it was to find myself sick -and giddy from the blow, while my hands and feet were tightly bound -with ropes, so that my flesh was chafed and cut; there had been a gag -thrust into my mouth, and my eyes were bandaged. I could not speak, nor -see, nor move. I could feel I was lying on the earth, but where I was I -knew not. - -“He is coming to himself,” said a voice. My brain was reeling, reeling, -reeling; but there was that in the voice that seemed not strange, yet I -could not remember whose it was, so far off was it--as if from another -world. - -“Put him----” and there were other words that came to me, but so -indistinctly that I could not make them out at all; nay, I could not -tell, being in a stupor, whether I was awake or did only dream. - -Then I was taken up and carried along--up steps and steps which -appeared to be without end, and at last was thrown upon a wooden floor. -A door was shut and bolted and barred; and thereafter a sound of -retreating footsteps dying away, and I was left alone. I was wide awake -now, for my body was one great, almost insupportable pain. - -And terrible as was the anguish of my frame, that of my mind was more; -but first came the racking of the bones and the torture of the flesh, -and these, in their turn, brought consciousness and memory, and an -indescribable agony of the soul. - -I tried to move--a thing well-nigh impossible to me, trussed up as I -was, and by reason also of the pain I suffered; and I was constrained -to abandon the attempt. I should have borne up better perhaps if my -eyes had been open and my tongue free; but there I lay in the darkness, -like one already dead, and had nearly given way to despair. - -And as the shadows and mists of stupor cleared away from my mind, I was -overwhelmed at the extent of the disaster which had befallen me, for -I saw in it but too surely an indication of some dreadful evil, some -fearful calamity which had overtaken my mistress and her fortunes, and -that, too, at the hands of Desmond. - -And I was powerless to help her! I had allowed myself to be -caught--running, blind fool that I was, my own head into the noose. - -Where was she? - -Where was Eva? - -What had happened? - -What was to be the end? Was this it? - -Around such questions as these did my thoughts move, as if in a circle; -ever asking the same questions, and ever without reply; until I felt -that there was no more than the breadth of a thread between me and -madness. - -After a great while--how long I wist not, and perchance it was no such -great while as it seemed to me in that wild fever of my spirit--the -door of the room in which I lay huddled upon the floor was opened. I -verily believe that it was the mere opening of the door at that very -moment that kept me from becoming a maniac, so strained were those fine -chords which subtly hold mind and body as if in a balance. - -The bandage was untied from about my eyes, and the gag was taken from -my mouth; the ropes were partly unloosened from my arms, and food and -water were placed beside me. - -Two men were in the room, both bearing drawn swords, and one carrying a -lantern, for it was night, and but for its light we had been in total -darkness. Yet so sore were my eyes that I could scarcely bear to look -at the men, and when I essayed to speak I could not utter a word so -swollen was my tongue. - -“Eat and drink,” said one of them; but I could do no more than roll my -head helplessly from side to side. - -Then the other, seeing how foredone I was, put the pitcher to my lips, -and I drank, although each mouthful I swallowed of the water was a -fresh torment. But with the blessed water there came relief, nay, life -itself, for the frenzy died out of my brain, and my mind became calm -and clear. Thereafter I ate, and essayed to speak with the two men, but -they had evidently been forbidden to converse with me, for they would -answer nothing. After a short time they withdrew, bolting and barring -the door behind them, and I was left to myself. - -Hours dragged slowly by, and, at length, the sleep of exhaustion -fell upon me, and when I awoke it was broad daylight. The repose had -restored me in a great measure to myself; but the stinging of the -cuts made by the bonds on my legs and arms, and the dull throbbing, -throbbing of my head, quickly recalled me to the misery of my situation. - -In the morning, however, I was released from the ropes, and more food -and water were brought me. Again I endeavoured to get the men, who I -perceived were the same that had come to me the previous evening, to -speak to me, but in vain. - -Before they had made their appearance I had seen that I had not been -cast into one of the dungeons of Askeaton, but was imprisoned in a -chamber which I judged, numbering the steps up which I had been borne, -to be at the top of one of the towers of the castle. As soon as they -had gone I set about examining the room, albeit I was so stiff and -sore that at first I could only crawl and creep on the floor. As this -exercise, however, gave me back the use of my limbs, I was soon able to -stand and move about with ease. - -The room was small and bare, without even a stool or a bench, and was -lighted by a little, narrow window, from which I caught glimpses of -distant masses of trees and the slopes and peaks of far-off mountains. -During my first visit to Desmond, I had made myself familiar with every -part of the castle, and I knew that the surmise I had made that the -room was high up in a tower was a true one. - -There were only the two ways of getting out, the one by the door, the -other by the window. The door was firmly secured, for I had tried it, -but I might as well have sought to move the stone walls of the chamber. -And the window was many feet above the ground or the river, so that it -was impossible to escape by it, unless by means of a ladder or a rope, -neither of which I possessed. - -It therefore required very little reflection on my part to understand -how complete was my captivity, and how small was the chance of my being -able to deliver myself from it. - -But it was something that I could see, that I could breathe freely, -and that I could speak aloud, and hear, at least, the sound of my own -voice. And these somehow brought with them a faint ray of hope. As I -paced up and down the room--that I was permitted to go without chains -showed in itself how convinced my gaolers were that I could not break -free--I determined not to despair. But as the day passed wretchedly -by, and night came on again, it was difficult to keep any degree of -firmness in my heart. - -A thing which kept constantly recurring to me was the haunting -recollection of the voice I had heard, or fancied that I had heard, -after I had been struck down, and was half-alive and half-dead, and -so certain of nothing. Then, knowing, as I well did, what was the -usual horrible fate of one taken prisoner, I could not but ponder with -surprise the comparative tenderness shown me. - -I had not been thrown into a noisome cell beneath the castle, or, what -would have been worse still, under the bed of the stream, and left to -die of madness and hunger, a prey to rats and other vermin. - -Nay, I asked myself why I had not been slain outright? That, it was -manifest, had not been the purpose of those who had set upon me, for, -once I was down, nothing could have been easier than to despatch me. - -Then, whose voice was it that I had heard? For the life of me I could -not remember. - -When evening was come, food and water were provided as before, but in -the same obduracy of silence. The men were as speechless as mutes, -beyond one saying, “Eat and drink,” and I was strangely glad and even -moved to hear these simple words. - -Once more being left to the solitude of my prison-chamber, a thought -came, sharply shooting like an arrow, through my sombre musings. The -same two men always appeared with the food; just two men, I told -myself, _against one_. True, they were armed, and I was not; but might -not a quick, dexterous, unexpected assault give me my opportunity? And -if I could but get out of the room, could I not trust to my star, and -to my knowledge of the castle, to find some way of escape? And if I -failed? Well, the worst was death, and I had faced it before. And so -the project grew, and took a firm hold of me. - -Not thus, however, had it been ordained. - -So agitated was I by the mere prospect of regaining my liberty, that -it was long ere I went to sleep, and then methought I dreamed a happy -dream. - -There was, as it were, a light in that mean room--not a great -brightness, but a dimly burning light, itself a shadow among other -shadows. And behind that shadow, a pale presence and a ghostly, stood -Eva O’Malley, and by her side a muffled figure, vague and indistinct, -but seen darkly as in a mirror over which the breath has passed. -Clearer, and yet more clearly, there were bodied forth the face and -form I knew and loved; her hand touched me, and my name was whispered -softly in my ear. - -“Ruari! Ruari!” - -I heard the rustle of her garments; then the shadow danced along the -wall and died away, as the light came closer to my face. - -“Ruari! Ruari!” - -“O my love! my love!” cried I. - -“Ruari! Ruari! Come!” said she. - -“Hush! Hush!” said the muffled figure, and all at once I was aware that -this was no dream, but a verity. - -This was no other than my dear herself. - -And the muffled figure--who was that? A man’s voice surely had I heard -say “Hush!” And why were they come? Wherefore, indeed, but to deliver -me. And I sprang up from the floor in haste. - -“Softly, softly,” said Eva, as I clasped her hand--a living hand, thank -God! - -Then she whispered low that for the present they must leave me, for if -we all went together, the suspicion of the guards might be aroused, but -that I must find my way out as best I could. Her words bewildered me, -but there was no time for explanations, which would come afterwards. - -“You must contrive to get down by yourself to the court,” said she. “We -will meet you there, but wait here first for about an hour, then start. -You will find the door of this room open; take the left turn, and make -no noise or you will be lost.” - -I did as I had been bid. After what I supposed might be an hour I felt -my way out of the room, and stepping slowly and with a cat’s wariness -succeeded, but with many quakings and alarms, in reaching the great -hall without attracting the attention of anyone. Never could I have -done this had I not been familiar with the castle, and even as it was I -had frequently to stop perplexed. - -In the hall were many men asleep, each with his weapon by him, as I -could see, though uncertainly, from the dull glow of the embers on the -wide hearth. Near the fire itself sat two men, and for awhile I looked -at them fearfully, for past them must I go. But as I watched them -carefully I saw their heads nodding, nodding--they, too, were asleep. - -Out through the slumberers did I step, praying dumbly that they might -not waken through any slip of mine, and, reaching the door in safety, -was, in another moment, in the court. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE PERFIDY OF DESMOND. - - -“Ruari!” said Eva O’Malley; “here!” - -It was that darkest time of night that preludes the day, and I could -see no one with any degree of clearness, but, guided by that beloved -voice, I went forward, nothing doubting. - -Straining my eyes into the blank, I made out figures, moving towards -the gate; Eva came to my side, and we followed close upon them. -Mystified as I was at what had just occurred, it gave me a delicious -thrill of happiness to be near Eva, and to feel myself a free man again. - -“Eva!” I said. - -“Do not speak--do not speak,” said she, “we are not yet out of danger.” - -In silence then we walked through the court until we had come to the -guard-house by the gate, and there we halted. One of those with us went -into the room, and I could hear, though indistinctly, the sounds of him -and others talking together. - -Some long minutes passed, and the suspense was becoming unendurable, -when two men with lanterns appeared. Without looking at us they -proceeded to lower the drawbridge, the rattling of whose chains was to -me then the finest music in the world, and to open the gate. - -“Quick,” said Eva to me, pushing me gently on. - -I was over the bridge and on the further side in a flash along with two -others; turning back I heard an exclamation from the watchmen with the -lanterns, and some expostulations. - -“’Twas not in the bargain,” I caught; then there were more words which -I heard too imperfectly to understand, but I recognised from the mere -tone of one of the voices who the speaker was. - -And with this there dawned on me also whose was the voice I had heard -after I had been struck down. It was Dermot Fitzgerald’s! And he it was -who was our guide! - -In what way he satisfied the watchmen I do not know, but, having done -so, he and Eva crossed the bridge. Then there was a whistle, and now a -horse neighed; and thereafter the trampling of chargers broke upon the -ear. The horse-boys brought the animals up to us, and presently we were -in the saddle, moving off from the castle notwithstanding the gloom, -Fitzgerald leading the way. - -I wondered where we were going, but I had been told not to utter a -word, in the one brief sentence I had exchanged with Eva when we were -mounting the horses, and I followed on after her as I would have done -to the end of the world, but I was fair dazed with these strange, -fantastic tricks of fortune. - -We had gone about a couple of leagues, as I conjectured, from Askeaton, -riding for the greater part of the distance through the forest, when -Fitzgerald stopped--and so did we all. - -The darkness had grown perceptibly less intense, and we could now see a -sort of path among the trees. - -“I have done what I promised you,” said Fitzgerald to Eva O’Malley. -Then he turned towards me. “Ruari Macdonald,” said he, “my debts to you -are also paid. Farewell, and God help and pity us all!” - -“Dermot!” cried I. - -But he was already past me, galloping fast and furiously, like one -hotly pursued. - -“He has gone,” said Eva, and there was a sob in her voice. - -In an instant I had leaped from the saddle, and was by her side. Her -form was bowed forward upon her horse’s neck, and her tears were -falling heavily, as I placed my arm about her waist, and drew her -towards me, heedless of those who were with us. - -“Eva, darling,” I said. “What does all this mean?” Not that I cared to -be told at that moment; it was enough that we were together. I pressed -her to my heart, and kissed away her tears while she struggled with -her emotions. I spoke many words of endearment, and after awhile she -regained her calmness. - -“Let us ride on,” she said at length. - -“But whither are we going?” asked I. - -“To the camp of Richard Burke,” she replied; “it is only three or four -miles ahead of us--so Dermot Fitzgerald said. And he has shown himself -our friend after all.” - -“To Richard Burke?” cried I, more amazed, if that were possible, even -than before. - -“Have patience, Ruari” said she, “you must soon know everything; but be -patient--” - -“Our mistress?” asked I, at no time very patient, and now devoured with -questions. - -“Wait a little, wait a little,” said she, and she broke into weeping -again, so that my heart smote me at the sight of her grief. But when I -would have taken her in my arms again to try to comfort her, she waved -me off, and, shaking up her horse, rode on in front. - -The day breaking clearly as we went along, I observed that those behind -me were two women of my mistress’s and Eva’s, and the man I had brought -with me from _The Cross of Blood_ to Askeaton. My mind was now in such -a tangle that I had to resign myself passively, and to become, as it -were, rather a spectator of than a participator in what was going on. - -In truth, I felt more at sea than ever before in my life, and was even -inclined to prick myself, like a boy, to see if we were indeed living, -or merely moving in some spectral land of shades and phantoms. - -Nor did this air of unreality wear away until we had arrived at the -camp of the Burkes. But as we emerged from the trees into the open, we -were at once recognised by those on guard, for they had seen both Eva -and myself frequently in the galleys, and thus we were well known to -them. - -They raised so loud and fervent a shout of welcome that the MacWilliam -quickly appeared on the ground to ascertain what was happening. He -gazed at us like one sorely puzzled; then, as he came forward to greet -us, there was an expression of alarm. - -“Eva O’Malley!” he exclaimed. Then he came up to me, and as I held out -my hand he gasped with astonishment, for my hands were bleeding from -the unhealed cuts inflicted by the ropes with which I had been tied, -my dress was in disorder, and my feet, which were bare, were spattered -with blood. - -“What has happened?” cried he hoarsely. “Where is your mistress? What? -What?” - -“Fetch wine,” said I, partly to divert his thoughts, partly because it -seemed as if Eva were about to swoon. “Go, fetch us wine!” - -“Yes, yes!” said Eva faintly. Then, with an effort of the will, she -added, “I will tell you everything--when I have recovered a little.” - -Leading us to his tent, he called for wine, and when Eva and I had -drunk, and our attendants also, she and the MacWilliam and I were left -by ourselves, all the others being told to withdraw. - -“Have you heard?” she asked, looking at Burke. - -“Nothing,” replied he, “save that the Spaniards are come. The messenger -Ruari sent told me that de Ricaldo had arrived at Askeaton, and I have -since heard that their ships lie at Smerwick.” - -“Nothing more?” asked Eva. - -And he shook his head. - -“I hardly am less in the dark than yourself,” said I. “All that I know -besides is that when I returned to Askeaton from Smerwick no more than -two days ago, I was set upon in entering the castle, overpowered, -knocked senseless, bound, and made a prisoner.” - -“Made a prisoner!” cried Richard Burke. “God’s wounds! And why?” - -“That I as yet know not,” I answered. “But Eva will perhaps inform us; -this very night did she and Fitzgerald deliver me out of Askeaton.” - -Richard Burke gazed from one to the other of us, too much astonished to -speak. I looked at Eva, whose eyes were sad and weary, but the colour -was in her cheeks and her lips trembled only a very little. - -“Yes,” said she, “I can tell you; but let me begin at the beginning.” - -“More wine?” said I, and she took a sip from the goblet I handed to her. - -“I am tired,” said she, with a moan like that of a hurt child; “but you -must know all, and that quickly. You remember the night in which Juan -de Ricaldo reached Askeaton?” asked she of me. - -“I left some hours later that very night,” I replied, “to meet the -Spanish ships.” - -“You remember also that two of the justices of Munster had come from -Limerick with a letter from the President demanding that Grace O’Malley -should be sent to him, so that he could cast her into prison?” - -“I had not heard of that!” exclaimed Burke. - -“Yes,” I said; “I well remember it.” - -“Oh, how am I to tell it!” said Eva piteously, and I bled for her in -all my veins. “But say on I must. Perchance,” continued she, speaking -to me again, “you observed that Garrett Desmond was infatuated with -her, and that she did not rebuke him as she might have done?” - -“It was to keep stiff that weak back of his,” said I, “and to get him -to declare boldly against the Queen.” - -Richard Burke’s face was like a black cloud, and a groan, deep and -terrible, came from his lips. - -“That was it,” said Eva. “Do I not know that it was?” said she to -Burke. “Ay, well do I know it. And Desmond, too, knows it now.” - -“Desmond knows!” cried Burke more cheerfully, and he looked almost -happy. This was not my case. What horrible thing was coming? I asked -myself, for that something horrible had taken place I had no doubt -whatever, and my spirits sank like a stone. - -“Listen,” said Eva. “Desmond sent back the two justices empty-handed to -the President, but what he bade them tell him I cannot say. When they -departed I noted their demeanour, and it was not that altogether of -men who were wholly dissatisfied with the issue of their mission. Even -then,” cried she, with a fierceness the like of which was never seen in -her before, “I believe he meditated treachery.” - -“Treachery! A Desmond a traitor!” said Burke, upon whose countenance -the cloud had come back, for the drift of Eva’s words was clear enough. - -“No sign, however,” said she, “did the Earl show of anything of the -kind. Never was he gayer than during the next few days, and I hoped -that all was as fair for Grace O’Malley’s plans as it seemed. Two days -after you had gone, Ruari, he and his chief men and our mistress and -myself, with a great host of attendants, went down the stream from the -castle, and made a visit to the two galleys lying in the bay.” - -“Tibbot told me of it,” said I. - -“Desmond had a purpose in it,” said Eva, “as I can see now. He wished -to show Tibbot his friendship for our mistress, and never after that -manifestation of it would Tibbot suspect, he thought, that there would -be aught amiss with her at Askeaton in so long as she was with him.” - -“A shrewd trick,” said I bitterly. - -“What has taken place? Where is Grace O’Malley?” cried Burke, restless, -troubled, tortured even. - -“I know not where she is,” said Eva slowly, while the tears gathered in -her eyes. “I know not.” - -“What?” cried he. - -“Patience,” urged I, myself consumed with impatience, anger, and a -multitude of terrible passions. - -“Let me go on,” said Eva, with a choke. “It was shortly after we had -returned from the ships,” continued she bravely--”three or four days -perhaps--when there was a great stir at the castle, for messengers had -come with tidings of the landing of the Spaniards. A letter, too, they -brought from Sir James Fitzmaurice, who was in command, as it appeared, -of the expedition. I questioned one of the messengers,” said Eva shyly, -“if he had seen you, Ruari, and he told me that he had.” - -I secretly blessed my dear for this reference to me, but as I did not -desire to interrupt her story I kept silence. - -“We were all in good heart,” said she, “by reason of the coming of the -men from Spain, and Grace O’Malley in particular rejoiced exceedingly. -Desmond himself, however, was strangely quiet. Then that night--How can -I tell you?” and she broke down utterly and wept aloud. - -Burke’s eyes were full of fright, but mine too brimmed over when I -looked at my dear and saw her shaken with sobs. And I wept also, nor am -I ashamed of these tears of sympathy. - -“’Tis no time to weep,” said she after a pause, and resumed her tale, -but in broken accents. “That night, as we were retiring to sleep, I -observed that Grace O’Malley had lost all her gaiety and brightness, -and was in some great distress of mind. I implored her not to withhold -her confidence from me, and to tell me what was her trouble. - -“Then it appeared that Desmond had read to her the letter of -Fitzmaurice, and, when she had heard it to the end, declared that he -had placed his whole future in her hands, as he loved her passionately -and could not live without her. If she would consent to become his -wife, it would be a very easy matter to get a divorce from the -countess, and thereafter they would be married.” - -“His wife!” ejaculated Burke. - -“If she agreed, he said, to this proposal,” continued Eva, “she might -do with him and all the Geraldines as she had a mind, and he would -immediately put himself at the head of the rebellion against the Queen, -if that was her wish.” - -Richard Burke, unable to control his feelings any longer, jumped to his -feet. - -“What was her reply?” he demanded. - -“Wait--wait for another moment,” entreated Eva. - -“Patience,” urged I once more, though God knows I had no stock of it -myself. - -“If she refused----” said Eva. - -“She did refuse,” cried Burke. - -“If she refused,” continued Eva, “to become his wife, then not only -would he not join with the Spaniards, but he would aid the English -against them. When she pointed out to him that he had compromised -himself both by his intercourse with Spain and with Fitzmaurice, and -also by harbouring herself, a proclaimed rebel, he hinted--for at first -he would not put his thoughts into so many words--that he knew of a way -in which he might very readily make his peace with the President of -Munster, and that was by sending to him a pledge of his fidelity to the -Queen, which he was well informed would be acceptable to him and to her -Highness.” - -“Fidelity to the Queen!” exclaimed I, glowing with wrath. - -Any child could have foreseen what was coming. My mistress had indeed -played with fire, and it needed no wizard to tell me that she had been -scorched by its flames. - -“Grace O’Malley,” Eva went on, not heeding my interruption, “did not -fail to understand his meaning. She herself was the pledge of his -fidelity to which he had referred. She must give herself to him, or -he would betray her to the English; that, and not obscurely, was the -threat he made--that, and nothing else. And she knew that she was in -his power.” - -“Horrible, horrible!” said Burke in anguish. - -“Desmond,” said Eva, “strove, however, to conceal the trap under the -cloak of an appeal to her devotion to the cause. She had only to say -the word, and the standards of the Geraldines would be arrayed against -the Queen, and then, with the English so unprepared as they were, -success was certain. It rested with her. Hers was it to bid him go or -stay.” - -It was a strong temptation, I thought, but I was too overcome to speak. - -“Then,” continued Eva, “he sought to inflame her ambition. As his wife, -suggested he, might she not become not only Countess of Desmond and the -greatest lady in the south, but even Queen of Ireland, once the English -had been driven out of the country?” - -Another strong temptation, thought I. - -Desmond had certainly played his cards adroitly enough. He had sought -to touch her through her hatred of the English, her love for her -country, and her ambition--all powerful forces. Women had sacrificed -themselves, nay, had willingly given themselves, for less. And I could -well understand that to a soul like hers self-sacrifice was very -possible. - -“But even,” said Eva, “in the background of all his speaking, there -lurked, like an evil beast, that hint of what he would do, if she -refused to submit herself to him.” - -After all, I said to myself, Desmond was a fool, for that was the worst -way to address a woman who had the spirit of my mistress. - -“To gain a little time, perhaps to escape from Askeaton,” continued -Eva, “Grace O’Malley asked to be allowed the night to consider what -he had said. And to this he agreed, saying roughly, however, as they -parted, that she must have her answer ready for him in the morning, -and that there must be an end to trifling. All this she told me, and -then we sought some way of escape, but Desmond had taken good care that -there should be none, for we soon found that we were prisoners.” - -“She had no intention of consenting to Desmond,” said Burke, and his -voice was full of pride and joy. - -“No,” said Eva, looking at him with kind eyes, notwithstanding the -grief in which she was. - -“Go on, go on,” urged I, half vexed with them both. - -“I know not,” said Eva, “what was said or done when the morning came, -but I have not even seen her since.” And her tears fell fast again, -while Burke and I were smitten into a gloomy silence. - -“Have you heard nothing of her?” asked I, at length. - -“One of my women--she is here now--found out that Desmond had taken her -to one of his castles nearer to Limerick than Askeaton is, with what -object may be easily guessed.” - -Burke started up madly. - -“What is to be done? What is to be done?” cried he. - -“A moment!” said I, and I turned to Eva. “There is more to tell, is -there not?” - -“Yes,” replied she. “After Grace O’Malley had been carried away I was -given a certain liberty, for I was permitted to move about a part -of the castle, although I was always watched. One day I chanced to -see Dermot Fitzgerald, and though he tried to avoid me as soon as he -perceived me, I ran up to him and caught him by the arm. I begged and -entreated him by our old friendship to tell me what had become of our -mistress, and what was going on. - -“When he would not answer, I went on my knees,” said my dear, bravely, -looking at me, “and reminding him of what I had done for him when he -lay wounded, and of what Grace O’Malley had done both for him and de -Vilela, besought him to have some pity on me, a woman.” - -“Go on, go on!” said I hoarsely. - -“He was so far moved,” said Eva, “as to tell me that my mistress was -well, and that no hurt would be done me. Not that I thought about -myself. I saw him again once or twice, and besought him to find some -means by which I might communicate with Grace O’Malley, but he said -that was impossible. Then I implored him to set me free, but that, too, -he said was not in his power.” - -Eva stopped speaking; then she began again, her voice strangely soft -and tender. - -“I saw you, Ruari, carried up the stairs two days ago--bound, bleeding, -almost dead as it seemed, and Fitzgerald was along with the men who -bore you in their arms. Later that evening I saw him, and anxiously -asked what had occurred. I now perceived that he was unhappy, like one -burdened with remorse. - -“Then he said that you had come to the castle unexpectedly, and that, -while it was deemed necessary to make you a prisoner, no violence had -been intended towards you. He declared that he would give all the world -if only it would put our affairs right again; indeed, he was like one -gone clean mad with trouble, exclaiming that he was the cause of all -our woes!” - -“The cause of all our woes!” cried I. - -“You remember Mistress Sabina Lynch, Ruari,” said Eva. “She it was, -said he, who had told the President of Munster to demand Grace O’Malley -as a pledge from Desmond of his loyalty to the Queen, and it was -through him--for he loves this woman--that she knew our mistress was at -Askeaton, though he had never meant to betray her.” - -Verily, as I said before, if I failed in my duty when I suffered Sabina -Lynch to live, I was grievously punished for it. - -“Yet not so does it appear to me,” said Eva, as if she had seen into my -heart! “For Desmond is Desmond--a mass of treachery, a thing, a beast! -But when I saw how Dermot Fitzgerald felt about the matter, I implored -him to try to set you, Ruari, at least, at liberty. And he was the -more ready to listen to me because of this very Sabina Lynch, for, said -he, she owed her life to you, and he wished to pay back the debt for -this woman, whom he loves.” - -Richard Burke kept muttering to himself, repeating, as I thought, -“Sabina Lynch! Sabina Lynch!” and what else I could not guess. - -“Next day,” said Eva, “a large number of the Geraldines left Askeaton, -and Fitzgerald, being won over entirely to me, told me he would -endeavour that night, there being but few men in the castle, to effect -your escape and mine also. In the evening the gallowglasses drank -deep--deeper even than they knew, for their wine and aqua vitæ had been -drugged--and then, when all was still, he came to me who was ready, -waiting. I asked him where you were, and he replied that he wished me -to go with him to you, as you would trust me, and not, perhaps, him.” - -“I see it all,” said I. - -“Going up to the room where you lay,” continued Eva, “we heard a noise; -that made us pause, then we went on again--and you know the rest. The -noise we had heard had so far alarmed us that we thought it best to -tell you what we did. Fitzgerald had seen to everything--said I not -rightly that he was my friend?” - -And now Burke cried again, as Eva stopped speaking, “What is to be -done? What is to be done?” For myself, while I echoed his question, I -was in so great a coil that I was as one dumb. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -“ONLY A WOMAN.” - - -“What is to be done?” asked Richard Burke. - -“We must find out, first of all, where Grace O’Malley is.” It was Eva -who spoke, and what she said was true. Our mistress must now be our -chief--nay, our whole concern. - -“Yes, yes!” cried I, roused to action, and looking with admiration at -this weak little woman, who had shown herself so strong. - -“Let us call in the woman you spoke of,” said Burke. “She may remember -something which will put us on the scent.” - -“I fear she has told me all that she knows,” said Eva; “but summon her -here.” - -While we waited for her I was going over what Eva had told us, and -trying also to recall exactly what had been the words used--even more -than the words, the manner of Fitzmaurice--when I had parted from him -at Tralee. And as I considered the matter the conviction was borne -in upon me that he had had some information as to what had happened -in regard to Desmond and my mistress, but that he had purposely said -nothing of it to me. - -For one thing, he had evidently intended to keep me with him, and so -to prevent me from returning to Askeaton; and, for another, he had -spoken of Grace O’Malley in a way which was little short of an insult, -and which I was quick to resent. Then de Vilela had intervened between -us, Fitzmaurice had made an apology, and I had left Tralee without -opposition or further words. - -What had de Vilela said when I had declared that my place was with my -mistress? That I had spoken a true word, and I remembered that when he -uttered this it was with little of his customary serenity of demeanour. - -I concluded, as I reflected on what had passed, that both Fitzmaurice -and de Vilela must have been aware--at least, to some extent, of -Desmond’s base conduct with respect to her. - -Nor was the cause of this silence far to seek. But imperfectly -informed, most probably, of the whole circumstances, and what they had -heard having reached them from some source favourable to Desmond, they -were, perhaps, inclined to lay the blame upon my mistress. - -Then, the Earl’s adhesion to the cause was so essential for its success -that whoever jeopardised it would be looked upon with hatred, and thus -they would be the more prejudiced against her. - -Yet Fitzmaurice had himself told me in effect that he was not sure of -Desmond, and this before he knew anything of Grace O’Malley. Perchance, -however, he had persuaded himself that he believed what he wished to -believe. - -And de Vilela? He had sprung to the defence of my mistress, but if -he knew what had occurred, why had he not spoken out? No doubt, I -told myself, it was because, while he was ready to uphold her honour, -he deemed that his duty towards his master, the King of Spain, was -paramount, and he had therefore submitted to Fitzmaurice, who was his -leader, and who had enjoined silence upon him. This, I surmised, was -the explanation. - -How much did they know? - -Could they say, I wondered, where Desmond had put my mistress? - -Where was she at this moment? - -The tire-woman had now entered the tent, but, although she was most -willing to tell us all she knew, she had no knowledge, it appeared, of -the place to which Grace O’Malley had been taken. - -“A castle a few miles from Limerick,” and no more could we get from -her. And Desmond, or the chiefs who regarded him as their prince, had -more than one castle answering this description. - -The important matter was that Desmond had not at once delivered her -over to the President of Munster. - -First, he was trying to convince her that his was no empty threat; and, -second, to bend or break her spirit. But I knew that, while he might -succeed in the one, he never would in the other. And he would see this -so soon that I had no doubt whatever that at most not more than two or -three days would elapse before she had been lodged in the prison of -Limerick, for I was now certain of the complete perfidy of Desmond. - -The man who could betray his guest was not likely to be true to any -cause. That he had sent Fitzmaurice’s letter to the President was, -I considered, a thing not only possible, but in the highest degree -probable. Thus the prospect on all sides of us was dark indeed. - -Sooner or later, then, Grace O’Malley would be in the power of the -English, at the mercy of the President of Munster, a helpless captive -in Limerick gaol! She might be there already, for aught we knew, and -therefore it behoved us at once to endeavour to discover if she were -shut up in Limerick. - -And, if haply this were the case, what could we do? What could my -mistress look for at the hands of the English? How could we assist her? -It might even now be too late, and my flesh crept upon my bones at the -thought. - -“I will go to Limerick,” said I, as the result of my reflections; but -when we had discussed the matter it appeared to be better that someone -else should be sent. - -“I am too marked a man.” said Burke; and one of his gallowglasses would -do as well, for, if Grace O’Malley were in Limerick gaol, there was not -a soul in that city who would not know of it, and thus anyone on the -spot could easily obtain the knowledge we sought. - -I was not persuaded to this course without much difficulty, and Burke -himself was most determined at first to go; but there was the same -objection in his case that there was in mine. Neither of us could have -been long in the streets of Limerick without being recognised. At -length, a messenger was despatched, Burke going out from the tent to -tell him what he was to do. - -No sooner had Burke left Eva and myself alone together, than my -dear fell a-weeping, as if her heart would break, all her wonderful -fortitude utterly gone. I took her into my arms--these great, strong -arms of mine, now weak and trembling like those of a little child--and -tried to soothe her grief. Perhaps my love and our common sorrow taught -us what to say, yet I spoke not of love at all. But what I said and -what she said about ourselves I cannot put into writing--and I would -not, if I could, for there are words and there are times which are -sacred beyond expression; and such were those words, and such this time. - -She was my love and I was hers; and though we spoke not of it, we both -knew, and the knowledge of it folded us about like a garment. - -Much, too, had we to say to each other about de Vilela and about -Fitzgerald, and how strangely they had passed in and out, out and in, -of the woof of our lives. She evidently had a kind of affection for -them both, and when I was inclined to question her about this she said -that they had both been wounded and helpless, and that she had nursed -and tended them, and so had come by this feeling. But ever as our talk -came back to Grace O’Malley our hearts were heavy. - -The messenger whom the MacWilliam had sent to Limerick returned in the -evening. He had seen and had spoken to many of the inhabitants of that -city, and he could hear of nothing which indicated that Grace O’Malley -was there. We took courage from this report, hoping that the worst had -not come upon her. But the man had something more to tell us. - -As he was on his way back from Limerick he had fallen in with a great -gathering of armed men, moving on eastward, some three or four miles -to the south of the city. These were Spaniards, he declared, and other -foreigners, as well as a large number of the Irish. And there were -priests with them, and in the midst of them a banner, all blue and -gold, with the figure of the Lord upon it. - -This could be nothing other than the army of Fitzmaurice, accompanied -by Sanders and the standard blessed by the Pope. - -I questioned the man narrowly as to the place where he had seen them, -and if he had heard where they were going. He replied that one had -told him that they were to camp that night on the banks of the river -Mulkern, not far from the Slieve Phelim Mountains, and that when he -met them they could not have been above two leagues’ distance from the -ground which had been chosen. Feeling fairly certain that Fitzmaurice -would be with them, and, perhaps, de Vilela also, I resolved to set out -at once for their camp. - -If I saw Fitzmaurice, I would try to find out from him where Grace -O’Malley was, and, further, I was determined to appeal to him to -endeavour to prevent Desmond from carrying out his plans. As my -mistress had not been taken into Limerick, the probability was that the -Earl had not finally broken with Fitzmaurice, and that negotiations -were still going on between them. There was, therefore, a chance that -Fitzmaurice might prevail upon him to set her at liberty. - -“Tell Fitzmaurice,” said Richard Burke, when I had informed him of what -I proposed, “that unless Grace O’Malley is released immediately, the -Burkes of Mayo will take neither part nor lot with the Geraldines in -this affair.” - -This suggested to me a possibility I had not yet contemplated, but -I thrust it away from me, telling myself that Burke was too much -distraught to know what he was saying. But it kept coming back to my -mind, as I rode that night along with a guard of the Burkes towards the -Mulkern. - -When we were within a few paces of the camp, which we found without -any difficulty, we were challenged by a Spanish sentinel. I could -not give him password or countersign, and he had raised his piece to -his shoulder to fire, when he suddenly dropped it again, saying he -remembered my face, having seen me at Limerick and also at Tralee. -Having asked him if Sir James Fitzmaurice was here, he replied that -he was, as were also the other leaders. When I told him that I had -business with Sir James, and when he saw how small was the guard -with me, he said he would take it upon himself to allow me to pass -within the lines, although it was contrary to his orders. He therefore -directed me, pointing through the camp fires, to the spot where -Fitzmaurice’s tent had been pitched. - -And now I must put on record, as carefully as I can, what passed -between Fitzmaurice and myself, so that all men can judge whether -Richard Burke, Grace O’Malley’s lover, and I, Ruari Macdonald, her -servant, were justified in what we afterwards did, or not. - -When Fitzmaurice saw me he was unmistakably surprised, for he started -violently as I entered his tent. Perhaps he had thought I was still -immured at Askeaton, and so out of the way; but that I know not. -Besides, when we had last parted it had been in no very friendly -fashion. Whatever his feelings now were, he put on a garb of welcome as -soon as his first surprise was past. - -“Greeting--a thousand greetings!” said he. “You have come to join us? -How many men have you brought with you?” - -“Greeting!” said I, then I fixed my gaze sternly on him, for if I was -right in the opinions I held all words of welcome were out of place -between us; and continued, “Sir James, I have not come to join you--not -at present, at any rate. That is not the business which brings me here. -I have come to ask you if you know where my mistress, Grace O’Malley, -is?” - -I was in no humour to pick and choose what forms of speech I should -use, and I spoke out sharply. - -“Sir,” said he, frowning, all his cordiality disappearing instantly, -“what should I know of your mistress, Grace O’Malley?” And there was a -trace of mockery in the way he uttered the last four words. - -“Answer me, Sir James,” said I again. “Nay, you need not, for I can see -that you do know.” - -“I have heard something,” said he, at length. - -“Do you know how the matter stands between her and Desmond?” asked I. -“Do you know that she was his guest--invited by him to Askeaton? Do -you know that she has tried to bind him to the cause? Do you know that -he has told her that he has a passion for her, that he holds her as -a prisoner in one of his castles because she will not submit to him, -and that he has threatened to give her up to the English, and to make -common cause with them against you, if she will not yield herself to -him?” - -Fitzmaurice said nothing, but sat scowling at me, and biting his lip. - -“Have you no answer?” asked I. “You say you have heard something; -perhaps you knew all this before I left you at Tralee.” - -Then changing my tone to one almost of entreaty, I said, “Sir James, -bethink yourself before it is too late. Nothing but evil can come from -these acts of Desmond,” and I gave him the message with which Richard -Burke had charged me. “Grace O’Malley,” I concluded, “must be set free, -and that at once. Do you know where she is?” - -“Ruari Macdonald!” thundered he with curses, “you always had a proud -stomach! Who are you to speak to me in this fashion? What have I to do -with your mistress? What if I do know where she is? What affair of mine -is it? Go and seek Desmond.” - -But he had said enough. - -“You know where she is,” cried I, wildly. “Tell me, and I will go and -find Desmond.” - -“Ay, and ruin all,” said he half to himself. “No, I will not tell you; -that would be but to add to the mischief. No! Grace O’Malley must yield -to Desmond, and then all will be well.” - -“Yield to Desmond!” exclaimed I. “She will never do that.” - -“Ay, but she will be forced to do so,” said he, with a horrible smile. - -“Never!” said I. “I know her better than you do; she will die rather -than submit.” - -“Then,” said he, fiercely, “let her die!” - -“Is that your last word?” asked I, furiously. - -He rose up at me like an angry beast, and, shaking his outstretched -hand at me, shouted, “Curses on you both! Who is your mistress, as you -call her, and what is she to stand in the way of a Desmond? Who is she -to come between us and the deliverance of Ireland? Shall a woman block -up the path--only a woman!” And on he went in his wrath, saying many -injurious things of Grace O’Malley, until at last he applied to her the -vilest of names. - -As his rage swelled, and his language became more and more insulting, I -grew calmer, until I was possessed by a very devil of deadly coldness. -But when he used the expression I have hinted at, I could keep my peace -no longer. - -“You lie!” said I, and out came my sword. Nor was he less ready; -and there we stood for a second facing each other, with the candles -flickering this way and that between us. Then he thrust his sword back -into its sheath, and saying, “What need of this fool’s blood!” shouted -loudly to someone outside the tent. There was the quick tramp of men, -and in came some Spaniards, with de Vilela at their head. - -“You here!” cried de Vilela, when he saw me. - -“Secure him, bind him,” said Fitzmaurice, pointing at me. - -De Vilela looked from one to the other of us, his face very grave, but -did not stir. - -“Bind him! I command you,” said Fitzmaurice. - -De Vilela stood still. - -“What!” shouted Fitzmaurice. - -De Vilela said slowly, “May I ask, señor----” - -“You may ask nothing,” yelled Fitzmaurice. - -De Vilela went white to the lips; but he spoke with that habitual -courtesy of his, as, pulling out his sword and offering it to -Fitzmaurice by the handle, he said-- - -“I cannot do this thing, for this man is as my brother! I am your -prisoner also, señor. Do with me as you will!” Then this loyal -gentleman added, turning to the Spanish soldiers, “Long live the King!” -and they, too, said, “Long live the King!” - -“Take mine!” cried I, holding out my sword to him--so moved out of -myself was I. - -“Nay; that I cannot do either,” said he. - -“Are you mad?” asked Fitzmaurice of de Vilela. “You must be mad. Has -that woman bewitched you too?” And he wrung his hands. - -“Señor,” said I to de Vilela, “words have passed between Sir James -Fitzmaurice and myself about my mistress that can only be wiped out in -one way,” and I glanced at my sword. - -De Vilela sighed. - -“Señor Fitzmaurice will, I am sure, not refuse?” asked the Spaniard, -courteous as ever. - -“No, I will not refuse,” said Fitzmaurice. “All men know me; but it -cannot be now.” - -“Yes,” said de Vilela--Fitzmaurice had not taken the proffered -sword--”no one will impugn your courage. But if you do not refuse, -you will not seek to detain this man?” And he looked searchingly at -Fitzmaurice, who did not answer, but curtly nodded assent. - -“Go, Señor Ruari!” said de Vilela; but I stood firm. - -“Go,” said Fitzmaurice. “Do not fear, we shall meet again!” - -“To meet again, then,” I said, and went out from the tent. - -Summoning my men, I returned, darkly brooding over these strange -happenings, to the camp of the Burkes. I had failed entirely to compass -the object for which I had set out, for I was no nearer knowing -where Desmond had taken my mistress. But Fitzmaurice knew, and when I -recalled what he had said my heart overflowed with bitterness. - -I would be just to this man, if I could. I can see now, looking across -the grave of the years, that he viewed my mistress solely in the light -of an obstacle in his path, and so he cared not what her fate was, so -long as she was out of the way. - -“Only a woman!” he had said of her, and that she was only a woman -doubtless increased his sense of injury. But he forgot that it was for -“only a woman” that men have ever fought and died. - -When I arrived at the camp, Richard Burke was waiting for me. When he -had heard me to the end, he said, “You should have killed him!” I had -had the same thought myself, but de Vilela and the Spanish soldiers -had come too quickly upon the scene for that. Besides, we should meet -again, and thus I comforted my soul. - -“Let us to sleep,” said I. - -“I cannot sleep,” said he, and I heard him pacing up and down through -the rest of what remained of the night, for though I shut my eyes, no -sleep came to me either. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -THE PARTING OF THE WAYS. - - -I have seen a great swell of the sea, a mountain of a wave--caused -by some violent storm which has spent its worst fury many leagues -away--roll in from the ocean, lift a ship from her moorings, and dash -her to pieces on the rocks. - -As I rose in the morning and stepped out of the tent into the dewy -freshness of the day, I thought we were not unlike that ship. For I -could not disguise from myself that our affairs had suffered shipwreck. - -Grace O’Malley was a prisoner, and I was unable to deliver her. I, her -servant, was bound before anything else to try to free her from her -captivity, and I did not even know where she was; and when I had sought -to find it out, it had been with the result that a furious quarrel had -sprung up between Fitzmaurice, the leader of the Irish, and myself. - -He had not only refused to help me to obtain her liberty, but he had -slandered and contemned her to my face. Not under such a man could I or -the O’Malleys fight. Nay, there now could be nothing between us but the -deadliest feud. - -And yet we had all come to Kerry to stand by the side of this man and -his Spaniards in the rising against the Queen! That, at least, was now -impossible. How could we support one who had spoken of our mistress -and chief as he had done? And the Burkes were in the same position as -we ourselves. - -As I paced along the ground, Richard Burke, gaunt and hollow-eyed, -joined me. Burning with resentment and indignation, he was eager for -instant action, and made the wild proposal that I should immediately -bring all the men from the galleys, and, having made a junction with -him and his forces, march against Fitzmaurice. - -At the first blush of the thing I had almost said yes; but a little -cool reflection showed me that not only were the odds against us -overwhelming, but that, even if we were successful, I should be no -nearer my main object, which was the release of Grace O’Malley. So far -as I was concerned, all the considerations had to bow to that. - -Nor could I readily bring myself in a moment, as it were, into an -attitude of hostility to Fitzmaurice, for he represented our cause -against the English, and to fight him was, in effect, to help the enemy. - -Having told the MacWilliam all that was in my mind, and having won him -over to my way of thinking, we considered how we should now proceed. -It appeared to me to be best that we should all return to the ships, -for the camp of the Burkes, being in the heart of Desmond’s country, -was very open to attack from the Geraldines, who could no longer be -regarded as friends, and so might easily be surprised and taken. - -There was also the strong argument that, if any disaster overtook the -galleys in our absence, we should be completely cut off from any way -of getting back to Connaught, and our situation would become desperate -and well nigh hopeless. - -Another reason was that we could, with even greater advantage than -from the place where the Burkes were camped, send out from the galleys -scouts and spies, with a view to ascertaining where Desmond was. - -To that I now bent my whole energy, for I felt sure that so long as -Grace O’Malley was not in the gaol of Limerick--if she were, then would -she be harder to come at than ever--she would be confined in some -castle which the Earl occupied with his forces, and where he would -remain until he was convinced that he could neither bend nor break her -will. For that, I knew, would be the end. - -Having struck our camp, we marched to the westward, so as to avoid -Askeaton; then, going to the north, were safely on board the galleys by -the evening, having only encountered on our journey several small bands -of the Irish on their way to Fitzmaurice, whom we suffered to pass on, -having first asked them if they had any information as to where Desmond -was. They had been told, it appeared, that the Earl had raised the -standard of revolt, and was in camp with Fitzmaurice on the Mulkern. -Nor did we undeceive them. - -For a week I kept the galleys sailing up and down the Shannon, stopping -every mile or two and sending men ashore--sometimes going myself--to -speak with the inhabitants; but never a word could we hear of Desmond, -though occasionally we heard of Fitzmaurice, who had not moved from the -position he had taken up. - -Each evening of that terrible week found me less hopeful and more -despondent; in truth, I would have despaired had it not been for the -constant solace of Eva, who seemed to have changed herself into another -person, so brave and steadfast was she. - -Hitherto I had kept well away from Limerick, but now I resolved to -bring the galleys as close up to the walls of the city as I dared. -Limerick was a great and strongly fortified place, and, therefore, to -be avoided by us; but it was the centre of all that part of Ireland, -and there might be opportunities in its neighbourhood of hearing more -fully what was going forward. I was encouraged to do this, also, by the -fact that there were singularly few ships in the river--no doubt owing -to the presence of the Spaniards in the country. - -When we were yet perhaps a league from the walls we saw a small boat -with a sail coming towards us. I looked keenly at her, and even as I -looked at her she was suddenly put about, and was headed back for the -city, for they evidently did not like our appearance. - -Two of the men in her seemed to be soldiers, and I signalled Tibbot, -whose galley was leading, to capture her--which he did after a short -chase, the occupants of the boat surrendering without any resistance. - -I had the two soldiers, as they proved to be, brought on board of _The -Cross of Blood_, and having assured them that I intended them no harm, -asked how matters stood in the city. The first words they uttered were -enough to stun me. - -“Grace O’Malley,” said one of them, “was brought into Limerick -yesterday, and delivered up to Sir Nicholas Malby.” - -“Grace O’Malley in Limerick,” I cried, “and Sir Nicholas Malby there -also!” - -The fatality of the thing completely broke down my control, and I -could not speak for some minutes. I had somehow felt all along that my -mistress would be given up to the English by Desmond, but to be told -that this had actually come to pass was none the less a crushing blow. -And to Sir Nicholas Malby, the Colonel of Connaught, our implacable foe! - -The two men gazed at me curiously, seeing how overcome I was. - -“How comes Sir Nicholas Malby to be in Limerick?” I asked, pulling -myself together. “Connaught is his government, not Munster; how does he -happen to be here?” - -“You surely must know,” said the man who had spoken before, “that Sir -James Fitzmaurice, one of the Desmonds, has arrived in the country at -the head of a large army from Spain, and that the Irish people are -flocking in to him from all quarters?” - -“Yes,” said I, shortly, “I know all that.” - -“Sir Nicholas Malby was summoned by the President of Munster,” said the -soldier, “in hot haste to the defence of Limerick. We were in garrison -at the time at Athlone, several hundred of us, and Sir Nicholas, -having marshalled us in our companies, immediately set off in response -down the Shannon, and two days ago we arrived here. The President is -terror-stricken, and the whole city trembles with fear.” - -“How came you to be without the walls?” I asked. “And at such a time?” - -“We were trying to escape,” said the man, “for we heard that the city -would soon be taken by the Spaniards, of whom there are thousands, and -that everyone of us would be tortured and slain by them.” - -“Is the Earl of Desmond in Limerick?” I next inquired--noting, however, -how the number of Fitzmaurice’s men had been exaggerated. - -“No,” replied the man. “He sent Grace O’Malley bound in chains into the -city to Sir Nicholas Malby, but he came not himself. ’Tis said that he -will neither join the Spaniards, nor yet assist us, but holds himself -aloof from both until he sees on whose side fortune will declare -itself.” - -And this reed of rottenness, this catspaw of the wind, was the man whom -my mistress, led on by the memories of the past greatness of the house -of Desmond, and by the hope that under him the Irish might unite, had -called our natural leader! - -It had been the noble dream of a noble soul, that vision of hers; but, -like many another noble dream, it was woven around a man incapable of -filling the part he was called upon to play, and so was nothing but a -dream. - -The folly and wickedness of Desmond seemed to me to be almost -inconceivable. Baulked by the firmness of my mistress, he had wreaked -his wrath upon her by handing her over to the one man in all Ireland -who might be supposed to regard her capture with the utmost joy, and -who would take a fiendish delight in torturing her. - -Having gratified his hatred of her--for such his love no doubt had -become--the Earl sought to stand in with both sides in the approaching -struggle by coming out openly on behalf of neither. It needed not that -one should be a prophet to forecast that Desmond would fall and be -crushed between the two. - -While such thoughts passed rapidly through my mind, the chief thing -which I had just been told--that Grace O’Malley was immured in the gaol -of Limerick--threw everything else into the shade. In the hope that -the men might have heard what had occurred to her after her arrival in -Limerick, I asked them: - -“Do you know, or did you hear, what Sir Nicholas Malby did in respect -of Grace O’Malley, after she had been delivered up to him?” - -“I was one of his guard,” said the man who acted as spokesman for the -twain, “when she was brought before him. Sir Nicholas eyed her with -great sternness; albeit it was easy to see that he was well-pleased -to have her in his power, for she had wrought the English terrible -injuries in Galway, and had set him at defiance. However, she did not -quail nor humble herself, but bore herself like a princess, as, they -say, she is.” - -“What said Sir Nicholas?” asked I. - -“He demanded of her many things,” replied the man, “but she would -answer him not at all. Whereupon he was enraged against her, and gave -orders that the city gallows should be got ready forthwith, and that -she should be hanged immediately.” - -“Did she not speak even then?” - -“No. She looked at him very calmly and tranquilly, like one, indeed, -who had already tasted of the bitterness of death and had no fear of -it. A strange woman, and a brave! But ’tis said she is a witch.” - -“What happened after that?” - -“We were leading her away to the square in which the gibbet stands, -when Sir Nicholas called to us to come back, for he had changed his -mind, as it now appeared. Said he to her, ’You will not dance in the -air to-day, mistress, but I shall take good care that you dance not out -of Limerick as you did out of Galway!’ But to what he alluded when he -said that I know not. Thereafter she was cast into one of the dungeons -of the place.” - -“One of the dungeons?” asked I. - -“Yes--there are several deep, dark dungeons below the gaol of Limerick, -and she was thrust into one of these.” - -I had heard enough, and having sent the two soldiers away in charge of -some of my men, I went and told Richard Burke the evil tidings. Up to -this moment he must have cherished the hope that Grace O’Malley would -in some way or other escape, for he was utterly unmanned on hearing -where and in whose hands she was, and abandoned himself to the wildest -grief. The very colour of his face showed that he already regarded her -as one dead. As for myself, there had grown upon me a kind of coldness, -and an icy numbness, as it were, which seemed to have killed all -feeling within me for the time. - -And perhaps it was well that this was the case, else I should never -have been able to carry the news to Eva. Yet she must be told, and tell -her I did. - -“So long as she is alive,” exclaimed Eva, when I had come to the end of -my tale, “there is hope. I will not believe that it is her destiny to -perish in this manner!” - -What had become of the timid, shrinking girl? For my dear was -transformed altogether, being now full of courage, and of purpose and -determination. - -“Remember,” said she, “what Sir Nicholas is; how greedy of money he is, -how avaricious! Think you he would not sell Grace O’Malley for gold? -Only offer him enough, and he will set her free.” - -I thought of the immense treasure which lay in the Caves of Silence -under the Hill of Sorrow, and for a minute I considered that Eva’s -suggestion might avail us. But the caves were far away from Limerick, -and to go thither was out of the question. - -Besides, the English rule was too seriously threatened to permit Sir -Nicholas to be moved at this time by bribes, however rich they were. -If he opened his hands, liberating Grace O’Malley with his right, and -taking her gold with his left, it would not be now: the situation of -the English was far too perilous for that. - -All this I saw with perfect clearness, and when I spoke to Eva of it, -she was at first inclined to fly out at me, and to reproach me for my -apathy. Yet, God wot, it was not apathy; I simply could not see any way -out for us, or, rather, for our mistress, no matter in what direction I -looked. All that I could think of was that I should get into Limerick -under some disguise, and then endeavour to find the means of effecting -her escape. - -When I mentioned this to Eva, she replied that to carry out such a plan -would, or might, involve too long a delay, for our mistress, being -already condemned, might be executed at any moment. This was true; but, -as I could not conceive of any other scheme, I resolved to set about -undertaking it, and that no later than next day. - -That night my sleep was troubled and uneasy, and I tossed restlessly -about, so that when the first light of day was seen I sprang from my -couch. As I did so I heard Calvagh O’Halloran call my name loudly, and -at the same instant there was the sound of oars; then Calvagh, as I -stepped on deck, came running towards me, crying something I could not -quite distinguish, and pointing to _The Grey Wolf_, which had slipped -her anchor, and was now being rowed away from us in the direction of -Limerick. - -All this came upon me so suddenly that I could scarcely grasp the -meaning of it, until I noticed Eva O’Malley standing on the poop of -_The Grey Wolf_, and waving her hand to me in farewell. - -“Stop! stop!” I cried; but on went the galley at racing speed. “Stop! -stop!” I cried again; but received no other response than that given -by those waving hands. I was on the point of ordering Calvagh to get -_The Cross of Blood_ under weigh, when I observed that Eva had sent Art -O’Malley by one of the small boats of _The Grey Wolf_ to my galley with -a message for me. - -“What is this? What is this?” I asked of him. - -“Eva O’Malley bids me tell you,” replied he, “that she is going in to -Limerick to see Sir Nicholas Malby.” - -“What?” I cried. “Has she gone crazed! To see Nicholas Malby! What -frenzy is this?” - -“’Tis no frenzy, Ruari Macdonald,” said Art O’Malley, “but her settled -will. And she bade me say that you must wait here, and she will return -to-night, or else, if she come not, that we must all go to Limerick -to-morrow.” - -“What is her intention?” - -“That I know not. It was not till I was in the boat that she gave me -these words for you, and none of us imagined, when the galley set out, -that you were not aware of what she was about.” - -I looked at the man in wonder. - -“Have you no suspicion at all of what she would be at?” - -“To see Sir Nicholas Malby--as she said; I know no more.” - -In the circumstances there was nothing left me to do but to wait and -wonder, to wonder and to wait. - -What interpretation was I to put on this extraordinary, this rash act -of Eva’s? Did she think she would be able to bribe Sir Nicholas? Was -that her idea? Or did she have some other plan? - -But all these surmises were powerless to console me; and it was with a -gladness of heart to which I had long been a stranger that I saw _The -Grey Wolf_ come up alongside of us in the afternoon. - -And who was that who stood by the side of my dear on the poop-deck? -Richard Burke was with me, and I cried to him to look. - -“Who is that?” asked I, astounded, doubting if my eyes did not juggle -with me. - -“You may well ask,” said he. “Some miracle must have come to pass!” - -“Then ’tis he!” I cried. - -“Sir Nicholas Malby himself,” said Burke, and his face was instantly -lighted up with a new hope rising in his breast. - -“Ay, ’tis Sir Nicholas!” cried I. “By God’s wounds, this is a strange -thing!” - -There they stood together--the Colonel of Connaught and Eva O’Malley. -Like Burke, my heart grew light, as if a great weight had been taken -from me, for I knew that Malby must have some proposal to make us which -must be to our advantage, otherwise he would never thus have ventured -to come. - -If he was not exactly alone, he had apparently but few of his soldiers -with him; and evidently, therefore, he was determined to show us that -whatever it was he was to offer us was offered to men in whom he had -implicit faith. - -And what had Eva said, what promised, what undertaken for us? How had -she managed to bring him? What had this little weak woman, who could -yet be so great and strong, done? - -And I still glow with a pride in her that is too deep and too high for -words when I think of it all. Surely, it was nothing but a miracle, as -Burke had said. One thing, at least, was now certain, and that was that -Grace O’Malley was alive, or Malby would not have come to us. - -_The Grey Wolf_ having dropped her anchor, Eva and Sir Nicholas -immediately made signs to Richard Burke and me to go over to them, and -we hastened to comply with their wish. As we approached, Sir Nicholas -saluted us both very courteously, and we bowed low in return. Eva was -the first to speak. - -“I went this morning to Sir Nicholas,” said Eva; “I was detained at the -water gate, but----” - -“You are a brave as well as a beautiful woman,” said he, interrupting -her, “and I regret that there was any delay at the gate.” - -“It would have been singular,” replied she, smiling, “if there had not -been some opposition. However, having stated who I was, I prevailed -after some time upon the captain of the watch to send me to Sir -Nicholas. I wished to see if Sir Nicholas utterly refused to accept a -ransom for our mistress.” - -“Yes,” said I, eagerly. “We will pay it gladly.” - -“He refused to receive a ransom, however,” said Eva. - -“Then----” asked I. - -“He had better tell you himself what he proposes,” said she. “He -asked me if I thought you would agree, and knowing how you and the -MacWilliam now feel with respect to Sir James Fitzmaurice, I answered -that I deemed it probable enough. He next wished to know how he was to -convince you of his sincerity, and I suggested his coming with me as -a proof it. But that I have passed my word to him, pledging you and -Richard Burke also to his safety, he is in our hands.” - -“I will be frank with you,” said Sir Nicholas, bluntly, “and not waste -words. You wish to free your mistress, and you have a quarrel with Sir -James Fitzmaurice so that you no longer can fight by his side against -us. If you and the MacWilliam will join your men to mine, I will not -only set Grace O’Malley at liberty, but will confirm her in possession -of her estates in the Queen’s name, and also grant what I know she -desires in respect of her ships.” Sir Nicholas paused, eyeing us -narrowly. - -“The MacWilliam and I are proclaimed rebels,” said I. - -“Come to the aid of her Highness,” said he, “and you will be rebels -no longer.” Then, as he saw that we both were silent, he said--and -here he touched us to the quick--”Have you no desire to be avenged on -Fitzmaurice and the Desmonds?” - -“Ay, by the Mass, yes,” cried Burke. - -“What say you, Ruari Macdonald?” asked Sir Nicholas. - -“Tell me first,” said I, “how stands Desmond in this matter?” - -“He has gone to Askeaton again,” said he, “and as he will not declare -himself for the Queen, he must be judged to be against her.” - -“Did you say anything to Grace O’Malley of this errand of yours to us? -Does she know of it?” asked I. - -“Yes,” said he. - -“And what is her word to us?” - -“’Bid these men of mine avenge me, and that right speedily.’ That was -what she said.” - -“Well spoken!” cried Richard Burke. - -“I have never disobeyed her yet,” said I, “and I shall not do so now.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -BARRINGTON BRIDGE. - - -As we four stood facing each other on the poop of _The Grey Wolf_, -there was the sound of a door opened and closed, and then the pit-pat -of steps on the deck, and well did I know who it was. - -“Grace O’Malley!” cried I joyously, turning towards her. - -“Grace O’Malley!” said Richard Burke, and could not say more for very -gladness. - -My mistress smiled upon us, as she gave one hand to the MacWilliam and -the other to me; but as I gazed upon her I saw that those great eyes of -hers were deep-shadowed with sadness. And well could I understand how -the failure and defeat of her most cherished hopes, brought about by -the perfidy of Desmond, and acquiesced in by Fitzmaurice, preyed upon -her mind and filled her with gloom. What she now said to me showed how -her thoughts ran. - -“So you are become a Queen’s man, Ruari!” - -“I am your servant, Grace O’Malley,” said I. “What care I whose man I -am, so long as I am yours! If you say be a Queen’s man, then Queen’s -man am I.” - -“And you, Richard Burke?” she asked. - -“You well know what I would say!” answered he. - -“It is well,” said she; but if she had said, “It is ill,” her accents -could hardly have been more sober or less exultant. And for myself, -when I recalled the image of de Vilela, who must henceforth be our foe, -and all that I owed him, I could not but share in and sympathise with -her feelings. - -Sir Nicholas Malby, perhaps guessing something of what we were -thinking, and anxious to reap the fullest benefit as soon as possible -from our alliance with him, brought the conversation sharply round to -Fitzmaurice and the Geraldines. - -He was enough of a tactician to say very little of the past or of the -Spaniards; only he harped incessantly on the baseness with which our -mistress had been treated by her own countrymen, and so wrought upon -our desire for revenge. - -“Here and now is your opportunity! There is no time to be thrown away. -Each day sees Fitzmaurice in a stronger position, as men pour into his -camp from all directions. Desmond, meanwhile, like the weakling he -is, still hesitates. If we are to succeed, the blow must be struck at -once--should he join Fitzmaurice, I may have to wait till soldiers come -from England; if we move at once, however, though the enemy is more -numerous than our combined forces, we are, I believe, a match for them.” - -“Tell us your plans,” said Richard Burke, and thereupon Sir Nicholas -began to discuss with us what course was to be pursued. - -He appeared to be well-informed of all that was going on in the camp of -Fitzmaurice, and was determined to offer him battle at once. With this -end in view, we agreed to move up the galleys that very afternoon to -Limerick, and anchor them in the harbour within its walls. - -It was not without misgivings that I consented to this, for then we -should be indeed at the mercy of Sir Nicholas; but he was so fair and -open with us, and had so placed himself, without reserve, as it were, -in our hands, that I gave way; nor, as the event showed, was our trust -misplaced. - -I returned to _The Cross of Blood_, and in a very few minutes, the -three galleys were on their way to Limerick, where their appearance -shortly afterwards created no small stir among its inhabitants. - -Thinking that Grace O’Malley and Eva would prefer being left together, -I had taken Sir Nicholas on board of my ship; and he and Burke and I -considered the situation of affairs, and resolved that next morning we -should all march out from Limerick and engage Fitzmaurice. Sir Nicholas -estimated our whole force at a thousand men, most of whom were hardened -soldiers and veterans of war, nor did he anticipate that we should meet -with any strenuous resistance, save from the Spanish troops, who would -be certain to fight desperately. - -One favour I asked of Sir Nicholas, and only one. I told him that there -was amongst the Spaniards a gentleman--a certain de Vilela--to whom I -was beholden by the greatest of obligations, and I begged of him this -boon--if it should be the fortune of war that Don Francisco were taken -alive, then that he should be given up to me upon my paying such a -ransom as would satisfy the captors. And to this Sir Nicholas very -willingly consented. - -After we had come into port, and the galleys were made fast to the -quay, Sir Nicholas went on into the city to give orders with respect -to his soldiers and to prepare for the morrow. But, ere he left us, he -said he would either come himself to see me late that night to give -us his final commands, or would send one of his chief captains in his -place. - -As I watched that sturdy figure of his, I recalled that when I had last -talked with him it was on the night of the revel in Galway, and could -not but marvel at the strange dance both he and I had been led by fate -since that time. - -Also I did not fail to reflect that, while Sir Nicholas had spoken -confidently of our ability to cope with the enemy, he must have deemed -his position to be critical in the extreme, or he never would have made -terms with us. Nothing but the stern compulsion of necessity could have -forced him to act as he had done--nothing else, indeed, could have -justified him. - -I was sure, being acquainted with the nature of the man, that it -would have been more congenial to him to have fought us, as well as -Fitzmaurice. Being placed, however, as he was, he had seen, with the -quickness and shrewdness of a man well versed in affairs, how he could -make use of the division between us and Fitzmaurice, and turn it to his -profit and the service of the Queen. - -His need of us must have been very great for him not only to have to -relinquish the vengeance he had vowed against my mistress and myself, -but also to ask for our aid. But would our assistance suffice? - -My heart beat fast and quickly as I thought that the morrow’s battle -might have a very different result from that which he expected. To say -the least, our victory was very uncertain, seeing that our combined -forces were probably far outnumbered by those of Fitzmaurice. - -After I had spent an hour or two musing in this fashion, I saw Eva -appear on the deck of _The Grey Wolf_. All my doubt of the issue of the -morrow vanished immediately, and a swelling tide of love and tenderness -swept over me as I beheld my dear. In truth, I had loved her all my -life; but there was now mingled with my love a feeling that was close -akin to worship, for what had not she dared? - -Thank God, I say again, for the great hearts of women! - -She did not at once perceive me, and I observed from the pensive droop -of her head and of her body that she was weary. There was now nought -between us--but a few feet of water; and I quickly made my way to her -side. She greeted me with a radiant smile, and love’s own light was -shining in her soft eyes. - -“Ruari!” - -And love, too, was in her voice. - -Long did we hold sweet converse together, saying such fond things to -each other as lovers say; but it is not for me to set them forth. - -When I asked her what had put it into her mind to go to Sir Nicholas -Malby, she replied that after the conversation we had had, in which -she had suggested offering a large sum to him as a ransom for Grace -O’Malley--a notion which I had scouted--she had pondered the matter, -and had resolved, without informing me of her intention, to endeavour -to gain admittance to Sir Nicholas, and to tell him that he had only -to name what amount of treasure he required to purchase our mistress’s -liberty, and it would be given. - -“I felt an irresistible impulse,” said Eva, “and it was so strong upon -me that I could get no rest until I had seen Sir Nicholas.” - -“Did Sir Nicholas receive you well?” - -“Yes, indeed,” said Eva. “He was disposed to regard my appearance as -most fortunate, for he had already been casting about for some means of -communicating with you and the MacWilliam.” - -And here our talk was interrupted by the sharp ringing of the hoofs -of horses upon the stones of the quay, the clank of arms, and shouted -words of command. - -“Sir Nicholas again!” cried I, and we went forward to meet him. - -“All is well,” said he briefly, but briskly. “I wish you to disembark -your men----” and here he stopped; “but where is Richard Burke?” - -“He is with Grace O’Malley,” said Eva. - -Sir Nicholas stood for an instant lost in thought. - -“Rumours have reached us,” said he, at length, “that the MacWilliam is -greatly desirous of allying himself with Grace O’Malley more nearly -than as a mere comrade and friend in war.” - -His words were a question, and I could almost have sworn there was a -twinkle in those fierce eyes of his. - -“Yes, that is true,” I answered, seeing no need for any equivocation or -denial. - -“It would be no bad thing,” said he, “for after what has passed they -will surely be loyal to her Highness.” - -“Yes,” said I, somewhat drily, “but that will also depend upon her -Highness.” - -“Her Highness,” cried he, “can mean nothing but good to this her realm -of Ireland. Peace and quiet are essential to its prosperity, and these -she will have, and so, by God, shall I.” - -“Let us go and see them,” said I; for what he had said seemed to me -very like halloaing before we were out of the wood, as it were. - -When we entered the cabin, I saw at once that my mistress had recovered -something of her usual spirits, while Richard Burke’s honest face was -bright with happiness. It needed no voice to tell me that he had again -made suit to her, and that she had not repulsed him. - -And so best, thought I. - -But there was a stern business before us, for we must win our way to -the hands of our brides across a field of blood. - -Sir Nicholas began at once to tell us what he had arranged with -respect to us and his English troops. At dawn we were all to cross -the Shannon, and, plunging into the forest, march upon the camp of -Fitzmaurice. He trusted that he might come upon Sir James unawares, or, -at any rate, before he had had time to make the best disposition of his -men. - -When all these matters had been settled between us, we bade Grace -O’Malley and Eva farewell. - -“Wear this,” said Grace O’Malley, on parting, to Richard Burke, taking -a ring from her finger and putting it into his hand, “and wear it for -my sake.” - -As for myself, I had secretly possessed myself of a silken riband of -Eva’s, and twined it about the guard of my sword. That was guerdon -enough for me until I should return to claim her. - -“Victory!” cried my mistress to me. - -“Amen and amen to that!” said Sir Nicholas and we all, in a breath. - -Then we went, each one to his place, and the darkness covered us all -till morning came. - -In the twilight of the dawn we assembled to the sound of trumpets, and -then were rapidly carried across the river to its south side, landing -about two miles east of Limerick. - -The troops of Sir Nicholas were composed of Englishmen and of Irishmen -too, though these were chiefly from the Pale; all men who had taken -part in many a fight, and gloried in nothing so much as in the red riot -of war. Two hundred of them were mounted, and a hundred, or perhaps -more, bore arquebuses upon their shoulders. But the major portion of -them were armed with long pikes, and nearly all had swords or daggers. -The Burkes and the O’Malleys had the Irish sword and the stabbing -poniard and the still more terrible battle-axe. - -The men on horseback went first; then the MacWilliam and I with our -men, followed by the soldiers with arquebuses; last of all, Sir -Nicholas and his pike-men. - -Such was the order of our march until we were within half a mile of the -outposts of Fitzmaurice’s camp. But already his spies had warned him of -our approach, and we could hear, even at that distance, the noise of -the commotion among his forces as they prepared to receive us. - -We now advanced more slowly, throwing out single soldiers here and -there among the trees, while the mounted men were halted. - -The main body was massed together as closely as the nature of the -ground would permit, Sir Nicholas himself directing all our movements -with the utmost coolness and unconcern. - -As we pressed onward there was a sharp crack of an arquebus, then -another and another, until the air was full of the sounds of firing; -and then the men who had been sent forward fell back, crying that the -Spaniards were drawn up in battle array, and were waiting to fall upon -us so soon as we came near. Before we emerged from the forest into the -open Sir Nicholas brought up his arquebusiers, bidding Burke and myself -to support them. At the same time he ordered his mounted men to the -front. - -When we burst out from among the trees we were met by a hail of -bullets from the pieces of the Spaniards, and a cloud of whirring -arrows seemed to form and break over our heads. For a time we were -thrown back, but returning, like a wave flinging itself upon the -shore, rushed furiously on the enemy, the arquebusiers of Sir Nicholas -meanwhile pouring a deadly fire in upon the ranks of Fitzmaurice. - -There was the sudden hoarse blare of a trumpet, the strident voice of -Sir Nicholas crying on us to charge, and our horsemen threw themselves -madly upon the foe, who sullenly gave way before them, but only to -form up quickly again. The men opposed to them were neither cowards -nor strangers to the art of war; they were rallied speedily by their -captains, and soon presented a new front to our attack. - -The air was so darkened by smoke, and there was such a tumult from the -shoutings of the soldiers and the clang and clamour of their weapons -and all the wild work of war, that it was some time before I could make -out de Vilela among the Spaniards. But there he was, his long sword -gleaming in his hand, his lips moving, and, though I could not hear -what he was saying, I could well imagine that he was exhorting his men -to remember Spain, and to acquit themselves as became her sons. Then, -as the battle raged, now here, now there, he passed out of my sight. - -It is a soldier’s duty to do what his general bids him; but I was glad -when Sir Nicholas called upon Burke and myself to lead our people -against that part of Fitzmaurice’s army which was chiefly made up of -the Geraldines, and which was commanded by Sir James himself. Sir -Nicholas rightly judged that our animosity would burn more fiercely -against them than against the Spaniards, and we sprang upon them with a -fury they could not long withstand. - -At the first onset they met us bravely, and for awhile there was much -fierce and terrible fighting. Above their hosts there rose the Pope’s -banner of blue and gold, and around it and Sanders, who held it, and -his priests, they made a stubborn resistance. But they were forced -back, and ever back. - -I strove to come at Fitzmaurice, but could not for the press. We had a -score to settle, and settled it was, but not by me, for it was Burke -who dealt him the fatal blow. I had just parried the cunning thrust of -a sword, as I was trying to reach Fitzmaurice, when I saw the flash of -a pistol in Burke’s hand, and then Sir James swayed and fell forward -from his horse. When the Geraldines knew what had taken place, they -turned and fled, bearing Sanders and his banner along with them, into -the thicknesses of the forest. - -Having witnessed the defeat and flight of their Irish allies, the -Spaniards could not but be aware that they had small chance of -retrieving the fortunes of the day, and they now began to retreat. -Attacked on the flanks as well as in the front, they were thrown into -disorder, and their retreat became a rout, each man striving to save -himself. A few, however, stood their ground to the last, and among them -was de Vilela. - -“Take him alive!” I shouted; but the words came too late. - -I was almost beside him, for I had hoped that he would surrender to me -if I asked him to do so, and with that purpose had fought my way even -through the English to get near him; but before I reached him he had -fallen, his armour all stained with blood, and his sword broken in his -hand. - -With a great, wild cry of grief, the sharpness of which was like the -sundering of my spirit from my body, I threw my sword upon the ground, -and, kneeling beside him, called to him to speak to me if he were yet -alive. His hand feebly pressed mine, while I wept and sobbed like a -little child. The lips trembled and opened; the half-shut eyelids -faintly quivered; but he could not speak. Again, however, my hand was -feebly pressed. And so he passed--still with his hand in mine--this -noble gentleman of Spain. - -Nor does there go by a day when I do not think of de Vilela, the man to -whom I owed so much--so much that I can never repay. - -It was the custom in these wars of ours to cut off the heads of the -principal men among our fallen enemies; this the body of Sir James -Fitzmaurice suffered, the head being sent to Dublin, where it was -tarred, and put on a spike above the Castle gate. - -But no such indignity befell the body of de Vilela, for, having -obtained permission from Sir Nicholas, I took my men, made a solemn -mourning for him, and buried him on the field of battle, where the -waters of the Mulkern go murmuring past; and there he lies, that true -and noble gentleman, in a grave without a name. - - * * * * * - -And thus ended the battle of Barrington Bridge, as it is called, -entailing with it the overthrow and collapse of the rising, for -the death of Fitzmaurice--although the war lingered on for long -afterwards--was the death of any chance of success it had. - -Desmond, who had been hanging about in the vicinity during the battle, -but had taken no part in it, later met with an inglorious end, and with -him perished his house. - -As for Richard Burke and myself, we accompanied Sir Nicholas Malby and -his army in various expeditions, until the beginning of the winter, -when he set out overland to Galway, and we sailed from Limerick the -same day in our ships for that city also. Heaven sent us fair and -gentle gales--perhaps, to make up for all the storms through which we -had passed--and we came safely into the port of Galway where we lay -several days waiting for Sir Nicholas; for, at his particular request, -we--Grace O’Malley and the MacWilliam, and Eva and I--were to be -married in the church of St. Nicholas of Myra. - -And I had heard that when these events came to pass, there were among -the spectators many who loved us and wished us well, and many who did -not; but to which of these classes Sir Nicholas really belonged I know -not, for, in the years that came after, he and Grace O’Malley and her -husband, Richard Burke, had many disputes, and the “Queen’s peace” was -often broken. - -As for myself and Eva, we sailed away from Ireland to my old home -in Isla, where I was chosen chief in the room of my uncle, who had -succeeded my father, and who was now dead. It was in _The Cross of -Blood_--Grace O’Malley’s last gift to me--that we made our journey, and -that I returned to these isles of Scotland. - -Many years have passed since, and in our life there has been winter -as well as summer; but still there is the same light in Eva’s eyes, -and the same love in her voice. It has been our happy lot to grow old -together--to grow old in our love for each other, though that love -itself is as fresh and new as the flowers of the first mornings of -summer. - -And so we await the inevitable end. - - -PRINTED BY CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED, LA BELLE SAUVAGE, LONDON, E.C. - - - - - A SELECTED LIST - - OF - - CASSELL & COMPANY’S - PUBLICATIONS. - - - - -Illustrated, Fine Art, and other Volumes. - - -=Adventure, The World of.= Fully Illustrated. Complete in Three Vols. -9s. each. - -=Adventures in Criticism.= By A. T. QUILLER-COUCH. 6s. - -=Africa and its Explorers, The Story of.= By Dr. ROBERT BROWN, -F.R.G.S., &c. With about 800 Original Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ -In 4 Vols. 4s. each. - -=American Life.= By PAUL DE ROUSIERS. 12s. 6d. - -=Animal Painting in Water Colours.= With Coloured Plates. 5s. - -=Animals, Popular History of.= By HENRY SCHERREN, F.Z.S. With 13 -Coloured Plates and other Illustrations. 7s. 6d. - -=Architectural Drawing.= By R. PHENÉ SPIERS. Illustrated. 10s. 6d. - -=Art, The Magazine of.= _Yearly Volume_, 21s. _The Two Half-Yearly -Volumes for 1897 can also be had_, 10s. 6d. _each_. - -=Artistic Anatomy.= By Prof. M. DUVAL. _Cheap Edition_, 3s. 6d. - -=Astronomy, The Dawn of.= A Study of the Temple Worship and Mythology -of the Ancient Egyptians. By Sir NORMAN LOCKYER, K.C.B., F.R.S., &c. -Illustrated. 21s. - -=Ballads and Songs.= By WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY. With Original -Illustrations by H. M. BROCK. 6s. - -=Barber, Charles Burton, The Works of.= With Forty-one Plates and -Portraits, and Introduction by HARRY FURNISS. _Cheap Edition_, 7s. 6d. - -=Battles of the Nineteenth Century.= An entirely New and Original Work, -with Several Hundred Illustrations. Complete in Two Vols., 9s. each. - -=”Belle Sauvage” Library, The.= Cloth, 2s. (_A complete list of the -volumes post free on application._) - -=Beetles, Butterflies, Moths, and other Insects.= By A. W. KAPPEL, -F.L.S., F.E.S., and W. EGMONT KIRBY. With 12 Coloured Plates. 3s. 6d. - -=Biographical Dictionary, Cassell’s New.= Containing Memoirs of the -Most Eminent Men and Women of all Ages and Countries. _Cheap Edition_, -3s. 6d. - -=Birds’ Nests, British: How, Where, and When to Find and Identify -Them.= By R. KEARTON, F.Z.S. With nearly 130 Illustrations of Nests, -Eggs, Young, &c., from Photographs by C. KEARTON. 21s. - -=Birds’ Nests, Eggs, and Egg-Collecting.= By R. KEARTON, F.Z.S. -Illustrated with 22 Coloured Plates of Eggs. _Enlarged Edition._ 5s. - -=Black Watch, The.= The Record of an Historic Regiment. By ARCHIBALD -FORBES, LL.D. 6s. - -=Britain’s Roll of Glory; or, the Victoria Cross, its Heroes, and their -Valour.= By D. H. PARRY. Illustrated. 7s. 6d. - -=British Ballads.= With 300 Original Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ -Two Volumes in One. Cloth, 7s. 6d. - -=British Battles on Land and Sea.= By JAMES GRANT. With about 800 -Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ Four Vols., 3s. 6d. each. - -=Building World.= In Half-Yearly Volumes, 4s. each. - -=Butterflies and Moths, European.= By W. F. KIRBY. With 61 Coloured -Plates, 35s. - -=Canaries and Cage-Birds, The Illustrated Book of.= By W. A. BLAKSTON, -W. SWAYSLAND, and A. F. WIENER. With 56 Facsimile Coloured Plates. 35s. - -=Cassell’s Magazine.= Half-Yearly Volumes, 5s. each; or Yearly Volumes, -8s. each. - -=Cathedrals, Abbeys, and Churches of England and Wales.= Descriptive, -Historical, Pictorial. _Popular Edition._ Two Vols. 25s. - -=Cats and Kittens.= By HENRIETTE RONNER. With Portrait and 13 -magnificent Full-page Photogravure Plates and numerous Illustrations. -4to, £2 10s. - -=China Painting.= By FLORENCE LEWIS. With Sixteen Coloured Plates, &c. -5s. - -=Choice Dishes at Small Cost.= By A. G. PAYNE. _Cheap Edition_, 1s. - -=Chums.= The Illustrated Paper for Boys. Yearly Volume, 8s. - -=Cities of the World.= Four Vols. Illustrated. 7s. 6d. each. - -=Civil Service, Guide to Employment in the.= _Entirely New Edition._ -Paper, 1s.; cloth, 1s. 6d. - -=Clinical Manuals for Practitioners and Students of Medicine.= (_A List -of Volumes forwarded post free on application to the Publishers._) - -=Cobden Club, Works published for the.= (_A Complete List on -application._) - -=Colour.= By Prof. A. H. CHURCH. _New and Enlarged Edition_, 3s. 6d. - -=Combe, George, The Select Works of.= Issued by Authority of the Combe -Trustees. _Popular Edition_, 1s. each, net. - - -The Constitution of Man. Moral Philosophy. Science and Religion. -Discussions on Education. American Notes. - - -=Conning Tower, In a; or, How I Took H.M.S. “Majestic” into Action.= By -H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. _Cheap Edition._ Illustrated. 6d. - -=Conquests of the Cross.= Edited by EDWIN HODDER. With numerous -Original Illustrations. Complete in Three Vols. 9s. each. - -=Cookery, Cassell’s Dictionary of.= With about 9,000 Recipes. 5s. - -=Cookery, A Year’s.= By PHYLLIS BROWNE. _New and Enlarged Edition_, 3s. -6d. - -=Cookery Book, Cassell’s New Universal.= By LIZZIE HERITAGE. With 19 -Coloured Plates and other Illustrations. 1,344 pages, strongly bound in -leather gilt, 6s. - -=Cookery, Cassell’s Popular.= With Four Coloured Plates. Cloth gilt, 2s. - -=Cookery, Cassell’s Shilling.= _135th Thousand._ 1s. - -=Cookery, Vegetarian.= By A. G. PAYNE. 1s. 6d. - -=Cooking by Gas, The Art of.= By MARIE J. SUGG. Illustrated. Cloth, 2s. - -=Cottage Gardening.= Edited by W. ROBINSON, F.L.S. Illustrated. -Half-yearly Vols., 2s. 6d. each. - -=Countries of the World, The.= By Dr. ROBERT BROWN, M.A., F.L.S. With -about 750 Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ Vols. I. to V., 6s. each. - -=Cyclopædia, Cassell’s Concise.= With about 600 Illustrations. 5s. - -=Cyclopædia, Cassell’s Miniature.= Containing 30,000 Subjects. Cloth, -2s. 6d.; half-roxburgh, 4s. - -=Dictionaries.= (For description, see alphabetical letter.) Religion, -Biographical, Encyclopædic, Concise Cyclopædia, Miniature Cyclopædia, -Mechanical, English, English History, Phrase and Fable, Cookery, -Domestic. (French, German, and Latin, see with _Educational Works_.) - -=Diet and Cookery for Common Ailments.= By a Fellow of the Royal -College of Physicians and PHYLLIS BROWNE. _Cheap Edition._ 2s. 6d. - -=Dog, Illustrated Book of the.= By VERO SHAW, B.A. With 28 Coloured -Plates. Cloth bevelled, 35s.; half-morocco, 45s. - -=Domestic Dictionary, The.= An Encyclopædia for the Household. Cloth, -7s. 6d. - -=Doré Don Quixote, The.= With about 400 Illustrations by GUSTAVE DORÉ. -_Cheap Edition._ Cloth, 10s. 6d. - -=Doré Gallery, The.= With 250 Illustrations by GUSTAVE DORÉ. 4to, 42s. - -=Doré’s Dante’s Inferno.= Illustrated by GUSTAVE DORÉ. _Popular -Edition._ With Preface by A. J. BUTLER. Cloth gilt or buckram, 7s. 6d. - -=Doré’s Dante’s Purgatory and Paradise.= Illustrated by GUSTAVE DORÉ. -_Cheap Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=Doré’s Milton’s Paradise Lost.= Illustrated by GUSTAVE DORÉ. 4to, 21s. -_Popular Edition._ Cloth gilt, or buckram gilt, 7s. 6d. - -=Earth, Our, and its Story.= Edited by Dr. ROBERT BROWN, F.L.S. With 36 -Coloured Plates and nearly 800 Wood Engravings. In Three Vols. 9s. each. - -=Edinburgh, Old and New, Cassell’s.= With 600 Illustrations. Three -Vols. 9s. each; library binding, £1 10s. the set. - -=Egypt: Descriptive, Historical, and Picturesque.= By Prof. G. EBERS. -Translated by CLARA BELL, with Notes by SAMUEL BIRCH, LL.D., &c. Two -Vols. 42s. - -=Electric Current, The.= How Produced and How Used. By R. MULLINEUX -WALMSLEY, D.Sc., &c. Illustrated. 10s. 6d. - -=Electricity, Practical.= By Prof. W. E. AYRTON, F.R.S. _Entirely New -and Enlarged Edition._ Completely re-written. Illustrated. 9s. - -=Electricity in the Service of Man.= A Popular and Practical Treatise. -With upwards of 950 Illustrations. _New and Cheaper Edition_, 7s. 6d. - -=Employment for Boys on Leaving School, Guide to.= By W. S. BEARD, -F.R.G.S. 1s. 6d. - -=Encyclopædic Dictionary, The.= Complete in Fourteen Divisional Vols., -10s. 6d. each; or Seven Vols., half-morocco, 21s. each; half-russia, -25s. each. - -=England and Wales, Pictorial.= With upwards of 320 beautiful -illustrations prepared from copyright photographs. 9s. Also an edition -on superior paper, bound in half-persian, marble sides, gilt edges and -in box, 15s. net. - -=England, A History of.= From the Landing of Julius Cæsar to the -Present Day. By H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. Fully Illustrated, 5s. - -=England, Cassell’s Illustrated History of.= With upwards of 2,000 -Illustrations. _Library Edition._ Ten Vols., £5. - -=English Dictionary, Cassell’s.= Containing Definitions of upwards -of 100,000 Words and Phrases. _Cheap Edition_, 3s. 6d.; _Superior -Edition_, 5s. - -=English History, The Dictionary of.= Edited by SIDNEY LOW, B.A., and -Prof. F. S. PULLING, M.A., with Contributions by Eminent Writers. _New -Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=English Literature, Library of.= By Prof. H. MORLEY. In 5 Vols. 7s. -6d. each. - -=English Literature, Morley’s First Sketch of.= _Revised Edition._ 7s. -6d. - -=English Literature, The Story of.= By ANNA BUCKLAND. 3s. 6d. - -=English Writers from the Earliest Period to Shakespeare.= By HENRY -MORLEY. Eleven Vols. 5s. each. - -=Æsop’s Fables.= Illustrated by ERNEST GRISET. _Cheap Edition._ Cloth, -3s. 6d.; bevelled boards, gilt edges, 5s. - -=Etiquette of Good Society.= _New Edition._ Edited and Revised by LADY -COLIN CAMPBELL. 1s.; cloth, 1s. 6d. - -=Fairy Tales Far and Near.= Retold by Q. Illustrated. 3s. 6d. - -=Fairway Island.= By HORACE HUTCHINSON. _Cheap Edition._ 2s. 6d. - -=Family Doctor, Cassell’s.= By A MEDICAL MAN. Illustrated, 10s. 6d. - -=Family Lawyer, Cassell’s.= An Entirely New and Original Work. By -Barrister-at-Law. 10s. 6d. - -=Fiction, Cassell’s Popular Library of.= 3s. 6d. each. - - Tiny Luttrell. By E. W. Hornung. - - The White Shield. By Bertram Mitford. - - Tuxter’s Little Maid. By G. B. Burgin. - - The Hispaniola Plate. (1683-1893.) By John Bloundelle Burton. - - Highway of Sorrow. By Hesba Stretton and ••••••, a Famous Russian - Exile. - - King Solomon’s Mines. By H. Rider Haggard. Illustrated. - - The Lights of Sydney. By Lilian Turner. - - The Admirable Lady Biddy Fane. By Frank Barrett. - - List, ye Landsmen! A Romance of Incident. By W. Clark Russell. - - Ia: A Love Story. By Q. - - The Red Terror: A Story of the Paris Commune. By Edward King. - - The Little Squire. By Mrs. Henry de la Pasture. - - Zero, the Slaver. A Romance of Equatorial Africa. By Lawrence Fletcher. - - Into the Unknown! A Romance of South Africa. By Lawrence Fletcher. - - Mount Desolation. An Australian Romance. By W. Carlton Dawe. - - Pomona’s Travels. By Frank R. Stockton. - - The Reputation of George Saxon. By Morley Roberts. - - A Prison Princess. By Major Arthur Griffiths. - - Queen’s Scarlet, The. By George Manville Fenn. - - Capture of the “Estrella,” The. A Tale of the Slave Trade. By - Commander Claud Harding, R.N. - - The Awkward Squads. And other Ulster Stories. By Shan F. Bullock. - - The Squire. By Mrs. Parr. - - A King’s Hussar. By Herbert Compton. - - Playthings and Parodies. Short Stories, Sketches, &c. By Barry Pain. - - Out of the Jaws of Death. By Frank Barrett. - - Fourteen to One, &c. By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. - - The Medicine Lady. By L. T. Meade. - - Leona. By Mrs. Molesworth. - - Father Stafford. By Anthony Hope. - - “La Bella,” and others. By Egerton Castle. - - The Avenger of Blood. By J. Maclaren Cobban. - - The Man in Black. By Stanley Weyman. - - The Doings of Raffles Haw. By A. Conan Doyle. - - A Free Lance in a Far Land. By Herbert Compton. - -=Field Naturalist’s Handbook, The.= By Revs. J. G. WOOD and THEODORE -WOOD. _Cheap Edition_, 2s. 6d. - -=Figuier’s Popular Scientific Works.= With Several Hundred -Illustrations in each. 3s. 6d. each. - - The Insect World. - The Human Race. - Reptiles and Birds. - Mammalia. - The Vegetable World. - Ocean World. - The World before the Deluge. - -=Flora’s Feast.= A Masque of Flowers. Penned and Pictured by WALTER -CRANE. With 40 pages in Colours. 5s. - -=Flower Painting, Elementary.= With Eight Coloured Plates. 3s. - -=Flowers, and How to Paint Them.= By MAUD NAFTEL. With Coloured Plates. -5s. - -=Football: the Rugby Union Game.= Edited by Rev. F. MARSHALL. -Illustrated. _New and Enlarged Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=For Glory and Renown.= By D. H. PARRY. Illustrated. _Cheap Edition._ -3s. 6d. - -=Fossil Reptiles, A History of British.= By Sir RICHARD OWEN, F.R.S., -&c. With 268 Plates. In Four Vols. £12 12s. - -=Franco-German War, Cassell’s History of the.= Complete in Two Vols., -containing about 500 Illustrations. 9s. each. - -=Garden Flowers, Familiar.= By F. E. HULME, F.L.S., F.S.A. With 200 -Full-page Coloured Plates, and Descriptive Text by SHIRLEY HIBBERD. -_Cheap Edition._ In Five Vols., 3s. 6d. each. - -=Gladstone, The Right Hon. W. E., Cassell’s Life of.= Profusely -Illustrated. 1s. - -=Gleanings from Popular Authors.= With Original Illustrations. _Cheap -Edition._ In One Vol., 3s. 6d. - -=Gulliver’s Travels.= With 88 Engravings. Cloth, 3s. 6d.; cloth gilt, -5s. - -=Gun and its Development, The.= By W. W. GREENER. With 500 -Illustrations. _Entirely New Edition_, 10s. 6d. - -=Guns, Modern Shot.= By W. W. GREENER. Illustrated. 5s. - -=Health, The Book of.= By Eminent Physicians and Surgeons. Cloth, 21s. - -=Heavens, The Story of the.= By Sir ROBERT STAWELL BALL, LL.D., F.R.S. -With Coloured Plates and Wood Engravings. _Popular Edition_, 10s. 6d. - -=Heroes of Britain in Peace and War.= With 300 Original Illustrations. -_Cheap Edition._ Complete in One Vol., 3s. 6d. - -=History, A Footnote to.= Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa. By R. L. -STEVENSON. 6s. - -=Home Life of the Ancient Greeks, The.= Translated by ALICE ZIMMERN. -Illustrated. _Cheap Edition._ 5s. - -=Horse, The Book of the.= By SAMUEL SIDNEY. With 17 Full-page -Collotype Plates of Celebrated Horses of the Day, and numerous other -Illustrations. Cloth, 15s. - -=Horses and Dogs.= By O. EERELMAN. With Descriptive Text. Translated -from the Dutch by CLARA BELL. With Fifteen Full-page and other -Illustrations. 25s. net. - -=Houghton, Lord: The Life, Letters, and Friendships of Richard Monckton -Milnes, First Lord Houghton.= By Sir WEMYSS REID. Two Vols. 32s. - -=Hygiene and Public Health.= By B. ARTHUR WHITELEGGE, M.D. Illustrated. -_New and Revised Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=India, Cassell’s History of.= In One Vol. _Cheap Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun, Cassell’s Book of.= -With numerous Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ Cloth, 2s. - -=Iron Pirate, The.= By MAX PEMBERTON. Illustrated. 5s. - -=Khiva, A Ride to.= By Col. FRED BURNABY. _New Edition._ Illustrated. -3s. 6d. - -=King George, In the Days of.= By Col. PERCY GROVES. Illustrated. 1s. -6d. - -=King Solomon’s Mines.= By H. RIDER HAGGARD. Illustrated. 3s. 6d. -_People’s Edition._ 6d. - -=Kronstadt.= A New Novel. By MAX PEMBERTON. With 8 Full-page Plates. 6s. - -=Ladies’ Physician, The.= By a London Physician. _Cheap Edition, -Revised and Enlarged._ 3s. 6d. - -=Lady’s Dressing-Room, The.= Translated from the French by Lady COLIN -CAMPBELL. _Cheap Edition._ 2s. 6d. - -=Letts’s Diaries and other Time-saving Publications= are now published -exclusively by CASSELL & COMPANY. (_A List sent post free on -application._) - -=Little Huguenot, The.= _New Edition._ 1s. 6d. - -=Lobengula, Three Years with, and Experiences in South Africa.= By J. -COOPER-CHADWICK. _Cheap Edition._ 2s. 6d. - -=Locomotive Engine, The Biography of a.= By HENRY FRITH. 3s. 6d. - -=Loftus, Lord Augustus, P.C., G.C.B., The Diplomatic Reminiscences of.= -First Series. With Portrait. Two Vols. 32s. Second Series. Two Vols. -32s. - -=London, Cassell’s Guide to.= With Numerous Illustrations. 6d. Cloth, -1s. - -=London, Greater.= By EDWARD WALFORD. Two Vols. With about 400 -Illustrations. _Cheap Edition_, 4s. 6d. each. _Library Edition._ Two -Vols. £1 the set. - -=London, Old and New.= By WALTER THORNBURY and EDWARD WALFORD. Six -Vols., with about 1,200 Illustrations. _Cheap Ed._, 4s. 6d. each. -_Library Ed._, £3. - -=Manchester, Old and New.= By WILLIAM ARTHUR SHAW, M.A. With Original -Illustrations. Three Vols., 31s. 6d. - -=Mechanics, The Practical Dictionary of.= Three Vols., £3 3s.; -half-morocco, £3 15s. Supplementary Volume, £1 1s.; or half-morocco, £1 -5s. - -=Medical Handbook of Life Assurance.= By JAMES EDWARD POLLOCK, M.D., -and JAMES CHISHOLM. _New and Revised Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=Medicine, Manuals for Students of.= (_A List forwarded post free on -application._) - -=Mesdag, H. W., the Painter of the North Sea.= With Etchings and -Descriptive Text. By PH. ZILCKEN. The Text translated from the Dutch by -CLARA BELL. 36s. - -=Modern Europe, A History of.= By C. A. FYFFE, M.A. _Cheap Edition in -One Volume_, 10s. 6d.; _Library Edition_, Illustrated, 3 vols., 7s. 6d. -each. - -=Music, Illustrated History of.= By EMIL NAUMANN. Edited by the Rev. -Sir F. A. GORE OUSELEY, Bart. Illustrated. Two Vols. 31s. 6d. - -=National Library, Cassell’s.= Consisting of 214 Volumes. Paper -covers, 3d.; cloth, 6d. (_A Complete List of the Volumes post free on -application._) - -=Natural History, Cassell’s Concise.= By E. PERCEVAL WRIGHT, M.A., -M.D., F.L.S. With several Hundred Illustrations. 7s. 6d. - -=Natural History, Cassell’s New.= Edited by P. MARTIN DUNCAN, M.B., -F.R.S., F.G.S. _Cheap Edition._ With about 2,000 Illusts. Three Double -Vols., 6s. each. - -=Nature and a Camera, With.= Being the Adventures and Observations of -a Field Naturalist and an Animal Photographer. By RICHARD KEARTON, -F.Z.S. Illustrated by a Special Frontispiece, and 180 Pictures from -Photographs by CHERRY KEARTON. 21s. - -=Nature’s Wonder-Workers.= By KATE R. LOVELL. Illustrated. 2s. 6d. - -=Nelson, The Life of.= By ROBERT SOUTHEY. Illustrated with Eight -Plates. 3s. 6d. - -=New Zealand, Pictorial.= With Preface by Sir W. B. PERCEVAL, K.C.M.G. -Illust. 6s. - -=Novels, Popular.= Extra crown 8vo, cloth, 6s. each. - - Grace O’Malley, Princess and Pirate. By ROBERT MACHRAY. - Cupid’s Garden. By ELLEN THORNEYCROFT FOWLER. - A Limited Success. By SARAH PITT. - The Wrothams of Wrotham Court. By FRANCES HEATH FRESHFIELD. - Ill-gotten Gold: A Story of a Great Wrong and a Great Revenge. - By W. G. TARBET. - Sentimental Tommy. } - The Little Minister. } By J. M. BARRIE. - From the Memoirs of a Minister of France. } - The Story of Francis Cludds. } By STANLEY WEYMAN. - Kronstadt. } - Puritan’s Wife, A. } - The Impregnable City. } By MAX PEMBERTON. - The Sea-Wolves. } - Young Blood. } - My Lord Duke. } By E. W. HORNUNG. - Rogue’s March, The. } - Spectre Gold. } - By a Hair’s-Breadth. } By HEADON HILL. - The Girl at Cobhurst. } - Story Teller’s Pack, A. } - Mrs. Cliff’s Yacht. } By FRANK STOCKTON. - The Adventures of Captain Horn. } - Treasure Island. } } - The Master of Ballantrae. } } Also a - The Black Arrow. } } _Popular_ - Kidnapped. }By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.} _Edition_, - Catriona: A Sequel to “Kidnapped.” } } 3s. 6d. - Island Nights’ Entertainments. } } each. - The Wrecker. By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON and LLOYD OSBOURNE. } - Loveday. A Tale of a Stirring Time. By A. E. WICKHAM. - (_Also at_ 3s. 6d.) - What Cheer! By W. CLARK RUSSELL. - ’Lisbeth. By LESLIE KEITH. - -=Nursing for the Home and for the Hospital, A Handbook of.= By -CATHERINE J. WOOD. _Cheap Edition_, 1s. 6d.; cloth, 2s. - -=Nursing of Sick Children, A Handbook for the.= By CATHERINE J. WOOD. -2s. 6d. - -=Our Own Country.= With 1,200 Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ 3 Double -Vols. 5s. each. - -=Painting, The English School of.= By ERNEST CHESNEAU. _Cheap Edition_, -3s. 6d. - -=Paris, Old and New.= Illustrated. In Two Vols. 9s. or 10s. 6d. each. - -=Peoples of the World, The.= By Dr. ROBERT BROWN, F.L.S. Complete in -Six Vols. With Illustrations. 7s. 6d. each. - -=Phrase and Fable, Dr. Brewer’s Dictionary of.= _Entirely New and -largely increased Edition._ 10s. 6d. Also in half-morocco, 2 Vols., 15s. - -=Physiology for Students, Elementary.= By ALFRED T. SCHOFIELD, M.D., -M.R.C.S. With Two Coloured Plates and numerous Illustrations. _New -Edition._ 5s. - -=Picturesque America.= Complete in Four Vols., with 48 Exquisite Steel -Plates, and about 800 Original Wood Engravings. £12 12s. the set. -_Popular Edition_ in Four Vols., price 18s. each. - -=Picturesque Australasia, Cassell’s.= With upwards of 1,000 -Illustrations. In Four Vols., 7s. 6d. each. - -=Picturesque Canada.= With about 600 Original Illustrations. 2 Vols. £9 -9s. the set. - -=Picturesque Europe.= Complete in Five Vols. Each containing 13 -Exquisite Steel Plates, from Original Drawings, and nearly 200 Original -Illustrations. £21. _Popular Edition._ In Five Vols. 18s. each. - -=Picturesque Mediterranean, The.= With a Series of Magnificent -Illustrations from Original Designs by leading Artists of the day. Two -Vols. Cloth, £2 2s. each. - -=Pigeons, Fulton’s Book of.= Edited by LEWIS WRIGHT. Revised, -Enlarged, and Supplemented by the Rev. W. F. LUMLEY. With 50 Full-page -Illustrations. _Popular Edition._ In One Vol., 10s. 6d. _Original -Edition_, with 50 Coloured Plates and numerous Wood Engravings. 21s. - -=Planet, The Story of Our.= By Prof. BONNEY, F.R.S., &c. With Coloured -Plates and Maps and about 100 Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=Polytechnic Series, The.= Practical Illustrated Manuals. (_A List will -be sent on application._) - -=Portrait Gallery, Cassell’s Universal.= Containing 240 Portraits of -Celebrated Men and Women of the Day. Cloth, 6s. - -=Portrait Gallery, The Cabinet.= Complete in Five Series, each -containing 36 Cabinet Photographs of Eminent Men and Women of the day. -15s. each. - -=Poultry, The Book of.= By LEWIS WRIGHT. _Popular Edition._ -Illustrated. 10s. 6d. - -=Poultry, The Illustrated Book of.= By LEWIS WRIGHT. With Fifty -Exquisite Coloured Plates, and numerous Wood Engravings. _Revised -Edition._ Cloth, gilt edges, 21s.; half-morocco (_price on -application_). - -=”Punch,” The History of.= By M. H. SPIELMANN. With nearly 170 -Illustrations, Portraits, and Facsimiles. Cloth, 16s.; _Large Paper -Edition_, £2 2s. net. - -=Q’s Works, Uniform Edition of.= 5s. each. - - Dead Man’s Rock. - The Splendid Spur. - The Blue Pavilions. - The Delectable Duchy. Stories, Studies, and Sketches. - The Astonishing History of Troy Town. - “I Saw Three Ships,” and other Winter’s Tales. - Noughts and Crosses. - Wandering Heath. - -=Queen Summer; or, The Tourney of the Lily and the Rose.= Penned and -Portrayed by WALTER CRANE. With 40 pages in Colours. 6s. - -=Queen Victoria, The Life and Times of.= By ROBERT WILSON. Complete in -2 Vols. With numerous Illustrations. 9s. each. - -=Queen’s Empire, The.= First Volume, containing about 300 Splendid -Full-page Illustrations. 9s. - -=Queen’s London, The.= Containing Exquisite Views of London and its -Environs, together with a fine series of Pictures of the Queen’s -Diamond Jubilee Procession. _Enlarged Edition_, 10s. 6d. - -=Railway Guides, Official Illustrated.= With Illustrations on nearly -every page, Maps &c. Paper covers, 1s.; cloth, 2s. - - London and North Western Railway. - Great Western Railway. - Midland Railway. - Great Northern Railway. - Great Eastern Railway. - London and South Western Railway. - London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. - South Eastern Railway. - - _Abridged and Popular Editions_ of the above Guides can also be - obtained. Paper covers. 3d. each. - -=Railways, Our.= Their Origin, Development, Incident, and Romance. By -JOHN PENDLETON. Illustrated. 2 Vols., 12s. - -=Rivers of Great Britain=: Descriptive, Historical, Pictorial. - - Rivers of the West Coast. With Etching as Frontispiece, and Numerous - Illustrations in Text. Royal 4to, 42s. - - The Royal River: The Thames from Source to Sea. _Popular Edition_, 16s. - - Rivers of the East Coast. With highly-finished Engravings. _Popular - Edition_, 16s. - -=Robinson Crusoe.= _Cassell’s New Fine-Art Edition._ With upwards of -100 Original Illustrations. _Cheap Edition_, 3s. 6d. or 5s. - -=Rogues of the Fiery Cross.= By S. WALKEY. With 16 Full-page -Illustrations. 5s. - -=Ronner, Henriette, The Painter of Cat-Life and Cat-Character.= By M. -H. SPIELMANN. Containing a Series of beautiful Phototype Illustrations. -12s. - -=Royal Academy Pictures.= With upwards of 200 magnificent reproductions -of Pictures in the Royal Academy. 7s. 6d. - -=Russo-Turkish War, Cassell’s History of.= With about 400 -Illustrations. _New Edition._ In Two Vols., 9s. each. - -=Sala, George Augustus, The Life and Adventures of.= By Himself. _Cheap -Edition._ One Vol., 7s. 6d. - -=Saturday Journal, Cassell’s.= Illustrated throughout. Yearly Vol., 7s. -6d. - -=Scarlet and Blue; or, Songs for Soldiers and Sailors.= By JOHN FARMER. -5s. Words only, paper, 6d.; cloth, 9d. - -=Science for All.= Edited by Dr. ROBERT BROWN, M.A., F.L.S., &c. _Cheap -Edition._ With over 1,700 Illustrations. Five Vols. 3s. 6d. each. - -=Science Series, The Century.= Consisting of Biographies of Eminent -Scientific Men of the present Century. Edited by Sir HENRY ROSCOE, -D.C.L., F.R.S., M.P. Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. each. - - Michael Faraday, His Life and Work. By Professor SILVANUS P. THOMPSON, - F.R.S. - - Pasteur. By PERCY FRANKLAND, F.R.S. and Mrs. FRANKLAND. - - John Dalton and the Rise of Modern Chemistry. By Sir HENRY E. ROSCOE, - F.R.S. - - Major Rennell, F.R.S., and the Rise of English Geography. By Sir - CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, C.B., F.R.S., President of the Royal Geographical - Society. - - Justus Von Liebig: His Life and Work. By W. A. SHENSTONE. - - The Herschels and Modern Astronomy. By Miss AGNES M. CLERKE. - - Charles Lyell and Modern Geology. By Professor T. G. BONNEY, F.R.S. - - J. Clerk Maxwell and Modern Physics. By R. T. GLAZEBROOK, F.R.S. - - Humphry Davy, Poet and Philosopher. By T. E. THORPE, F.R.S. - - Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection. By EDWARD B. - POULTON, M.A., F.R.S. - -=Scotland, Picturesque and Traditional.= By G. E. EYRE-TODD. 6s. - -=Sea, The Story of the.= An Entirely New and Original Work. Edited by -Q. Illustrated. Complete in Two Vols., 9s. each. _Cheap Edition_, 5s. -each. - -=Shaftesbury, The Seventh Earl of, K.G., The Life and Work of.= By -EDWIN HODDER. Illustrated. _Cheap Edition_, 3s. 6d. - -=Shakespeare, Cassell’s Quarto Edition.= Edited by CHARLES and MARY -COWDEN CLARKE, and containing about 600 Illustrations by H. C. SELOUS. -Complete in Three Vols., cloth gilt, £3 3s.--Also published in Three -separate Vols., in cloth, viz.:--The COMEDIES, 21s.; The HISTORICAL -PLAYS, 18s. 6d.; The TRAGEDIES, 25s. - -=Shakespeare, The England of.= _New Edition._ By E. GOADBY. With -Full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 224 pages, 2s. 6d. - -=Shakespeare, The Plays of.= Edited by Prof. HENRY MORLEY. Complete -in 13 Vols., cloth, in box, 21s.; also 39 Vols., cloth, in box, 21s.; -half-morocco, cloth sides, 42s. - -=Shakspere, The Leopold.= With 400 Illustrations, and an Introduction -by F. J. FURNIVALL. _Cheap Edition_, 3s. 6d. Cloth gilt, gilt edges, -5s.; roxburgh, 7s. 6d. - -=Shakspere, The Royal.= With Exquisite Steel Plates and Wood -Engravings. Three Vols. 15s. each. - -=Sketches, The Art of Making and Using.= From the French of G. -FRAIPONT. By CLARA BELL. With Fifty Illustrations. 2s. 6d. - -=Social England.= A Record of the Progress of the People. By various -Writers. Edited by H. D. TRAILL, D.C.L. Complete in Six Vols. Vols. I. -(Revised Ed.), II., and III., 15s. each. Vols. IV. and V., 17s. each. -Vol. VI., 18s. - -=Sports and Pastimes, Cassell’s Complete Book of.= _Cheap Edition_, 3s. -6d. - -=Star-Land.= By Sir ROBERT STAWELL BALL, LL.D., &c. Illustrated. 6s. - -=Story of My Life, The.= By the Rt. Hon. Sir RICHARD TEMPLE, Bart., -G.C.S.I., &c. Two Vols. 21s. - -=Sun, The Story of the.= By Sir ROBERT STAWELL BALL, LL.D., F.R.S., -F.R.A.S. With Eight Coloured Plates and other Illustrations. _Cheap -Edition_, 10s. 6d. - -=Sunshine Series, Cassell’s.= In Vols. 1s. each. (_A List post free on -application._) - -=Taxation, Municipal, at Home and Abroad.= By J. J. O’MEARA. 7s. 6d. - -=Thames, The Tidal.= By GRANT ALLEN. With India Proof Impressions -of 20 Magnificent Full-page Photogravure Plates, and many other -Illustrations, after original drawings by W. L. WYLLIE, A.R.A. _New -Edition_, cloth, 42s. net. - -=Things I have Seen and People I have Known.= By G. A. SALA. With -Portrait and Autograph. 2 Vols. 21s. - -=Three Homes, The.= By the Very Rev. Dean FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S. _New -Edition._ With 8 Full-page Illustrations. 6s. - -=To the Death.= By R. D. CHETWODE. With Four Plates. 5s. - -=Treatment, The Year-Book of, for 1898.= A Critical Review for -Practitioners of Medicine and Surgery. Fourteenth Year of Issue. 7s. 6d. - -=Trees, Familiar.= By Prof. G. S. BOULGER, F.L.S., F.G.S. In Two -Series. With Forty Coloured Plates in each. 12s. 6d. each. - -=Uncle Tom’s Cabin.= By HARRIET BEECHER-STOWE. With upwards of 100 -Original Illustrations. _Fine Art Memorial Edition._ 7s. 6d. - -=”Unicode”: The Universal Telegraphic Phrase Book.= Pocket or Desk -Edition. 2s. 6d. each. - -=United States, Cassell’s History of the.= By EDMUND OLLIER. With 600 -Illustrations. Three Vols. 9s. each. - -=Universal History, Cassell’s Illustrated.= With nearly ONE THOUSAND -ILLUSTRATIONS. Vol. I. Early and Greek History.--Vol. II. The Roman -Period.--Vol. III. The Middle Ages.--Vol. IV. Modern History. 9s. each. - -=Verses, Wise or Otherwise.= By ELLEN THORNEYCROFT FOWLER. 3s. 6d. - -=War and Peace, Memories and Studies of.= By ARCHIBALD FORBES, LL.D. -_Original Edition_, 16s. _Cheap Edition_, 6s. - -=Water-Colour Painting, A Course of.= With Twenty-four Coloured Plates -by R. P. LEITCH, and full Instructions to the Pupil. 5s. - -=Westminster Abbey, Annals of.= By E. T. BRADLEY (Mrs. A. MURRAY -SMITH). Illustrated. With a Preface by the DEAN OF WESTMINSTER. 63s. - -=Wild Birds, Familiar.= By W. SWAYSLAND. Four Series. With 40 Coloured -Plates in each. (In sets only, price on application.) - -=Wild Flowers, Familiar.= By F. E. HULME, F.L.S., F.S.A. With 200 -Coloured Plates and Descriptive Text. _Cheap Edition._ In Five Vols., -3s. 6d. each. - -=Wild Flowers Collecting Book.= In Six Parts, 4d. each. - -=Wild Flowers Drawing and Painting Book.= In Six Parts. 4d. each. - -=Windsor Castle, The Governor’s Guide to.= By the Most Noble the -MARQUIS OF LORNE, K.T. Profusely Illustrated. Limp cloth, 1s. Cloth -boards, gilt edges. 2s. - -=World of Wit and Humour, Cassell’s New.= With New Pictures and New -Text. Complete in Two Vols., 6s. each. - -=With Claymore and Bayonet.= By Col. PERCY GROVES. With 8 Plates. 3s. -6d. - -=Work.= The Illustrated Journal for Mechanics. Half-Yearly Vols. 4s. -each. - -=”Work” Handbooks.= A Series of Practical Manuals prepared under the -Direction of PAUL N. HASLUCK, Editor of _Work_. Illustrated. Cloth, 1s. -each. - -=World of Wonders, The.= With 400 Illustrations. _Cheap Edition._ Two -Vols., 4s. 6d. each. - - -_ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINES._ - - - =_The Quiver._= Monthly, 6d. - =_Cassell’s Magazine._= Monthly, 6d. - =_”Little Folks” Magazine._= Monthly, 6d. - =_The Magazine of Art._= Monthly, 1s. 4d. - =_Cassell’s Saturday Journal._= Weekly, 1d.; Monthly, 6d. - =_Chums._= The Illustrated Paper for Boys. Weekly, 1d.; Monthly, 6d. - =_Work._= The Journal for Mechanics. Weekly, 1d.; Monthly, 6d. - =_Building World._= Weekly, 1d.; Monthly, 6d. - =_Cottage Gardening._= Illustrated. Weekly, ½d.; Monthly, 3d. - - ⁂ _Full particulars of_ CASSELL & COMPANY’S =Monthly Serial - Publications= _will be found in_ CASSELL & COMPANY’S COMPLETE - CATALOGUE. - - - Catalogues of CASSELL & COMPANY’S PUBLICATIONS, which may be had at - all Booksellers’, or will be sent post free on application to the - Publishers:-- - - CASSELL’S COMPLETE CATALOGUE, containing particulars of upwards of One - Thousand Volumes. - - CASSELL’S CLASSIFIED CATALOGUE, in which their Works are arranged - according to price, from _Threepence to Fifty Guineas_. - - CASSELL’S EDUCATIONAL CATALOGUE, containing particulars of CASSELL & - COMPANY’S Educational Works and Students’ Manuals. - - CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED. _Ludgate Hill, London_ - - -Bibles and Religious Works. - - -=Bible Biographies.= Illustrated. 1s. 6d. each. - - The Story of Joseph. Its Lessons for To-Day. By the Rev. GEORGE - BAINTON. - The Story of Moses and Joshua. By the Rev. J. TELFORD. - The Story of Judges. By the Rev. J. WYCLIFFE GEDGE. - The Story of Samuel and Saul. By the Rev. D. C. TOVEY. - The Story of David. By the Rev. J. WILD. - The Story of Jesus. In Verse. By J. R. MACDUFF, D.D. 1s. 6d. - -=Bible, Cassell’s Illustrated Family.= With 900 Illustrations. Leather, -gilt edges, £2 10s.; best full morocco, £3 15s. - -=Bible, Cassell’s Guinea.= With 900 Illustrations and Coloured Maps. -Royal 4to. Leather, 21s. net. Persian antique, with corners and clasps, -25s. net. - -=Bible Educator, The.= Edited by E. H. PLUMPTRE, D.D. With -Illustrations, Maps, &c. Four Vols., cloth, 6s. each. - -=Bible Dictionary, Cassell’s Concise.= By the Rev. ROBERT HUNTER, -LL.D., Illustrated. 7s. 6d. - -=Bible Student in the British Museum, The.= By the Rev. J. G. KITCHIN, -M.A. _Entirely New and Revised Edition_, 1s. 4d. - -=Bunyan, Cassell’s Illustrated.= With 200 Original Illustrations. -_Cheap Edition_, 3s. 6d. - -=Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.= Illustrated. _Cheap Edition_, cloth, 3s. -6d; cloth gilt, gilt edges, 5s. - -=Child’s Bible, The.= With 200 Illustrations. Demy 4to, 830 pp. _150th -Thousand. Cheap Edition_, 7s. 6d. _Superior Edition_, with 6 Coloured -Plates, gilt edges, 10s. 6d. - -=Child’s Life of Christ, The.= Complete in One Handsome Volume, with -about 200 Original Illustrations. _Cheap Edition_, cloth, 7s. 6d.; or -with 6 Coloured Plates, cloth, gilt edges, 10s. 6d. - -=Church of England, The.= A History for the People. By the Very Rev. H. -D. M. SPENCE, D.D., Dean of Gloucester. Illustrated. Vols. I., II., and -III., 6s. each. - -=Church Reform in Spain and Portugal.= By the Rev. H. E. NOYES, D.D. -Illustrated. 2s. 6d. - -=Commentary for English Readers.= Edited by Bishop ELLICOTT. With -Contributions by eminent Scholars and Divines:-- - - New Testament. _Original Edition._ Three Vols., 21s. each; or in half - morocco, £4 14s. 6d. the set. _Popular Edition._ Unabridged. Three - Vols., 4s. each. - - Old Testament. _Original Edition._ Five Vols., 21s. each; or in half - morocco, £7 17s. 6d. the set. _Popular Edition._ Unabridged. Five - Vols., 4s. each. - - ⁂ _The Complete Set of Eight Volumes in the Popular Edition is - supplied at 30s._ - -=Commentary, The New Testament.= Edited by Bishop ELLICOTT. Handy -Volume Edition. Suitable for School and General Use. - - St. Matthew. 3s. 6d. - St. Mark. 3s. - St. Luke. 3s. 6d. - St. John. 3s. 6d. - The Acts of the Apostles. 3s. 6d. - Romans. 2s. 6d. - Corinthians I. and II. 3s. - Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians. 3s. - Colossians, Thessalonians, and Timothy. 3s. - Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, and James. 3s. - Peter, Jude, and John. 3s. - The Revelation. 3s. - An Introduction to the New Testament. 2s. 6d. - -=Commentary, The Old Testament.= Edited by Bishop ELLICOTT. Handy -Volume Edition. Suitable for School and General Use. - - Genesis. 3s. 6d. - Exodus. 3s. - Leviticus. 3s. - Numbers. 2s. 6d. - Deuteronomy. 2s. 6d. - -=Dictionary of Religion, The.= An Encyclopædia of Christian and other -Religious Doctrines, Denominations, Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical -Terms, History, Biography, &c. &c. By the Rev. WILLIAM BENHAM, B.D. -_Cheap Edition_, 10s. 6d. - -=Doré Bible.= With 200 Full-page Illustrations by GUSTAVE DORÉ. -_Popular Edition._ In One Vol. 15s. Also in leather binding. (_Price on -application._) - -=Early Days of Christianity, The.= By the Very Rev. Dean FARRAR, D.D., -F.R.S. - - LIBRARY EDITION. Two Vols., 24s.; morocco, £2. 2s. - POPULAR EDITION. In One Vol.; cloth, gilt edges, 7s. 6d.; tree-calf, - 15s. - CHEAP EDITION. Cloth gilt, 3s. 6d. - -=Family Prayer-Book, The.= Edited by the Rev. Canon GARBETT, M.A., and -the Rev. S. MARTIN. With Full-page Illustrations. _New Edition._ Cloth, -7s. 6d. - -=Gleanings after Harvest.= Studies and Sketches. By the Rev. JOHN R. -VERNON, M.A. Illustrated. _Cheap Edition._ 3s. 6d. - -=”Graven in the Rock”=; or, the Historical Accuracy of the Bible -confirmed by reference to the Assyrian and Egyptian Sculptures in the -British Museum and elsewhere. By the Rev. Dr. SAMUEL KINNS, F.R.A.S., -&c. &c. Illustrated. _Library Edition_, in Two Volumes, cloth, with top -edges gilded, 15s. - -=”Heart Chords.”= A Series of Works by Eminent Divines. In cloth, 1s. -each. - - My Father. By the Right Rev. Ashton Oxenden, late Bishop of Montreal. - - My Bible. By the Rt. Rev. W. Boyd Carpenter, Bishop of Ripon. - - My Work for God. By the Right Rev. Bishop Cotterill. - - My Object in Life. By the Very Rev. Dean Farrar, D.D. - - My Aspirations. By the Rev. G. Matheson, D.D. - - My Emotional Life. By Preb. Chadwick, D.D. - - My Body. By the Rev. Prof. W. G. Blaikie, D.D. - - My Soul. By the Rev. P. B. Power, M.A. - - My Growth in Divine Life. By the Rev. Prebendary Reynolds, M.A. - - My Hereafter. By the Very Rev. Dean Bickersteth. - - My Walk with God. By the Very Rev. Dean Montgomery. - - My Aids to the Divine Life. By the Very Rev. Dean Boyle. - - My Sources of Strength. By the Rev. E. E. Jenkins, M.A. - - My Comfort in Sorrow. By Hugh Macmillan, D.D. - -=Helps to Belief.= A Series of Helpful Manuals on the Religious -Difficulties of the Day. Edited by the Rev. TEIGNMOUTH SHORE, M.A., -Canon of Worcester, 1s. each. - - CREATION. By Harvey Goodwin, D.D., late Lord Bishop of Carlisle. - - MIRACLES. By the Rev. Brownlow Maitland, M.A. - - PRAYER. By the Rev. Canon Shore, M.A. - - THE DIVINITY OF OUR LORD. By the Lord Bishop of Derry. - - THE ATONEMENT. By William Connor Magee, D.D., Late Archbishop of York. - -=Holy Land and the Bible, The.= A Book of Scripture Illustrations -gathered in Palestine. By the Rev. CUNNINGHAM GEIKIE, D.D., LL.D. -(Edin.). _Cheap Edition_, with 24 Collotype Plates, 12s. 6d. - -=Life of Christ, The.= By the Very Rev. Dean FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S. - - CHEAP EDITION. With 16 Full-page Plates. Cloth gilt, 3s. 6d. - POPULAR EDITION. With 16 Full-page Plates. Cloth gilt, gilt edges, - 7s. 6d. - LARGE TYPE ILLUSTD. EDITION. Cloth, 7s. 6d. Cloth, full gilt, gilt - edges, 10s. 6d. - LIBRARY EDITION. Two Vols. Cloth, 24s.; morocco, 42s. - -=Moses and Geology; or, the Harmony of the Bible with Science.= By the -Rev. SAMUEL KINNS, Ph.D., F.R.A.S. Illustrated. _Library Edition_, -revised to date, 10s. 6d. - -=New Light on the Bible and the Holy Land.= By BASIL T. A. EVETTS, M.A. -Illustrated. Cloth, 7s. 6d. - -=Old and New Testaments, Plain Introductions to the Books of the.= -Containing Contributions by many Eminent Divines. In Two Vols., 3s. 6d. -each. - -=Plain Introductions to the Books of the Old Testament.= 336 pages. -Edited by Bishop ELLICOTT. 3s. 6d. - -=Plain Introductions to the Books of the New Testament.= 304 pages. -Edited by Bishop ELLICOTT. 3s. 6d. - -=Protestantism, The History of.= By the Rev. J. A. WYLIE, LL.D. -Containing upwards of 600 Original Illustrations. Three Vols., 27s. - -=”Quiver” Yearly Volume, The.= With about 600 Original Illustrations -and Coloured Frontispiece. 7s. 6d. Also Monthly, 6d. - -=St. George for England=; and other Sermons preached to Children. -_Fifth Edition._ By the Rev. T. TEIGNMOUTH SHORE, M.A., Canon of -Worcester. 5s. - -=St Paul, The Life and Work of.= By the Very Rev. Dean FARRAR, D.D., -F.R.S. - - CHEAP ILLUSTRATED EDITION. 7s. 6d. - CHEAP EDITION. With 16 Full-page Plates, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d. - LIBRARY EDITION. Two Vols., cloth, 24s.; calf, 42s. - ILLUSTRATED EDITION. One Vol., £1 1s.; morocco, £2 2s. - POPULAR EDITION. Cloth, gilt edges, 7s. 6d. - -=Searchings in the Silence.= By the Rev. GEORGE MATHESON, D.D. 3s. 6d. - -=Shall We Know One Another in Heaven?= By the Rt. Rev. J. C. RYLE, -D.D., Bishop of Liverpool. _New and Enlarged Edition._ Paper covers, 6d. - -=Shortened Church Services and Hymns=, suitable for use at Children’s -Services. Compiled by the Rev. T. TEIGNMOUTH SHORE, M.A., Canon of -Worcester. _Enlarged Edition._ 1s. - -=”Six Hundred Years”=; or, Historical Sketches of Eminent Men and Women -who have more or less come into contact with the Abbey and Church of -Holy Trinity, Minories, from 1293 to 1893, and some account of the -Incumbents, the Fabric, the Plate, &c. &c. By the Vicar, the Rev. Dr. -SAMUEL KINNS, F.R.A.S., &c. &c. With 65 Illustrations. 15s. - -=”Sunday:” Its Origin, History, and Present Obligation.= By the Ven. -Archdeacon HESSEY, D.C.L. _Fifth Edition_, 7s. 6d. - - -Educational Works and Students’ Manuals. - - -=Agricultural Text-Books, Cassell’s.= (The “Downton” Series.) Fully -Illustrated. Edited by JOHN WRIGHTSON, Professor of Agriculture. =Soils -and Manures.= By J. M. H. MUNRO, D.Sc. (London), F.I.C., F.C.S. 2s. -6d. =Farm Crops.= By Professor WRIGHTSON. 2s. 6d. =Live Stock.= By -Professor WRIGHTSON. 2s. 6d. - -=Alphabet, Cassell’s Pictorial.= Mounted on Linen, with Rollers. 2s. -Mounted with Rollers, and Varnished. 2s. 6d. - -=Arithmetic:--Howard’s Art of Reckoning.= By C. F. HOWARD. Paper, 1s.; -cloth, 2s. _Enlarged Edition_, 5s. - -=Arithmetics, The “Belle Sauvage.”= By GEORGE RICKS, B.Sc. Lond. With -Test Cards. (_List on application._) - -=Atlas, Cassell’s Popular.= Containing 24 Coloured Maps. 1s. 6d. - -=Blackboard Drawing.= By W. E. SPARKES. With 52 Full-page Illustrations -by the Author. 5s. - -=Book-Keeping.= By THEODORE JONES. FOR SCHOOLS, 2s.; or cloth, 3s. FOR -THE MILLION, 2s.; or cloth, 3s. Books for Jones’s System, Ruled Sets -of, 2s. - -=British Empire Map of the World.= New Map for Schools and Institutes. -By G. R. PARKIN and J. G. BARTHOLOMEW, F.R.G.S. Mounted on cloth, -varnished, and with Rollers or Folded. 25s. - -=Chemistry, The Public School.= By J. H. ANDERSON, M.A. 2s. 6d. - -=Cookery for Schools.= By LIZZIE HERITAGE. 6d. - -=Dulce Domum.= Rhymes and Songs for Children. Edited by JOHN FARMER, -Editor of “Gaudeamus,” &c. Old Notation and Words, 5s. N.B.--The Words -of the Songs in “Dulce Domum” (with the Airs both in Tonic Sol-Fa and -Old Notation) can be had in Two Parts, 6d. each. - -=England, A History of.= From the Landing of Julius Cæsar to the -Present Day. By H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. Fully Illustrated. 5s. - -=English Literature, A First Sketch of=, from the Earliest Period to -the Present Time. By Prof. HENRY MORLEY. 7s. 6d. - -=Euclid, Cassell’s.= Edited by Prof. WALLACE, M.A. 1s. - -=Euclid, The First Four Books of.= _New Edition._ In paper, 6d.; cloth, -9d. - -=French, Cassell’s Lessons in.= _New and Revised Edition._ Parts I. and -II., each 1s. 6d.; complete, 2s. 6d. Key, 1s. 6d. - -=French-English and English-French Dictionary.= 3s. 6d. or 5s. - -=French Reader, Cassell’s Public School.= By GUILLAUME S. CONRAD. 2s. -6d. - -=Galbraith and Haughton’s Scientific Manuals.= - - Euclid. Books I., II., III. 2s. 6d. Books IV., V., VI. 2s. 6d. - Mathematical Tables. 3s. 6d. - - Mechanics. 3s. 6d. Hydrostatics. 3s. 6d. Algebra. Part I., cloth, 2s. - 6d. Complete, 7s. 6d. - - Tides and Tidal Currents, with Tidal Cards, 3s. - -=Gaudeamus.= Songs for Colleges and Schools. Edited by JOHN FARMER. 5s. -Words only, paper, 6d.; cloth, 9d. - -=Geometry, First Elements of Experimental.= By PAUL BERT. Illustrated. -1s. 6d. - -=German Dictionary, Cassell’s.= German-English, English-German. _Cheap -Edition_, cloth, 3s. 6d.; half-morocco, 5s. - -=German Reading, First Lessons in.= By A. JÄGST. Illustrated. 1s. - -=Hand and Eye Training.= By GEORGE RICKS, B.Sc., and JOSEPH VAUGHAN. -Illustrated. Vol. I. Designing with Coloured Papers. Vol. II. Cardboard -Work. 2s. each. Vol. III. Colour Work and Design. 3s. - -=Hand and Eye Training.= By G. RICKS, B.Sc. Two Vols., with 16 Coloured -Plates in each. 6s. each. =Cards for Class Use.= Five Sets. 1s. each. - -=Historical Cartoons, Cassell’s Coloured.= Size 45 in. × 35 in., -2s. each. Mounted on canvas and varnished, with rollers, 5s. each. -(Descriptive pamphlet, 16 pp., 1d.) - -=Italian Lessons, with Exercises, Cassell’s.= In One Vol. 2s. - -=Latin Dictionary, Cassell’s.= (Latin-English and English-Latin.) 3s. -6d.; half-morocco, 5s. - -=Latin Primer, The New.= By Prof. J. P. POSTGATE. 2s. 6d. - -=Latin Primer, The First.= By Prof. POSTGATE. 1s. - -=Latin Prose for Lower Forms.= By M. A. BAYFIELD, M.A. 2s. 6d. - -=Laws of Every-Day Life.= For the Use of Schools. By H. O. -ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. 1s. 6d. - -=Lessons in Our Laws; or, Talks at Broadacre Farm.= By H. F. LESTER, -B.A. In Two Parts. 1s. 6d. each. - -=Little Folks’ History of England.= By ISA CRAIG-KNOX. Illustrated. 1s. -6d. - -=Making of the Home, The.= By Mrs. SAMUEL A. BARNETT. 1s. 6d. - -=Map Building for Schools.= A Practical Method of Teaching Geography -(England and Wales). By J. H. OVERTON, F.G.S. 6d. - -=Marlborough Books=:--Arithmetic Examples. 3s. French Exercises. 3s. -6d. French Grammar. 2s. 6d. German Grammar. 3s. 6d. - -=Mechanics, Applied.= By JOHN PERRY, M.E., D.Sc., &c. Illustrated. 7s. -6d. - -=Mechanics for Young Beginners.= By the Rev. J. G. EASTON, M.A. _Cheap -Edition_, 2s. 6d. - -=Mechanics and Machine Design, Numerical Examples in Practical.= -By R. G. BLAINE, M.E. _New Edition, Revised and Enlarged._ With 79 -Illustrations. Cloth, 2s. 6d. - -=Models and Common Objects, How to Draw from.= By W. E. SPARKES. -Illustrated. 3s. - -=Models, Common Objects, and Casts of Ornament, How to Shade from.= By -W. E. SPARKES. With 25 Plates by the Author. 3s. - -=Natural History Coloured Wall Sheets, Cassell’s New.= Consisting of 16 -subjects. Size, 39 by 31 in. Mounted on rollers and varnished. 3s. each. - -=Object Lessons from Nature.= By Prof. L. C. MIALL, F.L.S., F.G.S. -Fully Illustrated. _New and Enlarged Edition._ Two Vols. 1s. 6d. each. - -=Physiology for Schools.= By ALFRED T. SCHOFIELD, M.D., M.R.C.S., &c. -Illustrated. 1s. 9d. Three Parts, paper covers, 5d. each; or cloth -limp, 6d. each. - -=Poetry Readers, Cassell’s New.= Illustrated. 12 Books. 1d. each. -Cloth, 1s. 6d. - -=Popular Educator, Cassell’s.= With Revised Text, New Maps, New -Coloured Plates, New Type, &c. Complete in Eight Vols., 5s. each; or -Eight Vols. in Four, half-morocco, 50s. - -=Readers, Cassell’s “Belle Sauvage.”= An Entirely New Series. Fully -Illustrated. Strongly bound in cloth. (_List on application._) - -=Reader, The Citizen.= By H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. Cloth, 1s. 6d.; -also a Scottish Edition, cloth, 1s. 6d. - -=Readers, Cassell’s Classical.= Vol. I., 1s. 8d.; Vol. II., 2s. 6d. - -=Reader, The Temperance.= By J. DENNIS HIRD. 1s. or 1s. 6d. - -=Readers, Cassell’s “Higher Class.”= (_List on application._) - -=Readers, Cassell’s Readable.= Illustrated. (_List on application._) - -=Readers for Infant Schools, Coloured.= Three Books. 4d. each. - -=Readers, Geographical, Cassell’s New.= With Numerous Illustrations in -each Book. (_List on application._) - -=Readers, The Modern Geographical.= Illustrated throughout. (_List on -application._) - -=Readers, The Modern School.= Illustrated. (_List on application._) - -=Rolit.= An entirely novel system of learning French. By J. J. TYLOR. -3s. - -=Round the Empire.= By G. R. PARKIN. With a Preface by the Rt. Hon. the -Earl of Rosebery, K.G. Fully Illustrated. 1s. 6d. - -=Science Applied to Work.= By J. A. BOWER. Illustrated. 1s. - -=Science of Every-Day Life.= By J. A. BOWER. Illustrated. 1s. - -=Sculpture, A Primer of.= By E. ROSCOE MULLINS. Illustrated. 2s. 6d. - -=Shakspere’s Plays for School Use.= Illustrated. 9 Books. 6d. each. - -=Spelling, A Complete Manual of.= By J. D. MORELL, LL.D. 1s. - -=Technical Educator, Cassell’s.= A New Cyclopædia of Technical -Education, with Coloured Plates and Engravings. Complete in Six Vols., -3s. 6d. each. - -=Technical Manuals, Cassell’s.= Illustrated throughout. 16 Vols., from -2s. to 4s. 6d. (_List free on application._) - -=Technology, Manuals of.= Edited by Prof. AYRTON, F.R.S., and RICHARD -WORMELL, D.Sc., M.A. Illustrated throughout. (_List on application._) - -=Things New and Old; or, Stories from English History.= By H. O. -ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. Fully Illustrated. Strongly bound in cloth. Seven -Books from 9d. to 1s. 8d. - -=World of Ours, This.= By H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER, M.P. Fully Illustrated. -_Cheap Edition._ 2s. 6d. - -=Young Citizen, The=; or, Lessons in our Laws. By H. F. LESTER. Fully -Illustrated. 2s. 6d. - - -Books for Young People. - - -=Two Old Ladies, Two Foolish Fairies, and a Tom Cat.= The Surprising -Adventures of Tuppy and Tue. A New Fairy Story. By MAGGIE BROWNE. With -Four Coloured Plates and Illustrations in text. Cloth, 3s. 6d. - -=Micky Magee’s Menagerie; or, Strange Animals and their Doings.= By -S. H. HAMER. With 8 Coloured Plates and other Illustrations by HARRY -NEILSON. Coloured Boards, 1s. 6d. - -=The Victoria Painting Book for Little Folks.= Containing about 300 -Illustrations suitable for Colouring, 1s. - -=”Little Folks” Half-Yearly Volume.= Containing 480 pages of -Letterpress, with Six Full-page Coloured Plates, and numerous other -Pictures printed in Colour. Picture boards, 3s. 6d.; or cloth gilt, -gilt edges, 5s. - -=Bo-Peep.= A Treasury for the Little Ones. Yearly Vol. With Original -Stories and Verses. Illustrated with Eight Full-page Coloured Plates, -and numerous other Pictures printed in Colour. Elegant picture boards, -2s. 6d.; cloth, 3s. 6d. - -=Beneath the Banner.= Being Narratives of Noble Lives and Brave Deeds. -By F. J. CROSS. Illustrated. Limp cloth, 1s.; cloth boards, gilt edges, -2s. - -=Good Morning! Good Night!= Morning and Evening Readings for Children, -by the Author of “Beneath the Banner.” Fully Illustrated. Limp cloth, -1s., or cloth boards, gilt edges, 2s. - -=Five Stars in a Little Pool.= By EDITH CARRINGTON. Illustrated. 3s. 6d. - -=Merry Girls of England.= By L. T. MEADE. 3s. 6d. - -=Beyond the Blue Mountains.= By L. T. MEADE. Illustrated. 5s. - -=The Cost of a Mistake.= By SARAH PITT. Illustrated. _New Edition._ 2s. -6d. - -=The Peep of Day.= Cassell’s Illustrated Edition. 2s. 6d. - -=A Book of Merry Tales.= By MAGGIE BROWNE, SHEILA, ISABEL WILSON, and -C. L. MATÉAUX. Illustrated. 3s. 6d. - -=A Sunday Story-Book.= By MAGGIE BROWNE, SAM BROWNE, and AUNT ETHEL. -Illustrated. 3s. 6d. - -=Story Poems for Young and Old.= By E. DAVENPORT. 3s. 6d. - -=Pleasant Work for Busy Fingers.= By MAGGIE BROWNE. Illustrated. 2s. 6d. - -=Magic at Home.= By Prof. HOFFMAN. Fully Illustrated. A Series of easy -and startling Conjuring Tricks for Beginners. Cloth gilt, 3s. 6d. - -=Little Mother Bunch.= By Mrs. MOLESWORTH. Illustrated. _New Edition._ -2s. 6d. - -=Heroes of Every-Day Life.= By LAURA LANE. With about 20 Full-page -Illustrations. 256 pages, crown 8vo, cloth, 2s. 6d. - -=Ships, Sailors, and the Sea.= By R. T. CORNEWALL-JONES. Illd. 2s. 6d. - -=Gift Books for Young People.= By Popular Authors. With Four Original -Illustrations in each. Cloth gilt, 1s. 6d. each. - - The Boy Hunters of Kentucky. By Edward S. Ellis. - - Red Feather: a Tale of the American Frontier. By Edward S. Ellis. - - Fritters; or, “It’s a Long Lane that has no Turning.” - - Trixy; or, “Those who Live in Glass Houses shouldn’t throw Stones.” - - Rhoda’s Reward. - - Jack Marston’s Anchor. - - Frank’s Life-Battle. - - Major Monk’s Motto; or, “Look Before you Leap.” - - Tim Thomson’s Trial; or, “All is not Gold that Glitters.” - - Ursula’s Stumbling-Block. - - Ruth’s Life-Work; or, “No Pains, no Gains.” - - Uncle William’s Charge. - -=”Golden Mottoes” Series, The.= Each Book containing 208 pages, with -Four Full-page Original Illustrations. Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. each. - - “Nil Desperandum.” By the Rev. F. Langbridge, M.A. - - “Bear and Forbear.” By Sarah Pitt. - - “Foremost if I Can.” By Helen Atteridge. - - “Honour is my Guide.” By Jeanie Hering (Mrs. Adams-Acton). - - “Aim at a Sure End.” By Emily Searchfield. - - “He Conquers who Endures.” By the Author of “May Cunningham’s Trial,” - &c. - -=”Cross and Crown” Series, The.= With Four Illustrations in each Book. -Crown 8vo, 256 pages, 2s. 6d. each. - - Heroes of the Indian Empire; or, Stories of Valour and Victory. By - Ernest Foster. - - Through Trial to Triumph; or, “The Royal Way.” By Madeline Bonavia - Hunt. - - Strong to Suffer: A Story of the Jews. By E. Wynne. - - By Fire and Sword: A Story of the Huguenots. By Thomas Archer. - - Adam Hepburn’s Vow: A Tale of Kirk and Covenant. By Annie S. Swan. - - No. XIII.; or, The Story of the Lost Vestal. A Tale of Early Christian - Days. By Emma Marshall. - - Freedom’s Sword: A Story of the Days of Wallace and Bruce. By Annie S. - Swan. - -=Albums for Children.= Price 3s. 6d. each. - - The Album for Home, School, and Play. Set in bold type, and - illustrated throughout. - - Picture Album of All Sorts. Illustrated. - - The Chit-Chat Album. Illustrated. - -=”Wanted--a King” Series.= _Cheap Edition._ Illustrated. 2s. 6d. each. - - Fairy Tales in Other Lands. By Julia Goddard. - - Robin’s Ride. By Ellinor Davenport Adams. - - Wanted--a King: or, How Merle set the Nursery Rhymes to Rights. By - Maggie Browne. - -=”Peeps Abroad” Library.= _Cheap Editions._ Cloth gilt, 2s. 6d. each. - - Rambles Round London. By C. L. Matéaux. Illustrated. - - Around and About Old England. By C. L. Matéaux. Illustrated. - - Paws and Claws. By one of the Authors of “Poems Written for a Child.” - Illustrated. - - Decisive Events in History. By Thomas Archer. With Original - Illustrations. - - The True Robinson Crusoes. - - Peeps Abroad for Folks at Home. Illustrated throughout. - - Wild Adventures in Wild Places. By Dr. Gordon Stables, R.N. - Illustrated. - - Modern Explorers. By Thomas Frost. Illustrated. _New and Cheaper - Edition._ - - Early Explorers. By Thomas Frost. - - Home Chat with our Young Folks. Illustrated throughout. - - Jungle, Peak, and Plain. Illustrated throughout. - -=Three-and-Sixpenny Books for Young People.= With Original -Illustrations. Cloth gilt, 3s. 6d. each. - - Told Out of School. By A. J. Daniels. - - † Red Rose and Tiger Lily. By L. T. Meade. - - The Romance of Invention. By James Burnley. - - † Bashful Fifteen. By L. T. Meade. - - The King’s Command. A Story for Girls. By Maggie Symington. - - A Sweet Girl Graduate. By L. T. Meade. - - † The White House at Inch Gow. By Sarah Pitt. - - † Polly. By L. T. Meade. - - † The Palace Beautiful. By L. T. Meade. - - “Follow my Leader.” - - For Fortune and Glory. - - Lost among White Africans. - - † A World of Girls. By L. T. Meade. - - Books marked thus † can also be had in extra cloth gilt, gilt edges, - 5s. each. - -=Books by Edward S. Ellis.= Illustrated. Cloth, 2s. 6d. each. - - A Strange Craft and its Wonderful Voyage. - Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawas. A Tale of the Siege of Detroit. - In the Days of the Pioneers. - The Phantom of the River. - Shod with Silence. - The Great Cattle Trail. - The Path in the Ravine. - The Hunters of the Ozark. - The Camp in the Mountains. - Ned in the Woods. A Tale of Early Days in the West. - Down the Mississippi. - The Last War Trail. - Ned on the River. A Tale of Indian River Warfare. - Footprints in the Forest. - Up the Tapajos. - Ned in the Block House. A Story of Pioneer Life in Kentucky. - The Young Ranchers. - The Lost Trail. - Camp-Fire and Wigwam. - Lost in the Wilds. - Lost in Samoa. A Tale of Adventure in the Navigator Islands. - Tad; or, “Getting Even” with Him. - -=Cassell’s Picture Story Books.= Each containing 60 pages. 6d. each. - - Little Talks. - Bright Stars. - Nursery Joys. - Pet’s Posy. - Tiny Tales. - Daisy’s Story Book. - Dot’s Story Book. - A Nest of Stories. - Good Night Stories. - Chats for Small Chatterers. - Auntie’s Stories. - Birdie’s Story Book. - Little Chimes. - A Sheaf of Tales. - Dewdrop Stories. - -=Illustrated Books for the Little Ones.= Containing interesting -Stories. All Illustrated. 9d. each. - - Bright Tales and Funny Pictures. - Merry Little Tales. - Little Tales for Little People. - Little People and Their Pets. - Tales Told for Sunday. - Sunday Stories for Small People. - Stories and Pictures for Sunday. - Bible Pictures for Boys and Girls. - Firelight Stories. - Sunlight and Shade. - Rub-a-dub Tales. - Fine Feathers and Fluffy Fur. - Scrambles and Scrapes. - Tittle Tattle Tales. - Dumb Friends. - Indoors and Out. - Some Farm Friends. - Those Golden Sands. - Little Mothers and their Children. - Our Pretty Pets. - Our Schoolday Hours. - Creatures Tame. - Creatures Wild. - Up and Down the Garden. - All Sorts of Adventures. - Our Sunday Stories. - Our Holiday Hours. - Wandering Ways. - -=Shilling Story Books.= All Illustrated, and containing Interesting -Stories. - - Seventeen Cats. - Bunty and the Boys. - The Heir of Elmdale. - Claimed at Last, and Roy’s Reward. - Thorns and Tangles. - The Cuckoo in the Robin’s Nest. - John’s Mistake. - Diamonds in the Sand. - Surly Bob. - The History of Five Little Pitchers. - The Giant’s Cradle. - Shag and Doll. - The Cost of Revenge. - Clever Frank. - Among the Redskins. - The Ferryman of Brill. - Harry Maxwell. - -=Eighteenpenny Story Books.= All Illustrated throughout. - - Wee Willie Winkie. - Ups and Downs of a Donkey’s Life. - Three Wee Ulster Lassies. - Up the Ladder. - Dick’s Hero; & other Stories. - The Chip Boy. - Roses from Thorns. - Faith’s Father. - By Land and Sea. - The Young Berringtons. - Jeff and Leff. - Tom Morris’s Error. - “Through Flood--Through Fire.” - The Girl with the Golden Locks. - Stories of the Olden Time. - -=Library of Wonders.= Illustrated Gift-books for Boys. Cloth, 1s. 6d. - - Wonders of Animal Instinct. - Wonderful Balloon Ascents. - Wonders of Bodily Strength and Skill. - -=The “World in Pictures” Series.= Illustrated throughout. _Cheap -Edition._ 1s. 6d. each. - - All the Russias. - Chats about Germany. - Peeps into China. - The Land of Pyramids (Egypt). - The Eastern Wonderland (Japan). - Glimpses of South America. - Round Africa. - The Land of Temples (India). - The Isles of the Pacific. - -=Two-Shilling Story Books.= All Illustrated. - - Margaret’s Enemy. - Stories of the Tower. - Mr. Burke’s Nieces. - The Top of the Ladder: How to Reach it. - Little Flotsam. - The Children of the Court. - The Four Cats of the Tippertons. - Little Folks’ Sunday Book. - Two Fourpenny Bits. - Poor Nelly. - Tom Heriot. - Aunt Tabitha’s Waifs. - In Mischief Again. - Peggy, and other Tales. - -=Half-Crown Story Books.=. - - On Board the _Esmeralda_; or, Martin Leigh’s Log. - Esther West. - For Queen and King. - Perils Afloat and Brigands Ashore. - Working to Win. - At the South Pole. - Pictures of School Life and Boyhood. - -=Cassell’s Pictorial Scrap Book.= In Six Books, each containing 32 -pages, 6d. each. - -=Books for the Little Ones.= Fully Illustrated. - - Rhymes for the Young Folk. By William Allingham. Beautifully - Illustrated. 1s. 6d. - - The Sunday Scrap Book. With Several Hundred Illustrations. Boards, 3s. - 6d.; cloth, gilt edges, 5s. - - Cassell’s Robinson Crusoe. With 100 Illustrations. Cloth, 3s. 6d.; - gilt edges, 5s. - - The Old Fairy Tales. With Original Illustrations. Cloth, 1s. - - Cassell’s Swiss Family Robinson. Illustrated. Cloth, 3s. 6d.; gilt - edges, 5s. - - The New “Little Folks” Painting Book. Containing nearly 350 Outline - Illustrations suitable for Colouring. 1s. - -=The World’s Workers.= A Series of New and Original Volumes by Popular -Authors. With Portraits printed on a tint as Frontispiece. 1s. each. - - John Cassell. By G. Holden Pike. - - Charles Haddon Spurgeon. By G. Holden Pike. - - Dr. Arnold of Rugby. By Rose E. Selfe. - - The Earl of Shaftesbury. - - Sarah Robinson, Agnes Weston, and Mrs. Meredith. - - Thomas A. Edison and Samuel F. B. Morse. - - Mrs. Somerville and Mary Carpenter. - - General Gordon. - - Charles Dickens. - - Florence Nightingale, Catherine Marsh, Frances Ridley Havergal, Mrs. - Ranyard (”L. N. R.”). - - Dr. Guthrie, Father Mathew, Elihu Burritt, Joseph Livesey. - - Sir Henry Havelock and Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde. - - Abraham Lincoln. - - David Livingstone. - - George Müller and Andrew Reed. - - Richard Cobden. - - Benjamin Franklin. - - Handel. - - Turner the Artist. - - George and Robert Stephenson. - - Sir Titus Salt and George Moore. - - ⁂ _The above Works can also be had Three in One Vol., cloth, - gilt edges, 3s._ - - -_CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London; Paris, New York & -Melbourne._ - - - * * * * * - - -Transcriber's Notes - -Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations -in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and -punctuation remains unchanged. - -The repetition of the title on consecutive pages has been removed. -Italics are represented thus _italic_, bold thus =bold= and -underlining thus +underline+. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Grace O'Malley, by Robert Machray - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRACE O'MALLEY *** - -***** This file should be named 51278-0.txt or 51278-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/2/7/51278/ - -Produced by WebRover, Chris Curnow, Les Galloway and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |