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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dc45a11 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53324 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53324) diff --git a/old/53324-0.txt b/old/53324-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4b705be..0000000 --- a/old/53324-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8519 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Tales of the R.I.C, by Unknown and The Royal Irish Constabulary - -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: Tales of the R.I.C - -Author: Unknown and The Royal Irish Constabulary - -Release Date: October 19, 2016 [EBook #53324] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE R.I.C. *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - TALES OF THE - R.I.C. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TALES OF THE - R.I.C. - - - William Blackwood and Sons - Edinburgh and London - 1921 - - _ALL RIGHTS RESERVED_ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - I. THE INFORMER 1 - - II. ON THE RUN 20 - - III. THE LANDING OF ARMS 37 - - IV. THE RED CROSS 54 - - V. THE R.M. 69 - - VI. AN OUTLAW 79 - - VII. THE STRANGER WITHIN THE GATES 97 - - VIII. MR BRIGGS’ ISLAND 108 - - IX. THE REWARD OF LOYALTY 120 - - X. POTEEN 137 - - XI. THE MAYOR’S CONSCIENCE 152 - - XII. A BRUTAL MURDER 166 - - XIII. SEAL ISLAND 176 - - XIV. A FAMILY AFFAIR 191 - - XV. THE AMERICAN NURSE 208 - - XVI. FATHER JOHN 223 - - XVII. THE BOG CEMETERY 236 - - XVIII. A JEW IN GAELIC CLOTHING 253 - - XIX. MOUNTAIN WARFARE 262 - - XX. THE GREAT ROUND UP 281 - - XXI. THE TRUCE 300 - - - - - TALES OF THE R.I.C. - - -[Illustration] - - - - - I. - THE INFORMER. - - -In many parts of the west of Ireland one finds small mountain farms of -from five to twenty acres, generally consisting of twenty-five per cent -rock, twenty-five per cent heather, and the remainder of indifferent -grass-land. On such a farm a peasant will rear a large family, and how -it is done is one of the mysteries of Ireland; but done it is, and -often. - -Patsey Mulligan was one of a family of ten, brought up on one of these -farms until he was seventeen, when his father told him that it was time -he thought of keeping himself, and, incidentally, of earning some money -for his mother. Patsey quite agreed with his father, but soon found that -it was much easier to talk of getting work in such a poor district as -Cloonalla than to get it. - -In the end Patsey made up his mind that the only thing to do was to go -to England in search of work, and one cold winter’s morning he set off -from his home, in company with three other lads from the same townland, -to walk the fifteen miles across the mountains and bogs to the nearest -railway station at Ballybor. Arriving in England, they made their way to -a town in Yorkshire, where one of them had a brother working in a -coal-mine, and within three days of leaving his home in Ireland Patsey -found himself a Yorkshire miner. - -Hardly had he settled down to his work in the coal-mine when the war -broke out, followed by a rush of young miners to enlist, amongst others -Patsey Mulligan; and before he realised what he was doing, he was a full -private in a famous Yorkshire regiment. Patsey had, however, enlisted in -the name of Murphy, hoping to keep his people in ignorance of the fact, -knowing it would break his mother’s heart if she knew he was fighting. - -Patsey thoroughly enjoyed the training, and within seven months of -enlisting embarked for France; and after a few weeks’ pleasant life in -billets, gradually moved north until finally the battalion took over -trenches in the famous salient of Ypres—a great contrast to Patsey’s -home in the west of Ireland. - -There happened to be in the battalion a young Irish subaltern by name -Anthony Blake, and when Blake told his Company Sergeant-Major to find -him a servant—an Irishman if possible—Patsey at once volunteered for the -job, and between the two young Irishmen there soon sprang up a -friendship through the common bond of danger and discomfort. - -After some time Patsey learnt through one of the boys with whom he had -first crossed to England that his mother was dangerously ill, and that -she had repeatedly written to Patsey to come home and see her before she -died, but had naturally received no answer. In his trouble he appealed -to Blake, and that night found him waiting at Popperinghe Station for -the leave train with a return-warrant to Ballybor in his pocket. - -On his arrival at Ballybor he set out on his long fifteen-mile tramp to -his home at Cloonalla, and late on a summer’s evening the family of -Mulligan were startled by a British soldier in full marching order -walking into their home. - -Before his mother died she made Patsey promise that he would not go back -to France, and that he would stay at home and help his father to mind -the other children. It is hard for a son to refuse his dying mother, and -doubly so for an Irish boy. - -When his mother’s funeral was over, Patsey buried his uniform and -equipment in a bog-hole at night; but his rifle he hid in the thatch of -an outhouse, and it was given out in the neighbourhood that he had been -discharged from the Army as medically unfit. - -After the usual time Patsey was posted as a deserter in his battalion; -Blake found a new servant and forgot all about his late one, while -Patsey settled down to work with his father, and the memory of Blake and -the British Army faded from his mind. - -Though wounded three times, Blake was one of the lucky men to return -home to Ireland at the end of the war, and at once set about looking for -a job. The son of a country doctor in the south of Ireland, at the -outbreak of war he had just left school, and had not had time to settle -on a career. - -But if in England it was hard for ex-officers to get employment, in -Ireland it was doubly so; and Blake soon found that it was next to -impossible for a man who had worn the King’s uniform to get any work or -appointment. The power of Sinn Fein was beginning to be felt in the -land, and though many people would have gladly employed men returned -from the front, they dared not. - -At last, when he had quite given up hope, he received by post an offer -to join the newly-formed Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish -Constabulary, and, gladly jumping at such an offer, was soon in training -at the depot in Dublin. After a tour of duty in the south, the -authorities offered him a cadetship in the R.I.C., and in the course of -two months Blake found himself the District Inspector at Ballybor. - -At this time the R.I.C., after about as bad a hammering as any force -ever received, were beginning to get their tails up again; and whereas -previously no policeman dared show his face outside his barracks after -dark, they were now occasionally sending out strong patrols at -night-time, to the great concern of the local Sinn Feiners, who for a -considerable time had had things all their own way in the south and -west. - -The police district of Ballybor is, like many others in the west of -Ireland, large, consisting chiefly of mountains, bogs, lakes, and a few -small scattered villages, some of them hidden away in the mountains—an -ideal district in peace time for a D.I. who is fond of shooting and -fishing, but in war time a hard district to control with the small force -of police at a D.I.’s disposal. - -Previous to Blake’s arrival all the barracks in the district had been -vacated with the exception of Ballybor and “Grouse Lodge,” a small -barrack at the foot of the mountains in the Cloonalla district; and as -each barrack was vacated, it was blown up or burnt by the local -Volunteers. - -In all former rebellions in Ireland the Government have found that to -get information it was only necessary to pay money. Sometimes it did not -cost much, other times they had to pay generously, but always money -produced information; and at the beginning of the Sinn Fein trouble the -Government naturally assumed that money would produce the informers as -before. But this time they were wrong, and it was only—when the -Government were at their wits’ end—by a lucky chance of finding -important papers on a man, who was shot at night during a military raid -on a Dublin hotel, that at last they received the information which -enabled them to grapple successfully with Sinn Fein. - -There is no doubt that the originators of Sinn Fein had read their -country’s history carefully, and were determined that this time there -should be no informers; and to this end they organised a “Reign of -Terror” throughout Ireland such as few countries have ever seen at any -time in history. Their chief obstacle was the R.I.C., and once this -force was reduced to a state of inactivity—they thought they had broken -it for good and all—their task appeared comparatively easy. Every man, -woman, and child in the south and west of Ireland knew that if they gave -any information to the police they would be shot, and shot they were. - -When Blake took over his duties at Ballybor, he found that the police -had no source of information whatsoever, with the result that each -attack on a barrack and every ambush of a patrol came as a surprise to -them. So great was the “Reign of Terror” in the Ballybor district that -no person dare speak to a policeman, and the shopkeepers were afraid to -serve one, even with the necessities of life. - -Blake quickly realised that if he was ever to get the upper hand in his -district, he must discover some source of getting information, and find -it quickly, before the whole population were driven to join forces -against him. - -One of Sinn Fein’s principles has been that the fewer who know the fewer -can tell, and, as a rule, there has only been one man in a -district—usually the local captain of the Volunteers—who has information -of coming events; and Blake knew that his only chance of reliable news -lay with this man, and with him alone. - -About the only information which his men could give him of his area was -that a young man, who lived in the townland of Cloonalla, named Patsey -Mulligan, was the captain of the local Volunteers, and that his house -was close to the barracks at Grouse Lodge; so he determined to go out to -Grouse Lodge Barracks and stay there until he had either come to terms -with Patsey Mulligan, or saw that it was hopeless. - -On a fine winter’s morning Blake set out from the barracks at Ballybor -in the Crossley tender with an escort of six police, the most he dared -take with him for fear of weakening the Ballybor garrison. It was -market-day in the little town, and all along the road to Grouse Lodge -they met the country people coming in—some in horse-carts, others in -ass-carts, and the poorer ones on foot—but not one of them would speak -to or even look at the police, the people on foot even getting off the -road into the fields directly they caught sight of the police-car -approaching. - -On learning from one of the constables that Mulligan’s house was not on -the main road to Grouse Lodge Barracks, but on a byroad, Blake ordered -the driver to go by this road, and when he came to Mulligan’s house to -stop the car and pretend that something required adjusting in his -engine. After a time the driver stopped outside an ordinary thatched -cottage on the side of the road, and, as Blake had expected, the -inhabitants came to the door to see who it was. - -The first to appear was a young man, and as the constable whispered to -Blake that he was Patsey Mulligan, Blake nearly shouted for joy, for he -saw that the man was none other than “Murphy,” his former servant in -France, and a deserter from his Majesty’s Army in the field! - -At once, before Patsey could get a good look at him and possibly -recognise him, Blake ordered the driver to go on to the barracks as fast -as the bad road would allow them. - -The question now was how to get hold of Mulligan alone, and this was -settled by the information which a constable at Grouse Lodge was able to -give. It appeared that this plucky constable had for some time past been -in the habit of slipping out of the barracks by the back entrance at -night in plain clothes and returning before daybreak. He had discovered -that Mulligan was in the habit of meeting a girl nearly every night at a -certain lonely spot about a mile from his house; and from overhearing -their conversation, had found out that Patsey wanted to marry this girl, -but that she had refused to marry him until he had enough money to take -her out of the country and to buy a small farm in America. - -On questioning this constable, Blake was able to get a detailed account -of Mulligan’s movements since the time of his desertion. It appeared -that for a considerable time after he came back he hardly left his home -at all, contenting himself by working on his father’s farm, and it was -not until the Sinn Fein Volunteers were started in the district and -Mulligan was elected captain that he appeared in public. - -About the same time there was a report in the neighbourhood that Patsey -Mulligan was courting a girl called Bridgie O’Hara, who lived in the -Cloonalla district; also that another man in the same townland with -money was doing his best to make her marry him. - -Bridgie had two brothers in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and as the -Sinn Fein movement grew stronger and the resistance of the Government -weaker, the Volunteers started to boycott the O’Hara family. So savage -had the boycott become lately that not a soul dared speak to them, and -it was only by going to a town several miles away that they were able to -obtain food. - -As soon as it was dark that night Blake and the constable, both in plain -clothes, slipped out at the back of the barracks and made their way to -Mulligan’s trysting-place. As usual, Mulligan and Bridgie met, and when -they parted Blake and the constable followed Mulligan until the girl was -well out of hearing, when they called on him to halt, at the same time -covering him with their automatics. - -Mulligan at once stopped and put up his hands, but did not speak, and -while Blake continued to cover him, the constable searched him for arms. -Blake then ordered Mulligan to walk in front of him until they came to a -mountain track which was off the road; leaving the constable on guard, -he ordered Mulligan to walk up the track in front of him. - -After they had gone about a hundred yards, Blake stopped and asked -Mulligan if he knew that he was liable to be arrested and shot for -desertion from the British Army, and waited to see the effect of his -words, as the whole success of his plan depended on this. - -By now Mulligan had recognised Blake’s voice, and knowing well what -would happen to him if he fell into the hands of the military, fell on -his knees and begged Blake to spare him. Blake at once explained his -terms, which the boy eagerly accepted, thankful to get off at any price, -though not counting the cost and danger of what he was doing. - -Blake’s terms were that Mulligan should give him information well -beforehand of every contemplated outrage in the district, and, in -return, promised him, on behalf of the British Government, a free -pardon, £500, and a passage for himself and Bridgie to any country he -wished to go to, but not until the Sinn Fein movement was crushed in the -district. - -As it happened, only the evening before, Bridgie had told Patsey that -she could not stand the boycott any longer, and that if he could not -take her away to America at once she would marry Mike Connelly; hence -the promise of the £500 seemed to poor Patsey like a gift from heaven. - -It was arranged, in order that no suspicion should be drawn down on him, -that Mulligan should leave his letter at night-time when going to meet -Bridgie O’Hara under a certain large stone a few feet from where they -were, near the point where the track and road met. As there was nothing -more to settle, Blake told Mulligan to go home at once, while he and the -constable made their way back to the barracks, and the following day -Blake returned to Ballybor. - -At this time Blake found that several of his men showed a strong -disinclination to leave the barracks, and remembering how hard it used -to be sometimes during the war to get men who had been stuck in trenches -for months to go “over the top,” he decided to organise strong daylight -patrols so that each man should leave his barracks for a certain number -of hours every day. In addition to patrols round Ballybor, he sent out a -strong patrol on certain days to work its way across country—always by a -different route—to Grouse Lodge Barracks, where the patrol spent the -night, returning to Ballybor across country the following day. - -Taking advantage of mistakes made in other parts of the country, he sent -no patrols on the main routes, but made them all go across country, only -using the roads for short distances when they were open, and when it was -practically impossible to be ambushed. - -For some time there came no information from Mulligan, and when at last -a note was brought from him from Grouse Lodge, it only contained the -laconic news that the price for shooting a policeman had gone up from -£60 to £100; and though no further message came from Mulligan for -another ten days, as no outrages had been committed during this time, -Blake had no reason to think that he was not fulfilling his part of the -bargain. - -Early one morning a bicycle patrol arrived at Ballybor Barracks from -Grouse Lodge, and the constable who had been with Blake the night he met -Mulligan handed him a note to the effect that two car-loads of arms were -to arrive in the Cloonalla district that night for the purpose of an -attack on Grouse Lodge Barracks the following night. Mulligan gave the -route the cars would take, but did not state at what hour they might be -expected. - -On looking at an Ordnance map, Blake noticed that the cars would have to -pass through a small wood, and that the road took a sharp bend where it -entered the wood. Taking a leaf out of the Sinn Feiners’ book, he -determined to ambush the cars at the bend, and to try and seize cars and -arms. - -The difficulty was to know what to do with the cars once they had gained -possession of them. The Volunteers would no doubt collect in the -Cloonalla district to take over the arms, hence it would be dangerous to -attempt to take them to Grouse Lodge Barracks, which was much the nearer -barrack to the proposed scene of the ambush; so in the end he settled, -if he came off victorious, to take the cars by byroads to Ballybor and -risk being attacked in the town at night. A few days before this Blake -had received his first batch of “Black and Tans,” bringing his force up -to a respectable number, so felt quite justified in making the attempt. - -As soon as it was dark that night, Blake with five of his men left -Grouse Lodge, and made their way by the starlight across country to the -wood. The men brought axes with them, and soon had the road blocked with -two small fir-trees, after which they took cover on each side of the -road and waited. - -At ten the moon rose and the night still remained fine, but it was not -until after two that they heard the cars approaching. The leading car -came round the bend at a good pace, pulling up just clear of the -barricade, while the second car, failing to see the obstacle on the -road, was unable to pull up in time, and ran into the back of the -leading car. - -Blake at once stood up and called on the men—there were two in each -car—to put up their hands; but for answer they opened fire with -automatics in the direction of Blake’s voice, whereupon the police fired -a volley at the cars, and three of the men were seen to collapse, after -which the fourth put up his hands. - -They found that two of the men were dead, while the third was shot -through the chest. After removing all papers and arms from the dead men, -they hid their bodies in the wood, removed the trees from the road, and -started off to Ballybor, where they arrived without mishap, and soon had -the two cars safely in the barrack-yard. - -On investigation they found that the cars contained thirty carbines and -rifles, several thousand rounds of ammunition, and two boxes of -home-made bombs. - -This capture had a great effect on the police _morale_ in the district, -and, in fact, marked the turning-point in the Sinn Fein campaign in that -area, while the two captured cars made a welcome addition to the police -transport. - -Shortly afterwards Blake received a warning from Mulligan to expect an -attack on a named night on the barracks in Ballybor, and that an attempt -would be made to blow up the gable-end of the barracks. The night before -the expected attack Blake brought all the men that could be spared with -safety from Grouse Lodge, and made his preparations for defence. - -The attack opened with heavy rifle-fire from all the surrounding houses, -which drove the unfortunate inhabitants of Ballybor in terror from the -town, and after an hour a determined rush was made under heavy covering -fire to ram the barrack door; but the fire of the police forced them to -drop the ram and run for shelter. Only one attempt was made to blow up -the gable, the police allowing the attackers to start laying the -gelignite, and then dropping a Mills bomb from the window above, where a -projecting V-shaped steel shutter had been put up, with deadly effect. - -After this the attackers kept up an intermittent rifle-fire for another -two hours, and towards daybreak withdrew, leaving the police victorious; -and although several men had been seen to fall during the attempt to ram -the door, by the time it was light their bodies had been removed. - -A subsequent attack on Grouse Lodge Barracks was also successfully -beaten off without any police casualties; but an attempt Blake made to -capture an important Volunteer staff-officer in the Cloonalla district -one night failed—the bird had flown a quarter of an hour before the -patrol surrounded the house where he had been staying. - -This attempt to seize the staff-officer convinced the Volunteers that -there was a traitor in the district, and a Volunteer intelligence -officer was sent down forthwith from Dublin to investigate. - -Blake now felt that he was really beginning to break the Sinn Fein in -his district, and decided to take the offensive to the full extent of -his power. Not only did he have the town and country patrolled night and -day, but he also sent out parties of “Black and Tans” to search houses -in the country for suspected stores of arms, and also to try and obtain -information by all means in their power. - -Though at this time the people were beginning to get restive under the -Sinn Fein tyranny, yet so great was the terror that not a single person -in the whole district dared to give the police one word of information -of his own will; and though the information from Mulligan was of vital -importance as regards attacks and movements by the Volunteers, yet Blake -was still in complete ignorance of the names of the most dangerous Sinn -Feiners. - -Blake felt that he was winning, but he knew that there would be no peace -or rest in his district until he had arrested the leaders: the others -would then be like sheep without a shepherd. To this end an interview -with Mulligan was necessary, in order to get from him the names of these -leaders. - -This time Blake waylaid Mulligan as he was going to meet Bridgie O’Hara, -and at once saw that the boy’s nerve was fast breaking. Mulligan gave -him the names and addresses he wanted readily enough, and then implored -Blake to have him arrested at once and taken to a place of safety, as he -was in terror of his life. - -He told Blake that the Volunteers were already suspicious of him, and -that an intelligence officer had been specially sent down from Dublin to -watch him and report on the leakage of information, and that he could -not stick it any longer. Blake, knowing that once Mulligan was removed, -he would not get any information at all, managed after a long argument -to persuade him to carry on a little longer, by promising to arrest him -when the other leaders were taken. - -After parting from Blake the unhappy Mulligan met his girl, who by this -time was half-mad from the misery of the boycott of her family. In -despair she told him she had made up her mind to marry Connelly, and -they would sail for America as soon as they could get passports. - -Patsey, at the end of his tether and racked with terror, implored her to -wait a little longer, saying that very soon he would have £500, and -directly he got the money he would take her away. - -The girl went home in the seventh heaven of delight, forgot all about -the promises of silence she had made to Patsey, and told her mother, -who, of course, told her husband, and it was not many days before the -good news was common property in the district. A few days afterwards the -intelligence officer returned to his H.Q.’s—his mission was fulfilled. - -Having got the ringleaders’ names, Blake at once set about his plans for -arresting them, realising that not until they were safe under lock and -key could he truthfully say that he had won; but it is one thing to -arrest two or three men, and quite a different story to arrest thirty or -forty, as, if not all arrested at the same time, the majority would get -warning and disappear on the run. - -Once again Blake met Mulligan at night, and arranged with him to call a -meeting of the ringleaders the following Sunday at early Mass outside a -wayside chapel in the Cloonalla district, when he proposed to arrest -them, and promised Mulligan he would be separated from the others at -once and conveyed to England on a destroyer. At first Mulligan refused, -being now demented with the fear of assassination, but when promised the -payment of the £500 on his arrival in England, he consented. - -Blake arranged that on the following Sunday morning as many men as could -be spared should be sent from Grouse Lodge and Ballybor Barracks to meet -near the Cloonalla chapel at the same time, when he hoped to surround -the crowd and make the arrests without any difficulty. - -On a typical soft Irish morning Blake and his men set out early from -Ballybor Barracks on their drive to the chapel, full of hope that the -day’s work would clinch his victory, and that then he would apply for -leave, as the strain of the last few months was beginning to tell on -him, and he needed a rest badly. - -When the Crossley was within half a mile of the chapel and still out of -view from there, Blake stopped the car, got out his men, and proceeded -to surround the chapel, while Blake himself advanced alone towards the -chapel gates. When he drew near he could see that the road in front of -the gates was a mass of country people, who did not move until Blake got -close to them, when they divided, forming a lane towards the gates. - -And to his last day Blake will never forget the sight which met his eyes -as he advanced through the people in a deathly silence. Lashed to one of -the pillars of the chapel gates was the body of the unfortunate Patsey -Mulligan with two bullet-holes through his forehead, and pinned on his -chest a sheet of white paper bearing the single word TRAITOR, while at -his feet lay poor Bridgie O’Hara, her body heaving with sobs, and her -long dark hair, which had been cut off, lying on the ground beside her. - - - - - II. - ON THE RUN. - - -Paddy Flanagan stood in the doorway of his small shop in the main street -of the mean and dirty little village of Ballyfrack, watching the rain -coming down in torrents, while he listened with one ear to his wife -arguing with a countrywoman in the shop behind him over the price of -eggs, and with his other ear for the high-pitched sound of a powerful -car. - -Presently the woman in the shop, having sold her eggs and bought -provisions, wrapped her shawl over her head and started to make her way -home. As Paddy moved aside to let the woman out, his ear caught the -dreaded sound he was expecting, growing louder every second, and -culminating in a shower-bath of mud as two Crossley tenders, full of -Auxiliary Cadets, dashed past the shop and disappeared as suddenly as -they had come. - -Hardly had the noise of the engines died away than Paddy’s quick ear -caught the sound of cars approaching again, and two Ford cars—the first -carrying a huge coffin and the second apparently mourners—drew up at the -small hotel almost opposite Paddy’s shop. - -Some two years previously Flanagan had become a rabid Sinn Feiner—he had -previously been as rabid a Nationalist—with a keen eye to business. For -a long time it looked as though Sinn Fein was the only horse in the -race, and the dream of an Irish Republic seemed more than likely to -become a reality; lately, however, the British Government had been -sitting up and taking a quite unnecessary interest in Ireland. - -First, the British Government had formed the Auxiliary Division—“those -cursed pups of Cromwell,” as Paddy described them to his friends, while -Mrs Paddy used to say that the Government had recruited them from all -the prisons and asylums in England; then, to crown all, the Government -had had the audacity to put several counties within easy reach of -Ballyfrack under martial law. - -So far Paddy had carried on the war for freedom with words only, but a -week before this story starts he had found to his great alarm that he -would be called upon for deeds. On a dark Sunday night, just as the -Flanagans were preparing to go to bed, there came two short sharp knocks -at the shop door, followed by a long one. - -Now Paddy had always had a great dread of night work, and swore that -come what might he would not open his door to any man, be he policeman -or Sinn Feiner: for a minute there was a tense silence in the stuffy -dark shop, save for the heavy breathing of Mrs Flanagan, broken suddenly -by a blow which threatened to break in the street door, and a loud voice -called out to Flanagan to open in the name of the Irish Republican Army. - -“God save us,” said Mrs Flanagan, and dived under the bed; and Paddy -would have liked to follow his wife, but he had heard of the unpleasant -results which always followed a refusal to open to the I.R.A. Before -another blow could be struck on the door he had it open, and at once -three dark figures slipped into the shop, the last one closing the door. - -And in the darkness of the shop Paddy Flanagan listened to his fate: it -seemed that in the adjoining county, where martial law had recently been -proclaimed, the military were making life quite unbearable for the -Volunteers, and the Auxiliaries had openly declared that they would -shoot John O’Hara—the chief assassin of policemen in that county—at -sight. - -Before Flanagan could realise the horror of the situation, two of the -men had disappeared into the night, and he found himself face to face -with the notorious John O’Hara, with instructions to pass him on without -fail to the port of Ballybor (some eighty miles), where O’Hara would be -smuggled on board a vessel bound for England. - -It was some considerable time before Flanagan could induce his wife to -come out from under the bed and produce a meal for O’Hara. Before they -went to sleep his wife reminded Flanagan—quite unnecessarily—of the fate -which the Auxiliaries and “Black and Tans” had assigned to any one who -gave shelter or help to John O’Hara. - -For days past Paddy had been racking his brains, spurred on by the -laments of his wife, how to get rid of O’Hara, and every day the danger -seemed to grow greater, until at last Paddy could stand it no longer. - -The outstanding feature in a western peasant’s character is always -curiosity, and the longer Paddy stood in the doorway of his shop gazing -at the coffin on the car, the greater his curiosity became. He had never -seen so big a coffin; if there was a man inside he must be the “devil of -a fellow and all,” but perhaps it might be a woman—until at last the -coffin drew him as a magnet draws a needle. - -A close inspection of the two cars told him nothing, so there only -remained to go inside in the hope of meeting the occupants. Inside the -hotel he found the mourners seated round the fire in a back room, -drinking porter and discussing the disappearance of John O’Hara, and -after ordering a drink he drew a chair up to the fire and joined in the -general conversation. - -Paddy soon found out that the coffin contained the body of a policeman -who had been murdered in a recent ambush in the adjoining county, and -his relatives were bringing his body home, a village close to Ballybor. -Probably the name of the town gave Paddy the idea, but in a flash he saw -his way clear to get rid of O’Hara, and that at once—if a dead policeman -could be taken in the coffin to Ballybor, why not the live John O’Hara? - -For the next two hours Paddy plied the relations of the dead policeman -with porter, whisky, and poteen, and by that time had learnt all he -wanted to know: they had permits to the police for the two cars to -travel to Ballybor, they were all strong and noisy patriots (in spite of -the murdered policeman outside), and were as ready as the next man to -turn an honest penny. - -Now Flanagan, being no fool, knew that no sane man—drunk or sober—would -take upon himself the responsibility of John O’Hara unless he was forced -to, and bearing this in mind during the negotiations which followed, he -used the threat of the magic letters “I.R.A.” freely—pretending that he -himself was a member of the dreaded Inner Circle. In the end, after much -drink and a lot of haggling, it was settled that the cars should be -taken into the hotel yard for the night. - -Then, during the night, the policeman’s body was to be removed to a -hay-loft and buried secretly the following night, under arrangements to -be made by Flanagan, in a bog outside the village, where several -unfortunate Volunteers, who had fallen in an attack on the local police -barracks, were buried. Meanwhile the hotel boots, who was a carpenter by -trade, would make ventilation holes in the coffin, and the “funeral” -party would set off for Ballybor before daybreak. - -The last part of the negotiations resembled the selling of a horse at a -fair, and the price he had to pay sobered Flanagan and nearly turned his -hair white,—not one yard would they go with O’Hara until they got £100; -but by now Flanagan was desperate, and if they had demanded £200 he -would have paid it. - -At last all the details were settled, and Flanagan went home to warn -O’Hara of his coming journey in the coffin: the thought that in a few -hours he would be free of the man for good and all made life worth -living again. - -But his joy was short-lived. On entering the kitchen he found four -long-haired young men making a hearty meal—more victims of British -tyranny, all on the run for the murder of policemen—and his heart sank -at the thought that there would probably be more to follow: in fact his -house was being used as a clearinghouse for all the “wanted” men of the -adjoining county. - -Flanagan woke up O’Hara, told him of the arrangements which had been -made to get him to Ballybor, and added that four more men had just -turned up, and that it failed him to know how to pass them on. O’Hara -thought for a moment, and replied, “Sure it’s easily known how—why -wouldn’t they do for the mourners?” - -As soon as O’Hara was ready, and the young men could be persuaded to -stop eating, the party set out for the hotel in order to get away before -the mourners woke up. O’Hara took command, found out that one of his -companions could drive a Ford, but that none of them had any idea of how -to get to Ballybor, and told Flanagan that the driver of the coffin-car -would have to go with them as a guide. - -On arrival at the hotel Flanagan roused the boots, O’Hara gave his -instructions about the driver, and they then proceeded to the bedrooms -of the poteen-logged mourners, who offered no protest while O’Hara -removed their topcoats and hats for his companions, Flanagan seizing the -opportunity of transferring his £100 from the sleeping chief mourner’s -trousers pocket to his own again. - -By the light of a guttering candle O’Hara was packed into the coffin, -and in the darkness of a raw early morning the two cars pulled out of -the hotel yard, and disappeared down the road which leads to Ballybor. -Flanagan, with a sigh of relief, wiped his forehead, and prayed that he -might never see O’Hara in this world again, and went home feeling ten -years younger, but determined not to be at home when the mourners got -busy and came for an explanation. - - * * * * * - -On the morning O’Hara left Ballyfrack in the coffin, Blake had motored -to the town of Dunallen to see his County Inspector. On his way back, -about fourteen miles from Ballybor, the road leads over a narrow bridge -and up a steep hill with a sharp blind turn at the top. - -As Blake swung his car, all out, round this corner, he saw about fifty -yards in front two Ford cars standing in the road, the leading car with -a huge coffin tied across the body of the car, and round the other car a -group of young men. Pulling up his car, he sounded his horn, as he had -not room to pass, but with no effect. - -Blake, who was in mufti, had with him an orderly in plain clothes, and -being in a hurry told him to go and tell the driver to go on. As the -orderly returned, both cars started up and went on. Once started, they -went as fast as Blake could wish, and for some miles the three cars kept -close together until they reached a village about ten miles from -Ballybor. - -Here the main road to Ballybor appears to carry straight on through the -village, but this only leads into a cul-de-sac—what looks like a side -road on the left of the main street being the Ballybor turning. The two -strange cars passed the turning, while Blake, once round the corner, -made for home at full speed. - -He thought no more of the cars, but after they had gone about a mile the -orderly asked him if he had ever seen such a big coffin before. Blake -replied that he had not noticed the size of the coffin, and they both -relapsed into silence again, Blake concentrating his attention on -getting back to Ballybor before dark. - -Meanwhile the orderly was thinking the matter out, and came to the -conclusion that the coffin party was not above suspicion. At this time, -when the railway strike was on in the west, it was not unusual to see a -coffin on a car; but, unless the coffin party belonged to the village, -they must be strangers to the district, or they would not have run into -the cul-de-sac. - -When about three miles from Ballybor they had a puncture, and just as -Blake finished changing wheels, the cars of the coffin party drew up -about fifty yards behind, and three men advanced towards them. Blake, -who was still quite unsuspicious, thought that the men were going to ask -him to let them pass, and at once started up his car and got in. - -The orderly, whose suspicions were now turned to certainties, drew his -revolver, covered the advancing men, and called on them to halt; -whereupon the three men opened fire, and the orderly replied. - -Blake yelled to him to jump in, and as the man swung himself into the -seat beside him, he let the car go, while the men on the road continued -to fire. Luckily the light was by now nearly gone, and beyond a broken -wind-screen they got away with a good start. - -It now developed into a race, Blake striving to reach the barracks for -reinforcements to stop the funeral party before they could get clear of -Ballybor, and the others to reach the first turning they came to off the -main road. - -Blake switched on his lights and drove for his life, down hill as fast -as the car would go and round corners on two wheels, with the result -that in rounding one blind corner they nearly ran into a party of -Auxiliary Cadets, whose Crossley had broken down. The Cadets naturally -opened fire without asking any questions—a car going that pace in the -dusk on a country road in the west of Ireland nowadays is asking for -it—and again Blake and his orderly narrowly escaped being shot. - -Blake clapped on his brakes, yelled out “R.I.C.”; the orderly held his -hands high above his head, and the Auxiliaries gave them the benefit of -the doubt. Luckily the leader of the Cadets recognised Blake, the -situation was quickly explained, and they took cover on both sides of -the road at the corner. - -Hardly were they in position when the coffin-car rounded the corner, and -the Cadets opened fire; but so great was the impetus of the car, and so -bad the brakes, that it crashed into the rear of Blake’s car, the coffin -pitched on to the road, burst open, and out rolled a huge wild-looking -man. - -The second car must have closed up with the leading one as the darkness -came on, for no sooner had the first car crashed than the second one ran -into it, overturned, and pinned the big man to the road; whereupon Blake -shouted hands up, but the men started to run back, and the Cadets at -once opened fire. - -Three of them fell, but the fourth managed to get round the corner, and -Blake sent two Cadets after him. The driver of the coffin-car had fallen -clear, and, to avoid the Cadets’ bullets, ran round the Crossley, -straight into the driver’s arms. - -As soon as the firing ceased, Blake made for the big man; the Cadets -lifted the car, and flashed a torch on his face. - -Only that morning Blake had been reading a full account of O’Hara, and -had studied an excellent photograph of him, and as the electric light -shone on the man’s face, he realised the importance of the capture—the -most-wanted man in the west. - -The Cadets rendered first aid to the three wounded men, while Blake -handcuffed O’Hara and placed him in the back of his own car, telling his -orderly to watch him closely, and to keep him covered with his revolver. -In the meantime the two Cadets had returned, having failed to capture -the fourth man. - -Blake was now most anxious to get O’Hara safely in the Ballybor -Barracks, but nothing would induce the Crossley to start. At last, after -an hour’s delay, they got the engine going, and the whole party got -under way, the Cadets taking the three wounded prisoners in the tender, -and Blake, in his own car with his orderly, guarding O’Hara. - -The distance to Ballybor was short, but the delay had made Blake very -uneasy, knowing that the local Volunteers would surely try and rescue -O’Hara if they got word of his capture. Ahead of them was a thick wood -on both sides of the road, and once past this the betting was in their -favour. - -They started without lights, but when they reached the outskirts of the -wood the darkness was so intense that the Crossley driver switched on -his lights and tried to rush the place. Blake was forced to follow his -example, or get left hopelessly behind. - -Faster and faster went the tender, bumping and skidding over the wet bog -road, the lamps throwing a brilliant ring of white light in front of the -car, the rest inky dark. When they had passed more than half-way through -the wood, and Blake was beginning to think that they were safe, the -Crossley suddenly began to pull up with a screech of brakes, drowned by -a volley of shots from both sides of the wood. - -The driver kept his head, switched off his lights, and the dreadful -fight started in the black darkness of the wood. Blake turned his lights -off and started to back his car, but in the darkness and excitement ran -her into the ditch at the side of the road, where she overturned. - -He shot clear of the car, and on regaining the road realised that at -present it was useless to try and get away with his prisoner, so he -shouted to his orderly to guard O’Hara until the fight was over, and -went forward to help the Auxiliaries. - -Blake found them lying down on each side of the road, firing at the -flashes of the ambushers’ guns, while the leader and driver were -struggling to remove the barricade of timber and big stones across the -road under a hail of bullets and shot. By this time a Cadet had got a -Lewis gun into action, and at once sprayed the edge of the wood on each -side of the road with a magazine. Promptly the ambushers’ fire died -down, and after two more heavy bursts of fire from the Lewis gun their -fire ceased. The Cadets quickly switched on the lights of the Crossley, -and started to clear away the barricade. - -Blake suddenly thought of O’Hara, and ran back to his car to find that -he had completely vanished, the orderly lying pinned to the ground by -the overturned car, unconscious. - -The only chance now of recapturing O’Hara was to push on to Ballybor as -fast as possible, collect all the police available, and search the -country round the scene of the ambush. Without a motor it would be -impossible for the fugitive to get far during the next few hours. - -But again the Crossley jibbed, and again a priceless hour or more was -wasted before the barricade could be removed and the car induced to -start. Nearly another hour was spent in reaching the barracks, getting -out the men, and starting on the hunt. - -Until long after dawn they beat the country within a large radius of the -fatal wood, using powerful acetylene lamps, but to no avail: neither in -the open country nor in any village could they find any sign or get any -tidings of the missing prisoner. - -As soon as the light was good, Blake climbed a tree on some high ground -which overlooked the country, and searched in vain with a powerful pair -of Zeiss glasses. At last, thoroughly exhausted, the police returned to -Ballybor, beaten. - - * * * * * - -When Blake’s car upset in the wood, O’Hara had the good luck to fall -clear, and to roll into the ditch at the side of the road. Here he lay -still for several minutes until he saw what move the orderly would make. -When the shooting slackened for a few seconds he could distinctly hear -the groans of the orderly pinned under the car, and at once realised -that if he could only crawl into the wood he might be free again. - -With great difficulty he managed to drag himself out of the ditch and -over the bank, only to find another and deeper ditch on the far side. -Along this ditch he made his way until he judged that he must be close -to the attackers; then he wriggled into the wood, and lay down to await -further developments. - -O’Hara was now afraid to go nearer to the ambushers, lest they should -mistake him for a Cadet; but before he could make up his mind what to do -the firing died down, and he could hear the attackers retiring through -the wood. Realising that his only hope lay with these men, he got up and -rushed after them, being mistaken in the darkness and confusion for one -of themselves. - -Once clear of the wood, O’Hara found himself close to one of the -attackers, and while they ran explained to him who he was, and learnt -that the ambush had been organised in a village close to by the man who -had escaped from the two Cadets. - -On reaching this village the handcuffs were soon filed off O’Hara’s -wrists, two bicycles provided, and in a few minutes he was on his way to -Ballybor with a guide who took him along a byroad. It was essential if -he was to catch the steamer the next day that he should hide that night -in Ballybor, and the chances were that the police would never think of -O’Hara hiding in the town, practically within the shadow of the police -barracks. - -Owing to the delay in starting the Crossley, O’Hara and his guide were -actually in Ballybor before the police: as they neared the turning to -the barracks they could see the lights of the Crossley behind them. -Passing through the town they made their way to the quay, where it was -arranged that O’Hara should spend the night with a Volunteer called -Devine, from whose house it was hoped that he would be able to pass on -to the steamer next day in the company of the stoker. - -At this time the police, except in strong force, did not leave the -barracks at night, and it was thought quite safe for O’Hara to remain in -Devine’s house. After a change of clothes and some food, he retired to -bed, hoping that his troubles were nearly over. - -Early the next morning Devine woke O’Hara up with the bad news that a -picket of Cadets guarded the approach to the steamer, and that the game -was up. On looking out of the window O’Hara could see a sentry with -fixed bayonet on each side of the gangway, while others were resting in -the small weighing-house on the quay-side. - -O’Hara, who a second before had been confident of escape, was in -despair, and collapsed on the bed. After a few minutes he pulled himself -together, and on looking at Devine was at once struck by the sinister -expression on the man’s face. - -Remembering that there was a price of £1000 on his head, and from -Devine’s expression there was no doubt that he also was thinking of this -reward, without a second’s hesitation O’Hara covered him with a big Colt -automatic, and told him that if a way was not found to get him on to the -steamer he would shoot him. Devine, knowing O’Hara’s reputation, and -preferring his life to £1000, at once suggested a plan. - -The town of Ballybor lies about five miles up a river, and all -outward-bound steamers drop the pilot in the bay at the mouth of the -river, where he is rowed to the little fishing village of Dooncarra. The -steamer was due to sail at high tide that afternoon, and Devine -suggested that they should bicycle to Dooncarra, where there ought to be -no difficulty in getting O’Hara aboard by the pilot-boat, as both the -police barracks and coastguard station there had been burnt some time -ago. - -After some breakfast they started off, bicycled boldly past the picket -on the quay, and reached Dooncarra without any mishap, where Devine -arranged for O’Hara to stay in a fisherman’s house until the pilot-boat -left at dusk. - -O’Hara had never been to sea before, and was ill before he ever reached -the steamer. As soon as he got aboard, a stoker, who had been warned by -Devine to expect O’Hara on the pilot’s boat, took charge of him, and at -once put him into a bunk. - -That night the steamer ran into an Atlantic storm, and by the time they -had made the north coast of Ireland, O’Hara was beyond caring whether he -lived or died. - -Blake reported O’Hara’s escape to the authorities in Dublin, who were -most anxious to secure the man, knowing he had been the ringleader in -the worst atrocities committed in the south recently. They at once came -to the conclusion that O’Hara was trying to get away by boat from -Ballybor to Liverpool and then on to America, hence the picket of Cadets -on the quay; but to make doubly sure they ordered an ocean-going -destroyer to search the steamer from Ballybor at sea. - -After rounding the north of Ireland the steamer ran into smooth water, -and O’Hara came on deck for a breath of fresh air. After a time he -became interested in a queer-looking long grey steamer which was -approaching them from the south, and very soon the queer boat came -within hailing distance, and orders were megaphoned for the steamer to -heave to. - -O’Hara was greatly interested in watching the progress of the destroyer -boat, and it was not until a sergeant of the R.I.C. in plain clothes, -who had known O’Hara in the south, covered him with a Webley and -commanded him to put up his hands, that he realised that this -interesting show was all for his benefit. - - - - - III. - THE LANDING OF ARMS. - - -It was the busy hour of the evening in Stephen Foy’s public-house in the -small western town of Ballybor, and Larry O’Halloran, the barman, never -ceased drawing corks and measuring out “half ones” of whisky for the -endless flow of customers. - -Larry was a good example of a new type of Irishman which the Sinn Fein -movement has produced—a type regarded with sorrow and amazement by the -older generation, and at present unknown in England. Whatever faults an -Irishman possessed, he always had the saving virtues of wit and -cheerfulness. - -Probably the British have been the last nation in the world to recognise -the great value of clever propaganda, but there is no doubt that the -originators of the Sinn Fein movement knew the great influence of -judicious propaganda—they had efficient instructors in the Boches—and -wisely started at the beginning, that is, with the children at school, -and the result is sadly apparent in the south and west of Ireland to-day -in the hatred of the British Empire among the young people; and so -obsessed are they with this hatred that they have neglected to learn the -good manners of their elders. - -While Larry’s hands never ceased serving out drink, his brain—trained -from childhood to one end only—never ceased running on one subject, how -and when to obtain arms to defeat the British. Only the previous evening -Larry had achieved the ambition of his young life, when he was elected -captain by a large majority of the Volunteers in place of Patsey -Mulligan, who had been tried by court-martial and executed for treachery -to the Irish Republican Army. - -Larry, in spite of his long hair and dreamy Celtic eyes, was no fool, -and knew quite well that a battalion of Volunteers without arms was -about as much use for fighting as a mob of old women with umbrellas, and -that if ever they were to fight the British with any chance of success, -they must have arms, and not only rifles, but machine-guns. - -Previous to this, by a system of raids at night, every known shot-gun in -the district had been collected by the Volunteers; but Larry realised -that to send a Volunteer, armed with a single-barrel shot-gun, to fight -a British infantryman armed with a magazine rifle, was only a good -example of the old saying of sending a boy on a man’s errand. - -While Larry was racking his brains how to obtain arms, a youth, -obviously an American, walked in, accompanied by a strange countryman, -and proceeded to a small private room at the back of the house. But -though Larry’s thoughts were far away, trying to get Mausers in Germany, -his eyes were busy in the public-house, and as the couple disappeared -into the room, he saw at once that the countryman’s walk was the walk of -a soldier. - -Larry knew the boy, Micky Fee, well. His father was a wealthy -Irish-American, who, amongst other business, owned an arms factory in -the States, and had refused the request of the Inner Brotherhood -repeatedly to send arms to Ireland for the Volunteers. - -It was possible both to oversee and to overhear what went on in the -inner room. Larry saw the couple sitting there in close conversation, -and in a few minutes realised that the strange countryman was in reality -a British Secret Service agent, and that Micky, who had drink taken, was -giving the man all the information of the local Volunteers he could. - -It did not take Larry long to determine what course to take with the -Secret Service agent, and he had decided on the same fate for Micky Fee, -when he suddenly realised that his prayers had been answered. His quick -brain began to work out how many rifles, machine-guns, automatics, and -bombs Fee’s father would value the life of his only child at; the more -he thought of it, the higher he made the figures. - -Micky had been on a visit to his grandparents in Ballybor for some -months past, and had taken an active interest in the Volunteers. About 2 -A.M. the next morning there came a loud knock at the grandparents’ -house. When the old man opened the door he found himself looking into -the muzzles of a ring of guns, and in a few minutes Master Micky left -for an unknown destination. - -About a fortnight later Michael Fee and his wife received the shock of -their lives when they opened their letters at breakfast one morning. -Among Fee’s was one bearing the Ballybor postmark, which stated briefly -that his son had been tried by a court-martial of the I.R.A. on a charge -of giving information to the enemy and condemned to death, and that the -sentence would be duly carried out unless Michael Fee presented so many -rifles, pistols, machine-guns, bombs, and ammunition to the I.R.A. - -The letter also stated that Mr Fee’s answer was to be sent to a named -Sinn Fein agent in New York within seven days of the receipt of the -letter, who would give him a time-limit for handing over the arms, and -would also tell him where the arms were to be landed. A P.S. was added -suggesting that Fee should bring the arms to Ireland in a yacht, and -that he would be able to take his son back to the States in her. - -For many months the Irish papers had been full of accounts of men taken -from their beds in the dead of night and executed outside their homes by -armed and masked men; also of the bodies of missing men being found in a -field, days after they had disappeared, riddled with bullets. Some of -the Irish newspapers tried to throw the blame for these murders on the -forces of the Crown by saying that the men wore “trench coats,” but -never adding that practically every young man in Ireland nowadays wears -a so-called trench-coat. - -Fee knew that many of these murders were “executions” of men who had -given information to the police, and the thought that one morning at -breakfast he or his wife might open an Irish paper to read an account of -the finding of their son’s body riddled with bullets, caused him to -break out into a cold sweat. Being a good business man, Fee made up his -mind at once, and that evening found him in New York making arrangements -with the Sinn Fein agent for the immediate shipment of the arms to -Ireland. - -It’s one thing to talk of smuggling arms into Ireland, but quite another -story to accomplish it. To the Irish peasant, who has never been outside -his own country, it looks as easy as falling off a log; but then he has -no idea of the power of the British Navy, and the British Government -does not take the trouble to inform an Irish peasant that it has the -finest navy in the world—he is supposed to know this, or to find it out -for himself. - -When Fee asked the agent for his suggestions, the agent trotted out the -usual stock dodges—packing rifles in piano-frames, S.A.A. in bags of -flour, and more equally futile plans, and he quickly realised that the -man was a fool, so left him and retired to his room in the hotel to -think out a plan for himself. - -For a long time he could think of nothing but the picture of his son’s -body lying in a vivid green field in his native land: he could even see -the clothes Micky was wearing, and the dirty white handkerchief (he was -quite sure it would be dirty) over his eyes. For hours his mind dwelt on -this picture, but in the end he gained control over himself, and before -he turned in his brain had evolved a sound plan of action, and with an -Irishman’s sanguine temperament he fell asleep, thinking that his boy -was as good as at home already. - -The following morning Fee went to a big yacht agent, but found that he -had only a steam yacht for charter. He explained that he wanted a motor -yacht big enough to cross the Atlantic, and the man referred him to a -firm of builders who had a yacht of this description, which he believed -was on the verge of completion. - -Fee next made his way to the yard of these builders, where he found the -yacht he was looking for, which had been built for a rich American who -had recently died. He soon came to terms, and arranged with the builders -for the addition of large extra oil-tanks, in order that the yacht would -be able to make the double journey to Ireland and back without having to -take in oil there. - -As soon as the yacht was ready for sea, Fee had large man-holes fitted -to the extra oil-tanks, packed the arms inside them, and then filled up -with oil. Within four weeks of the receipt of Larry O’Halloran’s letter, -Mr and Mrs Fee sailed on their new motor yacht, the _Colleen_, for a -pleasure trip to their native land of Ireland. - - * * * * * - -The place chosen for the landing of the arms is one of the most -beautiful places in the British Isles, and one of the least known. If -you picture the wildest Norwegian fjord, and add square miles of -mountain, cliffs, moors, bogs, lakes, and rivers, you may get some idea -of the scenery. - -Before leaving America Fee cabled to his parents in Ballybor that he -expected to be in Ireland on a certain date, knowing that the -information would reach Larry through friends in the Post Office, and -that he would take the necessary steps to meet the yacht at Errinane on -that date, with the result that Larry passed the information on to the -Volunteers in the Errinane district, and in a short time every -coastguard station and police barracks within a twelve-mile radius of -the landing-place was burnt. - -On a fine September day the M.Y. _Colleen_ sighted the west coast of -Ireland, and shortly afterwards made her way up the wonderful natural -harbour which leads to the little fishing village of Errinane, where she -dropped anchor and came to rest after her long voyage across the -Atlantic. In a few minutes a boat left the quay, and Larry stepped -aboard the yacht, and after explaining to the Fees that he had arrived -in the district two days previously with their son Micky, insisted that -the arms should be landed that night; but Fee refused, on the grounds -that the British Navy was bound to know of the yacht’s arrival, and that -if they attempted to land the arms that night they might be caught by a -destroyer. - -A hot argument ensued—Larry, now that at last the arms were almost -within his grasp, being mad keen to get them ashore at once. However, -the argument was cut short by a shout from the deck that a destroyer was -coming up the harbour, and Fee had great difficulty to induce Larry to -leave the yacht. - -The destroyer came to an anchor within fifty yards of the _Colleen_, and -Fee could see two machine-guns on the bridge trained to sweep the -yacht’s deck. Before the rattle of the anchor-chain had died away a boat -was lowered, and in a few minutes a party of bluejackets, headed by a -lieutenant, came aboard the yacht. - -Fee explained to this officer that he was an Irishman living in America, -and that he had come over on a visit to his parents. The officer -examined the yacht’s papers, and then gave orders to his men, who -proceeded to search the yacht thoroughly: mattresses were opened, all -panelling taken down by ship-carpenters, floors lifted, luggage -searched, and even the oil-tanks sounded, while the taps were turned on -to see if they contained oil. - -After three hours’ searching the sailors left the yacht, and within half -an hour the destroyer put to sea. Hardly had she disappeared when Larry -came aboard again, and as it was nearly dark by now, he tried to insist -on starting to land the arms, and again Fee refused. - -The yacht settled down for the night, but soon after midnight a powerful -searchlight was flashed on to her, and again the bluejackets came aboard -and searched the yacht from top to bottom. Eventually they left, the -searchlight was turned off, and the destroyer could be heard putting out -to sea. - -Larry’s original plan had been to land the arms on the north side of the -bay, and to hide them in some caves in the mountains, where French arms -had been hidden during the rebellion of 1798, then to await a favourable -opportunity to remove them to Ballybor. However, the night the destroyer -left the local fishermen filled their boats with herrings, which Larry -found had all been bought by the big shopkeeper in Errinane, who -intended sending them to Ballybor Station the next morning in his three -Ford trucks. Not daring to land the arms during the day, Larry -commandeered the lorries, and as soon as it was dark landed the arms -openly at Errinane quay, packed them in the largest fish-boxes he could -find, and loaded the boxes on to the lorries, putting boxes of herrings -on top. The arms once landed, he restored Micky to his parents on the -yacht, and within half an hour the reunited Fee family were on their way -back to America. - -Not long after the yacht had started, the lorries left Errinane on the -long run through the mountains to Ballybor. When about fifteen miles -from Errinane, Larry halted his convoy in a mountain pass, in order to -let one of the drivers repair a tyre. - -Hardly had they stopped when the lights of two cars were seen behind -them, descending the road into the pass from the direction of Errinane. -Larry knew at once that they could only be police cars, and must have -been sent to Errinane on the suspicion that arms had been landed from -the yacht. - -He at once got his lorries on the move, going in the last one himself, -and in a few minutes could hear the hoot of the oncoming cars close -behind. Ahead of them lay miles of narrow bog road, and as long as he -kept the rear lorry in the middle of the road, the police cars would not -be able to stop them. - -Soon he could hear shouts of halt, followed shortly afterwards by a -volley of rifle bullets, but Larry and the driver were well protected by -the boxes on the lorry. So they continued for about two miles, the -police firing volley after volley at the lorry. - -So far so good; but though Larry knew he could keep the police from -overhauling them for several miles, yet he knew that in the end the -police must defeat him, unless he could find some means of stopping -them, and the only way to do this was by sacrificing the rear lorry. -This he made up his mind to do, as the lorry only carried the bombs; but -the difficulty was to stop the police altogether. - -The idea which saved them came from the driver, who knew every yard of -the road, and reminded Larry that half a mile ahead of them there was an -arched bridge over a mountain river, the very place to block the road. - -Larry climbed out on the boxes, and with great difficulty extracted a -bomb; returning to the driving seat, they waited until the lorry was on -the bridge, when they stopped the engine and started to run for the -lorry in front. When they had gone about twenty yards, Larry stopped, -flung the bomb at the lorry on the bridge, and ran like a hare. - -Luckily there was a steep rise beyond the bridge, and just as they -reached the slow-moving lorry a flame of fire shot up from the bridge -followed by a deafening explosion. They learnt afterwards that the -bridge was completely wrecked, the leading police car badly damaged, and -that the police took three hours to return to Errinane, having to back -their cars for several miles before they could turn. - -The original plan was to hide the arms in a saw-mill in Ballybor, owned -by a notorious loyalist, which fact would divert all suspicion from the -mill; but Larry knew that after the encounter with the police the -hue-and-cry would be up, and that the Auxiliaries would search every -rat-hole in Ballybor before many hours were past. - -On reaching Ballybor in the early hours they proceeded to the mill, -which was situated on the bank of the river, and at once unloaded; but -instead of hiding the arms there Larry ordered the men to carry them -straight to the water’s edge, and then sent them to collect boats and -also fishing tackle. - -Within an hour six boats containing the arms went down the river, and -half an hour afterwards the town was surrounded and searched through and -through by Auxiliary Cadets who had concentrated on the place from three -different points—their only bag being the unfortunate lorry drivers. - -Some three miles below Ballybor there stand on the bank of the river the -ruins of a fine old Franciscan Abbey, in the vaults of which the arms -were safely hidden. Afterwards Larry and his men spent the morning -fishing for sea-trout towards the estuary, returning to Ballybor in the -afternoon, hungry and worn-out, to fall into the hands of the -Auxiliaries, who commandeered their fish and then let them go home. - - * * * * * - -After the murder of Patsey Mulligan the district of Ballybor was -comparatively free from outrages for several months, and Blake, the -D.I., began to think that his troubles were over; but very shortly after -Larry had successfully run his cargo of American arms Blake was -undeceived, and in a short time the district became one of the worst in -the west. - -Success made Larry bolder, and further success made him rash. Being -miles from a road, the old abbey was a most inconvenient place to keep -the arms, and he determined to bring them to the mill in Ballybor. - -Bennett, the owner, had a house alongside the mill, and another house -some miles out in the country, where he was in the habit of going from -Saturday until Monday morning, when the mill house used to be locked up. - -Larry arranged another fishing expedition on a Saturday afternoon, and -when it was dark they transferred the arms from the abbey to the mill, -hiding them under piles of sawdust in the cellars below the saw-benches. -It was then decided to make an assault on the Ballybor police barracks -the following night, and to wipe out the police for good and all. - -But this time his luck was out. On Sunday afternoon Bennett suddenly -made up his mind to return to Ballybor, and motored there in the -afternoon with his eldest son. After tea his son took a walk over the -mill, and to his surprise found a brand-new American repeating-rifle in -the clerk’s office: his father went at once to the police barracks to -inform Blake of the discovery, who arranged to make a raid on the mill -as soon as it was dark. - -Blake had settled to take the arms, if found in the mill, straight off -to the nearest military barracks, and to this end left the barracks with -a strong force in two Crossleys. They went for some distance towards -Grouse Lodge Barracks, turned off at a cross-roads, and made their way -back to Ballybor, arriving at the mill by the time it was dark. - -Leaving the cars about a hundred yards from the mill, Blake walked on to -the entrance with a sergeant and a constable, and as they drew near, to -their surprise they saw that the mill was lit up. Telling his men to -wait, Blake advanced to the door, which led into the machinery -buildings, and on peeping in saw that the place was full of masked men -in a queue, being served out with rifles from the clerk’s office. - -Blake saw that he must act quickly, but that by the time he could bring -up his men all the masked men would be armed, so he determined on a -ruse. In a loud voice he shouted out, “God save us, here are the Black -and Tans; run, boys, for your lives,” and at the same time opened fire. - -The magic words “Black and Tan” have the same effect on an Irish crowd -as the name of Cromwell had during a previous period of Irish history, -and a wild stampede ensued in the mill, the final touch being added by -some one switching off the electric lights. As soon as Blake saw the -effects of his words he dashed in to try and secure a prisoner, and -managed to seize a man near the entrance, and hold him until his men, -alarmed by the shots, arrived hurriedly on the scene. - -By the aid of electric torches the police quickly collected the arms -which the Volunteers had thrown away in their panic, and a constable -having gone to fetch the cars, they were stowed in, and in a short time -were on their long journey to the military barracks. - -Larry stampeded with the rest of the men in the mill, but once outside -he pulled himself together, and determined to make an effort to regain -his beloved arms. Guessing that the police would be fully occupied -removing the arms, he made his way back along the dark streets to the -mill, and saw the cars drive off. - -Part of the preparations for assaulting the barracks had been to block -all roads along which help could come to the barracks; and, as Larry -expected, after some time the cars returned to the barracks, being -unable to proceed in any direction owing to deep trenches cut across the -roads. - -As soon as Larry had seen the cars return, he collected three of his -best men, commandeered a car in the name of the I.R.A.—at this time in -many parts of Ireland a harmless citizen stood an excellent chance of -having his car taken by the military on a Monday, by the police on -Tuesday, by the Auxiliaries on Wednesday, and by the I.R.A. for the rest -of the week—and drove straight to the Cloonalla district, through which -he knew that Blake would have to pass the next day on his way to the -nearest military barracks. They took shovels with them, and soon had the -trench across the road filled in, and made their way to the house of a -local Volunteer. - -That night Larry worked like a man possessed, and by daybreak had an -ambuscade prepared for Blake at a point where the road, following the -shore of a large lake, runs under an overhanging rock, and then turns -sharp to the west. Beyond the bend they cut the usual trench, and above -on the rock erected loop-holed walls of stone and sods, and here they -waited, armed with every shot-gun, pistol, and home-made bomb which the -district could produce. - -That night Blake spent an anxious time in his small barrack-room, his -ears straining for the sound of the first shot of the expected attack, -and his brain striving to work out the problem of how to get the arms -into safe keeping. After a time he tried to attend to some routine work, -but soon gave it up as hopeless. - -Leaning back in his chair he lit a cigarette. At that moment his eye was -arrested by a large photograph of the notorious John O’Hara over the -fireplace, and he began to think of how the man had tricked him by -getting away by sea, while the police were hunting the countryside for -him. From O’Hara’s photograph his eye wandered to a brightly-printed -card hanging on the wall, with a drawing of a steamer on the top. - -For some time he read the letterpress of the card without having any -idea of what it meant; then in a flash he realised that the problem was -solved. At high tide the next morning the s.s. _Cockatoo_ would sail -from the port of Ballybor for Liverpool, and if O’Hara had tricked him -by the sea, then he could trick Larry O’Halloran by the same means. - -The following morning, a quarter of an hour before the _Cockatoo_ was -due to sail, two Crossleys dashed on to the quay, and before the usual -crowd of quay loafers knew what was happening, they were outside the -yard gate, and a strong guard of police with rifles at the ready had -surrounded the gangway to the steamer. In a few minutes more the arms -were all aboard the boat, stacked in an empty passenger saloon, guarded -by police, and two minutes after Blake had given the captain his -instructions, the _Cockatoo_ was on her way down the river for England. - - - - - IV. - THE RED CROSS. - - -An Englishman who has lived in Ireland for any length of time, knows -that rivalry in religion and politics not only divides parts of Ireland, -but even causes divisions in families. At one time recently things had -reached such a state of passion that an Irish soldier or policeman who -visited his home in the south or west was liable to find the door of his -home shut in his face, and even to lose his life. - -In a small town in the west of Ireland—in England you would call the -place a village—there lived some years ago a shopkeeper named John -Dempsey, a steady hard-working man, who left politics alone and attended -to his own business. In due course Dempsey married and had three -children—two boys, Patrick and William, and a daughter, Sheila. - -The children were educated at the national school, and as soon as their -minds were capable of understanding anything, the wicked and stupid -policy of hatred of and revenge on England was drummed into their ears -week by week, month by month, and year by year, until the English -appeared to their childish imaginations to be the greatest monsters of -brutality in the world. - -After the late war started, not before, the British newspapers and -magazines impressed upon us the thoroughness of the German preparations -for this war, and amongst other things, of how the present generation -had had instilled into their minds from early childhood a hatred of the -British by every schoolmaster and learned professor in Germany. For -years past this German method has been carried on in Ireland, Irish -national school teachers preparing the present generation of young men -and women for the present Sinn Fein movement. - -You have in England a saying that a little knowledge is a dangerous -thing, which applies very well to many national school teachers in the -west and south of Ireland, who, though they can tell you of every wrong -which England has inflicted on Ireland during the last three hundred -years, yet know nothing of the greatness and power for good of the -British Empire; nor do they realise the vast benefits which Ireland -reaps as a partner of the Empire. - -As time went on John Dempsey made and saved much money on porter, eggs, -and other things, and as the boys appeared to be clever and anxious to -get on in the world, he decided that they should complete their -education in Dublin, Patrick eventually to become a doctor, and William -to enter the priesthood; but as soon as the father announced his -intentions, Sheila, who had never been separated from her brothers, -implored that she might go with them and become a hospital nurse. - -In the end the old man gave way and the three children went to Dublin, -where Patrick duly qualified as a doctor, Sheila became a nurse in one -of the hospitals there, but William did not become a priest. - -When the brothers and sister first went to Dublin, Sinn Fein was rapidly -becoming the great party of the Celts in Ireland, and every young man -and woman was pressed hard to join. Patrick and Sheila joined eagerly, -but William refused, and the idea of becoming a priest being now -distasteful to him, he joined the R.I.C., to the bitter resentment of -his brother and sister, who refused even to see him. - -During the summer of 1919 the two brothers and sister met again at home, -Sheila on her summer holidays, Patrick waiting for an appointment, and -William, who was now stationed at the neighbouring town of Ballybor, on -leave. At first the other two resented the presence of William, and -there were bitter and passionate political arguments at every meal; but -after a time their natural kindliness prevailed, and the three became -nearly as great pals as formerly, but the shadow of William’s uniform -seemed always to come between them. - -Sheila was the first to go back. A letter from her matron came one -morning asking if she would care to go abroad, to take entire charge of -a patient who had been ordered to live in Switzerland by the doctors. -She did not wait to answer, but returned to Dublin that day, lest she -should be too late. - -Patrick and William were at this time typical of the two parties into -which the people of the greater part of Ireland were divided—in plain -language, Patrick was a rebel and William a loyalist! And though the -loyalist party was very small in comparison to the other, yet it would -never have been so small if proper support from the Government had been -forthcoming at the right time, but would have grown larger and larger as -the outrages increased, and the decent elements of the population ranged -themselves on the side of law and order. - -During his time in Dublin, Patrick, young and enthusiastic, had become -deeply involved in the Sinn Fein movement, and when one day he found -himself bound hand and foot to a policy of outrage and murder, he made -strong efforts to regain his freedom, but was quickly made to realise -that he now belonged, body and soul, to Sinn Fein. - -No sooner had Sheila gone than the two brothers began to quarrel—to end -in hot and bitter words at supper one night, when William left the table -and returned at once to Ballybor. A few days afterwards Patrick received -an order from Dublin to report at once to the Sinn Fein H.Q.’s there, -and though he would have liked to refuse, he dared not. - -On arrival in Dublin, Patrick duly reported at H.Q.’s, and there learnt -that he had been chosen for a most unpleasant job. About this time, -after their signal initial successes, the I.R.A. were endeavouring to -organise a force which would entirely wipe out the police, or at any -rate reduce them to complete impotence. - -To this end the General Staff of the I.R.A. were determined to leave no -stone unturned to achieve success in the ambuscades of patrols and -attacks on barracks. During the preliminary attacks the rebels had lost -heavily through lack of medical care, and it was now determined that a -doctor should attend all ambuscades and attacks. - -Funds were plentiful, and in a few days Patrick found himself set up as -a practising doctor in a large house in Dublin, and it was arranged -that, when an attack was to take place in a certain district, he should -receive a wire calling him to hold a consultation in a district close -by. They supplied him with a good car, there were no restrictions on the -movements of doctors, so that the busy young Dublin doctor, hurrying to -the sick-bed of a country patient, excited no suspicion. - -The plan was quite simple, and worked smoothly. An ambuscade would be -arranged at H.Q.’s in Dublin to take place at a certain point where it -was known that a police patrol passed. The day before Patrick would -receive his wire, and early the next morning would leave Dublin for the -scene of operations. When within a short distance of the attack he would -stop his car, and remain there until the fight was over, attend to the -wounded, and afterwards return to Dublin. - -On two occasions he was surprised by relief parties of military, but -each time he was able to explain his presence—that it was a mere chance -that he happened to be passing, and that his professional instincts were -at once aroused by the sight of the wounded men. - -In the case of an attack on police barracks the procedure was somewhat -different. Some days before Patrick would receive his usual wire—never -from the place where the attack was to take place, but from a -neighbouring town—and at the same time would receive instructions in -Dublin of the time and place of the attack. - -On arriving at the place of attack he would put up at the best hotel, -giving out that he had come to attend a consultation in the town, from -which the wire had been sent. After a talk with the local Volunteer -captain, a house would be decided on as a temporary hospital, to which -the wounded would be taken, and after the attack Patrick would simply -disappear. - -At first the danger and excitement appealed to his high-strung -temperament, but soon the novelty wore off, and he saw that there could -only be one end for him—exposure and professional ruin, if not a long -term of imprisonment. In vain he asked to be allowed to resume his -profession, but he might as well have begged for mercy from the -Inquisition of old. - -One evening, on his return from an ambuscade, Patrick found a wire from -Sheila, saying that her patient had suddenly died in Switzerland, and -that she was crossing to Dublin that night. The next morning she -arrived, radiant with health, and eager for news. - -Under her patient’s will Sheila received a legacy of about £2000 and a -car, which was stored in a Dublin garage, and now she was free to devote -herself to the cause of Ireland’s freedom. On hearing of Patrick’s -occupation, she at once determined to join him. - -Patrick was devoted to his sister, and tried hard to put the idea out of -her head, but in the end had to give way. That very day she made him -take her to H.Q.’s, where she offered the services of herself and car to -the I.R.A. - -Owing to an insufficient number of rifles for ambuscades and attacks on -a large scale all over the country, the General Staff had decided to -collect rifles in Dublin and send them down to the scenes of attacks in -cars. Sheila’s offer coincided with this decision, and to Patrick’s -horror he and Sheila received orders to attend attacks, and also to -carry the rifles and ammunition. - -The car was found to be a large touring car, to which a false bottom was -fitted to take rifles, whilst further false bottoms under the seats gave -sufficient room to hide revolvers, and a dummy space which was packed -with S.A.A. Sheila had large red crosses painted on the lamps and -wind-screen, and the camouflage was complete. - -For months the brother and sister—Patrick looking a typical young -doctor, and Sheila dressed as a hospital nurse—carried arms and first -aid to ambuscades throughout the south and west, and not the slightest -suspicion appears to have been aroused in the minds of the authorities. -Sheila thoroughly enjoyed the excitement, and soon became known as the -Florence Nightingale of the I.R.A. - -One day there came a wire from home that their mother was dangerously -ill, and begging them to go to her at once. Patrick knew that if they -asked leave to go, their taskmasters would refuse, and so decided to -take “French leave.” - -William had also been sent for, and again the two brothers and sister -met. After a few days their mother took a turn for the better, but -Patrick, who dreaded returning to Dublin, insisted on staying, in spite -of Sheila’s urgings to get back to their work. - -Soon after their mother was out of danger Sheila received an invitation -to a dance at a large farmhouse about two miles away, and drove there in -the car, resplendent in a Paris evening dress. Patrick and William -refused to go, the former making the excuse that he did not like to -leave his mother, the latter because he knew that the presence of a -policeman would break up the dance. - -That evening, after it was dark, William walked across the fields to see -an old school friend, one of the few men in the district who would speak -to him at all, and then only at night in his own house. When William -left, this man warned him that Knockbrack Wood would not be a healthy -place for the next few days, but when pressed for an explanation would -say no more. - -When William reached home he learnt from his father that during his -absence a stranger had called for Patrick, and that soon afterwards the -two had left hurriedly to fetch Sheila, Patrick saying that he would -have to return to Dublin that night by car. - -Old Dempsey seemed much upset, and after the warning received that night -William’s suspicions were aroused. As soon as supper was over he retired -to bed, or rather to wait in his room until the house was quiet, when he -meant to bicycle back to Ballybor. - -William had not been in his room more than ten minutes when he heard -Sheila’s car drive up, and the front door open and shut. Then he heard -Sheila come upstairs to her bedroom, followed by Patrick and strange -footsteps, and then the closing of Patrick’s door. - -The bedrooms of the two brothers were separated by a thin partition, and -William managed to overhear enough of their conversation to make out -that there was to be an ambuscade in Knockbrack Wood on Wednesday night -(this being Monday), and that Patrick was returning at once to Dublin. - -William lay as still as a mouse, hoping that Patrick and Sheila would -not realise that he was in the house, and in their hurry forget about -him. He could tell from the tone of his brother’s voice that he was not -for it, but further conversation was cut short by Sheila calling out -that she was ready to start. - -Shortly afterwards William heard the three leaving the house and the car -go off in the direction of Dublin. He waited for a few minutes to give -the stranger time to get well away, then got out his bicycle, and with -his revolver ready in his right hand, started off for Ballybor. - -While William was riding for dear life to Ballybor, Sheila and Patrick -were tearing across Ireland to fetch the arms for the ambuscade. They -reached Dublin without any trouble, had a short rest and a meal, -collected the arms from the secret hiding-place, and then started off on -the return journey by a different route. - -By previous arrangement they were met outside the town after dark by the -local Volunteer captain and a party of men, who took over the arms from -them, when they drove on home. Owing to the fact that they had left and -returned at night, no one in the town had any idea that they had been -away. - -For some weeks past the police had been bringing tremendous pressure to -bear on the rebels throughout the south and west, which pressure -corresponded with the appointment of a new Inspector-General of the -R.I.C. So strong was the pressure growing that the rebel staff were -afraid of a collapse, and when their secret service learnt that the I.G. -would be motoring to Ballybor on this particular Wednesday night, they -determined to ambush him in Knockbrack Wood, and to kill him at all -costs. - -Knockbrack Wood lies along both sides of a main road for a distance of -about a mile and a half, and in the middle the road makes a sharp bend -to avoid a huge granite rock which towers above the trees and makes this -corner quite blind. On the far side of this bend from the direction of -Ballybor the road rises suddenly, so that a car going towards that place -would be likely to approach the bend at a good pace, and be unable to -avoid an obstacle or trench just round the corner. - -Here it was settled to make the attempt on the I.G.’s life, and on the -Wednesday the local Volunteers, under the direction of staff officers -from Dublin, started to make the preparations. By dark all was complete, -except to cut a trench across the road, and a large party of Volunteers -had taken up positions on each side of the road at the bend. - -It was expected that the I.G.’s car would be wrecked, or at any rate -brought to a standstill, just beneath the big rock, on the top of which -there was a bombing post, with orders to drop a flare as soon as the car -was below, to enable the riflemen to aim in the dark, and to follow up -the flare with a shower of bombs. - -Patrick and Sheila waited until it was nearly dark, when they motored to -Knockbrack Wood, leaving the car up a narrow lane in the wood, about a -hundred yards from the big rock on the Ballybor side. They then retired -to a safe distance to await events. - -After several hours of waiting they left the wood and walked up and down -the road to Ballybor, as by this time they were half frozen with cold. -Shortly afterwards they were joined by the Volunteer captain, and as it -would soon be daylight, Patrick suggested to him that the men should be -sent home. - -The Volunteer captain was a stupid fellow, and further, he resented any -suggestion as to what he should do from Patrick; and the three of -them—Sheila, Patrick, and the captain—began a heated argument in the -middle of the road: the captain argued that an order was an order, and -that he would keep his men there until the next night if necessary, or -even longer. - -Patrick saw the mistake he had made, shrugged his shoulders, and started -to return to the car with Sheila. - -Now their whole attention had been centred on the direction from which -the I.G.’s car was expected to come, and the last thing they expected -was a counter-attack from the direction of Ballybor; but as Patrick and -Sheila turned to leave the Volunteer captain, they found themselves -covered by a party of R.I.C., with Blake at their head, and at the same -time heavy firing burst out in the wood on both sides of the road. - -Patrick and Sheila had no alternative but to put up their hands, but the -Volunteer captain tried to escape, and was promptly shot by a constable. -Blake asked what they were doing at such an hour on the highroad, and -Patrick was starting his usual story of how he and his sister were on -their way from Dublin to attend an urgent case in the country, but when -he caught sight of his brother William standing behind Blake, he -faltered and remained dumb. - -Before Blake could ask any more questions they had to jump to one side -to avoid a Crossley full of Auxiliaries, which dashed past, and stopped -a few yards beyond them, the Cadets at once jumping out and taking up -positions on each side of the car with Lewis guns trained to sweep the -road as far as the big rock. Blake, after ordering William and a -constable to take Patrick and Sheila down the Ballybor road out of the -line of fire until he could deal with them, took command of the -Auxiliaries, and waited for the action to develop. - -By this time it was daylight, and the police, who had worked round the -flanks of the ambushers, began to make it pretty hot for the men in the -trenches. Now it is one thing to shoot an unfortunate policeman perched -up in a stationary lorry in the middle of the road, and quite a -different story when the policeman starts to shoot you in the back from -behind a tree, and very soon the Volunteers broke from their trenches -and started to stream down the Ballybor road. - -There was a momentary lull in the firing, broken by two hurricane bursts -of fire from the Cadets’ Lewis guns, and the Volunteers fell in little -heaps on the grey limestone road; the remainder hesitated, and then ran -for their trenches, to be met by a hail of bullets from the police, who -had taken up positions commanding the trenches while the Volunteers were -trying to escape by the road. Again they tried to escape along the road, -and again the Lewis guns spat out a magazine of bullets whilst a man -could count five, the noise of the guns being intensified by the dead -wall of trees. - -The few Volunteers now left threw down their arms, put up their hands, -and the fight was over. - -In the meantime William had taken his brother and sister down the -Ballybor road until they came to the lane where the car was, and here he -told them to wait. After a few minutes Sheila asked him to send the -constable out of hearing, as she wished to talk to him. - -After the constable had retired up the lane there was a terrible silence -for several minutes. Patrick and Sheila both realised too late that -William must have been in the house when they started on their journey -to Dublin for the arms, and that he must have gone straight to Ballybor -to warn the police of the impending ambuscade. They knew that, even if -they were not sentenced to death, they could not escape a long term of -imprisonment, and that they had been betrayed by their own brother, but -would not—or could not—realise that William had only done his duty. - -Suddenly Sheila burst into a passionate denouncement of William’s -treachery to his country and his own flesh and blood, to be stopped by -Patrick with great difficulty, who, controlling his rising passion and -terror by a great effort, implored William for their mother’s sake to -let them escape while there was yet time. At any rate to let Sheila -go—surely the British Government did not wage war on women. - -Poor William was torn between love for his brother and sister and his -duty to his King. In those short moments he went through the agony of -hell, knowing well that if he refused to let them escape he would carry -for the rest of his life the brand of Cain; on the other hand, if he let -them go he would not only be betraying his King, but also he would ruin -his own career, and probably Blake’s as well. - -To William’s great credit be it said, his sense of duty prevailed, and -he refused to let them go; and to his great relief the unhappy scene was -cut short by the sudden appearance of Blake. - -Shortly afterwards the constable returned, and reported to Blake that he -had found a Red Cross car up the lane. Blake gave orders for the car to -be brought on to the highroad, and after collecting his men, started for -Ballybor with Patrick and Sheila prisoners in their own car. - - - - - V. - THE R.M. - - -Since the period of Charles Lever, no book of Irish life has equalled -‘Some Experiences of an Irish R.M.’ in successfully portraying the -character or “chat” of the true western peasant; but, at the same time, -this book only shows the social side of a Resident Magistrate’s life, -and hardly does justice to his work in the wild parts of the south and -west. - -And of recent years the life led by Resident Magistrates has become more -and more dangerous as the country became more and more unsettled. A D.I. -can always take an escort with him, also he can go where and when he -pleases; but an R.M. has to drive alone about the country, and, -moreover, every one knows that at a certain hour on a certain day the -R.M. will drive to a certain Petty Sessions Court, and after the Court -is over he must drive home, though possibly by a different road. It is -one thing to face death with half a score of rifles at your back, and -quite a different tale unarmed and alone. - -Soon after Blake came to Ballybor, the R.M. stationed there retired on -pension, and in his place there came a young man, Anthony Mayne, who had -served with distinction in an Irish regiment during the war. Being -unmarried, Mayne took up his quarters in a small hotel close to the -police barracks, and in a short time struck up a friendship with Blake. - -In addition to attending at Ballybor Petty Sessions once a week, Mayne -had to go to several other small towns twice a month. The district was -very large, chiefly wild mountainous country, and some of the places -were many miles from Ballybor, one place in particular, Ballyrick, being -over thirty miles away on the shores of the Atlantic. - -The first Court which Mayne attended happened to be at Ballyrick, -probably one of the wildest and most thinly populated districts in -Ireland. Soon after leaving Ballybor the road crossed a railway line by -a level crossing close to the sea, and then ran for many miles between -the sea and a chain of mountains to the small seaside town of Ballyrick. - -Mayne found that the people of this district were a race of small men; -they looked as though the terrific Atlantic gales had stunted them in -the same way as the trees are stunted on this coast, and, moreover, -their faces were not pleasing. During his first Court here the nature of -the cases showed plainly that the chief amusement of the peasants was to -beat and batter each other on all opportunities, especially on dark -nights after a fair, and the distillation of illicit whisky their chief -occupation. - -In Ireland the penalty for harbouring, keeping, or concealing a still or -illicit spirits is £100, which can be mitigated to £6, luckily no lower; -and from time immemorial the custom of the shopkeeper class of -magistrate has always been to reduce every fine to the minimum, with the -natural result that the peasants have come to regard the £6 fine as the -legal penalty for the bad luck of being caught by the police. £6 is a -mere fraction of the profits of a successful brew of poteen, and is -looked upon in the light of a tax paid to the Government. - -In one case a man was caught red-handed by the police with fourteen -barrels of treacle, 200 gallons of wash, a complete still, and enough -poteen to stock a fair-sized public-house. The man brought the £6 into -Court with him, being certain he would be convicted and fined the usual -amount. - -But Mayne, the only magistrate on the bench, took a very serious view of -the case, knowing the amount of crime and misery caused by this -abominable drink, and fined the man £50. - -Such a sentence had never been heard in Ballyrick Court-house within the -memory of man; even the police received a shock, and a noise resembling -a swarm of angry bees arose to defy the shouts of the police for silence -and order. That evening, when Mayne returned to Ballybor, he was -followed by a police car for many miles, but the peasants had not had -time to organise their revenge. - -About this time the magistrates of the district received letters from -the I.R.A. calling upon them to resign their Commissions of the Peace, -and giving them a time limit. The shopkeeper and farmer class, being -threatened with that savage scourge in Ireland, a boycott, had no -alternative but to resign, which they did at once with great promptness -and unanimity. In most cases the gentry hung on to their commissions, -but refrained from appearing on the Bench at a time when their presence -might have made all the difference. - -Very soon the Sinn Fein Courts in the Ballybor district were in full -swing; the country people received orders not to appear at a Petty -Sessions Court, and in a very short time every Petty Sessions clerk -found himself completely idle. However, as a matter of form, Mayne -attended every Court regularly, though the only people present were the -police, the clerk, and himself, and their only work to say good-day to -each other. - -By now all the magistrates in the district had either resigned or feared -to attend, and if only the R.M. could be frightened out of the country -or removed, all Petty Sessions Courts would be closed, and the King’s -Writ would cease to run in the country both figuratively and in reality. -With this end in view, the Volunteers began to send threatening letters -to Mayne, and on two occasions he was fired at when motoring back from -holding Courts in outlying towns. - -However, Mayne was made of the right stuff, and determined that as long -as he was alive the usual Courts should be held throughout his district, -no matter whether the people brought their cases to the King’s Courts or -to the Sinn Fein Courts, which were generally held the day before a -Petty Sessions Court was due in a town; and in order to provide cases he -arranged with Blake to carry out a poteen raid on a large scale in the -Ballyrick district, and that the cases should be tried at the next Court -there. Blake duly carried out the raid, which was most successful, and -the defendants were summoned to appear in Court, with the threat of -arrest held over their heads if they did not turn up. - -On the day of the Ballyrick Court Mayne set out, alone as usual, on his -long drive about 9.45 A.M., and on reaching the level crossing found the -gates closed, though no train was due to pass for several hours. After -sounding his horn in vain, he went to open them himself, only to find -that both gates were heavily padlocked. - -He then made his way to the crossing-keeper’s house, which was about -fifty yards up the line. The man’s wife, who was the only occupant of -the house, told him that the gates had been locked that morning by the -Volunteers, after the police cars had passed through, and the keys taken -away. Determined not to be beaten, Mayne now got a heavy stone, and had -actually succeeded in smashing the padlock on the near gate, when he was -shot in the head from behind, and at once collapsed on the road. - -During the late war extraordinary cases were known of men shot through -the head, even through the brain, living for hours afterwards, though -generally unable to speak; and Mayne, though paralysed, was quite -conscious when his murderers came up to where he was lying. - -For some time the murderers argued whether they should finish him off, -or remove him as he was. In the end they put him into his own car, -unlocked the far gate, and drove off in the direction of Ballyrick. - -After proceeding about a mile they came to a lane, which led up to a -lonely farm close to the sea. After driving up to the farm they threw -Mayne—still alive and conscious—on to a manure heap at the back of the -farmhouse, and then drove off. It was afterwards found that they then -took the car to a high cliff and ran it over the edge, to be broken up -on the rocks below in the sea. - -Mayne spent the rest of that day lying on the manure heap, and so -terrorised were the inhabitants of the farm that not one of them dared -go near him. To give poor Mayne even a cup of cold water would have -meant certain death to the giver. - -Late that evening the murderers returned, expecting to find Mayne dead -by now; but he was still alive, though in a pitiable state. Again they -argued among themselves whether they would finish him off or not, and -again for some unknown reason they decided not to. And these are the men -who, according to an English paper (thank God! not an Irish one), are -“entitled to the treatment which, in _civilised_ countries, is given to -prisoners of war.” - -After some time an ass was harnessed to a cart, into which they threw -Mayne’s body, and then proceeded to the seashore below the farm. Here, -after another discussion, they buried him—still alive, though quite -paralysed—up to his neck in the sand, at a place where they thought the -incoming tide would just reach him and slowly drown him during the -night-time. It was now several hours since Mayne had been shot, and one -can only hope that, though he was still alive, his senses had become -numbed. - -The following morning these fiends returned again to find that they had -miscalculated the height of the tide, which had only reached the level -of poor Mayne’s chin, and that he was _still alive_, though probably by -now quite mad. They then dug him up, and this time made no mistake, but -buried him where the tide was bound to drown him. And the next flood -tide put an end to a torture the like of which Lenin and Trotsky could -hardly exceed for sheer malignant devilry. - -Blake and a strong escort of police had motored out to Ballyrick ahead -of Mayne, in case there might be an ambush on the road. The Court was -due to begin at twelve, and when by two there was no sign of the R.M., -Blake left for Ballybor, making inquiries on the way, but could get no -tidings of him anywhere. - -On arriving in Ballybor, Blake wired for a force of Auxiliaries, who -arrived that night, and at once started with Blake and a strong force of -R.I.C. to hunt the countryside for Mayne; but nowadays in Ireland, so -dangerous is it for any civilian to be seen speaking to a policeman, -that it is always quite impossible to obtain any direct information. -People who had seen Mayne set out on his last ill-fated drive denied -that they even knew him by sight. - -For three days and three nights they scoured the countryside from -Ballybor to Ballyrick, and from Ballyrick back again to Ballybor, but no -clue or tidings of Mayne could they get. From the time Mayne left -Ballybor, R.M. and car seemed to have disappeared as though the earth -had opened and swallowed them. - -As there was no evidence of foul play, the police hoped that the R.M. -had been kidnapped and hidden away in the mountains to the east of -Ballyrick. So they posted notices throughout the district to the effect -that, if the R.M. was returned in two days all would be well, but if -not—— - -At the end of the two days’ grace a man, who said he kept the railway -crossing on the road to Ballyrick, arrived on a bicycle at the barracks -ashen with fear, and asked to see Blake. On hearing the man’s story, -Blake went out to the level crossing and there found poor Mayne’s body -in a rough wooden box, lying on the side of the line. The cause of death -appeared obvious; but they were greatly puzzled to find the clothes -soaked with sea-water and full of sand, and to hear from the doctor who -examined the body that death was due to—drowning. - -The level-crossing man was detained at the barracks, and every means was -taken to extract information from him; but he denied all knowledge of -the murder, and proved an alibi to Blake’s satisfaction. - -The police spent the next fortnight searching in vain for Mayne’s -murderers, and it is probable that, but for a curious trait in the -peasant’s character, they would never have solved the mystery. - -Late one evening, about three weeks after the murder, a typical -Ballyrick peasant arrived at the barracks in Ballybor and asked to see -the D.I., and refused to state his business except to the D.I. Luckily -the police decided to admit the man, and he was led off to Blake’s -office. - -When he was brought in Blake was up to his eyes in official -correspondence, with the prospect of an all-night sitting before him; -but hoping that the man might have news of Mayne, he ordered the police -to leave the man alone with him, and then waited for him to tell his -news. - -If a western peasant has a favour to ask or a confession to make, he -will talk of everything and everybody except the object of his visit, -possibly for an hour and probably for two, and will generally not come -to the point until he is preparing to leave. The length of time required -to extract the necessary information depends entirely on the skill of -the interviewer. - -Blake’s visitor was no exception to this rule, and many an Englishman, -cleverer than Blake, would have made the mistake of hurrying his man, -which is always fatal; and even Blake’s patience was nearly exhausted -before he made his confession. - -Whether the man’s confession was genuine, or whether he hoped to save -his skin by turning informer is not quite clear; but at any rate he -confessed to Blake that he and five other men had murdered Mayne at the -level crossing, gave the full details of one of the worst atrocities -which has ever been committed in Ireland, and stated as his only reason -for confessing that he had not been able to sleep since the murder. - - - - - VI. - AN OUTLAW. - - -Probably the great majority of the British public had no idea of the -extraordinary situation in the south and west of Ireland during 1920, -and most likely never will have. In the summer of that sinister year, -when the Sinn Fein tyranny was at its height, an English newspaper sent -a lady journalist over to this unfortunate country to find out what -really was the matter with us, and, if possible, to give the world yet -another solution of the Irish Question. - -In her first letter, this lady, quite unnecessarily, told her millions -of readers that she had never been in Ireland before, proceeded to -relate the peculiarities of the people of Dublin and Belfast, and -finished with a vivid description of the peaceful and happy condition of -the country, in spite of the interested rumours put about to the -contrary. - -At the time when this lady journalist was discovering peaceful and happy -Ireland, the power of Sinn Fein was rapidly passing from the hands of -the hot-air merchants to the direct-action ruffians; in other words, -Arthur Griffiths became a mere cipher, and Michael Collins the dictator -of the south and west. And very soon Collins had several imitators. - -Born in 1889 in the highlands of Ballyrick, Denis Joyce, after working -for a few years as gillie and general boy at a shooting-lodge near -Errinane, drifted to Dublin as a labourer, and at once came under the -influence of Connolly, the prince of Irish Bolsheviks. Taken prisoner -during the Easter rebellion of 1916, he was eventually released with -other small fry, and in return devoted himself to the extermination of -the British Empire in general, and Irish policemen in particular. - -During the spring and summer of 1920, Joyce and his numerous bodyguard, -like an Irish chieftain of old, lived like fighting-cocks. Hailed as the -conquerors of the British Army (they had shot several unarmed soldiers) -wherever they went, not only did they live free, gratis, and for -nothing, but the country people literally fought for the honour of -entertaining these heroes. A great pity that the lady journalist could -not have been present at one of these banquets. What “copy” she could -have sent to her editor, and the certified net sale would have soared to -the skies. - -But though Joyce and his merry men had a great time, they did not -neglect their duty; and on every occasion, when conditions were all in -their favour, they shot down police patrols from behind walls, and -murdered unfortunate policemen when visiting their wives and families. - -However, every dog has his day, and in the autumn of 1920, when the -British Army and the Auxiliary Cadets started to take a hand in the -game, Joyce found himself changed from a popular hero into a hunted -outlaw, with the usual result that, where formerly he had found an open -door and a smiling welcome, he now was met by a closed door and a scowl; -and when seeking board and lodging, it became necessary to persuade the -unwilling hosts with a six-shooter. - -The police and military now commenced paying calls at night; and a -farmer, living in the depth of the country, hearing a knock at his door -during the long winter’s nights, had always the pleasing excitement of -not knowing if he was to have the honour of entertaining some -badly-wanted gunmen, a patrol of the R.I.C., a party of Auxiliary -Cadets, a military search-party, or merely a posse of local robbers, any -of whom might take a sudden dislike to the unfortunate farmer, with -unpleasant results. - -In the winter of 1920, Joyce, who would have made an excellent soldier, -made the bad mistake of mixing up love with war; in other words, he -became greatly enamoured of a girl living in the south, and in order to -be within reach of her, confined his attentions to that district for a -considerable time, instead of moving about the country with his usual -rapidity; and the Auxiliaries, getting an inkling of the situation from -a former lover of the girl, made a great effort to surround and capture -him. - -Though he received repeated warnings of the activity of the Cadets, -Joyce put off his departure, until a day came when word was brought that -the place was surrounded by forces of the Crown, who would close in on -the little town that evening. - -Joyce at once went to tell Molly, whose father kept a small hotel in the -town, and the girl’s quick wit soon thought out a plan of escape for her -lover. Five commercial travellers staying in the hotel, and at the time -out touring neighbouring villages, had left their heavy cases of samples -at the hotel, and their railway passes in the safe keeping of the hotel -proprietor. - -That afternoon the train to the west carried Joyce and four of his -bodyguard disguised as bagmen; the remainder were left to shift for -themselves, and that evening, when the Cadets searched the town from -attic to cellar, they found that the principal bird had flown. - -Joyce knew that it would not be safe to travel by train as far as -Ballybor, and as soon as he thought that they had cleared the Auxiliary -cordon, determined to alight at the next stop and continue the journey -by car. Just as they were on the point of leaving the train, however, -they noticed several Cadets waiting by the station exit, so did not get -out. - -Two stations farther on they left the train, and being now outside the -net, quickly commandeered a Ford from the local garage and set out for -the Ballyrick country, where Joyce had decided to hide and rest for a -while. Keeping to byroads, they made their way westwards at a good rate -until it was nearly daylight, when, after hiding the car in a wood, they -proceeded to search for board and lodging. - -Shortly they came across a good farmhouse, and, after the usual display -of pistols, were admitted reluctantly, made a hearty meal, and retired -to bed after ordering their host to have five good bicycles and another -meal ready for them as soon as it was dark. - -It has been mentioned that Joyce had worked as a boy at a shooting-lodge -near Errinane, and he now conceived the brilliant idea of taking a -rest-cure there until such time as the police took less interest in him. -This lodge, Drumcar by name, belonged to a Connaught squire who had -married an Englishwoman, and except for a short time in the summer was -only occupied by a caretaker. Situated in one of the wildest parts of -the west, a mile from the road, hidden by woods of oak and birch, and -overlooking the bay on which Errinane stands, it was probably the last -place in Ireland where the police would think of looking for an active -gunman, and the chances were that not a single Auxiliary even knew that -such a place existed. - -The gunmen arrived at Drumcar soon after dawn, and after rousing the -terrified caretaker, who lived with his son and daughter in a cottage in -the grounds, they settled down to a life of peace and comfort. The girl -attended on them, while the old man brought food from Errinane in a -donkey cart, and a good supply of poteen from a mountain farm near the -mouth of the bay. - -The lodge was well supplied with turf, contained an excellent library of -novels, and Joyce and his men waxed fat with good living and soft lying; -but it is a case of once on the run, always on the run, until the -inevitable end comes, or the gunman is lucky enough to escape to the -States. - -Now, it is a well-known truth in the west that a “mountainy” man will -always, when sick unto death, home-sick, or in dire distress, make for -his beloved mountains, no matter what far end of the world he may have -drifted to; and when in due course Blake learnt through official -channels that Joyce had escaped from the southern town, he at once began -to keep a sharp look-out for him in the Ballyrick country. - -But when a fortnight passed and there was no sign of Joyce, nor yet any -report of his presence in that part of the country, Blake turned up the -man’s official record, from which he learnt two interesting facts: -first, that Joyce had worked at Drumcar; and, secondly, that he had a -married sister in Bunrattey, a district on the southern border of -Blake’s country. - -Blake now turned his attention to the sister’s house, and when this -proved a blank, he determined to try Drumcar Lodge as a last resource; -but at the time of the landing of arms at Errinane, every police barrack -and coastguard station within a radius of many miles had been burnt, so -that it was impossible to get any news of the place without going there, -the nearest barrack in Blake’s district being fifty miles away. - -A “travelling circus” of Auxiliaries happened to be passing through -Ballybor, and the leader undertook to investigate the lodge and let -Blake know if they found any trace of Joyce. Blake advised them to -surround the lodge in the day-time, as, owing to the wild and -mountainous nature of the country, a night attack would be impossible. - -On the whole, the gunmen treated old Faherty, the caretaker, and his -children well, especially the son, Patsy, in the hope that he would join -them; but, luckily for himself, the lad had a wholesome dread of -firearms. After he had been at the lodge some days, in spite of feeling -quite secure, Joyce, with the instinct of the hunted, began to look -about for a bolt-hole in case of need; though in the midst of the wilds -the lodge had serious drawbacks, being situated on the side of a slope, -so that any one leaving the lodge would at once come under observation -from several points, and, moreover, an arm of the sea cut off all escape -to the north. - -In fact, escape seemed very doubtful, until by chance Patsy mentioned -that in a boat-house, hidden by trees, on the shore of the bay, there -was a large motor-launch, which he had learnt to drive the previous -summer. The next time the old man went to Errinane for provisions, he -brought back with him twenty gallons of petrol (duly entered up in his -absent master’s account), and Joyce felt easier in his mind. - -On a pouring wet afternoon the five gunmen were playing nap in front of -a comfortable turf fire in the drawing-room, while old Faherty’s -daughter brewed poteen punch for them, and Patsy was reading a novel in -an arm-chair, when a long-haired boy dashed in with the news that a -large party of Auxiliary Cadets had rushed through Errinane, taken two -countrymen they had met on the road as guides, and were surrounding the -lodge from all sides except the sea. Joyce had launched the motor-boat -only the previous day, and within a few minutes they were under way, -heading for the mouth of the bay with the throttle full open. Seeing the -launch in the bay below them as they reached the front of the lodge, the -Cadets opened fire, but before they could get on to their target the -launch vanished in the thick mist of rain. - -As pursuit was out of the question, the Auxiliaries drove straight to -Errinane Post Office, only to find the wires cut. They then went on to -the nearest town, and wired to the naval authorities at Queenstown, -hoping that they might be able to get in touch with a destroyer off the -west coast by wireless, and so capture Joyce at sea. - -Joyce knew that the hue-and-cry would be up, and that it would be fatal -to land anywhere on the coast near Errinane; and as the sea was calm, he -made up his mind to cut across a big bay to the north and make for -Buntarriv, a narrow passage between an island and the mainland, which -would lead them to Trabawn Bay, on the shores of which lay his own -country. - -The launch left the slip at Drumcar at 1 P.M., and Joyce made out that -at eight miles an hour they ought to reach Buntarriv Sound at four -o’clock and Trabawn Bay in another hour, which should give them plenty -of time to land before darkness set in. Unfortunately, when out in the -open Atlantic, the engine stopped, and Patsy, who was thoroughly -frightened by now, would only sit down and cry. Two of the gunmen knew -something of motors, and after nearly two hours discovered that the -carburetter was choked with dirt, and it was nearly six o’clock before -the Sound was within sight: another quarter of an hour and they would -have been too late. As it was, a destroyer opened fire on them just as -they were entering the Sound, and they were only saved by the failing -light. - -Knowing that the destroyer could not follow them, and afraid of wrecking -the launch in the dark, they anchored and waited for the moon to rise, -and eventually landed on the shore of Trabawn Bay. Joyce was at last in -his own country, and before day broke the gunmen were safely lodged in -different mountain farms close to Joyce’s home, and the next day Patsy -was handed over to the local Volunteers to be returned to Drumcar. The -following day they took the launch to a bay surrounded by high cliffs, -where no human being except an odd herd ever went, and beached her at -the height of the tide on the sandy shore, where they left her for -future use. - -After a few days at home Joyce began to get restless, and resolved to -visit his married sister in the Bunrattey district; but the local -Volunteers could only supply them with two bicycles, and the distance -was too far to walk—forty-two miles as the crow flies. However, he -learnt from a postman that a police patrol visited Ballyscaddan, a small -village about sixteen miles east of Ballyrick, daily, and were in the -habit of leaving their bicycles outside a public-house which they -frequented. - -The gunmen spent the night in Ballyscaddan, and about eleven o’clock a -patrol of six R.I.C. arrived in the village, left their bicycles outside -the public-house, and went inside to refresh themselves. The gunmen, who -were waiting in the next house, quickly cut the tyres of one bicycle to -ribbons, and rode off on the remaining five, leaving the unfortunate -villagers to bear the brunt of the infuriated policemen’s wrath. That -night Joyce and his four men slept in his sister’s house in Bunrattey. - -Besides his courage, the only redeeming feature about Joyce appears to -have been his love for this sister. As usual, she was delighted to see -him, but by now the other inhabitants would have as soon welcomed the -devil himself as Joyce, knowing that his progress through the country -was blazed by reprisals. - -Gone were the days when he used to hold audience daily in his sister’s -house like a king, and men came many miles simply to see the famous -Denis Joyce. Now the country people would avoid him on the road, and not -a single person came to see him. - -His sister warned him repeatedly that it was dangerous to stay any -length of time with her; but Joyce seems to have lost heart, or perhaps -his Celtic soul had a premonition of coming disaster. At any rate he -refused to go, and spent most of this time sitting by the kitchen fire -brooding. - -Blake soon learnt of Joyce’s escape by sea from Drumcar, and feeling -sure that sooner or later he would visit his sister before starting -operations in the south again, concentrated his attention on that -district. To this end, he kept his men well away, and at the same time -asked for the help of the Auxiliary “travelling circus,” among whom were -three Cadets who knew Joyce well by sight. - -One of these Cadets, whose personal appearance favoured the disguise, -was dressed up as a priest, and sent out on a bicycle to spy out the -land. After two days he returned with the good news that he had passed -the famous gunman on the road in Bunrattey, and at once Blake made -preparations to surround the place that night. - -He knew that success entirely depended on maintaining complete secrecy -until the house was surrounded, and that if even a whisper of what was -in the air got abroad all chances of capturing Joyce were gone. Tired of -seeing operations ruined by well-advertised Crossleys, bristling with -rifles, tearing along the main roads, he determined to try and catch his -man by cunning. - -Directly he received the news that Joyce was at Bunrattey, he left -Ballybor Barracks with four Crossleys, two of R.I.C., and two of -Auxiliaries, in the opposite direction to which Bunrattey lay, until -they came to a small village about ten miles to the north, where there -was a large flour-mill. Surrounding the mill, the police carried out a -perfunctory search and left just before dark, taking with them two of -the miller’s lorries, one empty, and the other loaded with flour sacks -and two large tarpaulins, cutting the wires as soon as they were clear -of the village. - -Making their way eastwards until they reached a long stretch of desolate -bog-road, they halted with one tender about a quarter of a mile behind -and another the same distance ahead. They then proceeded to transfer -half the flour sacks to the empty lorry, built them up with a hollow in -the middle so that both lorries appeared to be fully loaded, filled the -hollows with police, and then threw a tarpaulin over each. - -The two lorries then set off to make a large detour in order to approach -Bunrattey from the south (the opposite direction to Ballybor), and Blake -made out that they ought to arrive there about midnight. The four -Crossleys waited and followed at a time which should bring them to -Bunrattey a quarter of an hour after the arrival of the lorries. - -Joyce’s sister’s house stood back from the main road about eighty yards, -was one-storied, very strongly built, and had a tremendous thatch of -straw; to the front there were four small windows, heavily shuttered, -and a stout oak door, and at the back only a door of the same kind. At a -distance of about thirty yards from the house a low stone wall ran round -the sides and back, enclosing a small cabbage garden and the haggard, -which gave excellent cover for the police. - -The lorries stopped within 400 yards of the house, and the police -quickly and silently surrounded it without raising the alarm. They then -waited for the arrival of the Crossleys, when the Auxiliaries and the -remainder of the police formed a second cordon outside the first one. - -The leading lorry was now brought into the lane which led up to the -house, and left there with the acetylene lamps shining full on the front -door and windows, and at the same time the lamps of the second lorry -were taken to the back of the house and mounted on the wall, so that any -one attempting to leave the house by the doors or windows would be in -the full glare of the powerful lamps. - -Approaching the house from a gable-end, Blake crawled along the front -until he reached the door, on which he hammered with the butt of his -revolver, and called on the inmates to surrender, telling them that they -were surrounded and that resistance only meant death. Receiving no -answer, he called out that if they did not come out at once with their -hands up, he would open fire on the house, and for reply there came a -volley of bullets through the lower part of the door. He then crawled -back to cover, and ordered his men to open fire on the front door with a -machine-gun. - -The concentrated fire of a machine-gun will cut a hole through a -nine-inch brick wall in a very short time, and in a few minutes the oak -door was in splinters. While the machine-gun kept up a continuous fire -at the height of a man’s chest, four policemen endeavoured to get into -the house by crawling up to the door, but when a few feet away two were -shot, and the remaining two only escaped by rolling to one side. - -All that the police had to do now, provided that Joyce was in the -house—and the resistance offered made this a certainty—was to wait until -daylight, when the certain capture of the gunmen would only be a -question of time. But by now Blake was excited, and remembering how -O’Hara had slipped through his hands, he determined to burn the rats out -and finish the show. After getting a tin of petrol from one of the cars, -he again crawled up to the gable-end, set a light to the tin, and flung -it on to the thatch, which at once took fire, burning fiercely. - -Only a few days previously this part of the thatch had been renewed, and -as the weather had been fine it was bone-dry. But after a few minutes -the fire reached the old and wet thatch, and as there was a gentle -breeze blowing from the front, very soon the back of the house was -completely hidden by a cloud of smoke. - -Realising the mistake he had made, Blake ordered his men to keep up a -continuous fire on the back door, and at the same time rushed the -machine-gun round to that side; but so blinding was the smoke by now -that it was impossible to know where the back door was. - -Hearing shouts from the front, on going there he found a young woman -standing in the doorway with her hands up, who told him that all the men -in the house were wounded and unable to move. On entering they found -three of Joyce’s bodyguard and his brother-in-law lying in pools of -blood on the kitchen floor, but not a sign of Joyce or the fourth man. - -There was still a chance that the missing two might be found wounded -outside the back door, which was ajar, but the smoke was still so dense -that no one could approach. After a time the smoke abated, and they -found the fourth man dead a few yards from the house, but not a sign of -Joyce. - -Again working on the theory that the gunman would make for his home in -the Ballyrick mountains, which lay to the westward at the back of the -house, Blake divided his forces into two, sending each out on a flank in -order to get well ahead of the fugitive, and then form a fan-shaped net -and beat backwards towards the house. Four miles away to the west was -the Owenmore river, which ran northwards through Ballybor, and across -the river were two bridges, each about four miles from where they were. - -The two forces crossed by different bridges, each dropping three men at -the bridges, then went on about three miles, and at daybreak started to -beat the country back to the bridges. Here they arrived, worn out, at 10 -A.M., and not a sign had any one seen or heard of Joyce. - -Sure that Joyce had crossed the river, the police started to beat back -again over the ground they had just covered; but by 4 P.M. the men were -done in, and Blake had to call them off and return to Ballybor. - -That night he got out a large-scale Ordnance map of the Bunrattey -district, put himself in Joyce’s place, and tried to think out his line -of escape, presuming that the fugitive had avoided the bridges and swum -the river at the nearest point from his sister’s house. On crossing the -river he would soon come to a thick wood on the slope of a hill, through -which the railway line to Ballybor ran, and here he decided that Joyce -must be hiding. - -Early the next morning Blake set out with a strong force, and -approaching Derryallen Wood from all four sides at once, spent the rest -of the day beating the wood through and through, but without any result, -and they came to the conclusion that by now Joyce must have got clear. - -A week afterwards, when Blake was returning in the dusk from Grouse -Lodge Barracks, a man stopped the car on an open stretch of road about a -mile outside Ballybor. The man turned out to be the loyal guard of the -goods train, and he told Blake that for several days past he had seen -the engine-driver drop a parcel as the train passed through Derryallen -Wood, and always at the same place, into a patch of briers on the side -of the line. - -Blake’s interest in Joyce awoke afresh, but he felt sure that no living -being had escaped them on the day when they searched the wood, and they -had not been able to find any trace of a hiding-place. However, it would -be interesting to know what the engine-driver dropped when passing -through the wood, and by whom it was picked up. - -The main road from Ballybor to Castleport ran parallel with the railway, -skirting the east side of Derryallen; and here, on a pitch-dark winter’s -night, in torrents of rain, two Crossleys stopped for a couple of -minutes while Blake and a party of R.I.C. and Cadets dropped out, and -then drove on again. - -With great difficulty the party found their way in the dark to the -railway line, where they remained hidden in some laurels until it began -to grow light, when they were able to conceal themselves within easy -reach of the patch of briers. - -After hours of weary waiting the goods train passed down, and the -engine-driver dropped the parcel into the briers. At once the police -forgot hunger and cold in their eagerness to see who would pick up the -parcel, but again they were doomed to hours of weary waiting. - -At last, when the men had nearly reached the limit of their endurance -and light was almost gone, they saw a most miserable-looking wild-eyed -man crawling painfully towards the patch of briers. When he was within -five yards of the parcel Blake called on him to surrender, and every man -covered him with his rifle. - -Game to the end, though unable to stand on account of a bullet-wound in -one leg, Joyce drew his pistol and glared defiance at the police; but as -he raised himself to fire, a fifteen-stone Cadet, who had crept up -silently behind him, flung himself on the famous gunman’s back, and the -long chase was over. - -Joyce refused to show Blake his hiding-place, but afterwards they learnt -from the owner of the wood that there was a cave in the middle of the -wood which had been used by robbers over a hundred years ago, the -entrance of which was completely covered by thick heather. - - - - - VII. - THE STRANGER WITHIN THE GATES. - - -After the loss of the American arms the district of Ballybor remained -quiet for some considerable time, so that the hard-working farmers in -the country and respectable shopkeepers in the town began to hope at -last that the trouble was over, and that they might be free to carry on -their work in peace. Unfortunately, a quiet and peaceful district is -anathema to the Sinn Fein G.H.Q., and before long a Volunteer flying -column received orders to operate in the Ballybor district, with a view -to stirring up trouble and bringing the county into line with the south. - -By this time the large moderate element of Sinn Fein, in other words, -practically every man who had a stake in the country—substantial farmers -with haggards to burn, and prosperous shopkeepers with shops to -burn—realised that they had backed a losing horse, and were prepared to -do any mortal thing for peace, except help the police. Unfortunately, -the farmers’ sons and shop-boys, who, in the usual course of events, but -for the war, would have been in the States by now, took quite a -different view. £20 in the £ rates, burnt haggards, and ruined -businesses meant nothing to boys who paid no rates nor owned shops or -farms. - -Up to the winter of 1919 the rebels moved about the country in motors, -how, when, and where they liked. Even during the time when every gallon -of petrol was being kept for the armies in France, and the Loyalists -were only allowed six gallons a month (on paper), De Valera and his -staff burnt petrol as freely as a Connaught peasant will drink poteen. -In connection with this, it would be interesting to know into whose -petrol tanks the many thousands of gallons of petrol which was washed up -on the western shores of Ireland from torpedoed vessels passed, and the -system of collection and distribution. - -After this winter, when the use of cars for illegal purposes became more -and more restricted as the car-permit regulations became stricter and -more rigidly enforced, the Volunteers began to make great use of -bicycles, and their flying columns consisted of cyclists only. Orders -were issued from G.H.Q. that every Volunteer must be able to ride a -bicycle, and local commandants were instructed to see that every man in -their command had one. - -During the Mons retreat the cyclists were invaluable, both for fighting -small rearguard actions and also for keeping in contact with the enemy. -During the present war in Ireland, the explanation of the mysteries of -how men can shoot policemen from behind a wall and then disappear into -thin air, and of how a column of gunmen can shoot up a train in Kerry on -Monday and ambush a police lorry in Clare on Tuesday, is to be found in -the intelligent use of the humble push-bike. And until the authorities -round up every push-bike in Ireland, these mysteries will continue. - -As soon as G.H.Q. determined that the Ballybor district must be brought -into line with the south, a small party of gunmen, operating at the time -many miles to the south, received their orders, and late that night a -silent and ghostly party of cyclists rode into the Ballybor district. At -a certain cross-roads they were met by guides, and long before daybreak -the gunmen were billeted in ones and twos throughout the townland of -Cloonalla. - -The following night a meeting of the local Volunteers was held in the -National School, and the leader of the gunmen insisted that a police -ambush or an attack on the Grouse Lodge Barracks should take place -within the next few nights. The general opinion being against an attack -on the barracks—the field of fire was too good, and the Black and Tans -too handy with their rifles—it was settled (by the gunmen) that the -police should be ambushed at a favourable spot where the main road from -Ballybor to Castleport passed through a wooded demesne. - -The next morning Father Tom, the parish priest, was besieged by the -young Volunteers’ fathers, men who had homes and haggards to burn, one -and all imploring his reverence to prevent an ambush in the parish, and -to save them from the wrath of the Auxiliaries. Some of them, when -asked, confessed that the gunmen were staying in their houses, but that -their sons had brought them there without leave, and that they were -powerless to get rid of them. - -From the beginning of the movement Father Tom, who was young for a -parish priest and an ardent Sinn Feiner in theory, had been one of the -leaders in the district, and even when burning houses and haggards began -to follow murderous ambuscades in far-away Co. Cork as surely as day -follows night, he still felt a thrill of pride for his countrymen who -were giving their all for freedom, and became a fiercer Sinn Feiner than -ever; but an ambush (and the sequel) in his own beloved parish was a -very different thing, and a calamity to be avoided at all costs (his -house stood high, and would give a splendid view at night of burning -houses and haggards), and there was obviously no time to lose. - -The next day was Sunday, and at mass Father Tom, who was a fine -preacher, thundered forth from the altar. A vivid imagination stimulated -his eloquence to such a pitch that he reduced most of the older members -of his flock to tears. - -He told them that it had come to his ears that certain men in the parish -were harbouring strangers within their gates, and that these strangers -had been trying to incite young and innocent boys to murder policemen. -He then described the result of an ambush—how houses were burnt to the -ground and women and little children were turned out on the road on a -winter’s night (he did not mention the men, knowing that by then they -would be up in the mountains), and how innocent men were shot in their -beds before the eyes of their wives; but he said nothing about the -widows and orphans of the murdered policemen. Finally, he warned his -flock against the strangers, who would fade away before the wrath of the -soldiers and Auxiliaries fell on the parish, and commanded that they -should be instantly turned out under the direst penalties. And with a -last curse on the strangers he left the chapel. - -If Father Tom had thundered from the altar against ambushes many, many -months before, instead of openly encouraging the Volunteers, the result -might have been very different; but a leader of men who gives an order -to-day and a counter-order to-morrow is rarely obeyed. That night it was -learnt that a party of military would proceed from Castleport to -Ballybor on Wednesday night, and it was settled to ambush them at the -spot chosen in the demesne, the gunmen promising that a carload of arms -and bombs would arrive in time for the ambush, and also a doctor. - -In the Cloonalla district there lived, nowadays a _rara avis_ in the -west of Ireland, a Protestant farmer of the old yeoman type so well -known in England, and a staunch Loyalist. To his house there came on -that Sunday night two of the leading farmers, who told him the whole -story of the proposed ambush, and begged him to warn the police. - -The chapel of Cloonalla stands in the centre of the parish, close to a -cross-roads, and on that Wednesday morning the inhabitants woke up to -find a kilted sentry on guard at the cross-roads, and before most of -them could get out of bed, two companies of Highlanders, guided by -Blake, were hard at work searching every house for strangers. - -Blake had brought with him two old regular R.I.C. sergeants, men who had -been stationed in the district for years, and who knew every man, young -and old; but the gunmen had been in trouble before, and were not to be -caught so easily. - -They were all young men and clean shaved, and before the police and -Highlanders entered any of their billets, one and all were dressed as -women with shawls over their heads; and in one house, where two of them -had been billeted, the Highlanders found a young woman sitting on a -stool by the fire, nursing a baby under her shawl, while another pretty -shawled girl was preparing breakfast for the young mother. A big -Highlander could not resist giving her a glad eye, little knowing that -“she” was a notorious gunman, and wanted to the tune of a thousand -pounds for the brutal murder of a D.I. as he was leaving church. - -The only result of the raid was the finding of an old shot-gun in the -bed of the local blacksmith, a man who had always defied the local -Volunteers, and kept a gun for poaching only, and who was taken off to -Ballybor Barracks amidst the jeers of everybody. However, in a few days -they realised how useful and necessary a person a smith is in a country -district, and before the week was out the whole townland was clamouring -for the smith’s release. - -However, the raid had good results; the Volunteers refused point-blank -to carry out the ambush on Wednesday night, though the gunmen stayed -until that day, making every endeavour to bring it off. Finding it was -useless, they disappeared that night as silently as they had come, -promising to return shortly in greater numbers. - -The whole district heaved a sigh of relief when it was known that there -were no longer any strangers within the gates, and settled down to farm -and lead the life God meant them to live, and hoped against hope that -they might never see a cursed stranger again, be he gunman or Auxiliary. -Blake let it be known that it was a case of no ambush, no Auxiliaries, -and every farmer in the district was quite content to keep his side of -the bargain. - -But peace was not yet to be the portion of Cloonalla. Within three weeks -of the first gunman leaving, a party of twenty arrived on a wild -winter’s night, and, as on the former occasion, as silently dispersed to -their allotted billets. This time the leader of the gunmen did not ask -the local Volunteers to help, but ordered them to carry out the ambush -in the wooded demesne on the main road from Castleport to Ballybor, as -previously arranged. - -The gunmen did not appear during the day-time at all, and had been -nearly a week in the district before Father Tom heard of their arrival. -Unfortunately, the priest was very ill with influenza at the time, and -before he could take any action the damage was done. - -As usual, the scene of the ambush was laid with great cleverness. -Between the two entrance-gates of the demesne on the main road there was -a sharp rise in the form of an S bend, with a thick thorn hedge on each -side of the middle of this bend. Where the rise was steepest, there was -a lane leading to the keeper’s house, about fifty yards from the road, -and at the entrance of this lane the gunmen laid a mine in the main road -to be fired by an electric wire running towards the keeper’s house. -After laying the mine they forced the road contractor of that part of -the road to cart broken stones and lay them right across the road over -the mine, so that all traces of the mine were hidden. - -The day after the mine had been laid word came to Cloonalla that the -police had arrested three men in Ballybor during the previous night, and -that it was thought that the prisoners would be sent to Castleport that -night in a Crossley under a strong police escort. As soon as it was -dark, the gunmen, after parking their bicycles in a wood of the demesne, -collected all the Volunteers they could induce or force to accompany -them, and made their way across country to the scene of the ambush. - -The night was unusually fine with a full moon, and two hours after the -Volunteers and gunmen had taken up their positions, the peculiar note of -a Crossley engine could be distinctly heard approaching at a great pace -from the Ballybor direction. The gunman who had laid the mine was a -first-class electrician, and as the car tore past the lane there was a -blinding flash, followed by a terrific roar, and the car seemed to jump -clean off the road and then collapse in a burning heap on the road. - -With the roar of the mine the ambushers opened a heavy fire on the car, -but receiving no reply they quickly ceased fire, waiting to see what -would happen next. But the mine had done its work only too well, and the -only sounds which could be heard were the groans of dying men amid the -burning ruins of the car. After some minutes two policemen rolled out of -the end of the car and lay on the highroad, one man with both his legs -paralysed, crying piteously for water, and the second with part of his -head blown away by a flat-nosed bullet, crying for a priest. - -Up to this point the leader of the gunmen had taken charge of all the -proceedings, and when the Volunteers were collected on the road like a -flock of sheep they still waited for orders. However, after five -minutes, as no order was given, they began to look for their leader, -suddenly to realise that every gunman had faded away. - -At once every Volunteer started to make his way home as fast as he -could, and within two minutes the only occupants of the road were the -two dying policemen, lying like two black logs in the white moonlight. -Presently a terror-stricken keeper crept out of his house, and as soon -as his scattered wits could take in the situation, he got out his -bicycle and rode into Ballybor for help. - -Long before day broke columns of soldiers, R.I.C., and Auxiliaries -concentrated on and met at that horrible scene on the road between the -two demesne gates, and shortly afterwards broke like a tornado on the -townland of Cloonalla, and Father Tom, from his bedroom window, saw his -worst fears realised. When daylight came the parish was at last clear of -all strangers and avengers, but at a terrible price. - -A quick-witted policeman remembered that the only limestone road in -Cloonalla was the road from Ballybor to Castleport, so that it was easy -to tell in a house by an inspection of boots if any man of that -household had been present at the ambush, and that night the fathers -suffered for the sins of their sons, and the sons paid the full price of -the gunmen’s crime. - -Like good soldiers, the gunmen carefully thought out their line of -retreat before the ambush took place. They found that a broad river ran -through the demesne parallel to and about 400 yards from the main road, -that the nearest bridges above and below were five miles away, and that -across the river ran a range of wild and desolate country. In a wood on -the bank of the river they found fishing-boats, used for netting salmon -during the summer-time, and before the ambush the leader sent two of his -men to collect all these boats at a certain part of the river, and to -remain there in readiness to take the remainder and their bicycles -across. As soon as the ambush was over they collected their bicycles, -crossed the river, and were soon riding through a little-known pass in -the mountains on their way to carry on their devil’s work in a part of -the country many miles removed from the scene of the Cloonalla ambush. - - - - - VIII. - MR BRIGGS’ ISLAND. - - -Several years before the late war there lived in the suburbs of London a -prosperous stockbroker, by name Benjamin Briggs, a lonely bachelor, an -ardent fisherman, and a man of simple and kindly nature. Every year Mr -Briggs spent his entire summer holidays fishing in Scotland or Wales, -and it was not until after hearing a friend at his club recounting the -wonderful fishing that he had had in Ireland that he turned his -attention to that country. - -One afternoon, when passing through Euston Station, a famous poster of -Connemara caught Mr Briggs’ eye, and the following summer he made a -complete tour of that delightful country of mountains, moors, and -rivers. So charmed was he with the scenery and the perfect manners of -the peasants that he determined to see more of the country, and on a -fine summer’s afternoon found himself in the little town of Ballybor, -reputed to be one of the best fishing centres in Ireland. - -During a walk through the town before dinner, he happened to see a large -notice in an auctioneer’s window, offering for sale, at what seemed to -Mr Briggs a very low figure, a fishing-lodge on an island in the middle -of a large lake, famous for its salmon, trout, and pike-fishing, and -distant about six miles from the town of Ballybor. The notice also -stated that the auctioneer would be glad to give full particulars, and -that the lucky buyer could obtain immediate possession. - -Now many of us have cherished a secret longing to possess an island, no -doubt an aftermath from reading ‘Robinson Crusoe’ when very young, -possibly in the sea if one has a weakness for that element, or, if not, -in the middle of some large lake full of salmon and trout. From -childhood Mr Briggs had had two great longings—first, to be a successful -fisherman, and secondly, to possess an island, to which he could -eventually retire and fish all day and every day. - -The following morning, after an interview with the auctioneer, he drove -out to the lake on an outside car, was duly met by the caretaker, Pat -Lyden, with a boat, fell in love at sight with a comfortable little -six-roomed lodge built on the shore of a small green island far out in -the lake and commanding glorious views of mountains and water, and on -his return to Ballybor he wasted no time in completing the purchase. The -following day he moved to the island, and spent a happy fortnight -fishing with Pat Lyden before returning to England. - -From the outbreak of war until 1920 Mr Briggs was unable to visit -Ireland, but during the summer of that year he decided to retire, and -after disposing of his business and suburban home, set out for Ballybor, -meaning to spend the rest of the year fishing on Lake Moyra. On a dull -morning he landed at Kingstown, as enthusiastic as a schoolboy on his -first sporting trip, and longing to see his beloved island once more. - -Mr Briggs only read one newspaper,—a paper once famous throughout the -world for its impartial and patriotic news and complete freedom from -party taint,—and he had not the remotest idea that the Ireland of 1914 -and the Ireland of 1920 were two very different countries. But so simple -was the little man’s nature that he did not realise the state of the -country until he reached a small junction about sixteen miles from -Ballybor, and where he had to change. - -Here he had some time to wait, and while walking up and down the -platform a long-haired wild-eyed stranger sidled up to him and asked if -he was Mr Briggs; and on learning that he was, the stranger advised him -to return to England at once, as the air on Lough Moyra was very -unhealthy at present. This greatly disturbed Mr Briggs, but he -determined to take no notice of the mysterious warning, and, taking his -seat in the train, began to read his papers again. - -Shortly before the train was due to start a small party of British -soldiers, under a N.C.O., marched on to the platform, and proceeded to -take their seats in a third-class carriage. At once the engine-driver, -fireman, and guard packed up their kits and prepared to leave the -station. The station-master did his best to induce them to take the -train on to Ballybor, but not one yard would they go as long as a -British soldier remained in the train; and in the end they marched out -of the station, amid the laughter of the soldiers, who continued to keep -their seats. The civilian passengers now left the train, and Mr Briggs -found himself dumped with all his kit on the platform. - -For some time he sat there, feeling sure that in the end the train would -start, but after two hours he gave it up, and wired to a garage in -Ballybor for a car to be sent to the junction. After a further wait of -three hours a car turned up, and late that evening Mr Briggs arrived at -the hotel at Ballybor, weary and quite bewildered. He seemed to have -wandered into a South American republic instead of into the old and -pleasant Ireland. - -After breakfast the next morning he determined to call on his old friend -the D.I. before leaving for the lake, but he hardly recognised the -police barracks, which had been transformed from a homely whitewashed -house into a sandbagged and steel-shuttered fort. Here he found that his -old friend had retired on pension, and in his stead reigned a young and -soldier-like D.I., with a row of orders and war ribbons on his breast. -Mr Briggs introduced himself, but found that neither the D.I. nor the -Head Constable had ever heard of either Mr Briggs or his island, but -they told him that only the previous day a police lorry had been -ambushed on the road to the lake, and advised him to return to England. - -However, having got so far, Mr Briggs determined to see his island, come -what might; and after a lot of difficulty, and at a very high price, a -driver was at last found with sufficient courage to drive him out to the -place where Lyden was to meet him. - -Lyden was a typical western peasant, and on former visits Mr Briggs had -asked no better amusement than to listen to his quaint remarks and -stories for hours on end whilst fishing; but, like the rest of the -people, he now seemed a different being. During the row out to the -island he did not utter a dozen words, and long before they landed on -the little stone quay Mr Briggs had ceased to ask the man any questions. -After his long absence the island appeared more enchanting than ever, -and from the kitchen chimney he could see the blue turf smoke rising in -the still summer’s air, reminding him of Mrs Lyden’s good cooking. - -On approaching the house he was startled to hear loud talking and -laughter in the dining-room, and on entering found the room full of -strangers, eating a hearty meal. At the head of the table sat a -soldierly-looking man, who wished Mr Briggs good-day, and asked who the -devil he might be. - -On first hearing the voices, Mr Briggs had jumped to the natural -conclusion that a fishing party had landed and asked Mrs Lyden to give -them something to eat, and he was prepared to welcome them as became a -host; but to be asked who the devil he might be, in his own house, was -the last straw of the nightmare, and transformed him from a mild English -gentleman into a foaming fury. However, the only effect on the strangers -of Mr Briggs’ rage was to move them to greater mirth, and as he rushed -out of the room he heard one man saying that they must have sent them a -lunatic this time. - -In the kitchen he found Mrs Lyden in tears, and explanations soon -followed. For some time past the island had been used as a Sinn Fein -internment camp, and his unbidden guests consisted of a British colonel, -two subalterns, a D.I., and a magistrate from a neighbouring county, who -had given trouble to the Volunteers by insisting on holding Petty -Sessions Courts in opposition to the newly-established Sinn Fein Courts. - -Realising that he was a prisoner in his own house, he returned to the -dining-room, explained this extraordinary situation to his -fellow-prisoners, and then joined them at their meal. When he had -finished he went for a stroll with the colonel, who explained matters -more fully to him. Most of the prisoners had been on the island for some -time, and so far had found no chance of attempting to escape. The -colonel himself had been captured whilst salmon-fishing on a river in -the south, and then brought blindfolded at night in a car to Lough -Moyra. - -On inspecting the boat-house, Mr Briggs found that all his boats had -gone, even the one Lyden had rowed him out in, which the colonel told -him had been brought over from another island, where their guards lived, -and that the guards must have returned in her; further, that they were -visited every second day by these guards, who brought them food, for -which they had to pay a stiff price. - -The colonel had unearthed two packs of patience cards, and the three -soldiers, with the D.I. for a fourth, played bridge from after breakfast -until they went to bed. In the sitting-room there was a small library of -Mr Briggs’ favourite books, and these kept the rest of the party from -drowning themselves in the lake. - -Two days after his arrival, and just as he was thinking about retiring -for the night, Lyden came in to say that an officer wished to speak to -Mr Briggs outside, and on following Lyden he found a man dressed in a -wonderful green uniform waiting at the front door. The officer informed -Mr Briggs that he had come to take him to a republican court, which was -to be held that night on the mainland, and where the case of the -Republic _v._ Briggs would be heard. Mr Briggs had never heard of such a -thing as a republican court, but could get no further information from -the gentleman in green, and shortly afterwards the party set out in a -boat for the mainland. - -By the time they landed it was quite dark, and after a walk of about -twenty minutes they arrived at a large building, which Mr Briggs -recognised as Cloonalla chapel, and here the officer handed him over to -a local publican, who told him to follow him into the chapel. Inside -there was a large crowd of country people, while at one end was a raised -table, at which were seated the three judges—two in civilian attire, and -the third in the clothes of a priest. - -After his eyes had got accustomed to the poor light of the few -oil-lamps, Mr Briggs recognised in the presiding judge the parish priest -of a neighbouring parish, and in the other two judges a butcher and a -good-for-nothing painter from Ballybor. At the time of his entry a river -fishing-rights case was before the court, with a Ballybor solicitor -acting for the defendant, while another well-known solicitor from the -same town acted as “Republican Prosecutor.” - -After a time the case of the Republic _v._ Briggs came on for hearing, -and Mr Briggs learnt, to his great astonishment, that they proposed to -take his island and fishing rights on Lough Moyra from him compulsorily -for the sum of £200, to be paid in Dail Eireann Bonds, whatever they -might be, and that he was to be deported to England as soon as -convenient. At the end of the case the presiding judge asked Mr Briggs -if he had any objection, but he wisely refused to say anything, and -shortly afterwards was handed over to the green officer, who took him -back to the island. - -A few days after, as Mr Briggs was sitting disconsolately on a rock at -the north end of the island, gazing across the lake and wondering if he -would ever fish there again, he heard the distant hum of a motor-engine, -and in a short time saw a ‘plane approaching the island from the -south-east. Wild with excitement, he dashed into the house, calling the -colonel to come out at once. The colonel got up from the card-table, and -on seeing the ‘plane quickly collected all the sheets and blankets he -could find, and hurriedly spread them out in the form of rough letters, -spelling the word “HELP” on the grass in front of the house, and then -ran down to the end of the quay, where he waved a sheet frantically over -his head. - -For what seemed an age to the prisoners, the ‘plane took no notice of -the colonel’s signals; then, to their great joy, the pilot cut off his -engine, dropped to about 800 feet, and flew low over the island, turned, -flew over the island again, and then made off at full speed in a -southerly direction. That night none of the prisoners slept a wink, -expecting every minute to hear the sounds of their deliverers’ approach. - -On the return of the ‘plane to the aerodrome a cipher message was at -once despatched to Blake, with instructions to investigate the trouble -on the island; but, as usual, the message was delayed in the post -office, and received too late to take any action that evening. On -inquiry, Blake found that, though formerly two police boats were kept on -the lake for the purpose of raiding poteen-makers on the islands, some -time ago these boats had been burnt, and there was no means of getting -out to the islands. - -Early the next morning the police borrowed a motor-launch lying in the -river at Ballybor, and with difficulty mounted it on a commandeered -lorry. Taking a strong police force with them, Blake and Jones then set -out for the lake, deciding to launch the boat at a bay close to -Cloonalla chapel. Here the road ran about fifty yards from the lake, but -by the aid of rollers they soon got the launch off the lorry and afloat. - -Leaving a guard over the cars and lorry, the police then set out for the -islands, and all went well until they reached the neck of the bay, which -was only about 200 yards wide. Here they came under heavy rifle-fire -from the north shore, the attackers being hidden amongst bushes and the -ruins of an old cottage. - -Unfortunately one of the first shots cut the magneto wire, and the -launch at once started to drift helplessly in the wind towards the -attackers. While Blake repaired the wire, Jones swept the attackers with -a Lewis gun, which quickly smothered their fire, and the wire being soon -repaired, the launch got under way again, and made for the open lake at -full speed. - -Blake had never been on Lough Moyra before, but had brought with him a -sergeant who had often taken part in poteen raids on the islands in -former days. On looking at an Ordnance map he found that there were two -large islands—one with only a fishing-lodge marked on it, and the other -with seven houses shown—and on the sergeant’s advice they made for the -latter, on the assumption that something must have gone wrong with their -boats, and that the people might be short of food. - -When within about 400 yards of the island they again came under -rifle-fire, and realising that they had called at the wrong house, and -that it would be impossible to effect a landing except at a heavy loss, -they changed their course and made for the second island; but before -they got half-way a boat put out from the first island, and made off in -the direction of the far shore. - -The launch was fairly fast, and in a very short time they were within -600 yards of the boat, when Blake fired a single shot as a signal to it -to stop. In reply the boat opened fire on the launch, but one short -burst of Lewis-gun fire quickly brought them to their senses, and the -occupants put up their hands. - -After disarming these men Blake took their boat in tow, and this time -succeeded in reaching Mr Briggs’ island safely, where he was astonished -to meet the prisoners on the quay, and more especially the D.I., who had -been missing for some time, and of whom all hope had been given up. The -whole party then set off for the mainland, found that the guard had -successfully beaten off an attack on the cars, and eventually all -returned safely to Ballybor with only two constables slightly wounded. - -Two days afterwards Mr Briggs embarked on the s.s. _Cockatoo_, bound for -England, where he will probably remain until the war in Ireland is over. - - - - - IX. - THE REWARD OF LOYALTY. - - -For some time after the death of Anthony Mayne, the murdered R.M., Petty -Sessions Courts ceased to be held in Ballybor, and the Sinn Fein Courts -reigned supreme. At length Mayne’s successor arrived, and endeavoured to -start the Courts in his district again, but found that not only were the -country people too terrorised to bring any cases before a British Court, -but that most of the magistrates had resigned, and none of the few -remaining ones would face the bench. - -However, Fitzmaurice, the new R.M., stuck to it, and in the end a -retired officer, living just outside Ballybor, became a magistrate for -the county; and suddenly, to the intense excitement of the whole town, -it was given out that some countryman had had the audacity to defy the -edict of Dail Eireann, and to summon a neighbour to appear before the -British magistrates. - -The court-house at Ballybor is a most curious-looking edifice of an -unknown style of architecture, shabby and dismal outside and like a -vault inside. On the day that the Court reopened the place was packed to -the doors, and when the clerk stood up to announce the Court open, and -ending with the words, “God save the King!” the silence could be felt. - -It was what is known in the west of Ireland as a “saft day”—a day of -heavy drizzling rain and a mild west wind off the Atlantic, and after a -time the crowded court-house of countrymen in soaked home-spuns and -women with reeking shawls over their heads literally began to steam, and -the strong acrid smell of turf smoke from the drying clothes became -overpowering. At first all eyes were fixed on the two magistrates -sitting on the raised dais at one end of the court-house, and many, -remembering poor Mayne’s end, wondered how long the two had to live. The -R.M., they knew, was well paid by the British Government, but the second -magistrate’s unpaid loyalty must surely be a form of madness, or most -likely he received secret pay from the Government. - -After the disposal of cases brought by the police for various offences, -the only civil case on the list—in reality the beginning of a trial of -strength between Sinn Fein and the British Government—came on for -hearing, and in due course the magistrates gave a decision in favour of -the complainant, a herd by name Mickey Coleman. - -Taking advantage of the suspension of the law, a neighbour, Ned Foley, -had thought to get free grazing, and day after day had deliberately -driven his cattle on to Coleman’s land. Coleman, having remonstrated -repeatedly with Foley in vain, consulted a Ballybor solicitor, who -advised him to bring Foley into a Sinn Fein Court, where, he assured -him, he would get full justice. This Coleman refused to do, and after -consulting a second solicitor, brought the case before the Ballybor -Petty Sessions Court. - -Coleman appears to have been a man of great determination and courage, -as he had been repeatedly warned by the Volunteers that if he persisted -in taking Foley into a British Court they would make his life a hell on -earth; and as he left the court after winning his case, a note was -slipped into his hand to the effect that the I.R.A. neither forgets nor -forgives. - -Coleman had started life as a farm labourer, eventually becoming herd to -a Loyalist called Vyvian Carew, whose ancestors came over to Ireland in -the time of Queen Elizabeth, and who lived alone in a large house about -eight miles from Ballybor, where he farmed his own demesne of four -hundred Irish acres. - -Carew belonged to a class of Irishman fast dying out in the west, and -considering that it has always been the policy of every Liberal -Government to throw them to the wolves, it is almost beyond belief that -any are left in the country. A type of man any country can ill afford to -lose, and all countries ought to be proud and glad to gain. After -serving throughout the late war in the British Army, Carew had returned -home, hoping to live in peace and quiet for the rest of his days, but -had soon been undeceived. Though working himself as hard as any small -farmer, and farming his land far better than any other man in the -district, it was decided by men who coveted his acres that he possessed -too many, and the usual steps in the west were taken to make him give up -three of his four hundred acres, and if possible force him to sell out -all. - -Coleman started with a heavy heart for his cottage in Rossbane, Carew’s -demesne, and from the moment he left the court-house until he lifted the -latch of his door found himself treated as a leper by townsfolk and -country people alike. Probably some of the people would have been -willing to speak to him, and most likely many admired his pluck, but a -man who comes under the curse of the I.R.A. is to be avoided at any -costs. No man can tell when that sinister curse, which is often a matter -of life and death to a peasant, may be extended to an unwary -sympathiser. - -In the evening, when going round the cattle, he met his master, who, on -being shown the threatening note, at once wanted Coleman to bring his -family up to the big house; but he refused, knowing that if he did his -cottage would probably be burnt and his own few cattle either stolen or -maimed. - -Soon after eleven that night there came a loud knock at the door, and -Coleman, who had been sitting by the fire expecting a visit, rose up to -meet his fate, but was caught by his terrified wife, who clung to him -with the strength of despair. At last Coleman succeeded in opening the -door, and to their utter astonishment in walked a British officer, -dressed in khaki topcoat, steel helmet, and with a belt and holster. The -officer explained that he came from Castleport, that he had a large -party of soldiers on the road outside, and that he was going to scour -the countryside for rebels that night. Lastly, he said that he had been -told Coleman was well disposed, and would he help him by giving -information? - -Coleman, who at the sight of a British officer in a steel helmet, when -he expected a Volunteer with a black mask, had been overcome with joy, -at the mention of that sinister word “information” regained his senses, -and answered that he had none to give; that he was only a poor herd -striving to do his work and keep a wife and a long weak family, and that -he had nothing to do with politics. - -The officer said nothing, but sat down by the fire on a stool and -started to play with the children; presently he returned to the charge -again, and asked the herd where the Foleys lived, and if they were -Volunteers. The mention of the name of Foley confirmed Coleman in his -growing suspicion, and he replied that he knew the Foleys for quiet -decent boys, and he believed that they had nothing at all to do with -politics. - -Shortly afterwards the officer wished them good-night, leaving Coleman -and his wife a prey to conflicting emotions. If he really was a British -officer, then at any rate they were safe for that night, but if not, -then probably some terrible outrage was brewing. Only a week before the -Volunteers had set fire, while the inmates were in bed, to the house of -a farmer, who had bought the farm a few days previously at a public -auction, contrary to the orders of the I.R.A.; and though the inmates -just managed to escape in their night attire, their two horses and a cow -were burnt to death, and their charred bodies could still be seen lying -amid the ruins from the main road—a warning to all who thought of -disobeying the I.R.A. - -After the time it would take to walk to the Foleys’ house and back there -came a second knock, and the officer entered again, pushing one of the -young Foleys in front of him with his hands up. “Here’s the young -blighter,” said the officer to Coleman, “and if you will give the -necessary information about him, I’ll have him shot by my men outside at -once.” - -But Coleman, whose suspicion by now was a certainty, refused to be -drawn, and replied that he knew nothing against the Foleys, and that -they were quiet respectable neighbours. - -For some time the officer tried his best to get Coleman to give evidence -against Foley, but at last, finding it was useless, left, taking his -prisoner with him. - -By now the Colemans were too unhappy to go to bed, and sat round the -fire in silence. After an hour there came a third knock, and again the -officer appeared; but this time Coleman could see quite a different -expression on his face, and in a brutal voice, not taking the trouble to -hide his brogue, he bade the unfortunate herd “get up out of that and -come outside.” - -Coleman followed his tormentor outside, and there found a mob of young -men and boys waiting for him, who proceeded to kick him along the road -for a mile, when he could go no farther, and fell on the road. They then -tied his hands and ankles, and left him in the middle of the road for a -police car to run over him. And here he lay all night in the rain. - -The next day was market-day in Ballybor, and many of the country people -started early in their carts for the town, and though none drove over -the herd, yet one and all passed by on the other side. - -Luckily, when the herd was nearly gone from cold and exposure, the good -Samaritan appeared in the shape of Carew driving to Ballybor, and in a -short time he had Coleman back at Rossbane in front of a big turf fire; -and after placing him in charge of the cook, brought the herd’s family -to a cottage in the yard, and then drove into Ballybor to see Blake. But -the D.I. had his hands too full to be able to give protection to -individuals. - -At this time, next to Sinn Fein, the Transport Union was the strongest -party in the west, and being composed of landless men, its main object -was to gain land for its members by all and every means in its power, -with the result that their attention was concentrated on outing all men -with four hundred acres or more in their possession, and next would come -the men with three hundred acres, and so on down the scale. - -The farmer with forty acres or thereabouts—the best class of small -farmer in the west, and if let alone the most law-abiding, as they are -numerous and possess something worth holding on to—soon realised where -this would lead to, and tried to apply the brakes. They would have -succeeded but for their younger sons, who, in the ordinary course of -events, would have found good employment in the States, but under -present circumstances have to remain at home helping to make small -fortunes for their parents. It is this class of young men who, with the -shop boys, form the rank and file of the I.R.A., and in the case of the -farmers’ sons it is the western peasants’ usual characteristic of “land -hunger” which forms the chief driving power. - -At one period it looked as though Sinn Fein and the Transport Union -would come to loggerheads; but Sinn Fein proved too strong, and the two -became partners to all intents and purposes. - -A few days after he had returned from his fruitless visit to Blake, -Carew received a letter from the secretary of the local branch of the -Transport Union calling upon him to dismiss Coleman, and that if he did -not comply at once the Union would call out all his men. Carew ignored -the letter and the threat. - -The Owenmore river runs through Rossbane, roughly dividing it into two -equal parts, and after a fortnight Carew received a letter from the -I.R.A. calling upon him to attend a Sinn Fein Court the following Sunday -night at Cloonalla Chapel, and saying that the part of his demesne -separated from the house by the river was to be taken from him, and if -he wished to claim “compensation” he must attend the “Court.” And again -Carew ignored the letter. - -A week afterwards all his farm hands and servants, with the exception of -the cook, Katey Brogan, simply vanished, and Carew found himself with -only Katey and Coleman to keep going a large house and a -four-hundred-acre farm. Nothing daunted, he took the Colemans into the -house, made Mrs Coleman cook and Katey housemaid, whilst Coleman and he -determined to carry on with the farming as best they could. - -A few days after a little girl brought a message that Katey’s father was -very ill, and that her mother wished her to go home at once; so Katey -left immediately, and the following day Carew rode over to see if he -could help the Brogans, knowing that they were miserably poor. - -The Brogans lived in a two-roomed hovel on the verge of a bog, and on -entering a terrible sight met Carew’s eyes. The old man lay dead in one -bed, Katey dead in the second bed with a large bullet-hole through her -forehead, and the old mother crooning over the fire ashes, stark mad. - -He then tried to find out what had happened from two neighbouring -cottages, but in each case the door was slammed in his face with a curse -of fear. After wandering about for over an hour he met a small boy, who -told him the details of the worst murder the country had yet seen. - -It appeared that Katey must have written to the police in Ballybor with -reference to the treatment of the Colemans, and that the letter had -fallen into the hands of Sinn Fein agents in the post office. - -Using old Brogan’s illness to decoy Katey home, the murderers waited -until midnight, when they knocked at the door. At the time Katey was -sitting by the fire making broth for her father, and at once opened the -door, to be confronted by eight armed men wearing white masks and black -hats, one of whom said, “Come with us.” Apparently Katey refused, -whereupon they seized her, bound her wrists, and dragged her screaming -and struggling to a field some hundred yards from her home. - -Here they tried her by court-martial, convicted her, and no time was -lost by the assassins in carrying out the death sentence. They then -flung her body outside the cottage, where it was found by her mother, -whose cries brought old Brogan out of his bed, and between them they -managed to carry their murdered daughter in. The shock was too much for -the old man, and he died shortly after he returned to bed, which finally -turned the old woman’s brain. - -Then followed weeks of misery. Every night Carew’s cattle were driven, -his gates taken off their hinges and flung into the river, trees were -cut down, fences smashed, and the showing of a light at any window was -the signal for a volley of shots. Life in the trenches on the Western -Front was often fearful enough, but to realise the life Carew and his -herd led at this time one must remember that they had to carry on week -in week out, with no rest billets ever to retire to, apart from the fact -that at any moment sudden death in some horrible mutilating form might -be their lot. - -The first fair at which Carew tried to sell cattle warned him of the -futility of attending any more. Sinn Fein “policemen,” with green, -white, and yellow brassards on their arms, took care that no buyers came -near him, while all the corner boys in Ballybor amused themselves by -driving his cattle backwards and forwards through the fair until they -could hardly move. Directly Carew would make for one set of tormentors, -a fresh lot would appear behind his back and take up the chase. - -After starting Coleman on his way home with the weary cattle, he went to -the grocer he had dealt with for years, meaning to lay in a good stock -of provisions. On entering the shop the owner took Carew into a private -room, and explained that if he sold one pennyworth of food to him his -shop would be burnt over his head that night, and that all the -shopkeepers had received the same orders from the I.R.A. Carew then went -straight to the police barracks, where the police soon bought all that -he required. - -It was nearly dark when Carew drew near to his entrance gate, and as his -horse started to walk four men darted out from the shadow of the demesne -wall, two seizing the horse, while the rest, covering him with -shot-guns, ordered him to get out. - -Carew had no alternative but to comply, whereupon his captors led him -down a lane towards the river, where they were joined by a crowd of men -and boys. On reaching the river a violent argument started, one section -being for drowning him out of face, while another wished to give him a -chance of his life if he would swear to give up his land. In the end -they compromised, and two tall men took Carew by the arms and waded out -into the river with him until they were over their waists. - -The leader then called out to Carew that if he would not agree to -surrender all his lands and promise to leave the country they would -drown him there and then. In order to gain time Carew pretended to be -greatly frightened, and started a whining altercation with the leader on -the bank. As he expected, his would-be executioners soon joined in -heatedly, so much so that shortly one let go of his arm, and throwing -the other off his balance with a quick wrench, Carew dived, and swimming -down and across the river under water was soon in safety on the far -bank. As soon as the crowd realised that their prisoner had escaped, -they opened fire on the river at once, hitting one of the men in the -water, whereupon the wounded man’s friends turned on another faction and -a free fight ensued. - -Once across the river, Carew ran as hard as he could for the house of a -friendly farmer living on the main road on the east side of the river, -borrowed a bicycle from the man, and set off for Ballybor. - -By great good luck, as Carew reached the barracks in Ballybor, he found -Blake on the point of setting out on a night expedition with a Crossley -load of police. On hearing his story Blake at once agreed to return with -him, in the hope that they might be in time to save Rossbane. - -In order to surprise the Volunteers, Blake went by the road on the east -side of the river, and on reaching Carew’s demesne hid the car inside in -the shadow of some trees. Carew then swam the river, brought back a -boat, and ferried the police across in three parties. - -The farm buildings and main yard of Rossbane lie between the house and -the river, and on entering the yard the police found Coleman lying -insensible and surrounded by his weeping wife and children. Learning -from the woman that the Volunteers were on the point of setting fire to -the house, the police, led by Blake and Carew, who was armed with rifle -and revolver, and by now in a white heat of fury, made for the house in -two parties, one under Carew for the front entrance, and the other under -Blake for the back. - -The last thing the Volunteers expected was a brutal assault by the -police, and after eating and drinking all they could find and looting -what happened to take their fancy, they had just sprayed petrol over the -hall and set it on fire when the police entered. - -It is not often that the R.I.C. have the pleasure of coming to grips -with the elusive I.R.A., but when they do they put paid in capital -letters to the accounts of their murdered comrades, men shot in cold -blood in their homes, or dragged unarmed out of trains and butchered -like cattle. - -The R.I.C. are probably one of the finest fighting forces to be found in -a continent where, at the present day, practically every man is trained -to arms, and most people have seen the fight cornered rats will put up. - -The main hall of Rossbane was in the centre of the house, and after -setting fire to it the Volunteers had started to leave, some by the -front door and others through the kitchen, with the result that they ran -into the arms of the police, who did not waste time with futile shouts -of “hands up,” but proceeded at once to business. - -At first they fought in darkness; but soon the flames gathered strength, -and their glow silhouetted the forms of the Volunteers, giving the -police as good targets as man could wish for. - -In a short time the Volunteers broke; some rushed upstairs never to be -seen alive again, while others fled into the drawing-room which opened -off the hall, only to find escape cut off by heavy barred shutters. By -now the centre of the house was burning fiercely, and all the police had -to do to complete the rout was to wait outside the two exits and let the -flames act the part of ferrets. Ten minutes more saw the end, and with -it the few Volunteers who escaped with their lives, handcuffed together -in a miserable group in the big yard, covered by two Black and Tans. And -when the captain of the Rossbane Company of the I.R.A. revised his -company roll, his pen must have been busy with “gone to America” after -many names. - -Dawn broke on a sight worthy of modern Russia, on the smouldering ruins -of the fine old house, on the wretched groups of singed and blackened -Volunteers, and on the group of still weeping Colemans huddled in a -corner of the yard as far from the fire of the Volunteers as they could -get. - -Carew, still undaunted, though wounded in a leg and shoulder and soaked -to the skin for hours, wished to stay on in the cottage in the yard; but -as soon as the fight was over, Blake had sent half his force back to -Ballybor in the Crossley to bring out more transport, and the argument -was settled by the arrival of two Crossleys and three Fords, in which -Blake returned to barracks, taking Carew and the Colemans with him as -well as the prisoners. It was impossible to leave any police at -Rossbane; the wounded had to be attended to, and Blake rightly guessed -that the Volunteers had had a dose that night which would keep them -quiet for some time to come. - -Carew’s wounds were only slight, and the following day he was determined -to return to Rossbane. Poor Coleman had no option but to go with his -master, having no money, a family to provide for, and knowing full well -that he might as well ask for the crown of England as seek employment -elsewhere in the west, while emigration to the States was out of the -question. - -Blake was now in an awkward dilemma. Unable to give Carew protection, he -feared that if he returned the chances were that both he and the herd -would be murdered. However, Carew was determined to go, so Blake gave -out on the quiet that if anything happened to either of them the -Auxiliaries would be called in, and let him go. - -For some time Carew lived in peace. The fight at the burning of Rossbane -had put the fear of God into the local Volunteers, and most of them -would as soon have faced a Lewis gun as face Carew in a fighting mad -temper, while the threat of the Auxiliaries stayed the hands of the -“shoot him from behind a wall brigade.” - -At length Carew went up to Dublin to find out about the payment of his -malicious injury claim for the burning of Rossbane, and on his return -was met at Ballybor Station by Blake with the news that some I.R.A. -flying column had beaten Coleman to death and burnt all the outbuildings -at Rossbane, not leaving a wall standing. - -Carew wished now to put up a wooden hut at Rossbane and endeavour to -carry on alone; but Blake refused to let him go, and in the end he was -persuaded, greatly against his will, to sell his lands by public -auction. - -The auction took place in Ballybor, the lands being divided into lots of -a suitable size to suit small farmers; but the auctioneers did not -receive a single bid—the I.R.A. saw to that. - -Carew now determined to leave his lands waste, his home in ruins, and as -soon as he received the money for his malicious injury claim, to go to -British East Africa, there to await the return of better days in -Ireland, when he intends to return and rebuild the home of his fathers. -Will they ever come? - - - - - X. - POTEEN. - - -There are very few industries in the west of Ireland, and of these by -far the most lucrative is the distillation of illicit whisky, or, as it -is generally called by the peasants, poteen. - -The average countryman would far rather make a fiver by sticking a -stranger with a horse than £100 by hard honest work. Add an element of -danger, and he is quite content. The making of poteen combines much -profit with little labour and a good element of danger, in that the -distiller may be caught by the police and heavily fined. - -The beginning of poteen is lost in the mist of past ages, and the end -will probably synchronise with the end of Ireland; the amount made -varies with the demand, and the demand fluctuates with the price and -supply of whisky. - -During 1919, when whisky became weak, dear, and scarce, and the police -for a time practically ceased to function, the call for poteen became so -great that the demand far exceeded the supply, and for many months the -whisky sold in the majority of publichouses throughout the west was made -up of a mixture of three-quarters poteen and a quarter whisky. - -At the beginning of the last century all poteen was made from malt in -the same way as whisky is made, until some thoughtful man argued that if -they could make beer from sugar in England, we could surely make poteen -from the same material in Ireland; and as any one buying malt or growing -barley was liable to attract the eye of the R.I.C., all poteen ceased to -be made from malt, and the far simpler method of distilling from -“treacle” continues to this day. Treacle is largely imported in barrels -to Ireland, ostensibly for the purpose of fattening cattle and pigs. - -In the early part of 1919 a young Welshman, David Evans, was demobilised -with a good gratuity, and being a keen fisherman, determined he would -have one good summer’s salmon-fishing in Scotland before settling down -to work. But Evans was not the only man looking out for salmon-fishing -in Scotland, and he soon realised that that country was out of the -question. - -During the war Evans had served at one time in the same division with -Blake, and thinking that the latter might know of some good -salmon-fishing at a moderate rent, he wrote to him. By return of post -came an answer from Blake, saying that, owing to the bad state of the -country, very few Englishmen had taken fishings in Ireland that season, -and that there was a very good stretch of the Owenmore river, about ten -miles above Ballybor, to let at a moderate rent. - -Evans at once wired asking Blake to take the fishing for him, and ten -days afterwards took up his quarters at Carra Lodge, a small fishing -lodge on the bank of the river. - -Ireland has probably benefited more than any other country in Europe by -the war, and not least by the submarine scourge, which not only raised -the prices of cattle and pigs beyond the dreams of avarice, but also -increased the number of salmon in Irish rivers to an extent unknown -within the memory of man. Before the war salmon and sea-trout in many -western rivers were rapidly becoming exterminated through the great -increase of drift-nets at sea; but directly the first German submarine -was reported to have been seen off the west coast not a fisherman would -leave land, with the result that the fish had free ingress to their -native rivers, and the numbers of spawning fish were greatly increased. - -Evans had great sport, thoroughly enjoyed himself, and found the -peasants quite the most charming and amusing people he had ever met. No -matter what sort of house he entered, he was received like a prince and -bid ten thousand welcomes; a carefully dusted chair would be placed by -the fireside for “his honour,” and a large jar of poteen produced from -under the bed. - -Towards the end of his time at Carra Lodge, Evans came to the conclusion -that, if he could only discover some way of making a decent income, he -would settle down in the west of Ireland; but the question of how to -make money puzzled him greatly. Farming did not appeal to him, and -beyond that there did not appear to be any other industry open to an -enterprising young man, and any profession was ruled out owing to the -long period of training required. - -Before the war Evans had worked for a short time in a distillery, and -had a good idea of how to make whisky and of malting; but to start a -distillery in the Ballybor district was out of the question, owing to -the smallness of his capital. But if he could not make whisky, he could -make poteen with a very small outlay. - -On making inquiries, he found that the possibilities of the idea were -enormous; the outlay was small, the returns great, but the risks were -also great. Yet if detection could be avoided, the returns would only be -limited by the amount of treacle and malt available. - -At this period the country people were full of money, and as whisky was -almost unattainable, they were prepared to pay a very high price for -poteen, and the distilleries were rapidly making fortunes. Still there -was considerable danger attached to the trade. The police, though hardly -ever seen outside their barracks except in large numbers, occasionally -carried out extensive poteen raids, and as it was nearly an -impossibility to find a house without poteen in it, they never returned -empty-handed. - -Having decided to go into the poteen trade, the next question was where -to make it. To start distilling in a small way in a small house merely -meant certain discovery after making small profits, and Evans knew that -once he was caught red-handed by the police the game would be up. - -During bad times in any country, when the honest but timid men go to the -wall, the unscrupulous but bold men come into their own, and often make -a fortune by means which in quieter times would be out of the question. -Evans belonged to the latter class. - -Towards the end of 1919 the peasants started to burn unoccupied -country-houses throughout the south and west. Doubtless they were often -burnt by wild young men without rhyme or reason, but also probably with -the idea of making it impossible for the owners to return to their -homes, and so force them to sell their demesne lands to the very people -who had burnt their houses. - -A few miles from Carra Lodge, at the foot of the mountains, stood one of -the largest houses in Connaught, Ardcumber House, the family seat of one -of the oldest Elizabethan families in Ireland, and probably the finest -sporting demesne in the west. The great house, full of Sheraton and -Chippendale furniture, commanded wonderful views of mountains and moors; -while in front runs the Owenmore river, famous for its salmon fishing, -through a valley which in winter time can show more snipe, duck, geese, -and wild game of all sorts than any other valley of its size in the -British Isles. - -One would have thought that the above sporting attractions would have -satisfied any man; but the owner was one of those queer Irishmen who -preferred any country to his own, and divided his time between London -and Continental watering-places, leaving the management of his estates -to an agent, who lived in Ballybor. - -When reading the ‘Field’ one evening, Evans came across an advertisement -of Ardcumber House to let to a careful tenant at a nominal rent. -Realising that the agent feared the house would be burnt if left empty, -he drove into Ballybor the following day, took Blake with him to -interview the agent, and drove home with a lease of Ardcumber House in -his pocket, at a rent which the sale of game and salmon would cover -twice over. - -The best of the fishing being now over, Evans crossed to England, -nominally to collect his kit, in reality to have a large still made, -which he had packed in large cases, labelled furniture, and brought over -by long sea to Ballybor. At the same time he arranged with a sugar agent -in England to ship treacle in paraffin barrels to Ballyrick and Ballybor -as he required it. - -When at home in Wales he induced a cousin, John Evans, to join him, and -the two set out for Ireland. In Dublin they purchased a Ford truck, -which they had fitted up as a shooting waggonette with a hood like a -boxcar, and in this, after obtaining the necessary police permit through -Blake, they drove straight down to the west, and took up their quarters -at Ardcumber. - -They found the house in charge of an old woman, who lived in one of the -gate lodges, and arranged with her to cook for them and look after the -few rooms they used, allowing her to go home every evening at six -o’clock. - -At the top of the house they found six large rooms shut off from the -rest of the house by a heavy door at the head of the stairs. Here they -erected the still, using a fireplace as a flue; in a second room they -erected wooden fomenting vessels, and in a third stored the treacle and -poteen. In order to obtain a supply of water they fitted a pipe to the -main water-supply tank, which was in the roof above the attics. - -They now settled down to a regular routine of shooting by day and -distilling for a greater part of the night, living entirely to -themselves. Once a week they drove into Ballybor in the Ford to obtain -provisions. - -Whenever they learnt that a consignment of treacle had reached Ballybor -or Ballyrick, they at once removed it in the Ford, stored it in the -stables, which they kept carefully locked, and carried the treacle in -large pails at night-time to the fermenting vessels in the attics. - -At this time, so occupied were the police with looking after themselves, -and the country people with keeping clear of the R.I.C. and the -Volunteers, that nobody gave a thought to the “two queer foreigners -above in the big house” who were mad on shooting. - -As soon as they had accumulated a good supply of poteen (the Irish -peasant has no fancy ideas about allowing poteen to mature, and will as -soon drink it hot from the still as not), they began to think of how to -dispose of it without calling unnecessary attention to themselves. In -the end they decided not to try distributing the poteen themselves, but -to find a reliable agent who had a good knowledge of the locality. - -Even when he was very poor indeed the western peasant always insisted on -having the best of tea, or perhaps it would be more correct to say that -he insisted on paying a high price. At one time, so great were the -profits on tea, that merchants used to send carts through the country -districts selling nothing but tea, called by the country people “tay -carts.” - -David Evans found out that the principal tea merchant for the Ballybor -district—in fact, for many miles round—was a grocer called Terence -O’Dowd, who kept a large shop in Ballybor, and had a branch in -Ballyrick. Hearing that O’Dowd was fond of coursing, Evans called at his -shop, and after buying a quantity of provisions, invited the man to -bring his hounds out to Ardcumber the following Sunday for some -coursing. - -After the coursing they took O’Dowd into their confidence, showed him -the distillery and arranged that he should act as their agent. This part -was simple, but the difficulty was how, when, and where to deliver the -goods to O’Dowd. If the “tay carts” came to Ardcumber, or the distillery -Ford went to O’Dowd’s continually, suspicion would be aroused. After a -long discussion they decided on a plan of action. - -Once a week, when Evans drove into Ballybor for provisions, he was to -fill up the Ford with poteen and leave the car in a shed in O’Dowd’s -yard, where the poteen could be transferred to O’Dowd’s cellars and the -car loaded up with empties. O’Dowd wanted to use earthenware jars, but -Evans decided on two-gallon petrol tins as being less likely to excite -suspicion. - -For a considerable time the plan worked well. Evans took a full load -weekly to O’Dowd’s, whose tea carts distributed the poteen far and wide -throughout the district. - -One morning Blake, who had spent a busy night raiding in the district -for arms and poteen stills, called in at Ardcumber on his way home and -had breakfast with the Evans. During the conversation he mentioned -casually that the country was flooded with poteen, and that they had -failed to find out where it was being made, but that they suspected it -was being delivered in tea carts from Ballybor. - -As soon as Blake had gone David drove off into Ballybor, settled up his -accounts with O’Dowd, who was only too thankful to be rid of the job in -time, and before he left for home had arranged with an egg merchant -called Michael Flanagan, who sent lorries out to all the villages for -miles around collecting eggs, to take over the agency, the petrol tins -to be hidden in the straw of the empty egg-crates. - -The police appear to have had no suspicion of Evans, and the -probabilities are that the Ardcumber distillery would have worked on -indefinitely but for interference from a quite unsuspected quarter. The -Sinn Fein leaders of the district began to grow uneasy at the effects of -the apparently unlimited supply of poteen on the discipline of the -Volunteers, and determined to put down the industry. - -Any men who were now found with stills in their possession by the Sinn -Fein police were paraded before the congregation outside the chapels -after Mass on Sunday morning, the stills broken up with hammers, the -owners heavily fined, and then let go with a warning of much severer -penalties if they were found guilty of the same offence again. - -Afterwards Evans and Flanagan received summonses to appear on a named -date before a Sinn Fein Court. Flanagan went and was heavily fined, but -Evans took no notice of the summons. - -Flanagan was now, of course, afraid to act as agent, and the question -again arose of how they were to get the poteen to the different buyers. -While matters were in this state Flanagan sent a warning to Evans that -the Volunteers would raid Ardcumber on a certain night, and that the -results would be very unpleasant for them. - -The situation was now serious. It was impossible for two men to defend -such a large house, and once inside, the Volunteers, apart from the fact -that they would probably shoot them, would certainly break up the -distillery, and the rapid increase of their bank balances would cease. - -That evening they received a letter stating that they had been banished -from Ireland by an order of the Sinn Fein Court, and giving them two -days in which to leave the country. The same night, after dark, a volley -of shots was fired through the window of every room showing a light, and -the following morning they had to cook their own breakfast, as the old -woman did not turn up. - -But David Evans was not beaten yet. After breakfast he motored into -Ballybor, where he waited until it was dark. He then went to the -barracks, and told Blake that the Volunteers had threatened to raid -Ardcumber the following night for arms, and suggested that the police -should ambush the Volunteers in the grounds. - -Blake, only too glad to help a friend, and eager to get the Volunteers -together in the open, consented, and before Evans left the two had -thought out a very pretty trap. - -It has been mentioned that Ardcumber stood at the foot of a range of -mountains, which isolated the Ballybor country on the east, and across -them for many miles there was only one track, which led down to the back -of the demesne, and which was never used except by country people -bringing turf in creels on donkeys from the mountain bogs during the -day-time. - -Blake proposed to start out the following afternoon with a good force, -cross the mountains by the main road, which ran through a pass due east -of Ballybor, and return by the mountain track, reaching Ardcumber -demesne soon after dark. Here David Evans was to meet them and guide -them to the scene of the ambush. The district between the demesne and -the mountains was thinly populated, and at that hour no one would be -abroad for fear of the Black and Tans. The attackers would be certain to -come from the opposite direction, and would not be likely to arrive -before the moon rose at 11 P.M. - -The police, with a party of Cadets and two Lewis guns, were in position -by 9 P.M. in a shrubbery on each side of the avenue, about a hundred -yards from the house. At 11.30 P.M. the Volunteers, sure of their prey, -marched up the avenue in column of route, singing the “Soldiers’ Song.” -When they were within forty yards Blake called on them to halt, lay down -their arms, and put up their hands. - -The column halted at once, and for a second appeared to waver, but an -officer gave the order to deploy. Before the column could break up both -Lewis guns opened fire. - -Unfortunately at this moment a dark cloud obscured the moon and heavy -rain began to fall, with the result that, after the first short burst of -fire, the Volunteers were invisible; and though the police started in -pursuit, they failed to overtake the flying rebels, and had to -concentrate on the house. - -After collecting and rendering first-aid to the wounded—there were none -killed—the police brought their cars up to the house, and shortly -afterwards returned to Ballybor. - -The Evanses were now fairly safe from the Volunteers, but again the -question of distributing the poteen arose, and this time it looked as -though they would have to do it themselves. They tried to induce -Flanagan to come on again; but the egg merchant was by now thoroughly -frightened, and thankful to get off with a heavy fine. O’Dowd, being a -police suspect, was out of the question, but there still remained His -Majesty’s mails. - -The story of how the Evanses had played the police off against the -Volunteers was soon the talk of the countryside for many a mile, and so -queer and uncertain is the Irish peasant’s mentality that, where one -would have expected them to be furious and determined to be avenged, on -the contrary their great sense of humour was immensely tickled at the -idea of the police defending the Ardcumber distillery, and the Evanses -became popular heroes. - -After the Volunteer attack, Blake, being afraid that they might make -another attempt to capture the arms in Ardcumber House, offered David a -party of Black and Tans for protection, but this offer was refused. - -For some time His Majesty’s mail cars carried the Ardcumber poteen -punctually and efficiently—in fact, far better than either O’Dowd or -Flanagan had done. Petrol tins were still used to put the poteen in, and -Evans would leave the full tins at a garage twice a week, where the mail -cars got their petrol from, and if a mail car carried a few extra tins -of petrol, who thought anything about it? - -Unfortunately the mail contract for that district ran out a few months -afterwards, and this time was given to a man from the north, an -Orangeman, and once again Evans had to find a fresh way of sending round -the country his now famous poteen. - -But so popular had the Evanses become that, instead of having to seek -agents, they received offers to deliver the poteen from the manager of a -creamery in the Cloonalla district, and also from the manager of a -Cooperative Society in a village distant about four miles from -Ardcumber. Evans closed with both offers, and the cousins redoubled -their efforts to turn out all the poteen they possibly could, knowing -that an end must come sooner or later. - -Two months afterwards the Auxiliaries discovered that the creamery was -being used as a Sinn Fein prison, and, as a result, raided the place one -night and burnt it to the ground. Incidentally, they found several full -petrol tins in the manager’s office, filled up their petrol tanks with -them, and could not make out why the cars would not start. - -It is both possible and probable that, except for some unforeseen -accident, the Evanses might have gone on making and selling poteen for -an indefinite time—in fact, as long as the country remained in the -present state of chaos. The distillation of poteen always has and always -will appeal to the western peasant, and the story of how the Evanses -called in the police to defend their still against the attack of the -Volunteers will be told over the firesides of many a cottage for -generations to come—long after Sinn Fein is dead and buried. - -But at last their good luck deserted them. One night while working at -the still, John carelessly knocked over an oil-lamp, and in a moment the -old dry woodwork of the attic was in flames. Before morning the grand -old house, with its great collection of priceless furniture, was a -smouldering ruin, nothing but the bare blackened walls standing, and so -it is likely to remain for all time. - -The Evanses, having made a considerable sum of money by now, said -good-bye to Blake, and returned to their native land. - - - - - XI. - THE MAYOR’S CONSCIENCE. - - -In the spring of 1920 Blake suddenly received orders to proceed to a -town in the south of Ireland on special duty, and on applying for leave -was granted a fortnight, which he determined to spend in Dublin. In due -course his relief arrived, and after handing over he found himself free -from all responsibility for the first time for many months. - -At this period the Government and the Irish railwaymen were enacting a -comic opera worthy of Gilbert and Sullivan at their best, the Government -paying the railway companies a huge subsidy, the greater part of which -found its way into the railwaymen’s pockets in the form of enormous -wages, while the men refused to carry any armed forces of the Crown; and -the public, who, of course, indirectly paid the subsidy, looked on -helplessly. - -In order to get a passenger train Blake had to motor thirty-two miles to -a station in the next county, where, as yet, no armed forces had tried -to travel. While waiting here a green country boy asked him some trivial -question, and with little difficulty Blake led him on to tell his whole -history. - -In spite of a Sinn Fein edict to the contrary, many young men, who could -find no work in Ireland, or who wished to avoid service in the I.R.A., -were at this time contriving to emigrate to the States by crossing to -England and sailing from Southampton. In order to defeat this, Sinn Fein -agents were in the habit of frequenting the termini in Dublin for the -purpose of getting in touch with these would-be emigrants and forcing -them to return home. - -This youth, who came from the Ballyrick district, and had never been in -a train in his life, told Blake that a brother in the States had sent -him his passage, and that he was due to sail from Southampton in a few -days’ time, but had to go to the American Consul in Dublin in order that -his passport might be viséd, and asked Blake where the consul’s office -was. - -Blake warned him not to tell any one he met on his journey that he was -going to America, or he would surely fall into the hands of the Sinn -Fein police, and thought no more about the matter. - -When the train reached a junction after about an hour and a half’s run, -there was considerable delay while a large party of Auxiliary Cadets -searched the train, and eventually arrested a police sergeant, whom they -removed after a desperate struggle to a waiting motor. Blake was reading -at the time, and did not think anything was wrong until he saw the -sergeant being dragged out of the station. It then occurred to him that, -though he thought he knew every Cadet in the west by sight, yet he -failed to recognise any of the search-party. However, it was useless to -interfere, as he was alone and unarmed. - -Blake stayed at a hotel near Stephen’s Green, and for the first part of -the night, so silent and empty were the streets, that Dublin might have -been a city of the dead. However, about 2 A.M., a miniature battle broke -out in some near quarter, and for hours rifle-fire and the explosions of -bombs continued, varied at times by bursts of machine-gun fire. - -The following morning after breakfast he set out to see a high official -in the Castle, a friend of his father’s, and also to report at the -R.I.C. Headquarters there. While walking along Grafton Street shots -suddenly rang out at each end, and at once the crowd tried to escape -down several by-streets, only to be held up by the Cadets at every -point; and it was not until two hours afterwards, when the Cadets had -satisfied themselves that the men they wanted were not there, that Blake -was free to proceed to the Castle. - -The streets appeared much the same as usual, but the Castle was greatly -changed from peace times. The entrance gates were heavily barred; barbed -wire, steel shutters, and sandbags in evidence everywhere. Outside, a -strong party of Dublin Metropolitan Police and Military Foot Police. -Inside, a strong guard of infantry in steel helmets, while a tank and -two armoured cars were standing by ready to go into action. - -As nobody was allowed to enter the Castle without a pass, Blake had to -get a friend from the headquarters of the R.I.C. to identify him before -he could gain admission, and he learnt from his friend that the party of -Auxiliaries he had seen the previous day arresting the police sergeant -at the junction were in reality a flying column of Volunteers, who had -managed to smuggle the Cadets’ uniforms into the country from England. - -Blake found that most of the officials in the Castle were virtually -prisoners there, and in order to keep their figures down had improvised -a gravel tennis-court and also a squash racket-court. - -When training at the depot in Dublin, Blake had made the acquaintance of -a Colonel Mahoney, who had retired and lived near Kingstown with his -only daughter, and his chief object in going to Dublin was to see Miss -Mahoney again. After leaving the Castle he met her by appointment, and -after they had lunched and been to a picture-house, they left by tram to -be back in time for tea with the Colonel. After the tram started Blake -found that he had an hour to spare, and got out at Ballsbridge to see a -friend, while Miss Mahoney went on alone. - -On reaching the Mahoneys’ house Blake learnt that, when Miss Mahoney got -out at Kingstown, she had been followed by four young men, who had -demanded the name of the man she had travelled in the tram with, and on -her refusing to disclose Blake’s name, they had knocked her down with -the butts of their revolvers, and left her there partially stunned. - -The following day, when on her way to meet Blake again in Dublin, her -tram was held up by Auxiliaries, and all the men on it carefully -searched for arms; but before the Cadets boarded the tram, Miss Mahoney -saw several young men pass their revolvers to girls sitting next to -them, with the result that the Auxiliaries found no arms. On leaving the -tram at the end of Kildare Street, the pockets of her coat feeling -unusually heavy, she put her hands into them and found a revolver in -each. At the same moment two men overtook her and demanded their arms. - -When he had been in Dublin four days Blake had to go to Broadstone -Station to inquire about a kit-bag which had been lost on the journey to -Dublin. He reached the station about a quarter of an hour before the -departure of the train for the west, and passing a group of young men on -the platform, recognised amongst them the youth who had asked him where -to find the American consul. - -There were no police within sight, and it was useless to interfere -single-handed, but without doubt the talkative youth had fallen into the -hands of the Sinn Fein Police, who were returning him to his home minus -his passage-money: the group consisted of four dejected-looking youths -and three rough-looking men, obviously in charge of the others. - -When his leave was up Blake left for the south by an express train, -changing at a junction after about two hours’ run. Here, just as the -train was on the point of starting, an armed party of the Royal -Fencibles under a subaltern marched on to the platform and took their -seats in several different third-class carriages, the officer getting -into Blake’s carriage. There was a considerable delay, and Blake -expected that, as usual, the guard and driver would refuse to carry -armed soldiers, but to his surprise the train started without any -incident. - -After an hour’s run, the train pulled up with a sudden jerk in a cutting -just outside a station, and as the subaltern put his head out of the -window to ascertain the cause, the train was raked from end to end by -heavy rifle-fire, and the young subaltern collapsed on top of Blake, his -head shattered by a dum-dum bullet. - -Blake threw himself flat on the floor of the carriage until the fire -from the top of the cutting slackened owing to a Lewis gun opening fire -from one of the carriages near the engine. Taking the dead boy’s -revolver, he then jumped on to the line, and made his way towards the -forward carriages, where the soldiers had opened fire with their rifles. - -Here he found a gallant Lewis gunner, badly wounded in an arm and leg, -firing his gun as fast as he could mount the magazines, and so -preventing the Volunteers from leaving their cover at the top of the -bank and attacking at close quarters. - -So hot was the Lewis gunner’s fire that after five minutes the -Volunteers broke off the action and simply vanished. Blake then turned -his attention to the wounded civilians, and though he had grown -indifferent to dreadful sights through years of war, the awful condition -of the dead and wounded in that train made him physically sick. - -The majority of the wounds were from flat-nosed bullets, with the most -terrible results. In one carriage lay a young woman in a pool of blood, -her chest literally blown away by one of these devilish bullets. In -another, a middle-aged man was screaming like a mad wild animal, his arm -and shoulder shattered, and at his feet lay an old countrywoman, the top -of her head blown off. - -Very few of the soldiers had been wounded, and under Blake’s command -they at once started off in pursuit, only to catch a glimpse of the -Volunteers disappearing down a road on bicycles. - -After a long delay the train went on, and in order to try and forget the -awful scenes he had just witnessed, Blake endeavoured to read two -English papers. The first paper, in a long leading article, called for a -policy of conciliation in Ireland, while the second (a threepenny -edition of the first) recounted at great length a speech made the -previous day by a famous legal politician calling loudly upon the -Government to withdraw all troops from Ireland, and demanding that the -R.I.C. and Auxiliary Cadets should be severely dealt with for their -brutal reprisals on innocent people, but never a word about the savage -attacks on these same R.I.C. and Cadets by these “innocent people,” or a -single thought for the widows and orphans of the murdered policemen. In -disgust he threw both papers out of the carriage windows, and consigned -all politicians to the bottomless pit. - -On arriving at Esker, Blake found that his chief duty was to act as -liaison officer between the military and police, and that he would be -attached to the staff of the G.O.C. of the district. - -He quickly realised that the bad reports of the state of the south had -not been exaggerated, and that it was in a far worse state than the -west. Ambushes of police and military, attacks on trains, shootings of -unarmed soldiers and police in the streets at all hours of the day and -night, the finding of dead men riddled with bullets in every kind of -place, from an open field to an empty house, and the robbery of mails -occurred daily with monotonous regularity; and so accustomed had people -of all classes become to this saturnalia of crime, that they thought no -more about the murder of a human being than the usual man thinks of -killing a rat. - -Blake’s principal work consisted of investigating these crimes in -company with police and soldiers, and afterwards in making out a report -for the General. In addition, he accompanied the General when making -tours through the district. - -One morning they received news of a terrible ambush of Cadets, and on -arriving at the scene of the ambush Blake found the dead bodies of the -Cadets still lying on the road. All their equipment and personal effects -had been stolen, and their faces smashed in with an axe. Probably in -several cases this barbarous mutilation had been committed before the -unfortunate Cadets were dead. - -Two days afterwards the bodies of the murdered Cadets passed through -Esker _en route_ for England. All shops were closed, and great crowds -collected in the streets. Blake was greatly struck by the different -attitudes of sections of the crowd, some taking their hats off with -every mark of reverence and sympathy when the coffins passed, while -others kept their hats on until ordered by the officers to uncover, and -many showed plainly by their faces that they were in full sympathy with -the murderers. - -Conditions in the south were now rapidly drifting into a war of -extermination, and every morning brought fresh reports of men shot the -previous night, either in bed before the eyes of their relations, or -else against a wall outside their homes. - -One evening word came to headquarters through the secret service that a -baker in an outlying village was to be shot that night. It appeared that -the baker, a moderate Sinn Feiner, had been chosen by the Inner Circle -to take part in one of their nightly “executions,” and had refused. So -the edict had gone forth that if the baker would not commit murder, he -should be murdered himself. - -The General at once sent Blake with a party of soldiers to try and save -the baker’s life, but, missing their way in the dark, they arrived a few -minutes too late. They found the unfortunate man lying on his bed shot -through the head, while the only occupant of the house, the murdered -man’s sister, sat white-faced by the bedside moaning and wringing her -hands. - -They could get nothing out of the sister, except that a party of armed -and masked men, in “trench coats” as ever, had suddenly burst into the -house and insisted that her brother should accompany them for some -unknown purpose, and that he had refused. For a time they argued with -him, until another man rushed into the house, calling out to them to be -quick as the soldiers were near. Whereupon they shot the baker as he lay -in bed, with the sister looking on, and then left the house hurriedly. - -There seemed nothing to be done, and Blake was on the point of leaving -when his eye caught a piece of white paper under the bed, which turned -out to be the baker’s death-warrant for treason, signed by the C.M.A. of -the I.R.A. - -On his return Blake handed the death-warrant to the Intelligence people, -who returned it shortly, saying that they could make nothing of it. -After showing it to the General, Blake put the warrant away, and thought -no more about it. - -Some weeks afterwards, owing to the shooting of soldiers and police in -the streets after dark, the curfew was advanced an hour. As a result, -the number of curfew prisoners greatly increased—so much so on the first -night that there was no room in the usual detention quarters, and the -officer of the guard was obliged to use an empty office for the -overflow. - -While the General was working in his office after dinner, the officer of -the guard brought a note from the Mayor of the town, who, he explained, -had been found on the streets after curfew hour by a patrol, and was now -a prisoner in the office below. The note requested a personal interview -with the G.O.C., and stated that the matter was of the highest -importance. The General passed the note to Blake, who was puzzled by the -familiarity of the writing, but unable to remember where he had seen it -before. - -After some hesitation the General decided to see the Mayor, who was -brought in by the officer of the guard, and left alone with the General -and Blake. After beating about the bush for some time, the Mayor asked -that he might be kept under arrest and, if possible, deported by sea to -England, as he was in great danger of assassination, but would give no -reason for the danger, only stating that he had received threatening -letters. - -The General explained that under no circumstances would he allow the -Mayor to be detained under arrest or deported, unless he could show -sufficient reasons. The Mayor replied that he considered the threatening -letters an ample justification for his request; he had not brought the -letters with him, but that if allowed to go home with a guard he would -fetch them. But the General, being determined to get all the information -he could out of the man, and knowing that once he had granted his -request it would be impossible to get anything out of him, refused. - -By now Blake had identified the Mayor’s handwriting with the writing on -the baker’s death-warrant, and getting out the latter, placed the two -papers in front of the General, who at once taxed the Mayor with being -the head of the Inner Circle in Esker. This he denied, but on being -confronted with the two papers, broke down and made a complete -confession. - -It appeared that for a long time past he had been the leader of Sinn -Fein in that district, and though himself a moderate man, he had been -unable to control the wild men, who had forced him, as head of the Inner -Circle, to sign the death-warrants of the men condemned to be -“executed,” or, in other words, the men they wished out of the way. -After a time, being a very religious man, his conscience had rebelled -against wholesale murder, and he had refused to sign any more -death-warrants. - -Whereupon the wild men, being afraid that the Mayor might give them -away, had signed his death-warrant themselves, and that very morning he -had received by post a warning to prepare for death. - -The General was now quite satisfied to order his arrest and deportation -forthwith; but the Mayor asked that he should be allowed to go home to -say good-bye to his family, and that he might be arrested in his own -house at some early hour in the morning. It was now nearly midnight, and -the General, after granting his request, arranged that a patrol should -arrest him at 4 A.M. - -At 4 A.M. to the minute Blake drove up to the Mayor’s house in a lorry -with an officer and fifteen men, but at once saw that something was -wrong. Instead of the house being in complete darkness, most of the -windows were lit up, and the loud wails of women could be heard in an -upstairs room. - -Leaving the officer to post sentries at the front and back of the house, -Blake knocked at the door, which was opened after some delay by a woman, -who, on seeing a police officer, tried to slam the door in his face. -Blake, however, managed to slip into the hall, and asked the woman what -was wrong, but she ran upstairs, calling out to some one above that the -police had returned. - -On the first landing the woman was joined by another woman and a man, -and after a lot of trouble Blake at last got out of them that an hour -previously a party of tall men in black mackintoshes, with soft hats -pulled over their eyes, had gained admittance to the house, and made -their way straight to the Mayor’s bedroom, where they found him kneeling -down by his bed praying. After pushing the Mayor’s wife out of the room -they shot him, threw his body on the bed, and rushed out of the house. - -Blake asked to be shown the Mayor’s body, and the man led him to a -bedroom at the back and opened the door. After making certain that the -dead man was the Mayor, Blake left and drove straight back to the -General. - -That day the town was seething with excitement, and it was openly stated -by many men that the Mayor had been murdered by the police. - -Shortly afterwards a public inquiry was held, and it was clearly proved -that every policeman in the town could be satisfactorily accounted for -during the night of the murder, and, moreover, that every round of rifle -and revolver ammunition could also be accounted for. However, this did -not suit the Sinn Feiners, and a verdict of “guilty” was brought in -against the authorities, though there can be no possible doubt in any -unbiassed mind that the Mayor of Esker was murdered either by, or by the -orders of, the Inner Circle. - -When he went home, after his interview with the G.O.C., the natural -assumption was that he had been giving information, and the Inner Circle -determined that he should give no more. Whether they knew that he was to -be arrested and deported at 4 A.M., and deliberately forestalled the -arrest, or whether they merely knew that he was at headquarters, and -were waiting to murder him on the first favourable opportunity, is not -clear, and does not affect the question of the guilt of the murder. - - - - - XII. - A BRUTAL MURDER. - - -The childlike trust which so many Englishmen have in their institutions -is a source of never-ending wonder to Irishmen, more especially the -Englishman’s blind faith in the integrity of the Post Office in both -countries. Long after Sinn Fein had made the Irish Post Office its chief -source of information, the Government and public continued happily and -blindly to confide their confidential correspondence to the tender -mercies of the King’s enemies, and at the same time expressed their -bewildered astonishment at the uncanny amount of information that the -Sinn Fein Secret Service was able to obtain. - -It is highly doubtful if Blake would ever have even thought of obtaining -information from the mail bags, if a young subaltern, who commanded a -platoon of the Blankshires temporarily stationed in the Ballybor Police -Barracks, had not made the suggestion one night at dinner, and had even -offered to carry out the operation himself if Blake had any official -qualms. At first Blake refused, knowing that the authorities did not -approve of tampering with the public’s private letters; but being -desperately hard up for certain information he gave in, and it was -arranged that Jones, the subaltern, should carry out the search. - -A cross-country letter in the west of Ireland will often take nowadays -any time from three to five days to arrive at a town only twenty miles -away, and of the chief reasons of this delay one is that the mails often -lie for twelve to twenty-four hours in a head post office before being -sent out to rural sub-offices for distribution, or in a railway van at -some junction awaiting a connection. This was well known to Blake, who -had often to complain of delay in delivery of official letters, and also -of letters from the “Castle” being frequently opened in the post. - -Examining the mails in the Ballybor Post Office was out of the question, -owing to the almost unbelievable fact that the staff, from the -postmaster to the charwoman who washed out the tiled floors of the post -office every morning, were Sinn Feiners, one and all, so that there only -remained to search the mails in the train. - -At this period the western railways were slowly dying from a creeping -paralysis caused by the engine-drivers and guards refusing to carry the -armed forces of the Crown, quite oblivious of the fact that it was only -possible to pay the railway men’s enormous wages through the Government -subsidy. For a time some lines shut down, but a goods train managed to -reach Ballybor six days a week with mails and the bare necessities of -life for the inhabitants—chiefly porter barrels. By good luck the guard -on this train chanced to be a Loyalist—probably the only one on the -line—and it was arranged with him that the mails should be searched by -Jones while the mail van waited in a siding for several hours at a -junction about sixteen miles from Ballybor. - -Disguised as harvestmen, Jones and his servant were dropped at night -from a Crossley close to the junction and admitted to the mail van by -the guard; they at once set to work with electric torches, the batman -opening the letters, whilst Jones read and made a note of any useful -information, and when they had finished returned in the car to Ballybor -Barracks. - -On returning to the barracks, Blake and Jones went carefully through the -information, and found that one letter addressed to a noted Sinn Feiner, -Mr Pat Hegarty, who lived near a village called Lissamore, about eight -miles away, gave sufficient evidence on which to hang Mr Hegarty. The -writer stated that on the 3rd inst. Hegarty was to expect the arrival of -an officer of the I.R.A. in uniform, who would come from the direction -of Castleport on a bicycle about 10 P.M. Hegarty was to keep this -officer in his house, place the new supply of American arms at his -disposal for ambushes, and the officer would not leave the district -until Blake had been either killed or kidnapped. - -Some months previous to this Blake had been in the south on special -duty, and during his absence, MacNot, the D.I. who relieved him -temporarily, had called a truce with the Volunteers as long as all -appeared well on paper, with the result that the Volunteers had been -able to make full preparations for a second effort to wipe out the -police in the district. Soon after his return to Ballybor Blake heard -strong rumours of a second landing of American arms during his -absence—this time, at night at Ballybor quay—and the letter confirmed -the rumours. - -On the night mentioned in the letter, Blake and Jones, accompanied by a -police sergeant and two constables, left Ballybor Barracks in a car -after dark in the opposite direction to that in which the village of -Lissamore lay, and after going about three miles turned off at a byroad -and proceeded by unfrequented roads, until they reached a small wood -about half a mile from Hegarty’s house on the Castleport road; here they -blocked the road with the car, and waited for their victim. - -There was bright starlight, and punctually at 9.45 they saw a cyclist -approaching from the direction of Castleport; but so dark was it in the -wood that the cyclist only avoided running into the car by throwing -himself off, to be quickly seized by two stalwart policemen before he -could let go of his handle-bars, gagged and well tied up. They then took -him into the wood, removed his uniform, dressed him in an old police -uniform, and finally deposited him at the bottom of the car. - -Jones then put on the Volunteer officer’s uniform, took his bicycle, and -rode on to Hegarty’s house, while the police backed the car up a -bohereen and waited there. Before starting out they had arranged that -Jones should camouflage his English voice by a Yankee twang, as a brogue -was quite beyond his powers. - -On arriving at Hegarty’s house, Jones leant his bicycle against the -wall, and gave three mysterious knocks at the door. For quite two -minutes there was no answer, and just as he was preparing to knock -again, the door opened about three inches, and a girl’s voice asked in a -whisper who was there, and what he wanted at that time of night. - -Now, unfortunately, the letter had not given the name of the I.R.A. -officer, so Jones, being afraid to give a name lest the Hegartys might -know the officer’s real name, muttered that he was a republican officer, -and had come to see Pat Hegarty. The door at once closed, and he could -hear the girl open and close a door at the back of the house, and for -fully ten minutes nothing further occurred. - -This was not part of the play which Jones and Blake had carefully -rehearsed in the barracks that afternoon, and Jones was quite nonplussed -what to do next. Being young and impetuous, he was just on the point of -ruining the whole show by breaking in the door, when it opened and the -girl’s voice told him to come in. - -The room was pitch dark, and for a second Jones hesitated; but the girl -laid her hand on his sleeve, and led him through to a lighted room at -the back, where he found Hegarty with his wife and son about to sit down -to supper. Hegarty bade him welcome, and the meal started. - -After they had eaten for some time in silence, Hegarty asked him several -questions about where he had been recently, and of prominent Volunteers -in other parts of the country. Jones made the best answers he could, not -forgetting to keep up his American accent, and mentioned casually that -he had only recently come over from the States, where his parents had -been living for some years. - -For a time there was silence again, but Jones could feel that the eyes -of Maria Hegarty were on him all the time; and presently she began to -ask most awkward questions about places and people in the States, and -Jones was hard put to it to avoid suspicion. Luckily Maria mentioned -that her friends lived in the Eastern States, so that it was easy for -Jones’s people to live far away in the west, and the situation was -saved. - -Supper over, the women cleared the table and retired, while Hegarty -produced a large jar of poteen and tumblers, and the three men settled -themselves round the fire to drink and talk. For the next two hours -Jones extracted all the information he could out of the Hegartys, who, -though shy at first, warmed up after several glasses of poteen, and -Jones learnt from young Hegarty that the arms were kept under the floors -of a disused Protestant school-house in the rectory grounds at -Cloonalla, the rector of which was a notorious Loyalist, and would have -died sooner than conceal arms knowingly for the rebels. - -At this point Jones, who had never tasted poteen before, suddenly -realised that he was nearly drunk, and that before he became quite drunk -it would be wiser to lie down on a bed. On inquiry, he found that he was -to sleep with young Hegarty, the idea of which so staggered him that he -felt soberer at once, and determined to try and hold out. - -Suddenly there came a violent knocking at the front door, followed by -what sounded like the bang of a rifle-butt on the back door. At once the -Hegartys put out the light, and started to hustle Jones up a ladder to a -loft above the kitchen. - -But by now the poteen had quite got to Jones’s head; and when the police -went into the kitchen, they found old Hegarty and his son still -struggling to get an I.R.A. officer up the ladder. The Hegartys now let -go of Jones, who promptly closed with Blake, and a tremendous struggle -started in the kitchen. - -In a few minutes Jones was overcome, and lay on the floor with a heavy -constable sitting on his chest. Blake then ordered the Hegartys to light -the lamp, and afterwards to stand against the wall with their hands over -their heads, and the constables to take Jones outside and shoot him. But -he had not reckoned on Maria, who burst into the kitchen and with -piercing screams endeavoured to throw her arms round Jones’s neck. Maria -was a strong girl and desperate, and it took Jones and the two -constables all they knew to shake her off and struggle out of the house. - -Luckily Maria did not attempt to leave the house, and ten seconds after -the back door had closed, six revolver shots rang out in quick -succession, followed by the sound of a heavy body falling on wet ground. -After telling Maria and her mother to go to their bedroom, Blake took -Hegarty and his son into the back-yard, and showed them the body of the -unfortunate Volunteer officer thrown by the police on the manure-heap. -During the next half-hour he had little difficulty in getting all the -information he required about local Volunteers (he made no mention of -the arms), and after warning them not to move the corpse, the police -left the house. - -Maria appears to have been greatly taken with Jones’s youthful beauty, -and nearly ruined the whole show again by insisting on her father and -brother going out to bring in the corpse and lay it out in the kitchen. -Luckily the Hegartys were too much afraid, and Jones told Blake -afterwards that the agony of lying with his face buried in liquid manure -was nothing to the agony he suffered listening to the Hegartys arguing -whether his corpse should be left lying on the manure-heap to be eaten -by dogs, or brought into the kitchen and laid out as a “dacent son of -ould Ireland” should be. - -While this argument was still raging a car stopped at the front door, -and again the police rushed into the house, out at the back door, -dragged the corpse off the manure-heap, through the house, and flung it -on top of the real Volunteer officer in the back of the car. After -telling the Hegartys that they would throw the body into the lake, the -police drove off at a furious rate in the direction of Ballybor. - -On returning to barracks, Jones at once rushed off to have a hot bath, -while Blake went to his office to find his two clerks snowed up with -paper, correspondence which had arrived by the goods mail while they had -been out. After they had some food, Jones was all for raiding the rector -of Cloonalla at once; but Blake made the fatal mistake of attending to -the correspondence then, and putting off the raid to the following -night. - -The next night they set out with a strong force of police for the -Cloonalla Rectory, but found, though there were evident signs that their -information had been correct, that the arms had been removed; the rector -was most indignant, and they returned defeated. - -A few nights afterwards, when at dinner, Blake showed Jones the -following paragraph in an Irish paper. - - “A BRUTAL MURDER. - - “On the night of the 3rd inst., about midnight, armed men in - uniform, some of them wearing trenchcoats, raided the house of Mr - Patrick Hegarty, a respectable farmer, who has never been known to - take any active part in politics. Inside these men found a young - man alleged to have been wearing the uniform of an officer in the - I.R.A. - - “This unfortunate young man, without trial of any kind, was at - once dragged outside the house, riddled with bullets, and his body - thrown on a manure-heap in a most callous and brutal manner. - - “After brutally ill-treating Mr Hegarty and his family, the - murderers left, to return again, saying that they would take the - body away and throw it into the lake. Though the lake has been - carefully dragged, no sign of this unhappy youth’s body has yet - been found.” - - - - - XIII. - SEAL ISLAND. - - -Sergeant O’Bryan was as fine a type of the R.I.C. as you would meet in -half a dozen baronies: of magnificent physique, great courage, full of -tact, and with the perfect manners of a true Irishman. - -At the end of 1918 O’Bryan found himself sergeant in charge of -Cloghleagh Barracks, a comfortable thatched house close to the shores of -Lough Moyra, and distant about four miles from Ballybor. - -While at Cloghleagh his principal work consisted of trying to put down -the making of poteen, which was carried on extensively by the -inhabitants of two small islands at the south end of the lake; otherwise -the sergeant was on the best of terms with all the people of the -district, who often appealed to him for advice and help. And as O’Bryan -was a keen fisherman, he often managed to combine business with sport -while out in the police boat. - -Soon after Blake became D.I. at Ballybor, orders were received from the -County Inspector to evacuate Cloghleagh Barracks, and for O’Bryan and -his men to proceed to Ballybor Barracks. As the country round Cloghleagh -had as yet shown no hostility towards the police, and as it was hard to -get a house in any town, O’Bryan asked and obtained leave for his young -wife and family to remain on at Cloghleagh Barracks; and here, not long -after the sergeant had gone, the youngest O’Bryan was born. - -Two days afterwards, on a wet winter’s evening, there came a knock at -the barracks door, and when Mrs O’Bryan asked who was there, a man’s -voice bade her open in the name of the I.R.A. Obeying, she found two -masked men, who covered her with revolvers, and told her they would give -her five minutes to clear out of the barracks before they set it on -fire. - -Mrs O’Bryan had seven children, the eldest about ten years and the -youngest two days old, most of whom were in bed by this time. As fast as -she could she roused and dressed the children; but the five minutes soon -passed, and the men entered and bundled the whole family, some of the -children only half clothed, out into the wet and cold of a winter’s -night. - -Outside Mrs O’Bryan found a large party of Ballybor shop-boys, some of -them wearing black masks, led by four strange gunmen. This party had -arrived in Cloghleagh about an hour before, and had at once proceeded to -picket all roads leading to and from the barracks, and every unfortunate -countryman or woman they met making their way along the roads was at -once seized by the pickets, taken to the barrack-yard, and there placed -face inwards against the wall with their hands on top of their heads. - -As soon as the O’Bryan family had been hustled into the road, the gunmen -threw paraffin and petrol on the thatch of the barracks, set it alight, -and in a very short time the building was a charred ruin. They then -mounted their bicycles and rode off into the night, leaving the -unfortunate O’Bryans to shift for themselves. - -Leaving her family huddled under a hedge, the mother tried to get into -two neighbouring houses; but the blighting curse of the I.R.A. was on -her and hers, and not a house would even open its door, let alone take -them in. In the end she saw that it was hopeless, and returning to her -children, did her best to keep them warm with her own body and the few -blankets she had managed to bring out of the barracks. And here they -spent the night like the beasts of the fields. - -Next morning some countryman, braver than the rest, brought word to the -Ballybor Barracks of the burning at Cloghleagh, and Sergeant O’Bryan -arrived on the scene to find his wife and family perished and starving. -Such is the mercy of the I.R.A. for the little children of the R.I.C. - -O’Bryan took his family back to Ballybor Barracks, where they were fed -and warmed; but in Ireland nowadays a police barracks is no place for -little children and women, and before night they must leave. In vain the -sergeant tried to find lodgings; he might as well have tried to swim the -Atlantic. Every door was slammed in his face directly he made his -appeal. But the good Samaritan is not yet extinct in Ireland, and at -last the sergeant found a refuge for his family in the empty gardener’s -lodge of Ballybor House. - -While being turned out of Cloghleagh Barracks, Mrs O’Bryan had -recognised two of the incendiaries, who had taken their masks off, as -two prominent Sinn Fein shop-boys of Ballybor, afterwards telling her -husband their names—Martin Walsh and Peter Lynch—and the sergeant never -forgot them. - -On a glorious June day Blake was leaning over the parapet of the lower -bridge crossing the Owenmore river in Ballybor, watching the fishermen -hauling in a net full of silvery grilse, and wishing that he could -accept an invitation to fish at Ardcumber. After a time his eye wandered -to a fleet of boats below the bridge, some anchored, while others were -attached to mooring buoys. From force of habit he started to count them, -and on finding that there were no less than thirty-seven, he began to -make out their total carrying capacity, which roughly came to the high -figure of three hundred. - -On the following Sunday he happened to be crossing the same bridge at -about ten in the morning, and stopped to look at three boats, packed -with young men, a few carrying fishing-rods, starting off down the -river. The fishing-rods were there right enough, but something seemed -wrong; the men looked too purposeful, and, moreover, eight or nine young -men in a boat with a couple of rods is an unusual sight. - -Blake watched the boats disappearing fast down the river, and wondered -what would be the right word to substitute for fishing. After a while he -realised that there was not a boat left on the river, and, further, that -if all the boats had carried as many passengers as the three he had just -seen start, over three hundred young men from Ballybor had gone -a-fishing that Sunday morning, the majority of whom, if not all of them, -were shop-boys, the most dangerous element in the town. - -The barracks commanded a good view of the reach of the river where the -boats were usually moored, and next Sunday at an early hour Blake told -off Sergeant O’Bryan with a pair of field-glasses to report how many -boats and how many men went out a-fishing. At eleven o’clock the -sergeant reported that, as usual, all the thirty-seven boats had -started, carrying two hundred and fifty young men, and that among them -he had recognised most of the prominent Sinn Fein shop-boys of the town. -But he did not add that he had seen Walsh and Lynch. - -Five miles below Ballybor the Owenmore river, from being roughly two -hundred yards wide, suddenly becomes an inland sea, with a width of over -three miles and a length of a mile. Between this inland water and the -open sea runs a long narrow range of sand-hills, commonly known as Seal -Island, nearly three miles long and with an average width of four -hundred yards. - -Blake came to the conclusion that the fishing expeditions every Sunday -must be connected with this lonely island; but except for drilling—and -sand-dunes did not seem a suitable place for a parade—he could think of -nothing to which this island would lend itself. Moreover, he knew that -if he tried to find out what was going on by observing from the -mainland, he would be spotted and the alarm given, and that if he tried -to approach the island in a boat from the seaside the fishermen from -Dooncarra would give him away. - -In the end it was settled to wait until the following Sunday, when -Sergeant O’Bryan made his way across country before daylight and hid -himself in the tower of an old abbey on the shore of the inland sea, -from which the greater part of Seal Island was visible. On the Sunday -night he returned to barracks, and reported that the “fishermen” had all -landed at the little pier on the south side of the island, left a small -guard over the boats, and made their way into the sand-hills, where they -were hidden from his view. Some time afterwards, muffled intermittent -rifle-fire started, and continued at intervals for several hours, after -which the “fishermen” returned to their boats, and rowed back leisurely -to Ballybor on the flood tide. - -But before Blake could tackle the mystery of Seal Island, he had to turn -his attention to a flying column of the I.R.A. which was reported to be -making its way towards Ballybor. On the Sunday evening when O’Bryan -returned from the old abbey, word was brought in by a Loyalist that the -flying column had been seen that day in the Ballyrick mountains, and had -taken up its quarters in the empty house of Mr Padraig O’Faherty, member -of Dail Eireann for the Ballybor country, who had been for some time -past an unwilling guest of the British Government somewhere in England. - -Padraig O’Faherty’s house was (advisably was) situated in the middle of -a desolate valley in the mountains twenty miles from Ballyrick and the -same distance from Ballybor, and could only be approached by a bog road, -which winds through mountains and moors without passing a single human -habitation for the last eight miles. Moreover, there was not a tree -within fifteen miles of the house, so that any attempt at surprise, or -even attack, during the day-time was out of the question. At the first -sight of a Crossley—and they had a three-mile view of the road both ways -from the house—the flying column would simply dissolve into the -mountains, probably to reappear the next day attacking a police barrack -fifty miles the other side of Ballybor. A good example of the kind of -problem the R.I.C. has to solve daily in the wild parts of the west. - -That night Blake left Ballybor with an advance-guard of police on -bicycles, and making a detour of the town, timed himself to arrive at -O’Faherty’s house just before daylight, having arranged that Jones -should follow in the Crossleys with his platoon of Blankshires and as -many police as could be spared. - -Arriving too soon, they hid their bicycles in some high heather near the -road, and as soon as it was light enough took up positions at different -points round the house, so that every avenue of escape would be swept by -their rifle-fire, and waited for the main body to arrive. - -As the sky became light, smoke could be seen rising from some of the -chimneys, a suspicious sign at that hour of the morning, and shortly -afterwards four young men appeared at the door, yawning and stretching -themselves. After examining the valley in every direction with -field-glasses, they proceeded to bring about forty bicycles out of a -stable and park them in military formation outside, after which they -re-entered the house. - -During the next hour nothing happened, and just as Blake had given up -all hope of the main body arriving and was thinking of trying to rush -the house with his small force, a large party of men started to leave -the house and make for the bicycles, and Blake was forced to give the -order to open fire. - -Several men were seen to drop at once, while the rest rushed back into -the house, carrying their wounded with them, and in a minute heavy fire -was opened from every window in the house on the police positions, the -firing of a single shot by a policeman being the signal for a hail of -bullets in that direction. - -Blake was now getting very anxious at the non-arrival of Jones’s party, -fearing that instead of capturing the flying column, the Volunteers -might capture the police; and in order to deceive them, ordered his men -to withhold their fire unless the Volunteers tried to rush them. At last -Jones turned up, having been delayed repeatedly by punctures, and -completed a strong cordon round the house. - -Blake now attempted to draw the cordon closer, but every time the police -and soldiers tried to advance by short rushes under heavy covering fire, -the Volunteers opened such accurate fire from every window, including -machine-gun fire from one of the upper rooms, that he had to desist. -Eventually the soldiers silenced the machine-gun with their Lewis guns. - -After getting to within three hundred yards of the house, Blake found -that, owing to the formation of the ground, it would be impossible to -advance any nearer without very heavy losses, and refused to allow Jones -to make an assault with his men until all other means of reducing the -place had failed. - -The day was now wearing on, and for several hours the situation had -remained a complete deadlock. The Volunteers were obviously marking time -until darkness set in, when they would stand a good chance of slipping -through the cordon; and Blake fully realised that if he did not win -during daylight, he would surely lose in the dark. - -Blake and Jones lay in the heather close together, arguing as to whether -they should try to assault the house or not. Jones was keen to try, -while Blake feared a failure with heavy losses. The day was by now -blazing hot, with a steady south wind, and Jones, after lighting a -cigarette, carelessly threw the match away alight, and in a second the -dry heather took fire, and was only extinguished with great difficulty. -But the fire had given Blake the idea he had been hunting for so long. - -Collecting all the matches that the men possessed, Jones made his way -round to the south side of the house, and distributed them amongst all -the men there, who, at a given signal, set fire to the heather in front -of them, and as soon as the house was enveloped in a cloud of smoke, the -whole force charged for the house. As soon as they got within range, the -police hurled Mills’ bombs through every window, and the soldiers then -dashed in with fixed bayonets, but the bombs had done the work. - -They found that the Volunteers had suffered heavily, hardly a man -escaping a bomb splinter or a Lewis-gun bullet, and the question was how -to remove so many wounded. In the house they found bed and bedding for -fully forty men, and a great supply of fresh and tinned food; also -rifles (chiefly Mauser), American shot-guns, automatics, revolvers, a -quantity of ammunition, and a good stock of home-made bombs in a kind of -cellar. - -Not having enough transport, Blake sent off a fast car to ask for help -from the County Inspector. Before leaving, Blake blew up Mr Padraig -O’Faherty’s house with the Volunteers’ bombs, and the party returned to -Ballybor before dark, victorious, but worn out. - -As soon as they had had some sleep, Blake and Jones started to work out -their plans for a surprise attack on Seal Island the following Sunday, -and found that they had a difficult task before them. - -Except at the east and west ends of the island, where the two channels -of the river cut through the ridge of sand-hills, all approaches were -visible for a long distance, and any idea of surprise out of the -question. On the other hand, if an attempt was made to cross the -channels, the Volunteers would have ample time to reach their boats at -the pier in the middle of the south shore and so escape, while at a low -tide it was possible to walk across at one point to the mainland. - -In the end they gave it up, and went to consult the C.I., who decided to -call in the assistance of the Navy. - -On Sunday morning Sergeant O’Bryan duly reported that the boats had gone -down the river, as usual with full crews. The previous night a destroyer -had crept into the bay with all lights covered, and after landing a -large party of bluejackets on Seal Island, had left again. - -After allowing sufficient time for the Volunteers to land and get to -work, Blake followed in a commandeered motor-launch, and at the same -time Jones left the barracks with his platoon in two Crossleys, each -with a Lewis gun, one party making for the western mouth of the river, -and the other for the eastern, where they proceeded to take up positions -covering all escape across the channels. - -About three hundred yards from the pier on Seal Island, Blake and his -men landed on a small round green island called Gannet Island, and took -up positions covering the boats lying alongside the pier. Directly they -landed, a small group of men were seen to leave the pier and disappear -into the sand-dunes. Meanwhile the launch, with a machine-gun mounted in -the bows, proceeded to patrol along the south shore of the island over -the shallow water. - -After a short time heavy firing broke out in the sand-hills and then -died down, to break out again as a large body of Volunteers streamed -towards the pier; but before they could reach their boats, Blake’s men -on Gannet Island opened fire on them, and the launch sprayed them well -with its machine-gun. The Volunteers seemed nonplussed and at a loss -what to do; but the bluejackets, advancing in open order with fixed -bayonets from the sand-hills, quickly decided them, and they made for -the east end of the island, disappearing into a hollow followed by the -bluejackets. - -Again heavy firing broke out from the direction of the hollow, and -continued at intervals for over an hour. Fearing that something was -wrong, Blake then embarked his men on the launch, and after landing at -the pier, proceeded in the direction of the firing, to find the -Volunteers holding a large house which so far the sailors had failed to -take. - -The house came as a surprise to the police, none of whom had ever set -foot on the island before, and there seemed every prospect of another -deadlock. The house was old, well built, and commanded a fine field of -fire in every direction. - -But sailors are handy men, and after a consultation with Blake, the -lieutenant in command decided to signal to his destroyer, which had -anchored in the bay again, to open fire with her guns on the house. -After trying in vain to get a direct view of the house, the destroyer -opened indirect fire, a sailor on a high sand-hill signalling the result -of each shot. Unfortunately the house was so sheltered by the sides of -the hollow that nothing short of a howitzer could have reached it. - -But the sailors were not beaten. After putting farther out to sea, the -destroyer tried again, and this time at the third shot got home with a -direct hit, and in a few minutes it was seen that the house was on fire. - -Sailors and police now held their fire, and waited for the exciting -moment when the Volunteers would be forced by the flames to bolt. A -quarter of an hour, half an hour passed, but not a Volunteer bolted from -the now fiercely burning house. At last the roof fell in with a crash -and shower of sparks, and every man gripped his rifle, thinking that at -last the rebels would be smoked out; but nothing happened. They had -either vanished into thin air or were roasted alive. Still the sailors -and police waited on, thinking that in the end somebody must come out. -Without any warning one gable-end of the house suddenly fell outwards, -and simultaneously firing broke out from the east channel of the river, -about five hundred yards away. - -The spell was now broken, and every man dashed in the direction of the -firing. When they reached high ground they could see many of the -Volunteers swimming across the channel, while those who could not swim -were running towards the north side of the island. - -The half-platoon of the Blankshires, with Sergeant O’Bryan as a guide, -had taken up their position in the sand-hills on the mainland commanding -the passage across the east channel, and had only been interested -spectators of parts of the battle up to the time the gable fell, when, -to their astonishment, they suddenly saw the Volunteers streaming out of -the sand-hills and dashing into the river in front of them. - -Foremost among the swimmers Sergeant O’Bryan saw, to his great joy, the -heads of Walsh and Lynch, their foot-long hair floating like manes -behind them, and knew that his enemies had been delivered into his -hands. By the time the swimmers reached the mainland, and found -themselves covered by the rifles and Lewis gun of the soldiers, they had -had enough, and put up their hands of their own accord. - -The sailors and police now beat the island towards the west end, and -after a hard scramble over the sand-hills captured the remaining -Volunteers. - -A careful search of the place where the Volunteers had suddenly appeared -out of the ground showed that there was an underground passage running -from the house to within a short distance of the shore, probably used in -former days for smuggling purposes. - -A further search explained the reason of the Volunteers’ Sunday visits -to the island. In a valley of the sand-hills they found an up-to-date -rifle-range, and afterwards learnt that it had been built during the -early part of the war, and frequently used for firing musketry courses -by units of the New Armies training in Ireland. - - - - - XIV. - A FAMILY AFFAIR. - - -The mac Nessa, Prince of Murrisk, claimed descent from one of the Nine -Hostages; and though proud of his lineage, he was still prouder of the -boast that, up to comparatively recent times, not one of his ancestors -had died in his bed. A violent death in some form or other, chiefly the -“middoge,” accounting for one and all. - -Murrisk Abbey is a modern house, as old places go in Ireland, but in the -grounds there are the ruins of a very old castle, built in the days when -the O’Fogartys ruled a countryside as far horse could gallop in any -direction during the hours of daylight. Here the mac Nessa had spent -most of his life, hunting, shooting, fishing, and farming, and -incidentally bringing up a family of two sons and four daughters. - -Both the sons, Cormac and Dominic, had served during the war in the -British Army. Dominic willingly and eagerly, and Cormac, the elder, only -because he feared his father, who was a staunch Loyalist. - -The spring of 1919 found the two brothers at home. Cormac for good and -all as he believed, and Dominic until he could decide how and where to -make a living. - -In England there is nowadays a large class whose one and only object in -life appears to be to take sides with any and every enemy of their -country, be he Boer, Boche, Bolshevik, or Sinn Feiner. This party never -ceases to aid and abet these enemies by every means in their power, -short of endangering their own skins, and at the same time never let an -opportunity pass of accusing our soldiers and police (in Ireland) of -every abominable crime which man has been known to commit. During the -war this class of Englishmen greatly puzzled and irritated the French, -as they have every nation that has ever admired the British as a race. A -French interpreter once said to a British officer, “Many of your race -are noble, the rest are swine.” - -In Ireland, by some lucky chance, we have escaped this detestable and -despicable breed of man, to whom a sincere rebel is infinitely -preferable, but at the same time we have a class of men and women who -are first cousins to them. In many good Irish families, noted for -generations past for their unswerving loyalty, there is often one member -who is an out-and-out rebel. Luckily he or she has generally less brains -than the rest of the family, and is looked upon as a harmless lunatic, -and one of the crosses which have to be borne in the world. - -A plausible reason often advanced for this sporadic appearance of a -rebel in a loyal family is the complete lack of conversation at the -dinner-table, once sport has been exhausted, when all members of a -family see eye to eye in politics; and as a “mutual admiration society” -quickly palls on many young men and women, one member expresses contrary -political opinions to the others out of pure cussedness, and the anger -and recriminations of the rest quickly turn the bored jibber into a -red-hot rebel. - -Not many weeks after the brothers had returned home from the war, -Cormac, who had spent many hours of his youth reading books and -pamphlets on the wrongs England had inflicted on Ireland instead of -hunting and shooting, and had even appeared at breakfast once in a weird -ginger-coloured kilt, raised the red flag of Sinn Fein one evening at -the dinner-table. Probably he did it from sheer boredom, hoping to draw -his father into a wordy argument and so pass the time. The result, -however, had a far-reaching effect on the lives of both Cormac and -Dominic. - -The mac Nessa was a big man and Cormac was not, and but for the -intervention of Dominic, the elder son would probably have had an -unpleasant and painful eviction from the dinner-table. However, the old -chieftain controlled himself with a great effort, but as soon as the -servants had withdrawn he ordered Cormac to leave the house the -following morning for good and all, and in a sullen rage Cormac stalked -out of the room. - -Leaving word with the butler to pack his kit, Cormac made his way to the -house of the parish priest, about two and a half miles from the abbey, -where, being a Roman Catholic, he hoped to receive sympathy. - -If there is one Church in the world which might be expected to range -itself wholeheartedly on the side of law and order it is the Church of -Rome, whose very existence depends on obedience, and it must have been a -source of wonder to many English people why, at the very beginning of -the Sinn Fein movement, this Church did not at once come into the open -and denounce Sinn Fein from the altar in plain and unmistakable terms. -Any thinking priest must know that under a semi-Bolshevik republic the -power of the Roman Catholic Church would be gone, and gone for ever. - -Cormac found the old priest kind and gentle as ever, but firm in his -refusal to listen to any Sinn Fein views, and in a fresh rage he left to -make his way to the curate’s lodging in a neighbouring farmhouse, and -here he was received with open arms. - -The curate quickly perceived what a valuable recruit Cormac might make, -and before he left to spend his last night at the abbey, took advantage -of the boy’s excited mood to make him swear to join the I.R.A. - -After a very early breakfast, Cormac left his home on the fifteen-mile -drive to Ballybor, where he caught the mail train for Dublin, his heart -full of hatred of his family, and his mind set on revenge. - -A week of dirty Dublin lodgings convinced Cormac that he had made a fool -of himself, and putting his pride in his pocket, he wrote to his father -asking to be allowed to return home. By return of post came a -typewritten post-card from the mac Nessa to the effect that while he -lived no rebel should ever darken his door. - -That evening two strangers called at his rooms, and after making certain -of his identity, explained that a message had been received at the Sinn -Fein headquarters in Dublin from Father Michael of Murrisk that Cormac -was prepared to join in the Sinn Fein movement, and offering him a -high-sounding position. Cormac’s vanity was flattered, and he accepted -at once. - -Knowing that Cormac’s name would carry great weight with many -half-hearted supporters and waverers, the Sinn Fein leaders employed him -solely on propaganda work, sending him to every part of the country, not -excepting the north, to speak at meetings, and always taking good care -that his name appeared in large letters on the posters, and kind friends -were not wanting to send the mac Nessa cuttings of his son’s speeches -from every Irish and English paper in which they appeared. - -During his travels Cormac at different times met in trains and hotels -many friends of his own class, who one and all, to their great credit, -refused to speak to him, and this treatment embittered him still more -against all Loyalists, more especially against his father and brother. - -After one trip to a town in the south, where he had tried to enter a -club, and had been ejected by the hall porter, he offered himself on his -return to Dublin for “active service,” and was at once sent to the -Ballybor district to organise outrages, the Sinn Fein leaders knowing -that the name of O’Fogarty was one to conjure with in that country even -in these days. - -In the meantime Dominic had been asked by the authorities to join the -newly-formed Auxiliary Division of the R.I.C., in order that his -knowledge of the Ballybor country might be utilised, and after a short -training in Dublin found himself quartered in Ballybor with a platoon of -Cadets. - -By a coincidence the two brothers arrived in Ballybor within a week of -each other, Cormac an avowed Sinn Feiner, and Dominic an officer in the -Auxiliaries, who were about to take on the rebels at their own breed of -warfare. - -Every kind of news travels fast in country districts in Ireland, and -within twelve hours of the brothers’ arrival it is doubtful if you could -have found, even in the mountains of Ballyrick, a child who did not know -of the O’Fogartys’ return. Moreover, there is nothing an Irishman loves -more than a fight, and one between two brothers of the best-known family -in three counties, with armed men at their back, was something worth -looking forward to, even in these days of murder and outrage. And at -local race-meetings in the west bets were freely taken on the issue of -the fight between Cormac and Dominic O’Fogarty. - -All thought of King or Republic was now completely forgotten in -Ballybor, and for many miles around the countryside was divided into two -camps. Most of the Volunteers, all nominally, were for Cormac, whilst -all Loyalists and a good many Volunteers secretly supported Dominic, -with the result that, so keen were both sides to outmanœuvre each other, -the police obtained far more information than they had for a long time -past. - -Dominic made up his mind to take the offensive straight away, and -learning from one of his Volunteer sympathisers that his brother, when -in Ballybor, always slept in the house of a man called Ryan, made -arrangements to raid the place, and at any rate to put Cormac out of -action for some time to come. - -However, Cormac learning of his brother’s kindly intention, thought that -it would be an excellent opportunity to raid Murrisk for arms on that -particular night, and incidentally to get some of his own back from his -father. Leaving Ballybor as soon as it was dark with a dozen men, they -bicycled to Murrisk, and after parking their machines in a wood near the -main road, proceeded to knock up the house. The butler opened the door, -but did not recognise Cormac in a mask, though his walk seemed vaguely -familiar to him. - -The mac Nessa was no coward, and on entering the inner hall, the raiders -found themselves covered by the old man with a double-barrelled -shot-gun. Cormac had expected that his father would show fight, and -knowing where the electric light switch was in the hall, had arranged -with his men that when he turned the light off they should throw -themselves flat on the floor. - -As the light went out the mac Nessa fired both barrels, which went -harmlessly over the raiders’ heads, and before he could reload they had -him down and tied up. Cormac then turned on the light, and by now, -half-mad with rage and excitement, would have gone for his father; but -his men kept him back, and when they had secured all the arms in the -house under Cormac’s directions, they hustled him away. - -In the meantime Dominic with a party of Cadets had raided Ryan’s house, -but, of course, drew blank. - -Early the next morning a mounted messenger brought word to the barracks -in Ballybor that Cormac and a party of armed and masked men had raided -Murrisk during the night and removed all arms and ammunition. That -afternoon Dominic put up large notices all over Ballybor to the effect -that if he caught Cormac in the town he would horsewhip him in the -market-place. - -Both the town and countryside were in a wild state of excitement after -the Murrisk raid, Cormac’s supporters acclaiming his victory, while -Dominic’s could only reply, “Wait and see.” And so keen were Dominic’s -party to help their man, that information of every possible kind and -description literally poured into the barracks by every post. - -Like children, as ever, the people quickly forgot that they were either -Loyalists or rebels, the blood-feud between the two brothers being far -more interesting and exciting; and it is probable that, if only -sufficient arms had been forthcoming on both sides, the brothers’ feud -would have developed into a pitched battle, and if the police had -interfered both parties would then have joined forces and turned on the -common enemy. - -After leaving Murrisk, Cormac, knowing that Ballybor would now be too -hot for him, made for some caves in the Slievenamoe Mountains to the -east of the town, and here he remained. Some time before these caves had -been fitted up like dug-outs in France, while the food supply gave no -difficulty, every house at the foot of the mountains having to supply -rations on requisition for any gunmen using these caves. Here Cormac had -plenty of time on his hands, and thought out a clever plan to put -Dominic out of action. - -Shortly before Cormac raided Murrisk, a new and simple manager had -arrived at one of the Ballybor banks. The arrival of a new bank manager -in an Irish provincial town is always the signal for all in financial -difficulties to get busy and try their luck with the fresh arrival, and -amongst the new manager’s first visitors came the Urban Council, who by -sheer bluff managed to get their already big overdraft increased by some -thousand pounds. A fresh election being within sight, they then -proceeded to borrow a derelict steam-roller from the County Council, who -had practically ceased to function, and to spend the money steam-rolling -the streets of Ballybor. In this way they hoped to catch the votes of -the labourers by the payment of high wages, and of the shopkeepers and -owners of cars by improved streets. - -Being in a great hurry to get on with the good work, they forgot that -the streets had never been steam-rolled before, and that the gas-and -water-pipes were very near the surface, with the result that for every -yard of street the roller passed over one or more gas- or water-pipes -burst, and the town soon smelt like the inside of a gas-works. - -The consequent proceedings give a very fair idea of the Celtic capacity -for public affairs, and of how the country would be run under “Home -Rule,” or any other kind of rule except the “Union.” - -Instead of stopping the steam-rolling until all mains and pipes had been -relaid at a sufficient depth to resist the rolling, they solemnly -proceeded to roll, burst, and mend from one end of the main street to -the other, to the huge delight of all the local plumbers, who also had -votes. - -Luckily the money was exhausted by the time the main street was -finished, and though the greater part of the surface was excellent, the -ridges made by digging up the pipes at intervals would break the axle of -an unsuspecting stranger’s car, to the great benefit of the local -garages. - -The police barracks at Ballybor are situated in a “cul-de-sac” off the -main street, at the corners of which stand the principal hotel and a -bank, and all cars going to or from the barracks must pass this corner. - -Word was brought to Cormac in his mountain dug-out that his brother left -Ballybor Barracks early every morning with a Crossley full of Cadets, -and that they spent the whole day and often most of the night searching -the surrounding country for him. Before leaving Ballybor he had -witnessed the steam-rolling comic opera, and bicycling by night to -Ballybor, he lay up during the day, got in touch with a plumber, -borrowed his tools and barrow, and late that afternoon (in the plumber’s -clothes, and slouch hat pulled well over his face) started to dig up the -road between the bank and the hotel. - -Human nature always seems to regard the digging up of a street in the -light of a huge joke, and during his work Cormac was not only chaffed by -the bank manager and the hotel loafers, but by the police themselves. -When it was dusk he was joined by a Volunteer with a charge of -gelignite, which had been raided from a Government ship off the -south-east coast and brought to the west by car, and the two proceeded -to lay a contact-mine in the centre of the road. They then filled in the -earth, returned the tools and barrow to the plumber, and bicycled back -to the mountains. - -While Cormac was busy laying his mine, Dominic and Blake were poring -over an Ordnance-map in the barracks not sixty yards away. Having come -to the conclusion that it was quite useless to search the countryside -piecemeal, and hearing a rumour of what was going on in the mountains -through one of the forced food contractors having made a bitter -complaint to a passing police patrol, they were now planning to surround -the southern half of the Slievenamoe Mountains, and organising a great -drive, and the next two days were spent working out the details. - -About 9 A.M. a mineral-water lorry, in order to turn, backed up the -cul-de-sac, and the mine being well and truly laid, disappeared in a -sheet of flame, wrecking the bank and hotel. Hardly had the sound of the -explosion died away, and before the police left the barracks to -investigate, every young man in Ballybor of the shopkeeper class had his -bicycle out and was off as hard as he could pedal. A Volunteer greatly -resembles a mountain hare: directly the hunt is up he makes at top speed -for high ground, and the harder you press both the faster they leg it up -the mountains. Blake and Dominic managed to control their men, and no -reprisals followed, the only arrest being the unfortunate plumber who -had lent his outfit to Cormac, and whose bicycle had been “borrowed” by -an agitated shop-boy. - -At the present time a big drive in the west presents great difficulties. -Very few, often none, of the R.I.C. or Auxiliaries know anything of the -many wild and mountainous parts in their districts, and the soldiers are -invariably complete strangers. - -To reconnoitre the ground beforehand is out of the question, and it is -difficult to induce reliable guides to act. - -The part of the mountains Blake and Dominic had selected to drive lay -about nine miles due east of Ballybor, divided by a deep pass from the -remainder of the range to the north, and ending in a wild rocky valley -intersected by the Owenmore river to the south, and the total area to be -covered was about eighteen square miles of mountains, glens, cliffs, and -bogs. It was not possible to start operations before 3 A.M. (the month -being August), and they would have to stop soon after 11 P.M. (summer -time), which gave them roughly twenty hours to beat the eighteen square -miles. - -Taking the total number of troops at their disposal, Blake divided them -into groups of six, giving them nearly a hundred groups. Then Dominic -picked out from a contoured Ordnance-map the same number of points -surrounding the mountains, from all of which there was a good view and -field of fire, and it was arranged that as many groups as possible -should have either a Vickers machine-gun or a Lewis gun. - -The actual drive was to be carried out by the police. The Cadets under -Dominic were to start from the north end in a crescent formation and -advance towards the highest point, which lay nearly in the centre of the -area, while the R.I.C. under Blake were to advance from the south. - -Dominic knew every yard of the mountains, having shot grouse there with -his brother since boyhood, but the difficulty was to procure a guide for -Blake’s party, none of whom had ever set foot on the mountains. With -much persuasion, however, Dominic at last induced a man, who had been -one of the mac Nessa’s game-watchers on the mountains for years, to act -as guide. This man had to be promised a large sum of money, and to save -him from the revenge of Sinn Fein, it was arranged that directly after -the drive he should be safely got away to enlist in the British Army -under an assumed name, and, if he wished, be sent straight off to India. - -All officers and N.C.O.’s were given maps showing the position of every -group marked, and it was arranged that the police should be in position -at 3 A.M. and the troops half an hour later. A few days before the date -fixed for the drive Dominic and his Auxiliaries disappeared from -Ballybor, and it was given out that they had gone to Co. Cork. - -Sharp at 3 A.M., on a perfect August day, the drive began. Dominic and -the Cadets had to start from the shores of a large lake lying in a cup -at the top of the pass, and climb a thousand feet before reaching the -first valley in the mountains. At the top they halted for a breather and -to admire the wonderful view. To the east the summer sun was fast -rising, all around them stretched miles of heather-clad hills, and away -to the north-west lay the sea, a pearly grey-blue in the fast growing -light. - -After a rest Dominic got his men into formation, spreading them out as -far as possible without losing touch, while he kept a small party in the -rear to go to any threatened point where the gunmen might try to break -through the cordon. The Cadets had brought their signallers with them, -equipped with a heliograph and flags, who remained with the reserve -party. - -On reaching higher ground Dominic could see with his glasses the small -groups of soldiers taking up their positions, while far away in the -plain to the eastward the Owenmore river wound like a blue thread -through the dark bogland. A Cadet on his left nearly walked on a pack of -grouse, which swung right-handed, passing within twenty yards of -Dominic, and reminding him vividly of other days. - -Very soon the Cadets began to feel the heat of the sun, and the hard -going began to tell on several of them. Sitting in a Crossley is bad -training for walking a grouse mountain. - -After going about a mile and a half a party of men were seen in front -making eastward at full speed down a valley, the end of which Dominic -knew was held by a group of soldiers with a machine-gun. Halting his -men, he then brought his right wing well round so as to cut off the -gunmen’s retreat to the west should they attempt to break back. - -The fleeing gunmen were soon lost sight of in dead ground, but presently -the sound of firing was heard from the far end of the valley, and after -a time the gunmen were seen retreating across the Cadets’ front, and -making as hard as they could for the west side of the mountains. - -At this point Blake’s men came in sight from the south, and quickly -getting in touch with the Cadets’ right wing, completed the cordon. The -gunmen, seeing that they were surrounded and all retreat cut off, split -up into two parties, took up positions on two kopjes, and waited for the -attack. - -As a frontal attack would have entailed heavy loss, and seeing that -there was another kopje on Blake’s side which would command and enfilade -the gunmen’s positions, Dominic ordered the Cadets to pin the gunmen -down by their fire, and at the same time sent a signaller to Blake -telling him to occupy the commanding kopje. This Blake did, and also -sent to the nearest group of soldiers for a machine-gun. - -The fight lasted for two hours, and though the gunmen were always -subject to a hot fire, and several times a man was seen to spring into -the air and collapse in the heather, yet they stuck it gamely until the -machine-gun was brought up and opened a heavy fire on both kopjes; the -remaining gunmen then stood up and put up their hands. - -On the two kopjes the police found twelve dead gunmen and twenty-eight -prisoners, eighteen of whom were wounded. And amongst the dead Dominic -found Cormac, shot through the heart. - -After arranging for the burial of the dead (with the exception of -Cormac, who was carried down the mountain-side on a stretcher) and the -removal of the prisoners, Dominic took a party of Cadets to search some -caves which he knew of about half a mile to the south-west. Here, as he -expected, he found that the gunmen had been living in comparative -comfort. One cave had been used as a living-room and contained chairs -and tables, while two smaller inner ones were fitted up with bunks in -tiers like a Boche dug-out, and had heather for bedding. - -Towards evening the worn-out Cadets got back to their Crossleys on the -pass road which ran along the north shore of the lake; and after leaving -a party with a searchlight mounted on a tender to stop any stray gunmen -escaping during the night on bicycles by the road to the east, Dominic -started for Murrisk in a Crossley with his brother’s body. - -Many an evening the two brothers had driven home together over the same -road after a happy day’s grouse-shooting, never dreaming that their last -journey together would be to bring Cormac’s body to the home of their -ancestors. - -The mac Nessa met the party in the great hall of Murrisk, and his -ancestors looking down from the walls must surely have thought that they -were back again in their own times of everlasting war and sudden death. - - - - - XV. - THE AMERICAN NURSE. - - -In the early ‘eighties there lived in the Cloonalla district a small -farmer named Peter Walsh, who was what is generally called in the west a -bad farmer, which is simply the Irish way of saying that he was lazy and -good-for-nothing, and for several years Walsh had been in the clutches -of the Cloonalla gombeen man, the local big shopkeeper. - -The ways of the gombeen man are quite simple and usually most -successful, the success largely depending on a run of bad potato crops, -as generally after two successive failures the majority of the farmers -in a poor mountainous district have no money at all. They are thus -forced to go to the gombeen wallah, who advances them so much money, -according to the size of their farm and their capacity for drink, as a -mortgage on the farm at a high rate of interest. But instead of paying -them money he gives credit for goods, and there is a verbal agreement -that he will not foreclose as long as the farmer deals solely with him -and makes no bones about the prices he is charged. Formerly this was the -terrible millstone which used to hang for life round the necks of many -western peasants. - -However, Walsh’s millstone troubled him not one bit, and he “staggered” -along for several years until there came a sequence of three bad and -indifferent crops, which finished him completely. Seeing that Walsh was -not going to make any effort, the gombeen man closed on the farm, and -Peter, the wife, and their one child, Bridget, aged three years, left -Ireland for America, illogically cursing the British Government for -their own sins and those of the gombeen devil. - -Now the gombeen man had no use for Peter’s farm himself, so he proceeded -to make Peter’s brother, Michael, drunk one Saturday night in his shop, -and made the farm over to him with the former conditions, not forgetting -to double the mortgage. - -In due course Michael died without kith or kin saving Bridget, now a -hospital nurse in New York, who one day received a letter from a -Ballybor solicitor informing her of her uncle’s death, and that she was -the sole heiress to his two farms in Cloonalla, and asking for -instructions. - -From her youth upwards Nurse Bridget had heard nothing but abuse of the -so-called English tyranny in Ireland—in fact, up to the time when she -went to be trained hospital nurse, her only knowledge of England and -Ireland was the thousand and one supposed wrongs which Ireland had -suffered at the hands of England since the days of Cromwell, and her one -ambition in life was to see the downfall of the British Empire, and with -that the freedom of her fatherland. In America, the Irish children find -plenty of mentors of hate of England, both among their own people and -the Germans. - -In time, when Bridget began to earn some money as a nurse, she joined -every Irish anti-British society, secret and otherwise, she could, and -at the time of her leaving the States to take over her uncle’s farms -possessed more wonderful and weird badges and medallions than she could -conveniently wear at once: incidentally the societies relieved her of -most of her earnings “to provide powder and shot for ould Ireland.” - -On the liner, Bridget met many of her race, mostly men and women who had -worked hard for some years in the States and saved enough money to -return to Ireland, where they hoped to buy a small farm or shop and -never to wander any more. One and all were longing to be in Ireland once -again, and not one ever mentioned a word of the “brutal English tyranny” -until Bridget started the subject. - -Bridget landed at Queenstown, made her way to Cork, and set out on the -long and tedious cross-country railway journey to the west. At the best -of times the journey is a slow one, but during 1920 it became much worse -owing to the great uncertainty of any train reaching its destination. -Trains were even known to stand in a station for days on end while the -driver, the stoker, the guard, and the station employees argued and -re-argued what they would do and what they would not do. - -Twice during the journey Bridget had glimpses of the brutal British -soldiery when two military parties wished to travel on the train, and -the driver and guard refused to start until the armed assassins of the -British Government left. At first Bridget was slightly confused; no -doubt the soldiers were terrible blackguards, but at the time they -seemed to be quiet and inoffensive, and she remembered frequently having -seen American soldiers in the trains in the States, and the drivers and -guards there made no objection. - -However, a fellow-passenger explained to her that the soldiers used the -Irish railways to go from one part of the country to another in order to -murder the unfortunate soldiers of the Republican Army, and that the -guard and driver, as became good citizens and soldiers of the Irish -Republic, were quite right to refuse to aid and abet the British by -carrying them on the train. - -At a junction some thirty miles from Ballybor she changed into a -composite train carrying passengers and goods, and soon after leaving -the junction the train pulled up suddenly in a cutting, and there was -loud shouting and firing. Bridget was greatly alarmed and excited, -thinking that she would now see the British troops commit some of the -terrible crimes she had heard so much about in the States—she had heard -nothing of the crimes of the I.R.A. - -It takes a long time in the west of Ireland to do anything, and it was -quite twenty minutes before Bridget realised that this was a hold-up by -the I.R.A., and that all the passengers were to get out and line up at -the top of the cutting. The confusion then became terrific, half the -passengers going up one side of the cutting, and the remainder up the -other. - -Wild-looking masked bandits then started shouting to the people to come -down and go to the other side, whereupon a general post ensued. - -Finally, the whole lot was collected together, searched, and at last -allowed to take their seats in the train again; but the performance was -not by any means over yet. Next, the waggons were all broken open, the -contents thrown on the line, and then returned except Belfast -merchandise, which was made into a heap—coffins, cases of jam and tea, -boxes of linen, &c.—sprinkled with petrol, and then set on fire. - -Bridget arrived at Ballybor on a summer’s evening, and at once set out -for Cloonalla. Ballybor appeared a mean and dirty little town to her -American eyes, and she hoped for better things at Cloonalla—a good hotel -and decent stores. After an hour and a half’s drive the carman pulled up -outside Cloonalla Chapel, and asked his fare where she wanted to go to. -Not realising where she was, Bridget replied, to Cloonalla, the best -hotel in Cloonalla, only to learn to her astonishment that the place -boasted only one shop and no hotel of any kind. And in the end she was -thankful to accept the hospitality of a farmer’s wife, and share a -stuffy bed with the woman’s daughter. - -Bridget received a shock when she saw her uncle’s house—she said that -they wouldn’t put a pig in it in America—and the idea she had had of -settling down there quickly vanished. However, she determined to stay on -awhile in Ireland, and help to the best of her ability the famous -soldiers of the I.R.A. (she had not realised yet that the bandits who -had held up the train were the famous soldiers) of whom she had heard so -much in America. - -On visiting the solicitor in Ballybor, she found that her uncle had left -her a few hundred pounds, and this she gave to the man Hanley, with whom -she lodged, to buy cattle with to stock her farm. - -As soon as Bridget had settled down she found ample scope for her -political ambitions both in Cloonalla and Ballybor, where most of the -young people of her own age found talking sedition far easier and more -amusing than hard work; and as everybody seemed to have money to burn, -she had a great time—political meetings, drilling, picnics, and dances. -And after joining the Cumann na Ban she volunteered for active service -with the local company of the I.R.A., little knowing what was before -her. - -At first the game was amusing enough, teaching the young men the -rudiments of first aid, and lecturing to the girls and youths of -Cloonalla in the school-house in the evening, followed by dancing until -the early hours of the morning; and probably Bridget would have gone no -further than this but for the unfortunate arrival of two professional -gunmen in Cloonalla, who had been sent from Dublin to carry out the -usual series of outrages and then to vanish before the storm burst. - -The gunmen came with a list of local undesirables (from the I.R.A. point -of view) to be removed—many of the names had probably been given out of -private spite through the means of anonymous letters, a very favourite -practice in Ireland—and at once proceeded to work, or rather to see that -the Cloonalla Volunteers did the dirty work. - -The following week seemed to Bridget like a horrible nightmare, starting -with the murder of ex-soldiers, who paid the full penalty of being so -stupid as to believe that the British Government would protect its -friends and supporters in Ireland, and culminating in the revolting -crime of the murder of a Protestant clergyman, who was seventy-nine -years of age. - -Early in the morning, before the household was up, the old man heard a -loud knocking at the hall door, and on coming downstairs found the usual -party of armed and masked men, who ordered him to follow them. He did -so, and had no sooner reached the road than they shot him dead,—to be -found by his old wife—the servants dared not leave the house—lying in -the middle of the road in a pool of blood. - -That night the gunmen vanished, and with them the orgy of crime ceased -for a time at any rate. There is no doubt that these revolting and -apparently purposeless murders are instigated by the I.R.A., but -nevertheless they are carried out by the peasants in most cases, and -they will have to bear the stigma now and always. Under a determined -leader they appear to take kindly to “political murder.” - -Bridget was physically and mentally sick with horror, and made up her -mind to return to the States as soon as she could dispose of her farms, -and to this end bicycled into Ballybor to arrange with an auctioneer to -sell the farms for her by public auction at the earliest possible date. -The following day the auctioneer inspected the farms, and declared that -she ought to get at least a thousand pounds for her interest in each -farm, and fixed a near date for the auction, though he was very doubtful -if the I.R.A. would permit it, and advised her to try and obtain their -consent. But the last thing in the world Bridget wanted was to have any -further dealings with the I.R.A., and the auctioneer left promising to -do his best. - -That night after the Hanleys and Bridget had gone to bed they received a -visit from the captain of the Cloonalla Volunteers, who wanted to know -if it was true that Bridget was going to try and sell her farms by -public auction. Bridget told him that it was quite true, and that she -was going to return to America. Whereupon he told her that the I.R.A. -would not allow this, and that if she wanted to dispose of her land a -Sinn Fein Court would value it, and the Republican Government would then -take it over and pay her in Dail Eireann Bonds (to be redeemed at their -face value when Ireland is free and the Republic established), and after -telling her to stop the auction he left. - -In a few days Bridget received an order to attend a Sinn Fein -Arbitration Court in Cloonalla Chapel at night, where the judges valued -her farms at one hundred pounds each (loud applause in Court by the men -who hoped to get the farms), and ordered her to hand over the land the -following day to the Cloonalla Volunteer captain, who had every -intention of keeping the farms himself. - -Bridget protested loudly that she was a citizen of the United States, -that the farms were hers, and that if this was a free country like -America she was entitled to get the full market value for them, which -she had been told was quite two thousand pounds; and lastly, that she -had proved herself a good patriot, and burst into tears. - -All of no avail—the judges gave her three days to get rid of her cattle -and hand over the land, at the end of which time if she had not complied -she was to be deported, and her farms and cattle confiscated. - -Bridget returned to the Hanleys’ house to find her boxes packed and -dumped in the road, together with her bicycle, and the door of the house -locked, and this in the middle of the night. After trying in vain to -gain admittance she sat down on one of her boxes and started to cry. - -Towards dawn she again made a piteous appeal to the Hanleys to be -allowed to stay in their house for the rest of the night, and that she -would leave the following day; and for answer Mrs Hanley cursed her, and -warned her that if she was not gone before daylight her hair would be -cut off, and “God only knew what else would happen to her.” In a blind -terror she mounted her bicycle and rode madly into Ballybor, where she -had to wait some hours in the streets before she could gain admittance -to a lodging-house. - -Bridget was made of the right stuff, and with the daylight and the -contact with friendly human beings her courage returned, and she went to -see the auctioneer once more, but received cold comfort. The man had -been warned not to hold the auction, but was willing to, provided he had -police protection (he saw his trade slipping away if he did not), and -suggested that she should go and see the D.I. - -Blake listened patiently to her tale of woe—he already knew the part she -had played with the Cloonalla Volunteers, but liked the girl’s looks and -her pluck, and at the end promised her protection for the auction, but -warned her that he could not protect her afterwards, and advised her to -get out of the country as soon as she could. - -Bridget then hired a car and drove out to Cloonalla to try and collect -her belongings. The boxes were still there by the roadside, but empty. -And on going on to her farms she found that the fences and gates were -smashed and her cattle gone. She tried in vain to get information of -them, but found that not a man, woman, or child would tell her anything. - -Returning to Ballybor, she again saw Blake, who promised to send out -police to try and find her cattle. The following day the police went out -to Cloonalla, rounded up the first score of men they met, made them -build up the fences, mend the gates, and lastly, gave them two hours to -return Bridget’s cattle. - -The I.R.A. now turned the full blast of that potent weapon, the boycott, -on to the unfortunate Bridget. Not a soul would or rather dare speak to -her—at any rate in public. Little children meeting her in the streets or -country roads ran away, fearing lest she might cast an evil eye on them. -Shopkeepers were forbidden to supply any goods to her, and the -lodging-house people would have put her out on the streets but for the -interference of the D.I. By this time Blake was determined to see her -through, and when the auctioneer attempted to rat, made him think better -of it and stick to his agreement with Bridget. - -The day of the auction arrived, and with it the biggest crowd Cloonalla -had ever seen. In fact, so dense was the throng that when Blake drew up -with the auctioneer and Bridget, he was afraid to let his men near the -crowd lest they might be rushed. Standing up in a Crossley, he ordered -the people through a megaphone to form three sides of a square facing -the road, and, as soon as they had complied with his order, he told the -auctioneer to get out and carry on with his work on the fourth side of -the square. This he did, and, after describing the value and virtues of -the farms in the usual flowery language of his kind, asked for a bid. - -There followed a deadly silence of fully two minutes. Again the -auctioneer called for a bid, and yet a third time—not a man in the huge -crowd dared open his mouth. Land-hunger is the predominant trait in a -western peasant’s character, and many men in that crowd would have -risked their souls for Bridget’s farms; but so great was the power, or -rather the fear of the I.R.A., that not a single man dared speak. - -Seeing that it was useless to go on with the farce, Blake ordered the -auctioneer to return to the car. At once the crowd broke with an angry -roar, and made an ugly rush towards the road, but a volley of blank in -the air quickly stopped them, and they turned to scatter in the opposite -direction, while the police party returned to Ballybor. - -That night, when she went to bed in the lodging-house, Bridget locked -her door and piled all the furniture she could against it. About 2 A.M. -some one knocked loudly at her door and bade her open, but she lay still -and gave no answer. She could then hear the raiders entering the other -rooms of the house, and the screams of inmates, followed by the curses -of the raiders. - -The girl lay shaking in bed, knowing that it was only a question of time -before they came again, and when they did it gave her almost a sense of -relief. This time they did not knock, and she could hear whispering, -followed by a man wearing rubber soles running down the passage, and -then a crash as he hurled himself against her door. - -The door was rotten and gave, but the furniture still held it up, and -the other men then put their shoulders against it, and finally it gave -way altogether, and the whole lot pitched into her room in a heap on the -floor. - -As Bridget screamed, the men flashed their electric torches on to her, -and by the light she could see that they all wore painted white masks, -which completely covered their faces except the eyes and mouth. One -great brute then seized her by the hair, and dragged her screaming down -the stairs and into the street, where the others held her while the big -man shaved her hair off with a razor. They then lashed her wrists and -ankles, gagged her, and flung her in her nightdress into a waiting Ford, -which disappeared into the night. - -A police patrol, guided by the screams, arrived on the scene just as the -Ford was disappearing in the direction of Castleport. Sending a -constable back to the barracks for a car and more men, the sergeant in -charge searched the lodging-house, only to raise a fresh alarm among the -terrified inmates, most of whom were under their beds. - -In a few minutes the car arrived, and the police raced off after the -Ford as fast as the Crossley would travel. - -For some time the police had had a strong suspicion that a creamery -about half-way between Ballybor and Castleport had been frequently used -by the I.R.A. as a detention prison, and as they drew near the place -they saw lights disappear from the windows. - -After surrounding the building, the sergeant knocked at the door and -received no answer. Being afraid to delay lest they might be attacked, -he told his men to take one of the two thick iron-bound planks carried -under the body of the Crossley, and used for crossing trenches on the -roads, and to use it as a battering-ram on the door. At the second blow -the door splintered, and a third made a hole large enough for the police -to pass in. - -The sergeant now advanced into the building, revolver in one hand and -torch in the other, and had nearly reached the back when shots and -shouts were heard, and at the same time he saw a man disappearing -through a door ahead of him and fired. - -On reaching the door he was met by his own men, who said that three men -had tried to escape that way, and that they had shot two, the third -escaping. - -They then searched the building, and found Bridget lying in a kind of -coal-cellar, half-dead from fright and exposure, and, wrapping her in a -policeman’s greatcoat, took her back to the lodging-house, leaving a -guard there for the rest of the night. - -The next day Bridget fled to England, to return to America from -Southampton. Nothing in this world would have induced her to spend -another night in Ireland. - -She left the sale of her farms in the hands of the auctioneer, who, to -his great surprise, some time afterwards found a buyer at a low figure -in a man who came from the north. - -The police saw the northerner into his new home, and left him there. The -following morning the man staggered into the Ballybor Barracks, and when -he had sufficiently recovered, he told Blake that soon after he had gone -to sleep he was awakened by volumes of smoke, and on getting out of bed -found that the house was on fire. Seizing his clothes, he just managed -to get out before the blazing roof fell in. - -Outside he was met by a roaring crowd, who beat him nearly to death with -sticks, and while he lay on the ground he could hear the screams of his -horses and cattle being burnt to death in the blazing outbuildings. The -crowd then left him for dead, well pleased with their night’s work. -After some hours he recovered and managed to crawl into Ballybor. - - - - - XVI. - FATHER JOHN. - - -The tiny village of Annagh lies on the eastern slope of the Slievenamoe -Mountains, about fifteen miles due east of Ballybor, and consists of one -dirty street with, roughly, forty-nine miserable tumble-down hovels and -one grand slated two-storied house, as usual the shop and abode of the -village gombeen man, who also kept the Post Office—not because he was -the most honest man in the village, but because there was nobody else -able to do so. - -A good many years ago, on a bitter winter’s night, a tinker, answering -to the name of Bernie M’Andrew, drove his ass-cart into the village of -Annagh, and called at the only shop to know if there were any kettles or -cans to be mended. The night was so cold and wet that the old -shopkeeper, in the kindness of his heart, bade the shivering tinker put -up his ass and spend the night. The tinker stayed and never left. - -M’Andrew’s stock-in-trade, when he arrived at Annagh on that winter’s -night, consisted of half a barrel of salt herrings, a kettle, the usual -tinker’s soldering outfit, a policeman’s discarded tunic, and the rags -he stood up in. Within a year M’Andrew had buried the old shopkeeper, -who had lived alone for years and was beloved by all, and reigned in his -place. - -Being an ambitious tinker, M’Andrew started a gombeen business with the -old man’s savings, which he found by chance in the secret drawer of an -old desk, and in a very short time became the best hated and most feared -man in the district. - -At first M’Andrew supported Sinn Fein enthusiastically, but when he saw -law and order beginning to disappear, being now a man of property, he -became alarmed, and tried to run with the hare and the hounds. - -M’Andrew’s great opponent was the young parish priest, Father John, who, -after serving as a chaplain with the British Army in France with great -distinction—he had been decorated for bravery in the field by both the -British and the French—returned to Ireland, having seen enough bloodshed -for his lifetime. - -Father John was a grand man both physically and morally and in the right -sense of the words, and if only the majority of young Irish priests were -up to the standard of Father John there would be little trouble in -Ireland to-day. - -When he became the parish priest of Annagh, Father John saw at once that -M’Andrew was fast reducing the great majority of his parishioners, who -were poor men with poorer mountain land, to a state of slavery, and -realised that it only wanted two bad years in succession to put the -whole parish under the gombeen man’s thumb. - -At first he tried to keep the farmers away from M’Andrew’s shop; but -this they resented, as it entailed a journey of many miles to the -nearest town, and then they had to pay nearly as much as to M’Andrew. -Next he denounced M’Andrew and his evil practices from the altar, -warning the people of the consequences; but in spite of all the priest -could do or say the gombeen man flourished. - -From the very first Father John opposed the Sinn Fein movement both by -word and deed, and when the first Sinn Fein organisers appeared in his -parish he quickly hunted them away; but before he knew what was -happening practically every young man in the parish had been enrolled, -whether he liked it or not, as a soldier in the I.R.A. M’Andrew was -quick to seize his chance of revenge, telling the people that the priest -was a secret agent of the British Government—hadn’t he served in the -British Army and taken the pay of the British Government, an enemy of -the people?—and that he was doing his best to stand between them and -liberty. In a week Father John was practically an outlaw in his own -parish, and M’Andrew became the popular hero. - -Though he still officiated in the chapel, Sinn Fein saw to it that he -was paid no dues. For nearly two years this state of affairs continued, -and it would have been impossible for the priest to live if the older -and more sober members of his flock had not come to his house secretly -in the dead of night and paid him their dues. - -One day, when feeling ran very high, Father John opened his daily paper -to see his own death reported, and a long obituary notice, probably the -handiwork of M’Andrew. - -It was a situation common in Ireland—the peasants blind to the virtues -of their truest friend, and making a popular idol of their worst enemy: -it is a sad thing that many Irishmen will always insist in believing -what they wish to believe. - -Father John was by nature a kindly and genial man, a lover of sport, of -a good horse, and of the society of men, and those two years must have -been a perfect hell on earth for him. Not that any one was ever openly -rude to him; they just sent him to Coventry and kept him there, hoping -to break his heart, and that by refusing to pay him any dues they would -gradually freeze him out, and in his place would come one of those -fire-eating young priests who would lead them to victory and freedom. - -The summer of 1920 was wet and cold, with frosty nights during every -month except July. Now, if your potatoes grow in boggy land, and there -comes heavy rain followed by a night’s frost, not once but several -times, you will have no potatoes, and probably very little crop of any -kind. And if your living depends on the potato crop, you stand a good -chance of starving, unless the gombeen man will come to your assistance. - -By November the whole parish of Annagh practically belonged to M’Andrew, -who held a mortgage on nearly every acre of tenanted land, and proceeded -to bully the people to his heart’s content. - -On a Sunday morning in December, at about 10 o’clock, the hour when the -village usually began to come to life, the inhabitants were startled by -the screams of a woman, and when they rushed to their doors saw -M’Andrew’s servant running out of the village towards Father John’s -house. M’Andrew had been murdered during the night without a sound, and -the servant had no idea of what had happened until she went to his room -to see why he had not got up. All M’Andrew’s books had been burnt, and -afterwards the murderers must have cursed the day they did not set a -light to the house as well. - -On the next day the village woke up to find a company of Auxiliaries -billeted in M’Andrew’s house and the yard full of their cars—a case of -out of the frying-pan into the fire. - -For some time past the police had known that men on the run were hiding -in the mountains near Annagh; but though the area came within Blake’s -district, it was impossible to keep any control over it, owing to the -fact that the Owenmore river and the Slievenamoe Mountains lay between -it and Ballybor. - -The Auxiliaries spent the day fortifying M’Andrew’s house, and that -night started operations, and the inhabitants soon realised that the -British Empire was not yet an “also ran.” - -Just as it was getting dark the Auxiliaries in Crossleys would suddenly -burst out of M’Andrew’s yard, travel perhaps five or ten miles at racing -speed, and then surround and round up a village or district, so that the -numerous gunmen who had come from the south for a rest cure found it -impossible to get any sleep at all. - -The local Volunteers at once sent an S.O.S. to Dublin, and received the -comforting answer that a flying column would arrive shortly in the -district and deal effectively with the Auxiliaries. In the meanwhile -they were to harass the enemy by every means in their power and carry on -a warfare of attrition—in other words, if they found one or two Cadets -alone—if unarmed so much the better—they were to murder them. - -At first the local Volunteers were very much afraid of the Auxiliaries, -Sinn Fein propaganda having taught them to expect nothing but murder, -rape, and looting from the “scum of English prisons and asylums”; but -after a few days had passed and nothing dreadful happened to man or -woman, they took heart once more and started their usual warfare. - -The Auxiliaries were commanded by a Major Jones, and on the Sunday -following their arrival in Annagh Jones left alone in a Ford at an early -hour to see Blake in Ballybor. The road crosses the mountains through a -narrow pass, and near the top of the pass there is a small chapel, a -school, a pub, and a few scattered cottages. - -On his return Jones passed this chapel as the people were coming out -from Mass, blew his horn, and slowed up. After passing through the crowd -he noticed a group of youths standing on the right side of the road, and -opened his throttle wide, thereby probably saving his life. - -When the car was within ten yards of the group every man drew a pistol, -and it seemed to Jones as though he was flying through a shower of -bullets. However, though the car was riddled, and had any one been -sitting in the other three seats they would all have been killed, Jones -found himself uninjured, and the old “tin Lizzie,” responding well to -the throttle, flew down the hill at twice the pace Henry Ford ever meant -her to travel at. - -That evening Father John called on Jones and apologised for the outrage, -and Jones at once fell under the charm of the priest. Probably his -astonishment at Father John’s visit had something to do with it, but in -the days to come, when Father John supported his words by deeds, Jones -learnt that his first impression had been a correct one. - -Returning in the early hours of the morning from a raiding expedition to -the south of Annagh, the Auxiliaries were surprised to see a tall priest -standing in the middle of the road and holding up his hand. Fearing a -trap—there was a blind corner just behind where the priest was -standing—they stopped about two hundred yards off and beckoned to the -priest to advance. - -They were still more surprised to find that the tall priest was Father -John, who, having received information after they had started that the -Volunteers were going to lay trees across the road at this corner in the -hope of smashing up the Auxiliary cars, had spent the whole night -walking up and down the road in order that he might warn them of their -danger. - -Father John drove back to Annagh with the Cadets, and by the time they -reached the village every Cadet swore that the priest was the finest man -they had yet met in Ireland, and they didn’t believe there was a finer -one. - -From that on Father John accompanied the Auxiliaries on many a stunt, -and there is no doubt that he gave them every help in his power and all -information which reached him; but though he would travel anywhere with -them, he would never accept hospitality from them, nor would he enter -M’Andrew’s house. - -About six miles from Annagh, in a hollow of the mountains, is the tiny -village of Glenmuck, completely isolated from the rest of the world, and -so situated that its presence was quite hidden until you literally -walked on top of it. None of the inhabitants, who lived chiefly by -making poteen in the winter time and going to England as harvesters in -the summer, possessed a cart, for the very good reason that the nearest -so-called third-class road was five miles away, and only a goat track -passed within a mile of the place. - -Here in due course arrived the flying column of the I.R.A., seventy -strong, every man mounted on a bicycle and armed with a British service -rifle and as many pistols as he could find room for. They were also the -proud possessors of a Lewis gun. - -As usual, the gunmen were billeted so many in each farm, and after being -badly harassed for some time in the south, Glenmuck seemed like Paradise -to them. The nights were spent in dancing, card-playing, and drinking -poteen. Somewhere about noon the gunmen got up, and after breakfast -visited each other in their different billets after the fashion of our -troops in France, walking about openly with their rifles slung over -their shoulders. The Lewis gun team passed their days teaching the boys -and girls of the village the mechanism of the Lewis gun. - -The leader’s idea was to give his men much-needed rest and amusement for -a few days, and then to try and ambush the Auxiliaries; and probably -they could have spent quite a long time resting here without the -Auxiliaries having the slightest suspicion of their near presence. But -war seems to be made up so largely of “ifs,” and the “if” in this case -proved to be Father John. - -When out riding on his rounds one morning, the priest noticed that most -of the young people of his parish appeared to be gravitating in their -best clothes towards Glenmuck, and suspecting a poteen orgy, he sternly -commanded a young damsel to tell him why she was going to Glenmuck, and -the girl told him. Father John rode straight back to Annagh, to be just -in time to stop Jones from starting off on a raid in the opposite -direction. - -Jones first sent off a Cadet on a motor bicycle to Blake at Ballybor, -sending him a verbal outline of his plan of attack on Glenmuck, and -asking him to co-operate with the Auxiliaries from the other side of the -mountains. He then turned out every Cadet in the place, left M’Andrew’s -house empty to take care of itself, and made off at full speed in the -direction of Glenmuck with the priest acting as guide. - -They reached the nearest point to Glenmuck on the road at noon, and -after leaving a small guard over the Crossleys, the rest of the company -set out in open order across the mountain for the flying column’s lair. - -The gunmen had had great luck in the south for a long time, and their -luck still held. A youth, making his way across country to get a sight -of the wonderful gunmen, happened to look behind him when on top of a -rise, and saw about a mile away the oncoming Auxiliaries. Being a sharp -youth he realised who they were, and ran for the village as fast as his -young legs would carry him, and by chance ran straight into the leader -when he entered the outskirts of the place. - -Reaching the hill above the village the Auxiliaries made a last -desperate rush down the slope, in the hope of catching the gunmen -scattered in the different cottages, and so mopping them up before they -could get together; but by this time the flying column had taken up -positions on the top of the far slope above the village, and as the -Cadets reached the cottages they came under heavy machine-gun fire. - -Quickly realising what had happened, Jones ordered one platoon to make a -frontal attack on the gunmen’s position, while he sent a second and -third platoon to try to work round their flanks; the fourth platoon he -kept with him under cover in the village. - -Then followed a very pretty fight for an hour, by which time the gunmen, -like the Boers of old, thought it was time to move on and take up a -position on the next ridge. - -Jones knew that if he could only keep in close touch with the flying -column it was only a question of time before Blake, who would be guided -by the heavy firing, would attack them in the rear, and that they would -then stand a good chance of bagging the whole lot. The fight gradually -worked across the mountains, the gunmen retreating from ridge to ridge, -while the Cadets stuck to them like grim death, always striving to pin -them down, and when they retreated to drive them in the direction from -which Blake ought to appear. - -Late in the afternoon heavy shooting suddenly broke out behind the -gunmen, and the Cadets redoubled their efforts to close with them. - -By this time the opposing forces had worked their way down the western -slopes of the mountains almost as far as the high upland bogs, and -directly the gunmen realised that they were likely to be surrounded, -they broke and fled down a valley, closely pursued by police and Cadets. -Unfortunately the light was getting bad, and the gunmen’s luck still -held good. When they had gone about a mile, they came across a big party -of country people with whom they mixed, and when the police came up with -them it was impossible to tell gunmen from peasants—probably the former -were busily engaged cutting turf while the latter looked on. Their arms -were passed to the women, who hid the rifles in the heather and secreted -the pistols and ammunition on their persons. - -During the whole long fight Father John attended to wounded Cadet and -gunman alike, always to be seen where the fight was hottest; and though -his calling was conspicuous from his clothes and white collar, yet on -several occasions the gunmen deliberately fired on him when attending to -a wounded Cadet. - -After the battle of Glenmuck the flying column was seen no more in that -district, and for weeks the local Volunteers gave Jones no trouble. - -Time after time Jones had received information that certain young men in -and about Annagh carried arms, but whenever they were surprised in a -shop or pub no arms could be found on them, and it was noticed that they -always moved about in the company of certain girls. - -Soon after the battle of Glenmuck the belles of the district received -the shock of their lives when shopping in a town some miles away with -these young men. About noon four Crossley loads of Cadets suddenly -dashed into the town with two women searchers dressed in dark-blue -uniforms, and that day the first real haul of revolvers and automatics -was made. As usual, the men passed their arms to the girls directly they -saw the Auxiliaries arrive, but this time no notice was taken of the -men, while the girls, who on former occasions had stood looking on and -jeering at the Cadets, found themselves quickly rounded up, and the -women searchers soon did the rest. - -After this the moral effect of the women searchers was so great that not -a girl in the district dare carry arms or even despatches. The girls -were not sure whether the searchers were women or young Cadets dressed -up as women, and this uncertainty greatly increased their alarm. - -About six weeks later Jones found out that a much-wanted Dublin gunman, -called Foy, who had murdered at least two British officers in cold -blood, was hidden in the district, and was being fed by his mother and -sister, who lived about two miles from Annagh. Time after time the -Cadets tried to surprise Mrs Foy or her daughter carrying food to Foy’s -hiding-place, but always in vain. - -Foy’s presence soon began to be felt in the district. Two Cadets, -returning off leave in mufti and unarmed, were taken out of the train -and murdered just outside the station, their bodies being left there for -all who passed to see, and no man dared to touch the bodies until the -police arrived. Next the Cadets were ambushed twice in one week, both -times unsuccessfully. - -Father John, who had hoped that at last his parish had returned to the -paths of peace, was furious, and denounced from the altar all men and -women who shielded murderers. Finally, after the murder of the two -Cadets, he refused Holy Communion to Mrs Foy and her daughter, which is -a very serious step for a priest to take. - -And when remonstrated with, he replied that, sooner than not denounce -and punish murderers and those who aided and abetted them, he would -throw off his coat and become an Auxiliary. More power to you, Father -John! - - - - - XVII. - THE BOG CEMETERY. - - -After many months of the Sinn Fein Terror, the town of Ballybor became a -place of shadows and whispers. At night-time men saw shadows, real and -unreal, moving and stationary, at every corner of the streets and in -every lane; and during the day-time, when men met in the streets, they -would only speak in low whispers to each other, and always keeping one -eye over their shoulder. - -Public opinion withered and died. Sinn Fein had no use for it—men became -completely detached, mere spectators of the unchecked and uncondemned -orgy of crime; like the younger generation in England, who waste a large -part of their lives in picture-houses, gazing at films of vice and -crime. And if a man had been murdered in the main street at Ballybor in -the middle of the day, not a hand would have been raised to save the -victim—the inhabitants would simply have regarded the incident in the -light of a film, and then gone home to their dinners. - -The oft-heard remark when a policeman has been murdered, “that it served -him right for joining the R.I.C.,” epitomises the attitude of the -majority of the Irish public towards so-called “political murder.” As a -rule, an Irishman, on being asked if there was any news in the paper, -would reply, “No, only the usual columns of murders and outrages.” - -Walter Drake, as his name implies, was descended from an Elizabethan -soldier who had settled in the west of Ireland and built a large house -about two miles from Ballybor, and here for many generations the Drakes -had lived, hunted, and farmed. - -Walter Drake had at an early age entered the army through Sandhurst, but -retired after six years’ service on the death of his father, and since -then had lived at the Manor, spending a large part of his time helping -his poorer neighbours in every way in his power: a quiet man of a -retiring nature, a popular magistrate, and a good neighbour, but a -determined Loyalist. Called up again in August 1914, he had served -throughout the war with distinction in his old regiment, to return once -more to his home. - -Had Drake lived in any civilised country in the world, he would most -assuredly have died in his bed when his time came, esteemed by all as a -just, kindly, and honourable man; but, as in war, the best seem to be -always taken, so it has been in Ireland. His only crimes appear to have -been that he continued to act as a magistrate after receiving an order -from the I.R.A. to resign his commission of the peace, and devoting -himself to helping ex-soldiers in the town to get their pensions and -trying to get grants of land for such as were worthy. The granting of -land to ex-soldiers was bitterly opposed by the Transport Union, who -wanted every acre for their own landless members. And probably being a -personal friend of Blake’s and beloved by the police force, would -constitute another crime in the eyes of the I.R.A. - -On a certain Monday night the constable on duty at Ballybor Barracks -reported that a great light could be seen in the sky, and thought there -must be a big fire not far from the town. Going to the top of the -barracks, Blake at once saw that a large house must be on fire, and -judging from the direction the chances were that it was the Manor. -Taking a dozen men in a Crossley, he at once went off there, to find the -grand old house burning fiercely, and by the light of the fire he could -make out a pathetic group of figures on the tennis-ground in front of -the house. - -The first person whom Blake met was the old butler, who told a tale now -familiar in many parts of Ireland to-day. The household had retired at -their usual hour of eleven, after which the butler had carefully closed -up the house and gone to the servants’ hall to smoke a pipe before -turning in. Soon afterwards he heard a loud knocking at the front door, -followed by a volley of shots, some of which must have been fired -through the windows, as he could hear the sound of falling glass. - -The old man went and opened the front door, to be met by a ring of -rifles, shot-guns, pistols, and electric torches, behind which he could -make out the usual mob of masked ruffians. A strange voice then demanded -Major Drake; and when the butler told them that the Major had gone to -Dublin by the mail that day, a man handed him a letter telling him that -in ten minutes’ time they were going to burn the house to the ground, -and that he had better warn the inmates if he didn’t want them roasted -alive. - -The butler at once took the letter to Miss Drake, who read the following -pleasant communication addressed to her brother:— - - “Major Drake,—Owing to your aggressively anti-Irish attitude, we - have received orders to burn your house to the ground. You will be - given ten minutes to collect your clothes. By order.—I.R.A.” - -The girl hurriedly slipped on a dressing-gown, and went down to the hall -to find it full of the brutes sprawling in chairs and smoking. The -leader came forward to speak to her, and she begged him to have mercy on -her mother, who was old and in feeble health, and who would surely be -killed by the shock of having her house burnt and being turned out into -the night; and implored the man to take anything he wanted, offering him -all the money she had and her mother’s jewellery. For answer the man -pulled out his watch, and said that she had exactly ten minutes to get -her old English mother out of the house, no more and no less. - -Seeing that it was useless to argue with the brute, Miss Drake called -the butler and her mother’s maid, woke up the old lady, dressed her the -best way they could, and as the household passed out through the central -hall, they saw men sprinkling the furniture and carpets with petrol. -Hardly had they reached the lawn when the men rushed out past them. -There was a violent explosion (petrol-tins bursting), and the house -seemed to burst into flames in an instant. And here they remained on the -tennis-ground, helpless and hopeless, their only crime Loyalty, until -Blake found them there, silently crying. - -Seeing that the house was gone, that, in fact, it was impossible to save -anything, Blake put the Drakes into the Crossley, with the old butler -and the servants, and drove them to a hotel in the town. - -Drake had been seen motoring through Ballybor to the station on the -Monday, and by that evening there was a whisper in the town that -something had happened to him, but what the something was the whisper -did not mention. During Tuesday rumour lay dormant. On Wednesday, -however, rumour awoke and rapidly made up for lost time, and by that -evening it was freely whispered throughout the town that Drake had -joined the I.R.A.; that he had bolted to Canada to escape from the -I.R.A., only to be taken out of the train on his way to Dublin by a -flying column of gunmen, tried by a court-martial, condemned, and -executed; that he had gone to Dublin to join the Auxiliaries; and -lastly, that he had gone to London to get married. - -On Wednesday morning Miss Drake, whose poor old mother lay in a state of -collapse at the hotel, came to Blake in great distress, and implored him -to find her brother. She was sure something must have happened to him, -as she had wired twice, and then, getting no reply, had wired to the -secretary of his club, where he had intended staying, and from whom an -answer had just come to say Major Drake had not arrived. - -Blake promised to do all he could, and started off at once to the -station to make inquiries. Having found out that Drake actually did -leave Ballybor by the mail train on Monday, he next sent an urgent -cipher message to the authorities in Dublin, hoping they would be able -to trace him there. Blake then set out for Knockshinnagh, the next -station on the line to Dublin, about a mile from the small town of the -same name, and situated in the midst of a vast bog, which stretches -towards the foot of the mountains to the east and west, and runs nearly -as far as Ballybor. Here, acting on the assumption that the rumour of -Drake having left the mail train at this station was correct, Blake -carefully interrogated the station-master and the three porters. One and -all denied having seen Drake on the day in question—one porter, who had -been there years, adding inconsequently that he did not even know him by -sight, and thereby making Blake sure that he was on the right track at -last. - -That night Blake again visited the station-master at his house in the -station after midnight; and pretending that he knew for certain that -Drake had left the train at Knockshinnagh, warned the man of the serious -consequences of refusing to give information. 1 A.M. is an unpleasant -hour to interview armed men, and thinking that the police were -uncomfortably near and the I.R.A. in the dim distance, the -station-master made a full confession. - -A few minutes before the limited mail arrived at Knockshinnagh on -Monday, three armed and masked men had driven up in a Ford car, and -directly the train pulled up had made straight for the carriage in which -Drake was travelling. At once they seized him, and dragged him, -struggling, out of the carriage to the car, and then drove off rapidly -in the direction of Ballybor. Before the train pulled out, a stranger in -a third-class carriage warned the station-master, in the name of the -I.R.A., to give no information to any one. As no further information -could be got from the station-master, Blake returned to the barracks, -and set out again for Knockshinnagh after breakfast, to endeavour to -trace the Ford from there. - -The road from Knockshinnagh to Ballybor runs practically the whole way -through a vast bog, which is drained by the Owenmore river, with a deep -fringe of water-meadows on each bank. At intervals side roads connect up -the villages on the higher ground near the mountains with the main road. - -The police had covered nearly three miles of the road without getting -any news of Drake or the Ford, when a sharp-eyed sergeant noticed the -narrow tracks of a Ford turning up one of these side roads to the east. -The car had turned the corner sharply, leaving a deep track of two -wheels in the soft ground on the edge of the road. - -Turning down this side road, they proceeded slowly without seeing any -further car-tracks until they came to a long low cottage, standing back -about fifteen yards from the road. Here they found tracks which showed -that the car had pulled up at the door of the cottage, turned, and -returned towards the main road. - -Leaving his men outside, Blake entered with a sergeant, in time to see -the owner bolting out of the back door, only to be caught by the -sergeant and brought back. The man said his name was Moran, and -protested his loyalty loudly before Blake could ask him a question. - -In Ireland if you want information badly, often the best way to obtain -it is to bluff your opponent into believing that you already know part -of it, leaving him to guess as to how much you know. Blake took this -line of attack with Moran, and asked him the names of the four men who -had called at his cottage on the previous Monday in a car. But Moran -knew the game as well as Blake, and denied that any car had been to his -house lately, or indeed at any time, whereby Blake knew that the man -lied, and had something to conceal. - -He then threatened Moran that if he did not tell all he knew he would -arrest him and keep him until he did, and at the same time took him -outside and pointed out the old tracks of a car in front of the cottage. -This had the desired effect, and at long last Blake thought their search -was at an end. - -Moran, it appeared, was the caretaker of an I.R.A. cemetery, or rather -an old disused cemetery, where formerly unbaptised children were buried, -and which now was used to bury Volunteers who had “gone to America.” On -the Monday in question three armed and masked men had driven up to his -house with a prisoner, and after trying him by “court-martial” in the -cottage, had taken him to the cemetery, and made Moran help them to dig -a grave, while the unfortunate prisoner looked on. They blindfolded and -shot him, and finally forced Moran to put the body in the grave and fill -it in. They then left. - -Though hard pressed, Moran denied any knowledge of the identity of the -masked men or their victim; and when told to describe the murdered man, -gave a description which might have applied to hundreds of men. - -Blake then ordered Moran to show him the cemetery, but when thus driven -into a corner he took on the courage of a cornered rat, and though they -tried for an hour not one inch would he go. Seeing that the man was -desperate and would have died sooner than show them the cemetery, Blake -returned to the barracks. - -That night, as soon as it was dark, a strong police force rounded up the -six leading Volunteers in Ballybor, and took them out to Moran’s house -in two Crossleys, arriving as the full moon was showing over the top of -the mountains. - -At the first knock on the door Moran came out, his face contracted with -fear, which turned to relief on seeing the uniforms of the police; but -when he saw the six Volunteers he nearly collapsed. Blake now ordered -Moran to lead them to the cemetery, and so great was the man’s terror -that he started off across the bog without a word. - -After walking over a mile in the moonlight, they came to a low ridge of -limestone mounds running through the bog and parallel to the mountains. -Here in a hollow was the old graveyard, which looked like a disused -sheep-pen, such as the country people use for the rounding-up of -mountain sheep when the different owners pick out their own sheep and -lambs to brand them. The cemetery was surrounded by a stone wall, broken -down in many places, and inside was a tangled mass of elder and thorn -bushes. - -After posting sentries round the graveyard, Blake made Moran point out -the latest grave, and after the trembling man had shown them a mound -between two bushes, he ordered two of the Volunteers to start opening -the grave with spades brought by the police. Presently one of the spades -met something in a sack, and on opening the sack they found the body of -a short dark man—obviously a peasant—whereas Drake had been a tall fair -man. On examination they found wounds in the body and left leg. - -For a moment Blake was quite nonplussed—he had been so sure that the -body would be Drake’s. He was certain that the station-master had spoken -the truth, and there seemed no reason to doubt Moran’s evidence, though -why he should be in such a state of terror was not plain. Further, it -was now five days since Drake was supposed to have been murdered, and -the body they had just dug up had obviously been in the ground two days -at the most, probably only one. - -A careful examination of the cemetery showed that there was no other -recent grave. - -Blake’s thoughts were interrupted by one of the Volunteers, a man called -Brogan, asking with his tongue in his cheek and an impudent sneer: “Is -yer honour satisfied now, and will we be after burying this poor fellow -decently agin?” - -Taking no notice of Brogan’s question, Blake told a sergeant to make the -Volunteers carry the dead man to the Crossleys, and to wait for him -there. After they had gone he made Moran go down on his knees and swear -on his oath that the body they had dug up was the man who had been -executed on the previous Monday; but Moran could only swear that he had -been so frightened at the time that he had not taken any notice of the -prisoner, but that to the best of his belief the body was the one he had -buried. Moran then broke down, and had to be half-carried, half-led to -his cottage, where they left him, and returned to Ballybor with the -Volunteers and the corpse for a military investigation. - -The failure to find Drake’s body in the bog cemetery forced Blake to -follow up the other rumours regarding his sudden disappearance, but -every rumour and clue failed them, and it looked as though Drake’s fate -was to be added to the long list of unsolved Irish crimes. - -Two days after the police had visited the cemetery, Blake received -information that arms for a police ambush had been brought into Murrisk -townland, and also that poteen was being freely made and drunk there. - -Having arranged with a company of Auxiliaries stationed in Annagh to -co-operate with him, Blake left the barracks with two Crossley loads of -police and a Ford an hour before dawn one morning, and as the day broke -the Auxiliaries and police started to close in a cordon on the village -and outlying farms where they suspected the arms were hidden. - -The first signs of life were two women running across a bog, and when -followed one of them was seen by Blake with his glasses to throw a still -into a bog-hole, while the other one took two large jars from under her -shawl and smashed them together into pieces. The women were quickly -rounded up, and on being taken to the nearest house, the police found -six fully-dressed men well tucked up in two beds, and the remains of a -huge fire in the kitchen, while the whole house reeked of poteen—good -circumstantial evidence that the party of eight had spent the night -running a still. - -After a long and fruitless search for arms, Blake found himself close to -Murrisk Abbey; so, after sending the Auxiliaries back to Annagh, he went -to pay the mac Nessa a visit. - -The old man was delighted to see him, and insisted that he should stay -to dinner, and the police should have drink and food. - -Blake and the mac Nessa dined alone, and over the port the old man -started to tell Blake tales of his youth. After his second glass and the -long day in the cold, Blake began to feel drowsy, and his thoughts -wandered to Drake and the grave in the bog cemetery, only to wake up -with a start, hearing the old man say something about a grave, followed -by, “Is yer honour satisfied now?” - -Apologising for his deafness, he asked the mac Nessa to begin again, and -the old man told a rambling story of a butler of his young days called -Faherty, whose chief recreation was shooting rabbits in the park during -the summer evenings. Close to the park lived a pompous retired -shopkeeper called Malone, who had a very fine red setter, which was -always wandering in the park, like Faherty, after rabbits. - -On several occasions Faherty and Malone had had words over the setter, -and the climax was reached when Malone arrived at the Abbey one evening, -purple with rage, and insisting on seeing the mac Nessa, burst into his -study, accused Faherty of having shot his setter, and added that he knew -that the dog was buried in a shrubbery at the back of the house. The mac -Nessa at once called for Faherty; the three proceeded straight to the -shrubbery with a spade, and Faherty was made to open the grave which -they found there. After digging down a short way he came on the body of -a cur dog, to Malone’s great astonishment and disappointment, and -Faherty asked in a voice of triumph, “Is yer honour satisfied now?” - -After Malone had gone home, the mac Nessa asked Faherty for an -explanation, and the butler told his master how he had shot Malone’s -setter by mistake in the dusk, and then buried him in the shrubbery. The -following day he heard that Malone suspected him, and had heard of the -funeral in the shrubbery, so the next night he shot a cur dog, and -buried him on top of the setter. - -On the way back to the barracks Blake could not help thinking of the -similarity of the remarks of Faherty and Brogan when the bodies of the -cur dog and the dark peasant were dug up, and that night he dreamt that -he was opening an endless row of graves, and never knew whether he would -dig up a cur dog or a dark peasant, and all the time he was hoping to -find Drake’s body. At last he came to a grave where he was positive he -would find Drake, and started to dig like mad, only to wake up and find -his own red setter on his bed. - -Blake now determined to renew his efforts to find Drake. He ordered the -Head Constable to round up the same six Volunteers, and as soon as this -was done set off once more for the bog cemetery. Making their way to -Moran’s house, they learnt from his wife that the previous evening her -husband had been removed by masked men with shovel hats and wearing -black mackintoshes. The wife, noticing the black mackintoshes, accused -the police. - -Borrowing a couple of spades, the police then went to the graveyard, and -as soon as the dark man’s grave could be found, Blake ordered the -Volunteers to open it again, and at the same time watched Brogan’s face -carefully. On the way out to the cemetery, Brogan had been laughing and -sneering as on the former occasion, but directly he heard Blake’s order -he went as white as a sheet, and began to tremble, and a look of terror -leapt into his eyes. - -Blake knew that at last he was on the right track. - -None of the Volunteers moved, waiting for Brogan to give a lead, and -Blake had to repeat his order, calling on Brogan by name to start -digging. Pulling himself together with a great effort, the Volunteer -commenced slowly to throw the earth out of the grave, the sweat, though -it was a cold day, pouring down his face. - -The lower Brogan dug the slower he dug, until at last, when he had -excavated about two feet of soil, he suddenly fainted and collapsed into -the shallow grave. - -The police were by now strung up to the highest pitch of excitement, and -a huge sergeant, who had been a great favourite with Drake, suddenly -gave a hoarse shout, and, jumping into the grave threw Brogan out, and -started digging like a madman, while the rest began to fidget with the -triggers of their rifles and look ominously at the uneasy Volunteers. - -Suddenly the sergeant’s spade met a soft resistance, and in a few -seconds he had uncovered and opened a sack, to find, as Blake expected, -the body of poor Drake with a huge expanding bullet hole through his -forehead. - -The next five minutes will always be to Blake a nightmare: the police -went stark mad,—when highly-disciplined troops break they are far worse -to handle than any undisciplined crowd,—and with a howl of rage made for -the cowering Volunteers, ignoring Blake’s shouts; and to this day Blake -has no idea of how he kept his men from taking revenge on the -Volunteers. - -Probably he would have failed but for the lucky chance of noticing that -Brogan, who had come to, was trying to escape. The diversion of chasing -Brogan brought the police back to their senses, and by the time he had -been captured and brought back, discipline was completely restored. - -Before they left the cemetery, Brogan made a complete confession of all -he knew about the tragedy. He told Blake that information had been given -to the G.H.Q. of the I.R.A. in Dublin that Drake was on the point of -taking command of a company of Auxiliaries who were to be stationed in -his own house, the idea being to use Drake’s local knowledge, which -Blake knew to be quite untrue. On the Sunday two gunmen arrived from -Dublin with orders to shoot Drake and burn his house. Finding out that -Drake intended to go to Dublin the following day by the mail train, they -commandeered a Ford in Ballybor, taking Brogan with them as a guide, and -took him out of the train at Knockshinnagh; and after the murder they -returned to Ballybor, superintended the burning of Drake’s house, and -then disappeared into the night on stolen bicycles. - -Shortly afterwards Brogan heard a rumour that Drake had been murdered -and buried in the bog cemetery, and he became very uneasy. That night he -and three of the Volunteers received orders to take part in a police -ambush on the far side of the Slievenamoe Mountains, which order they -obeyed, going in a Ford. - -In the ambush a strange gunman—none of the local Volunteers knew who he -was or where he came from—was killed, and when some argument arose as to -how to dispose of his body, Brogan at once volunteered to take the body -back with him and bury it in the bog cemetery, his intention being to -bury the gunman on top of Drake, so that if by chance the police opened -the grave they would find the body of the gunman and be put off the -scent. After the first visit of the police the Volunteers had removed -Moran to a Sinn Fein detention prison, fearing that he might break down -and give information. - - - - - XVIII. - A JEW IN GAELIC CLOTHING. - - -“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but -inwardly they are ravening wolves.”—St. Matt. vii. 15. - -Probably very few people in England have the remotest idea to what -extent anarchy was rife throughout the south and west of Ireland, even -in parts of loyal Ulster, during the year 1920. - -Most of the Irish members of Parliament, seventy-three to be exact, -swore allegiance to Dail Eireann. Of these, seven lived abroad, and the -remainder spent most of their time in prison. - -At the beginning of the year Sinn Fein captured practically every County -Council, Rural Council, and Poor Law Guardian’s Board in twenty-seven -counties; nearly all these Boards defied the Local Government Board, and -took their orders from Dail Eireann direct. - -Next came the burning of County and Civil Courts, police barracks and -Petty Sessions Courts, followed by murderous attacks on police and -Loyalists throughout the south and west, though chiefly in the south at -first. - -In many parts Loyalists were forced under the jurisdiction of Sinn Fein -Land, Arbitration, and Civil Courts. Solicitors had their choice of -practising in these Courts or not practising at all, and a solicitor -must live as well as another man. - -The police had no power outside their barracks, and in many districts a -policeman was never seen for weeks on end, whole districts being policed -by civilian Volunteers. - -A large national loan was raised openly in defiance of the British -Government, its avowed purpose being to carry on war against England and -to break up the British Army. Sinn Fein banks and insurance societies -were floated, the money obtained being used for the same purposes. Sinn -Fein laws were passed and enforced, and a large army organised and built -up, drilled and armed. - -At this time the British Prime Minister repeatedly assured the country -that there never could and never would be an Irish Republic; while Lloyd -George talked De Valera acted, and the Republic came into being while -Lloyd George was still talking. - -During the summer of 1919 a very ordinary and at first uninteresting -strike of shop assistants took place in Ballybor for higher wages and -shorter hours, and the shopkeepers managed to carry on with the aid of -their families, and few of the public suffered any inconvenience from -the strike. - -Good relations still existed between master and employee in nearly every -shop in the town, and the shopkeepers were just on the point of an -amicable settlement with their assistants when a Transport Union -agitator, or, as he called himself, a Gaelic organiser, appeared on the -scene, and in a few hours the whole situation was changed. The local -secretary of the Transport Union, to which the shop assistants belonged, -at once broke off all negotiations with the shopkeepers, and before -night several acts of sabotage had been committed in the town. - -The next morning saw the strike begin afresh in deadly earnest. Every -street was picketed by strikers, who refused to allow any one, -townspeople or country people, to purchase any foodstuffs until the -shopkeepers had given in to their impossible demands. Doubtless the idea -was that the starving people would bring such pressure to bear on the -shopkeepers that they would be forced to give in and grant practically -any terms to the shop assistants. In a word, the old game of blackmail. - -Several unfortunate old country-women, who had managed to evade the -pickets and to purchase provisions, were caught on their way home by the -strikers and their purchases trodden into the mud of the streets. One -old clergyman, who lived several miles from Ballybor in an isolated -district, managed not only to dodge the pickets and buy much-needed -food, but to get two miles on his way home. However, a picket of -shop-boys, mounted on bicycles, overtook him, threw all his provisions -into a bog-hole, beat him severely, turned his pony loose in the bog, -and left him by the roadside. - -At first the shopkeepers were bewildered and at a complete loss to -understand the sudden change in the attitude of their assistants, but on -hearing Paidraig O’Kelly, the so-called Gaelic organiser, make his first -public speech, they knew at once what they were up against. - -In 1914, before the war broke out, all thinking Irishmen knew that the -coming and growing danger in Ireland was the Transport Union, formed -originally for the perfectly legitimate object of raising the status and -wages of the working classes (quite apart from the small farmer class) -by combined action. But in a very short time this Union became the -instrument of Bolshevism in Ireland under the able command of James -Connelly, a disciple of Lenin’s long before the latter had risen to -power. - -And so thoroughly and well had Connelly made out his plans for the -future that in every town and village the complete machinery of Soviet -Government had been prepared, ready to start working the instant the -revolution should break out. Men had been appointed to every public -office, and the houses of the well-to-do allotted to the different -Commissioners and officers of each local Soviet. - -Luckily for Ireland, the rebellion of 1916 saw the end of James -Connelly, probably the most dangerous and one of the cleverest men of -modern times in Ireland. - -With the death of Connelly and the disappearance of Larkin to America, -the Transport Union fell into the hands of less able men, but still -carried on successfully with agrarian agitation, though marking time as -regards revolution. - -After the war the Union found itself up against Sinn Fein, and for a -time it looked as though the two parties would come to blows and so -nullify each other’s efforts. Unfortunately both parties saw that their -only chance of success was to co-operate; doubtless the Transport Union -thought that if the rebellion was successful their chance would come in -the general confusion, and that they would be able to get their Soviet -Government working before the Sinn Feiners could get going. - -During 1919 and 1920 Sinn Fein and the Transport Union nearly came to -blows on several occasions in the west over agrarian trouble. The -Transport Union wanted to take advantage of the absence of law and order -to hunt every landlord and big farmer out of the country and divide -their lands amongst the landless members of the Union, while Sinn Fein -policy was to wait until the Republic had been set up, when, so they -declared, there would be an equitable division made. - -The Ballybor strike collapsed as suddenly as it had started with the -disappearance of Paidraig O’Kelly. The previous day a public meeting on -the town fair green had been held by the Transport Union, and all the -young men and girls of the town and countryside had attended. At first -the local firebrands addressed the meeting with their usual grievance, -and then O’Kelly spoke for a full hour. At first he confined himself to -the strike, and carried his audience with him when he painted a vivid -picture of the different lives led by the shopkeepers and their -“slaves,” how the former and their families lived on the fat of the -land, the latter in the gutter. - -The crowd had now had all they wanted and were prepared to go home to -tea, but O’Kelly had a good deal more to tell them. Suddenly and without -any warning he began to unfold the doctrine of Lenin, to show them how -the world and all the good things in it ought really to belong to them, -and that these good things would never be theirs until the ruling -classes were forced to disgorge them, and that the only way to make the -swine disgorge was to kill them one and all—gentry, business men, and -shopkeepers. - -The man could really speak, and held his audience spellbound while he -unfolded the Irish Eldorado of the future; but through all his speech -ran the one idea to kill, always to kill those in a higher station of -life than his listeners. To finish with he called upon them to start -with the police, to shoot them like the dogs they were, and when they -were gone the rest would be easy. - -Sergeant M’Grath had been detailed to attend the meeting to take down in -shorthand any speeches which might require explaining afterwards, but -until O’Kelly started to preach the doctrine of Lenin he had not opened -his notebook. - -The sergeant had served in most parts of Ireland, but O’Kelly’s speech -and brogue puzzled him: the man spoke like an Englishman trying to -imitate the Irish brogue, but with a thickness of speech which the -sergeant could not place. Nor could he place the shape of O’Kelly’s -head, a round bullet-shaped one with a high narrow forehead and coarse -black hair. - -He duly reported O’Kelly’s speech to the D.I., who endeavoured to find -out where the man came from, but failed to get any definite information. -One rumour said that O’Kelly came from Cork, another from America, and -yet a third that he was a native of Castleport. So the only thing to do -was to arrest the man and then try to identify him; but O’Kelly had -completely disappeared. - -Nothing further appears to have been heard of O’Kelly in Ireland during -1919, but the following year an itinerant lecturer on beekeeping turned -up in Co. Donegal, who bore a strong resemblance to Lenin’s disciple. -This man’s practice was to give a short lecture on bees in -school-houses, and then to launch forth into pure Bolshevism—a complete -waste of time on the average Donegal peasant. Next he was heard of in -Belfast, where he was lucky to escape a violent death at the hands of -some infuriated shipyard workers. - -In May 1920 the Transport Union in Ballybor began suddenly to give Blake -a lot of trouble—cases of men being dragged out of their beds at night -and forced with a loaded gun at their heads to join the Union steadily -increased. - -Several landlords who employed a good many men were threatened that, if -they did not pay a higher wage than the maximum laid down by law, all -their men would be called out and that they would in addition be -boycotted. And any who refused at once had their hayricks burnt and -their cattle injured. - -Rumours came to Blake’s ears of a man making extraordinary speeches at -night in the different country school-houses throughout the district to -audiences of young men and girls, speeches which apparently combined -Sinn Fein aims with red revolution. - -During 1920 Sergeant M’Grath had been sent to Grouse Lodge as -sergeant-in-charge, and thinking that he recognised O’Kelly in the -revolutionary lecturer who was touring the district, he kept a careful -watch on the Cloonalla school-house, and within a week had surprised and -captured the man, who turned out to be O’Kelly. - -O’Kelly was brought up before the R.M. in Ballybor Barracks, charged -with inciting the people to murder the police during the strike of 1919, -and pleaded not guilty. - -The R.M., who looked upon the man as a harmless lunatic (he had not -heard him haranguing a crowd), offered to let him go provided he entered -into a recognisance to be of good behaviour and could find two sureties -in fairly substantial sums. O’Kelly replied that he dared not enter into -a recognisance to be of good behaviour, and further, that if he was -released he would continue to preach revolution. Whereupon the R.M. gave -him three months and left the barracks. - -Blake then saw O’Kelly alone, and endeavoured to find out who and what -he was. It was obvious that the man was not an Irishman, nor did he -appear to be English. O’Kelly refused to give him any information -regarding himself. - -While this interview was going on an Auxiliary, whose home was in -Scotland, and who commanded a section of Cadets on temporary duty in -Ballybor, looked in to see Blake and found him with O’Kelly. - -After O’Kelly had left the room the Auxiliary told Blake that he knew -the man well, and had often seen him in Glasgow, where, previous to -1919, the man had lived for two years working as a Jewish Bolshevik -agent, and that he had suddenly disappeared from Glasgow when the police -began to get unpleasantly attentive. - - - - - XIX. - MOUNTAIN WARFARE. - - -The movements of the flying columns of the I.R.A.—gangs of armed -ruffians, usually numbering about forty, but sometimes more, sometimes -less, and led by men with military experience (ex-soldiers and even -ex-officers, to their everlasting shame)—have always corresponded -accurately to the amount of police and military pressure brought to bear -on them, which pressure has continually fluctuated in agreement to the -whims and brain-waves of the politicians in power. - -Figuratively speaking, these same politicians have kept the police and -military with one hand tied behind their back, and sometimes when the -screams of the mob politicians in the House have been loudest, have very -nearly tied up both their hands. If a chart had been kept during the -Irish war showing the relative intensity of the politicians’ screams and -the activities of the I.R.A., the reading of it would be highly -interesting and instructive. - -Extra pressure, more rigid enforcement of existing restrictions on -movement, and increased military activity have always resulted in a -general stampede of flying columns to the mountains of the west, where -the gunmen could rest in comparative safety, and swagger about among the -simple and ignorant mountain-folk to their hearts’ content. - -Here they would stay until the politicians, frightened by inspired -questions in the House, would practically confine the military and -police to barracks. The gunmen would then, with great reluctance, leave -the safety of the mountains, and return to the southern front, to carry -on once more the good work of political murder. - -And so the game of seesaw went on. Every time that the Crown forces saw -victory in sight the politicians would drag them back again to start all -afresh. The wonder is that the Crown forces stuck it so long with every -hand against them, and their worst abuse coming from a cowardly section -of their own countrymen in England. - -Early in 1921 the Crown forces in the south of Ireland suddenly gave -forth signs that a determined effort was to be made to deal effectively, -once and for all, with the gangs of armed murderers and robbers roaming -the country, masquerading as soldiers of the Irish Republic; and again -the flying columns fled in haste to their mountain retreats in the west, -a part of the country where the majority of the inhabitants have always -done their best to keep out of the trouble, with a few isolated -exceptions. - -This time they stayed longer; in fact, each time it became harder to -induce the gunmen to forsake the peace of the mountains for the war in -the south. After a time they started to vary the monotony by carrying -out punitive expeditions against the police and the unfortunate -Loyalists in the surrounding lowlands, but always to fly back to the -mountains at the first sight of a force of police or soldiers. - -Ex-soldiers were the chief game at this period. A district would be -chosen where there were no troops and few police. A list of all -ex-soldiers living in this district would be made out, and guides -provided by the local I.R.A. commandant. Each ex-soldier would be -visited in turn during a night, given his choice of active service with -the I.R.A. or a sudden death. Those who remained loyal to the King would -be led out and butchered like sheep, though possibly the murderers would -not take the trouble to remove their victims, but would fire a volley -into them as they lay in bed, and leave them there. Truly a brave army! - -Transport presented no difficulty to the gunmen. The British Government -took practically no steps to control the movements of motors, motor -bicycles, or push-bicycles, except the motor-permit farce, which greatly -inconvenienced Loyalists only. All they had to do was to commandeer as -many cars or bicycles as they wanted, where, when, and how they liked. - -However, this was not all the work which the Sinn Fein leaders intended -their flying columns to carry out, and in order to induce the gunmen to -return to duty the usual noisy peace squeal was started in England, so -that conditions might be made pleasanter for the gunmen in the south. -The murdering of ex-soldiers and helpless Loyalists could be easily -carried out by local Volunteers under a well-seasoned murderer—an -excellent method of initiating raw recruits into the methods of the Sinn -Fein idea of warfare. The British Government, always great judges of -Irish character, thought that the Sinn Fein leaders were coming to their -senses at last, took off the pressure, and the gunmen duly returned to -duty. - - * * * * * - -At length there came a time when these columns really got the wind up, -stampeded to the western mountains, and this time refused point-blank to -return to duty. - -In the late spring of 1921 Blake was suddenly called over to England on -private business in London, and afterwards went down to the country to -spend a few days with the parents of a man with whom he had served in -France. - -The day after his arrival Blake’s host told him that a Black and Tan, a -native of the place, had been murdered in Ireland a few days previously, -and was to be buried that day in the parish graveyard, and asked Blake -if he would accompany him to the funeral. - -When passing through Dublin on his way to England, Blake had seen in the -Castle the account of how this unfortunate Black and Tan had met his -death—shot in the back when walking in the streets of a small western -town with a girl; and not content with that, the murderers had fired a -volley at him as he lay wounded on the ground, and even fired several -shots after the girl as she fled shrieking up the street. So terrified -were the townspeople that, though there were many in the streets at the -time, not one dared to even approach the dying constable, and it was not -until a full hour afterwards that a passing police patrol found him -lying dead in a great pool of blood. Incidentally, the murderers had by -then put sixteen miles behind them by means of stolen bicycles. - -Blake accepted, expecting to see a large funeral to do honour to the -murdered policeman, but to his great surprise and indignation found that -only the near relations of the murdered man were present. - -Returning from the funeral, Blake happened to see the local police -inspector in the main street of the little town, and at once tackled him -about the funeral, wanting to know why the local police had not been -present as a last mark of respect to a man who had died for his country. - -The inspector seemed greatly surprised and rather taken aback, and -replied that he could hardly be expected to turn his men out to attend -the funeral of a murderer. - -For a moment Blake saw red, and but for a natural horror of making a -scene in a public place, would probably have knocked the inspector down. -Then, thinking that there must be a bad blunder somewhere, he asked whom -the Black and Tan had murdered, and how he had met his death. The -inspector admitted that the Black and Tan had been murdered, he -believed, and then opened out on the crimes and atrocities which the -Black and Tans had committed in Ireland—murder, rape, and highway -robbery,—in fact, the usual list of atrocities which is generally to be -read in the Sinn Fein propaganda pamphlets. - -Blake waited patiently until the inspector had given him a harrowing -picture of the condition of the south and west of Ireland: heartrending -accounts of homeless and starving women and children, old and young men -and boys hunted like wild beasts in the mountains and living on berries -and roots; shops burnt to the ground and looted by Black and Tans in -mufti; and of men and boys shot by Auxiliaries in the dead of night -before the eyes of their relations. - -He then asked the inspector who had given him this information, adding -that he would like to see the proof of it, and at the same time telling -him that he was a D.I. in the R.I.C. - -The inspector invited Blake to go to the police station with him, and -here, as Blake had expected, he was shown the usual lying propaganda and -pamphlets of Sinn Fein, which have been distributed by the million -throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and the U.S.A. An extract from one -pamphlet is worth repeating:— - -“Famine is about to add thousands of innocent victims to the hundreds of -thousands already in need of the bare necessities that keep body and -soul together. In every Irish village and town sickness, pestilence, and -death invade the humble homes, striking swiftly and surely the mothers -and children incapable of resistance through months of struggle against -cold and hunger.... Children of tender years, ragged and wretched, -trudge daily through the cold to a school now used for a relief station -to obtain the one meal a day on which they live—a piece of bread and a -warm drink.” - -Seeing from his ribbons that the man had served in the war, Blake asked -him if he would take the word of a brother officer against that of a -Sinn Fein rebel. The inspector seemed to think this a good joke, and -replied: “A brother officer every time.” “Well, then,” said Blake, “as -an ex-British officer, I give you my word of honour that all those -pamphlets you have just shown me are a pack of lies circulated by Irish -rebels to ruin your country.” - -Still the inspector was only half convinced, and in spite of all Blake -could say he saw when he at last left that the man’s belief in the -printed pamphlets of Sinn Fein was still unshaken. Such is the -tremendous effect of print, whether newspapers or pamphlets, on the -modern mind, and the firm belief in the old saying that there can be no -smoke without a fire. - -That afternoon Blake was carried off by his hostess to a drawing-room -lecture at a big country-house. His hostess was not quite sure what the -lecture was about, but believed it had something to do with Russia. -After tea the lecturer arose, and before he uttered a word, Blake had a -premonition of what was coming. A tall thin man, with pronounced Celtic -peculiarities and a mane of long, lank, black hair, Blake had seen his -prototype thousands of times in the west of Ireland. - -Throwing back his great mane with a jerk of his head, the lecturer -started on an impassioned recital of the atrocities committed in Ireland -by the British Army of Occupation, practically the same collection of -lies and wicked quarter truths which Blake had heard from the police -inspector that morning. - -Blake watched the faces of the audience closely, mostly women of the -upper and middle classes, and could see that the lecturer’s ready tongue -was making a deep impression on them. There was no yawning or fidgeting, -and the audience, many of them with the parted lips of rapt attention, -kept their eyes riveted on the quite interesting face of the wild man of -the west, camouflaged by a London tailor to harmonise with an English -drawing-room. - -Blake let the man have a fair innings, and then while he was drinking a -glass of water (Blake felt like asking him if he would not prefer -poteen) stood up and said quietly, “Ladies and gentlemen, so far this -lecture has been nothing but a pack of lies from beginning to end. The -lecturer is a Sinn Fein rebel camouflaged as an Irish gentleman, and I -am a D.I. of the Royal Irish Constabulary. During the war I fought for -your country, and the lecturer probably assisted the Boches in every -underhand and mean way he could. You can judge for yourselves which of -us is most probably telling the truth, and nothing but the truth.” - -The wild man turned with a wicked snarl, all signs of the veneer gone, -and his face reminded Blake of a cornered gunman he had had to deal with -once during a raid on a Dublin lodging-house; and there would probably -have been an ugly and unseemly scene, but the owner of the house -intervened, and gently but firmly led the wild man out of the room, -while Blake and his friends left the house at once. - -On his return Blake found a cipher wire from his County Inspector -recalling him at once, and going by car to London managed to catch the -Irish mail from Euston. All the sleepers were engaged, but by good luck -he found himself in possession of a first-class compartment. - -While idly smoking a cigarette and meditating on the extraordinary -amount of Sinn Fein propaganda he had met with in the course of one -short day in England, he noticed a well-dressed slight girl pass and -repass the glass door of his compartment several times. As the mail -pulled out of the station this girl pulled open the sliding-door from -the corridor and sat down opposite Blake, remarking that it was a grand -evening, and thereby unconsciously informing him that she was Irish. - -Suddenly realising that he was smoking, he asked the girl, who he could -see was unusually pretty and quite young, if she had any objection, and, -as he had expected, she readily entered into conversation. - -After a time she remarked, with a pretty engaging smile, that she saw he -had nothing to read, and getting down her suit-case, handed Blake a -handful of the identical pamphlets he had already seen that morning in -the English country police station. In addition, there was one fresh one -on “The Irish Issue,” by William J. M. A. Maloney, M.D., captain in the -British Army, August 1914-August 1916. - -Blake then saw that his original suspicion was correct, and that he had -to deal with that most dangerous of all spies, Sinn Fein or any other -breed—a pretty girl. - -By the time Rugby was passed he had heard the simple life-history in a -rural part of England of the girl, ending with the information that she -was going to Dublin for three months, and that she was very much in -dread after all the dreadful happenings there she had read of in the -papers, and she had never been in Ireland before (all this in a very -fine rich Dublin brogue). And Blake began to think that he must really -possess that most priceless of assets, to look a much bigger fool than -you are. - -After the stop at Crewe the girl again attacked him about Dublin, asking -if he lived in lodgings there, and, if so, was there a room to let in -the same house. A few days previously Michael Collins’s flat in a -certain Dublin street had been raided with satisfactory results to the -raiders, and Blake gave her this address, assuring her that she would -here find quarters entirely suitable to her requirements. The girl took -the hint, and the rest of the journey to Holyhead was spent in silence. - -On the mail-boat Blake saw the girl once more, sitting with a youthful -officer of the Dublin garrison, and carrying on an animated conversation -with their heads touching. - -On arriving at Ballybor Barracks Blake found further orders awaiting him -from the County Inspector to proceed at once to Castleport with all the -men and cars he could spare. - -The wildest rumours were afloat amongst his men: that the I.R.A. were -going to take the field openly (this notable achievement was reserved -for the Truce); that a large force of Americans had landed from a yacht -at Errinane with stacks of arms, and that they were raising and arming -the mountain men of that district greatly against their wish and -inclination, and that De Valera had been landed on the west coast from a -submarine, was hiding in the mountains of Ballyrick, and was at long -last going to take the field himself. - -Collecting every man he could spare and taking all the transport except -one Crossley, Blake set off with a strong convoy of police for -Castleport. The men were in great heart, and eagerly looking forward to -a good square fight in the open with the hitherto elusive soldiers of -the I.R.A. - -At Castleport they found the barracks packed with police, drawn in from -all the outlying districts; even two large houses adjacent to the -barracks had had to be commandeered to hold all the men. - -The County Inspector explained the situation, which was quite simple. A -large force of I.R.A. flying columns, estimated at over a thousand -strong, were reported to have refused to return to the south, and had -taken up permanent quarters in the Maryburgh Peninsula, north-west of -Errinane, and were playing old puck generally throughout that part of -the west. At first these flying columns had been distributed all through -the mountains, some in the Ballyrick country, more in the Slievenamoe -Mountains, and a large party to the south of Castleport; but owing to -the unpleasant attentions of Auxiliary flying columns they had gradually -retired towards the Maryburgh Peninsula, where so far they had been left -unmolested. - -The gunmen on the Slievenamoe Mountains had had a bad fright from the -very efficient company of Auxiliaries quartered at Annagh. Father John -had done all in his power to get rid of these unwelcome guests in his -parish, but showing a fine turn of speed they just managed to escape, -actually dashing through Ballybor in the middle of the night in a convoy -of commandeered Fords a few days before Blake’s return. - -For some time the gunmen had been in the habit of commandeering their -rations at night from Castleport, and during these nights the town would -be completely isolated. The first intimation of anything being wrong -which the townspeople had was the return one night of several -white-faced crying girls, who told their parents that they had just by -chance met Pat So-and-So, and that he had asked them to go for a stroll, -and hardly had they got outside the town when armed men had seized poor -Pateen and ordered the girls to go home at once. Incidentally the poor -Pateens were kept as a labour platoon by the gunmen, and made to do all -the dirty work of digging trenches, breaking down bridges, &c., which -occurred during the operations to follow. A different butcher, baker, -and grocer would be visited each time, just to show that there was no -question of favouritism with the I.R.A. - -While this requisitioning was proceeding every road leading into -Castleport was held by strong pickets of gunmen, who, as soon as the -ration party returned, would make for the Maryburgh Mountains on -bicycles, the ration party travelling on a commandeered lorry. - -Directly the County Inspector got wind of this proceeding, he made an -attempt to surprise the gunmen one night, but their local information -was too good, and he failed. Then, hearing that this big muster of -gunmen was hiding in the Maryburgh Peninsula, he collected all the -forces he could, and prepared to kill, capture, or drive them into the -Atlantic. - -Soon after Blake’s arrival at Castleport, apparently reliable -information came in that a landing of arms had been carried out early -that morning at Errinane, and that these arms were to be taken as soon -as it was dark to the Maryburgh Peninsula. The County Inspector at once -detailed Blake and Black, the Castleport D.I., to take a large force of -police and attempt to seize the arms before they could be taken out of -Errinane. - -Errinane lies about twenty-one miles to the south of Castleport, on a -narrow inland bay. The road runs the whole way through wild mountainous -country, though at no point does the road run very close to the -mountains. - -On the way out Blake carefully looked out for any points where an ambush -might be carried out, and noticed that there were two bad spots: one -where the road skirted the edge of a wood with a rocky hill close on the -other side; the second, about eight miles from Castleport, where the -road twisted through a ravine with steep rocky sides dotted with bushes, -and at one place crossed a narrow high bridge—an ideal place for an -ambush. Blake was so much impressed with this place that he stopped the -cars and made his men search carefully the sides of the ravine, but not -a sign of any preparations for an ambush could they find. Nor were there -any trenches on the road. - -After picketing Errinane, Blake searched every house, shop, store, and -barn in the village, but not a sign of arms could be found, nor was any -yacht to be seen in the harbour. - -It was late when they started back for Castleport, and Blake, who was -suspicious of an ambush at the bridge in the ravine, which was the -nearest point on the road to the Maryburgh country, ordered Black to go -ahead with two Crossleys, and to search the ravine thoroughly, and then -to wait until the rest of the force caught him up. - -Blake’s party was delayed by two punctures, and when they got near to -the ravine heavy firing suddenly broke out ahead of them. When within -half a mile of the bridge, they saw a party of men running away from a -culvert in a dip of the road ahead of them. - -Luckily, Blake was in the leading car, and ordered the driver to pull up -about a hundred yards short of the culvert, which, sure enough, went up -before they had been waiting two minutes. - -The firing ahead had now grown heavier, and every now and then the dull -thud of a bursting Mills bomb could be heard above the racket of -musketry. Realising that Black must be hard pressed, Blake divided his -force into two, ordered each party to deploy on one side of the road and -attempt to outflank the ravines. - -When within three hundred yards of the bridge both parties came under -heavy enfilade machine-gun fire—machine-guns which made a noise none had -ever heard before, and were probably American Thompson guns,—and they -were forced to take the best cover they could find in the open bog. - -The machine-gun fire at once died down, only to break out again every -time the police attempted to advance by short rushes. By painful degrees -they managed to get within eighty yards of the bridge, where the -formation of the ground protected them from that horrible enfilade hail -of bullets, and gathering themselves together they charged at the -reverse slope of the ravine. - -At once the firing ceased, and when at last they had torn their way -through briars and gorse to reach the top, all that they found was small -piles of empty cartridges and two ordinary tweed caps—not a sign of a -gunman whichever way they looked. - -They then turned their attention to their comrades on the road, and here -a heartrending sight met their eyes. At first it appeared as though all -the occupants of the two cars were either dead or wounded, but as they -descended towards the bridge a small party of police crawled from -underneath it, soaked to the skin. They found Black lying against the -front wheel of the leading car with four bullet wounds in his body and -his head smashed in by a dum-dum bullet—stone-dead. - -Blake found out from the survivors that Black had disregarded his -orders, and had not pulled up until the cars had passed the bridge, when -a hail of bullets swept the cars from the top of both banks of the -ravine. Black was wounded by the first volley, was hit twice while -getting out of the car to lead his men to the attack, and in the head as -his foot touched the ground. - -The sun had by now gone down, and collecting all his wounded and dead, -Blake pushed off for Castleport as fast as he could. - -Beyond a blown-up culvert half a mile from the ravine, which the cars -crossed without difficulty on their own planks, they met with no further -trouble. - -Then followed three feverish days of planning and preparing for the -great drive, which it was hoped would put a thousand gunmen out of -action for good and all; unless indeed a new Chief Secretary should come -to Ireland, perhaps this time from Australia or possibly from India, or -even a Jew, who would celebrate his arrival in this unfortunate country -by opening wide the gates of the internment camps. - -The area to be driven was roughly three hundred and sixty square miles, -which will give some idea of the magnitude of the task which a handful -of police had to tackle with the aid of a battalion of infantry and a -company of Auxiliaries. And when it is added that the entire peninsula -consisted of mountains (five of them well over two thousand feet, and -unclimbable in many places), bogs, lakes, and rivers, with only one -decent road which ran _round the coast and at the base_, it will be -granted that the task was nearly an impossible one. - -Also the few scattered inhabitants would be certain to be found to act -as unwilling scouts for the gunmen. Moreover, once the weather turned -wet, which may happen in the course of a few hours on the west coast, a -thick mist would cover the mountains, and all the gunmen had to do then -was to walk out of the trap and make their way inland. - -The plan of attack was as follows. The Castleport-Errinane road crossed -the twenty-mile neck of the peninsula, and before dawn one day ten -columns, each of eighty men, formed up a mile apart. - -As soon as it was light enough to see, these columns started, marching -in columns of route for the first two miles; they then deployed into -open order, got in touch with each other, and then started to drive the -country out of face for the remaining eighteen miles. Frequently the -line had to halt while a column would hunt a mountain in its line of -advance, or a detour round a lake had to be made. - -For the first four miles there was no sign of the gunmen—the column only -met flocks of mountain sheep, and no sign of a human being; but, when -ten miles from the west end of the peninsula, the troops on both flanks -came under fire—evidently an attempt to stop them working round behind -the gunmen. - -The troops in the centre now tried to advance, but were also held up by -heavy fire before they had gone half a mile; but at their third attempt -the flanks met with no opposition, and the whole line was able to -continue the advance. From now on the gunmen offered a determined -resistance at every ridge, but always retired before their positions -could be turned. - -At last, close on nightfall, the Crown forces came to the strongest -position of all—a long ridge in the centre with small hills at each end, -extending to the north and south coasts of the peninsula. - -As there was no time left for a turning movement, a direct assault was -tried, only to fail twice. It was then decided to wait until the full -moon had risen, when it would be possible to make a turning movement -along the coast. - -Unfortunately the sky became cloudy, and during the whole night the -Crown forces were unable to move; but as soon as the daylight came -another assault met with no opposition. - -Once on top of the ridge they could see the remainder of the peninsula -to the west coast, and not a sign of a gunman anywhere; nor when they -searched every valley and even some sand-hills on the coast could they -find so much as a single gunman. - -The following day word was brought into the barracks at Castleport that -a column of gunmen, thousands strong, had been seen marching in column -of route into the Ballyrick Mountains from the coast; but how they could -have got there from the Maryburgh Peninsula did not transpire for some -time. - -Later it was learnt that when the Crown forces gave up the attack on the -final ridge to wait for the moon, the gunmen waited until it was dark, -when they made their way to the coast. Here they had collected every -fishing-boat to be found. The sea being calm, the whole force managed -during the night to cross the bay to the north, a distance of fifteen -miles, landed on the Ballyrick coast soon after dawn, and at once set -off for the Ballyrick Mountains. - - - - - XX. - THE GREAT ROUND UP. - - -At the beginning of the Irish war, when the I.R.A., to use its own -words, “took the field against the British Army,” its activities were -purely local and sporadic. Some unfortunate police patrols of half a -dozen men, often less, walking along the King’s highway, interfering -with none except evil-doers, would be suddenly fired at with shot-guns, -sometimes loaded with jagged slugs and pieces of metal, from a safe -cover behind a stone wall with carefully-prepared loopholes. - -These police patrols never had a dog’s chance, and should have been -discontinued long before they actually were. - -At first the murderers did not trouble to make sure that they had a -perfectly safe line of retreat behind them when the location of these -cowardly ambushes was chosen, but after a few failures they made no -mistake in future, the line of retreat, either through a thick wood or -down the reverse slope of a hill, being always the first consideration. - -Married police living in houses or rooms in the town of their station -afforded an easy and safe target for the venom of these hooligan -shop-boys and farmers’ sons. At first the police used to go home -unarmed, and used to be shot down in the back while passing along an -ill-lighted street or lane, or the assassins would knock at the door of -the policeman’s home, and if he came to the door would fire at him and -then run away. - -Occasionally, in districts where the standard of bravery was very high, -all the Volunteers would collect in a small town after dark—always after -dark—and carry out an attack on the local police barracks. They knew -perfectly well that it was impossible for the police to leave their -barracks owing to the smallness of their numbers, and that as long as -they kept well under cover (which they did) they were just as safe as -they would be in their own beds at home. - -These so-called attacks on police barracks simply consisted in gangs of -hooligans first taking careful cover in houses adjacent to the barracks, -and then firing off as many rounds as they possessed. They always ceased -fire long before daybreak, in order that they might be home in good time -before it was possible for the police to leave barracks or a relief -party to arrive on the scene. - -At this period of the war, raiding the houses of the Loyalists for arms, -and incidentally for money and valuables, not forgetting drink, was a -much safer and more remunerative night’s amusement than shooting -policemen or attacking barracks, though the price then was £60 for every -policeman murdered. - -A party of twenty to thirty Volunteers, usually boys from fifteen to -twenty years of age, would meet at a fixed rendezvous some time after -dark with all the arms they could raise. They would then don black cloth -masks, turn up their coat collars, pull their hats down, and sally forth -to spend the night robbing, murdering, and terrorising the unfortunate -Loyalists of the district. - -Imagine the feelings of a respectable old man living in a lonely house, -who had probably never harmed any one during his lifetime, and whose -only crime consisted in being loyal or refusing to subscribe to the -funds of the I.R.A., in many cases a form of common robbery. - -Night after night he lies in bed expecting to hear a loud knock at the -door, and at last it comes. He opens the door to find a dozen shot-guns, -old rifles, and pistols pointed at him. Some brute then demands his -arms; the old man says he has none. They push him aside and force their -way in. The old man is made to sit down while two young hounds keep -prodding him in the back of the neck with the muzzles of their pistols, -to remind him what they could do if they liked. The remainder ransack -the house from top to bottom, take away any money or valuables they can -find, and consume any drink there may be. If they cannot find any money -or valuables, they threaten him with death until he disgorges. And -lonely women suffered in like fashion. - -The demand for arms used to be merely a blind for committing robbery. -The location of every firearm in a district was well known from the -beginning of the war. - -If the reader happens to be an English country gentleman, let him think -what it would be like never to know the night or hour when he would be -raided by a gang of farm labourers or village loafers, armed and masked, -from the nearest village. He might retire to bed to be waked up by loud -knocking on his front door. If he did not open quickly a rifle shot -would be fired through the lock, and if the door did not open then, it -quickly would to the blows of hatchets which would follow. A wild gang -of drunken brutes would burst into his nice house, smash desks, -sideboards, and cupboards, searching for loot. Lucky man if he escaped -with the loss of arms, money, and valuables, and not of home and life as -well. - -If the reader is an ex-soldier, let him imagine what his feelings would -be like if in the middle of the night he was pulled out of his bed by -these same ruffians, and given his choice between joining Trotsky’s Own -Light Infantry, or whatever the local Red force may call itself, or -being shot out of face. Being true to his country, he refuses to have -anything to do with Bolshevism, and is shot before the eyes of his -agonised wife. - -Remember that the loyal country gentlemen and ex-soldiers of Ireland -have sacrificed their blood and treasure on the altar of Empire as well -as their English cousins, and hence are entitled to as much protection. - -But no, when it comes to a matter of politics and votes they are thrown -to the wolves, to the eternal shame of England. The sacrifice of the -southern Loyalists will form one of the most disgraceful chapters in the -history of England. - -Robberies on a more extensive scale followed: bank managers taking large -sums of money to out-of-the-way villages on the occasion of a fair, in -order to facilitate payments by buyers to farmers, were held up and -robbed. Mail-cars carrying pension money for the old and poor were held -up and robbed; likewise post offices, banks, railway stations, and large -shops—and most of this money used to forward the cause of armed -rebellion. In fact, the Government were largely being fought with their -own money, or, rather, that of the helpless British taxpayer. - -But this form of warfare, though most unpleasant for the unfortunate -Irish Loyalist, and probably disturbing to the few people in England who -knew anything about what was happening in Ireland, would never have led -to anything provided the British Government had taken the necessary -steps quickly to preserve law and order and punish evil-doers. But no, -as ever in Ireland, they would do nothing, except procrastinate, until -it was too late. - -Instead of strengthening the R.I.C. and sending more troops into the -country, they merely evacuated outlying police barracks, which were -promptly burnt amidst scenes of triumph by the local Volunteers, and -hailed by all rebels as the first outward sign of the retreat of the -English from Ireland. - -If the police released by the evacuation of these barracks had been used -to form flying columns to quiet the worst districts, there might have -been some sense in this manœuvre; unfortunately, the men were all wanted -to make up the wastage in the occupied barracks caused by the large -number of resignations of young constables in the R.I.C. at this time. - -Looking back, these constables who resigned appear to have been mean -deserters of their comrades, but after-events have to a certain degree -justified their action. They were certain that, no matter how often the -British Government swore to see its loyal servants through, in the end -it would let them down, and the pity is that they were right. True, -there was a day when an Englishman’s word was as good as his bond, but -that day appears to be quite out of date. Or perhaps it does not apply -to politicians! - -Doubtless greatly surprised at their initial success, the chiefs of the -I.R.A. now determined on a much more ambitious form of warfare—namely, -the formation of flying columns to harry and murder the Crown forces -throughout Ireland, not excepting Ulster; at the same time they started -a tremendous campaign of propaganda in England and the States. - -The idea of breaking up the British Empire by means of a number of small -flying columns of corner-boys in Ireland, and green pamphlets at John -Bull’s breakfast-table, appears laughable; but Sinn Fein has shown -itself a wonderfully astute judge of the mentality of the present-day -politician in England. - -The summer of 1920 saw the greater part of the south and west in the -hands of the Republic, who not only boasted an army in the field, but -ran their own police, law-courts, and Local Government Board. It was not -an uncommon occurrence for a man to be first arrested by the R.I.C. for -some offence, and then by the I.R.A.; sometimes there used to be quite -an exciting race between these two forces to see who could catch the -culprit first. - -The first flying columns were made up of determined and hard-up -corner-boys collected from every district in the south and west, and -were sent out under specially qualified leaders to murder as many police -and soldiers as they could, no matter whether they were armed or -unarmed, asleep or awake. The price for the murder of a policeman rose -gradually to £60, and eventually to £100. - -With a terrorised population and a Government which refused to function, -these columns had everything in their favour, and carried on their -campaign of murder and assassination practically unhindered at first. - -Their chief channels of information were the post-office and young -girls. The larger proportion of post-office officials were openly -disloyal, postmasters even being caught red-handed decoding important -police and military wires for the information of the I.R.A. And young -girls not only obtained information by walking out with policemen and -soldiers, but also carried the gunmen’s arms to and from a murder or -ambush. - -It used to be no uncommon sight in Dublin to see a tram-car held up by -Auxiliaries and searched with no result. Before the Auxiliaries had -boarded the tram, the gunmen would openly pass their pistols to girls -sitting beside them. Any one giving information would never have left -that tram alive, nor would it have done any good, as the Auxiliaries -were powerless (until near the end of the war) to search women. - -As regards transport, they had only to take it where, when, and how they -liked—motors, motor bicycles, lorries, and push-bicycles by the thousand -in every part of the country. Think how different the result might have -been if the Government had taken up all this transport and reduced the -I.R.A. to their flat feet. And, of course, they used the trains freely, -and without payment, both to carry arms and men. - -Young girls, especially if pretty, make far the most dangerous spies in -the world; and though they have always been used during a war on a small -scale by every country, yet this is probably the first occasion on which -a nation has conscripted girls of from twelve to twenty-five years -wholesale for this vicious and contaminating work. - -Even little children were taught the art of eavesdropping, and, of -course, if they did not hear every word, readily filled in the blanks -from their imagination. Many a man in Ireland during the last two years -has lost his life through the medium of a little child. The Markievicz -woman ought to appear on the Day of Judgment with the record millstone -round her neck. - -Despatches were carried in dozens of ways—boys on bicycles, men on motor -bicycles, who also acted as scouts for ambushes, in the sample cases of -bagmen (a common method also at one time of sending arms and ammunition -about the country), by the post, and by railway guards—in fact, by every -method which came to hand. - -The I.R.A. obtained much valuable information through opening letters in -the post, but their really important and often vital information came to -them through a bad leakage in the Castle. - -Any shortage of recruits was quickly made good by a drastic form of the -old pressgang. An unwilling recruit would be dragged out of bed in the -middle of the night, placed against a wall, and given a minute to decide -for King George or the Irish Republic. King George meant a bullet in the -brain, probably a dum-dum of the worst description; the Irish Republic -meant active service with a flying column at some near future date. - -Money was obtained in just as simple a way. A levy of, say, a pound a -cow or a pound a beast would be laid on a district. A farmer had six -cows or one horse, two asses, and three head of cattle. In either case -he would pay £6 to the funds of the I.R.A. Any arguing there was would -be solely on the side of the collector, who would have the butt-end of a -large pistol protruding from his pocket. Such a simple and effective -method of collecting a tax! No troublesome forms of beastly red tape, -and no large staff of fat and lazy clerks to pay! Just a -truculent-looking blackguard with a very large pistol, not necessarily -loaded, and the money pours in. Cases of non-payment of this form of -taxation have never been heard of, nor is there any means of dodging it. -Cattle are not easy to hide. - -Rations were obtained by the simple process of requisition. In some -cases they used to go through the farce of giving a receipt for the -stolen goods in the name of the I.R.A.! - -With the police unable to function, banks and post-offices offered an -easy prey to these ruffians. The meanest form of robbery was the taking -of money to pay old-age pensions from mail-cars on their way to outlying -districts. - -A special murder gang was formed, which went about the country to murder -any man—policeman, R.M., or civilian—who was particularly active in -trying or helping to restore law and order in the country—that is, any -man who was too tough a nut for the locals to crack. And, of course, in -many cases private feuds and spites came under this heading. As has been -mentioned, the price for a policeman was £100. People would be heard -discussing this openly, and wondering if the price would go up or down, -in the same way as they might discuss Dunlop’s or Guinness’s shares. - -But the most effective weapon of Sinn Fein has been their propaganda -campaign in America and England, coupled with the treasonable and -treacherous aid from certain politicians and the effective silence of -the daily press, with one great and notable exception. - -The following letter, which fell into the hands of the Crown forces in -Ireland, speaks for itself:— - - Dail Eireann (Department of Finance), - Mansion House, Dublin, 21st March 1921. - - _To Director of Propaganda._ - - A CHARA,—The enclosed copy of notes from Ireland will probably be - of some interest to you. I have previously sent some copies of - these and other things from the Unionist Alliance people. - - Many figures have been given in the papers recently with regard to - R.I.C. resignations, dismissals, recruitment. All these - _questions_ have been asked on instructions from me, and I think - you might be able to make very good use of some of them. For - instance, in the 10th March ‘Hansard’ (pages 688 and 689) are - given the figures which appeared in the ‘Independent’ some days - ago. In a few days’ time we shall get total strength and total - numbers recruited over certain periods. - - I have got an arrangement made in London whereby the ‘Independent’ - correspondents will always quote the figures pretty fully for our - benefit. - - Do Chara, - - MICHAEL COLLINS. - -Sinn Fein first learnt the art of propaganda from those pastmasters the -Boches; but if ever the latter think of trying their luck with another -“Der Tag,” they will find that Sinn Fein can teach them now more than -ever they taught Sinn Fein. The Celtic mind seems to be peculiarly -adapted and susceptible to propaganda consisting largely of half and -three-quarter lies. - -But nothing surprised and dismayed Irish Loyalists more than the -suppression of reports of murders and outrages in Ireland in the great -majority of English papers, though later on these same papers filled -columns with any murder or atrocity alleged to have been committed by -police or Auxiliaries. Moreover, from their tone, it soon became obvious -that some papers were strongly pro-Sinn Fein. - -To an Irishman the English Radical has always been one of the greatest -wonders and mysteries of this world; and often he cannot help asking why -God has sent him into this world. Of course, there is no doubt that all -are here for some purpose, good or bad, but of what use is the Radical -to England? - -Is he the wee drop of poison in the whole which is to bring about the -downfall of the Empire as a punishment for the sins of its leaders? At -any rate, he has always been a puzzle and enigma to Irish and French -alike, and they have no use for a man whose chief idea of patriotism -appears to be to take any and every side against his own country. - -There is no possible doubt that the Government were forced or -frightened, by the howls of the Radicals, incited by Sinn Fein -propaganda, to order that reprisals by the Crown forces in Ireland -should cease, whereby the Crown forces’ most effective weapon was taken -from them, though it was still left in the hands of the murder gang. - -Fierce were the denouncements by the Radicals in the House of the -unfortunate Irish police; but one waited in vain for a like denouncement -of the murder gang (men who have committed as bad atrocities as the -world has seen) by these same unctuous gentlemen. Ye hypocrites! - -Much has been said and written (chiefly propaganda) about the wickedness -of reprisals, but it is better first to examine the situation before -condemning them. - -It must be clearly understood that the whole power of the murder gang -lay in reprisals: they took reprisals against every one who was against -them by murder, arson, and intimidation. The Crown forces had only the -law, which was paralysed. No one dared give evidence; it was death to do -so. - -Under these circumstances the Crown forces, principally the R.I.C., took -counter-reprisals; this was the only possible method by which they could -save their own lives and the lives and property of the Loyalists, who -looked to them for protection. - -For many weary months unhappy Ireland was rent and torn by this form of -warfare, and it became obvious to most that if one side did not win -pretty soon the country would be ruined. Twice the Crown forces wriggled -their hands free, and on both occasions had the I.R.A. on the verge of -collapse: one stout blow would have finished the show. And each time the -I.R.A. were saved by the screams of their English allies. Each time the -Government quickly took fright, quickly tied the Crown forces’ right -hands, and even threatened to tie up their legs if they set the English -Radicals on the howl again. And once more the I.R.A. plucked up courage, -and the old weary game of ambush and murder started afresh. - -At long last the Government took a sudden notion to make a desperate -effort to finish off the gunmen before the gunmen finished them. - -After the failure to round up the big force of gunmen in the Maryburgh -Peninsula, Blake returned at once to Ballybor with all his men, arriving -to find a cipher wire from the County Inspector to tell him that the -gunmen had turned up in the Ballyrick Mountains, and that as soon as the -Crown forces could be regrouped another effort would be made to come to -grips with these slippery customers. - -No sooner had Blake started to deal with a fearful accumulation of -official correspondence than the head constable told him that Constable -John M’Hugh, who came from the east centre of Ireland and had not been -long in the force, wished to see him—adding that M’Hugh’s father had -been murdered, and that the constable was most anxious to go home, but -that the police at his home had wired that it was not safe for the man -to go. - -Blake saw M’Hugh at once, and found him in a pitiable state of grief, -the first great sorrow of his young life—but had to refuse his request, -though the boy pleaded hard, with the tears running down his cheeks. -M’Hugh’s case is a good example of the murder gang’s reprisals on those -who will not fall in with their views. - -Old M’Hugh was a widower living with his two sons near a large town on -the east coast. Unfortunately John was an unwilling witness of the first -murders of British officers in Ireland during the present rebellion, and -in order to save the lives of his sons old M’Hugh got them into the -R.I.C. as soon as he could. - -On several occasions old M’Hugh was threatened by the I.R.A. that if he -did not make his sons resign they would do for him: every time he -refused, and told his sons nothing about being threatened. Finally, the -usual pack of masked fiends went to the old man’s cottage in the dead of -night, and murdered him by the refined process of dragging him out of -bed and kicking him on the head until they smashed his skull in—a deed -hard to beat for pure brutal savagery. - -The following day Blake received a long visit from the County Inspector, -who gave him the outline of the new plan of campaign, and instructions -for the part Blake and his men were to take. - -The country of the Ballyrick Mountains is a square-shaped peninsula of, -roughly, fourteen hundred square miles, consisting of vast flats of bogs -on the north, west, and east, intercepted by hills, while the south part -consists of nothing but mountains. One main road runs through the -centre, east and west, and another skirts the coast for three-quarters -of the north coast, then turns inland, crosses the other road at about -the centre of the peninsula at the village of Ballyscadden, then -continues due south until it reaches the coast. In the whole peninsula -there are only half a dozen small villages, all not less than sixteen -miles apart. - -To drive this huge country would require at least twenty times as many -troops as were available, and A.S.C. train to keep them supplied with -rations; there remained the possibility of starving the gunmen into -surrender. - -All the villages were to be occupied by military, and every road -picketed and blocked with barbed wire; at the same time the military -were to endeavour to form a cordon across the neck of the peninsula, a -distance of thirty-five miles. - -The police, who were to do the actual hunting, were divided into flying -columns, with all available transport. The Navy was to be responsible -for the numerous islands on the west and south coasts, and were to open -fire on any parties of gunmen who came within the range of their vision -and guns. - -Aeroplanes were to work continuously over the country during daylight, -and on locating the enemy, were to drop their messages at the police -headquarters at Ballyscadden. - -It was expected that at the first sign of danger the gunmen would make -for the mountains in the south, when the area of operations would be -greatly restricted. - -When all preparations were completed a start was to be made as soon as -there seemed a reasonable prospect of fine weather. Finally, at Blake’s -suggestion, they tried to collect every flock of mountain sheep and -confine them to the flat country to the north, but after the first day -many of the sheep returned to their own mountains in spite of the -efforts of the shepherds. - -Blake’s part was to keep all his available men at headquarters, ready to -dash off at a moment’s notice on receipt of information of the location -of any party of gunmen. - -Owing to a bad westerly storm operations had to be postponed for a few -days, during which time the gunmen were left undisturbed. - -As had been expected, they drew a blank in the flat country, though it -was reported by the first ‘plane up that a large party of cyclists had -been spotted making their way south from Ballyscadden some time before -the police occupied that village. - -The weather then turned very fine, and as there was a full moon, it was -decided to sit tight for a few days in order to see whether starvation -would force the gunmen to attempt a break through. - -For two days the aeroplanes had nothing to report except the movements -of small parties of not more than six men, and always in the mountains -to the south. On the third a ‘plane dropped the exciting news that a big -column, estimated at several hundred men, was marching south-west with -an advance of scouts to a depth of two miles. - -Blake at once turned out his men, and made off south at full speed. At -the same time a column left Castleport to make its way up the coast road -and intercept the gunmen before they could debouch from the -mountains—their orders being to advance up a valley from the coast to a -shooting-lodge, which was situated at the junction of three valleys, two -of which lead north-east and south-west round the foot of Falcon -Mountain. Here they were to wait while Blake endeavoured to drive the -gunmen down the north-east valley towards them. - -For twenty-four hours Blake kept up a running fight with the gunmen in -the mountains, always trying to head them towards the valley which leads -to the foot of Falcon Mountain, and at last, when his men could hardly -move, had the satisfaction of seeing the gunmen making for the valley. - -The police followed slowly and painfully, to find not a sign of a human -being at the shooting-lodge. The men flung themselves down in the -heather, beat to the world, and some of them even burst into tears of -rage. - -The explanation came afterwards. The Castleport party received orders to -proceed up the valley from the sea, and intercept the gunmen at a -shooting-lodge. Unfortunately there were two lodges—one on the shore of -a lake about half-way up the valley from the sea, and the second and -right one at the junction of the three valleys. Naturally the Castleport -party, none of whom had been in these mountains before, stopped at the -first lodge they came to on the shore of the lake. - -A thick mist came up off the sea that night, and the gunmen, who had -taken refuge on the upper rocky slopes of Falcon Mountain, slipped -through the cordon in the mist in twos and threes, commandeered -bicycles, and so made good their escape. - -Some time afterwards, being again very hard pressed, large parties of -gunmen took up their quarters in the Ballyrick Mountains, and lay low. -Gradually their numbers increased, until it was reported that the -mountains carried as many gunmen as sheep. - -At this time the Government appeared to have at last realised that the -only way to restore order in Ireland was to oppose force by superior -force. Many people could have given them this information months -previously. - -A report went through Ireland that the Government was massing artillery -at Holyhead to mow down the I.R.A. with their brutal high explosives and -shrapnel. In reality what happened was that all batteries in England -were turned into mounted infantry, only about twenty-five men being left -with a battery, and concentrated at Holyhead, preparatory to crossing to -Ireland. - -To Blake’s joy, the Ballyrick country was chosen as the first scene of -what was fondly supposed would be the end of the rebellion. - -Quickly 20,000 troops were massed across the neck of the Ballyrick -Peninsula with every available Auxiliary and a large force of R.I.C., -while a naval force was standing by off the coast ready to land sailors -and marines. All that was wanted was a good weather forecast to start -in, and put an end to this great mob of gunmen—the curse of modern -Ireland. - -The good weather forecast came along all right, and on the morrow they -were to get a move on and put an end to this miserable breed of cowardly -warfare. - -But on the morrow, instead of the Advance, they heard the Stand Fast -sounded, and to their dismay learnt that a truce had been proclaimed—a -truce with murderers, forsooth! - - - - - XXI. - THE TRUCE. - - -Blake had been educated at a big English public school, where he had -learnt that the keynote to an Englishman’s life is straightness. -Further, in the British Army he had found that all good Britishers try -their level best to run straight. - -Early in 1921 there had been a strong rumour in the R.I.C. that the -British Government had come to secret terms with Sinn Fein, and that -after a period of window-dressing a truce would be declared; then would -follow a lot of talk, and the terms of settlement would emerge. It was -even reported that a conference had been held in Norway of -representatives of the British Government and Sinn Fein, and also a -representative from each of the Dominions, and a settlement arrived at. - -At the time the Prime Minister fired off one of his loudest and most -daring defiances at Sinn Fein: that he would never give in nor would he -ever treat with the murder gang in Ireland, that the Crown forces in -that country would be supported by all the resources of the Empire, and -so on _ad nauseam_. And this, as Blake heard a cynic remark, was a sign -that the sinister rumour was most likely true. - -Blake had dismissed the idea with a laugh, but when the truce bomb burst -his mind at once flew back to the secret settlement rumour, now months -old, and he began to suspect with a horrible fear that they had been -sold, and badly sold. - -Naturally the first effects on the police were bad. The older men who -had been let down before laughed and cried to each other, “Sold again!” -but the younger ones, who had yet to learn the ways of politicians, took -the matter to heart, and started to brood over it. - -There were several questions to which they badly wanted an answer; the -chief being, if there was to be this complete surrender, why had it not -been made long ago, when the lives of many of their relations and pals -in the Army and R.I.C. might have been saved, not to mention the lives -of many Loyalists? These valuable lives had been freely given in order -that Ireland should be freed from the murderous plague of gunmen, in the -same way as during the late war the lives of the Empire’s best were -sacrificed in order that we should be freed from the murderous plague of -the Boches. - -Further, they wanted to know what terms had been made with regard to -their comrades who had fallen into the hands of the I.R.A. - -The Loyalists were staggered, knowing that their worst fears would now -be realised; to be handed over to the murder gang, which was the reward -the cynics in the Dublin clubs had always prophesied, would be England’s -return for the efforts of the Loyalists during the war. However, they -could say nothing and do nothing, but simply make the best of their -fate. - -The neutrals, most of whom had changed their flag as often as the -British Government had changed its mind, now, of course, openly threw in -their lot with Sinn Fein. - -The townspeople and farmers openly rejoiced at the prospect of even a -temporary peace, though in their hearts many of them knew that there -could be no real peace in Ireland until the gunmen had been wiped out or -reduced to a state of impotence by disarming them. However, the future -could take care of itself as far as they were concerned. - -For the first few days of the Truce the Sinn Feiners appeared to be -doubtful whether their wonderful good luck could be really true, and -consequently lay low. Then men and boys who had been on the run for many -moons returned to Ballybor, and gave an exhibition of “See the -Conquering Hero Comes” in the streets daily; among them men wanted badly -for atrocious murders, who now snapped their fingers openly in the faces -of the police. A policeman could not walk the streets of Ballybor -without meeting these swaggering fellows, who openly laughed and jeered -at them when they passed. - -However, a considerable number did not return, and on their relations -inquiring about their whereabouts from the I.R.A. liaison officer, they -were told they never would come back. - -Gradually, being sure they were indeed safe, and that in truth they had -the British Government on the run instead of being on the run -themselves, they grew bolder and more insolent. - -One brute went up to the sentry outside the police barracks and -deliberately spat on him, hoping no doubt that the constable would lose -his temper and break the truce. The constable stepped into the barracks -and returned at once with the Sinn Fein flag, with which he carefully -wiped the offending stains off his face and tunic under the nose of the -astonished gunman. He then proceeded to stand on the flag in the mud, -and asked the gunman, “What about it?” For some seconds the gunman stood -irresolute, then turned and walked off, looking a complete ass, followed -by the loud laughter of the police. - -From now the Republicans proceeded to take over the government of the -district, the police standing by helpless, bound hand and foot by the -strict order that on no account were they to disturb the peace -atmosphere. How the Boches must be laughing at us! - -In every parish Republican Courts were advertised to be held in the -local papers, and were held without let or hindrance, the advertisements -stating that “Summons, &c., can be had on application to ——, Clerk of -the Court.” And why not? Had not the I.R.A. beaten Lloyd George to his -knees, and was not the British Government on the run? - -To give the comical touch necessary in Ireland, the R.M. continued to -receive instructions from the Castle to attend the various Petty -Sessions Courts in every district and deal out the British version of -the law. Probably the first time (and please God the last) that any part -of Great Britain and Ireland has been governed by two sets of laws at -the same time. - -With regard to this disgraceful state of affairs one particular case -will give a good illustration of how low British law has fallen in the -west of Ireland. - -A very decent man called O’Brien, who had been a herd to the Congested -Districts Board, bought a farm from the Board with three other men, the -farm being divided into four. - -This did not suit the landless members of the Transport Union in the -district, whose idea was that they should have the land without paying -for it. They told O’Brien to get out, but he refused; they then -proceeded to smash the fences and drive and injure his cattle. O’Brien -built up the fences and put his cattle back. - -They next proceeded to beat O’Brien, who afterwards went into Ballybor -but returned without taking any action, as they told him there that -there was now no law in the country. That night they beat him again; the -process consisted of first holding him while a powerful man closed his -eyes with repeated blows of his fists, and then they hammered him to -their heart’s content and left him in the road for dead. - -Hours afterwards O’Brien crawled home on his hands and knees—he was -practically blinded, and appears to have found his way home by -instinct,—and some days afterwards, when he had recovered a little, he -went to the police in Ballybor. - -A magistrate happened to be at the barracks at the time, and insisted -that steps should be taken to protect O’Brien and punish the savages who -had beaten him, though the police told him that they were afraid that it -was quite useless to try. - -However, the magistrate took O’Brien’s information, the case came on -week after week at the Ballybor Petty Sessions, always to be adjourned -at the request of the police, waiting instruction from the Castle. At -last O’Brien, in despair, took his case to the local Sinn Fein Court; -and here the chief offender was fined £27 and the others large sums, and -they were warned that if they interfered with O’Brien again they would -be dealt with very severely. - -And this is a good example of how British law protects a decent citizen -in Ireland at the present time; but one forgets that the peace -atmosphere must not be disturbed at all costs! But is there any wonder -that the people are fast leaving the King’s Courts for those of Sinn -Fein, and of their own free will now? - -Republican Local Government inspectors appeared in every district, and -quickly ousted the King’s inspectors; held courts of inquiry on -unfortunate road surveyors who had refused to take the oath of -allegiance to Dail Eireann, and tried to sack loyal dispensary doctors. - -The chief amusement of the local gunmen on leave, and of their friends, -male and female, was now to spend their time joy-riding through the -countryside, flying Sinn Fein flags on their commandeered lorries and -singing the “Soldier’s Song” whenever they passed any police or a -barracks. - -One expedition of this kind went out to Ballyrick on a Sunday and -returned to Ballybor about midnight. Blake happened to be passing down -the main street at the time, and encountered a party of drunken bank -clerks trying to see how much row they could make. - -Blake remonstrated with them, and told them that if they did not go home -quietly he would have them arrested. One clerk at once started to sing -the “Soldier’s Song” at the top of his voice, and another shouted at -Blake in an insolent voice, “What about the truce, Mr B——, D.I.?” Blake -saw red—he had borne and suffered much for many days,—and he gave the -bank clerk a full drive on the chin which sent him flying. The whole -party then swiftly retreated in silence. - -The following day Blake paid a visit to the bank, and said to the clerk -he had ousted the previous night, “Look here, Mr Bank Clerk, don’t think -I hit you last night because you were drunk. There’s a fine open yard at -the back of the barracks, and if you will come round now, we can fight -it out.” Abject apologies from Mr Bank Clerk, and Blake left the bank. - -One morning a woman arrived at the barracks in a state of great distress -and asked to see the D.I. She told Blake that she lived in a small house -in Cloonalla, which she rented from another woman in the village. Twice -her landlady had tried in a British court to evict her, and had failed. -The landlady then applied to the local I.R.A., who promptly turned the -unfortunate woman with all her furniture and belongings into the street, -and there she remained. When she remonstrated with them they showed her -a warrant signed by the village Sinn Fein magistrate and left her. - -Blake at once applied to the County Inspector for instructions, who -applied to the higher authorities. Back came the answer, “See circular -so-and-so,” which on being turned up stated that all breaches of the -Truce should be at once reported. Meanwhile the woman remained homeless: -neighbours in an Irish village nowadays fight shy of an I.R.A. victim, -and circulars are not substitutes for roofs. - -Again Blake tried to get leave to take action, and this time the answer -was to forward four copies of the case to the police adviser in -Scotland. In despair he put his pride in his pocket and applied to the -I.R.A. liaison officer of the district for help. - -And the next day the liaison officer arrived in Ballybor—an ex-soldier -and a well-known murderer. Blake felt that he could hardly stand this -final insult to an honourable uniform; but duty is duty, and a truce -must be kept. - -The liaison officer went out in a car to Cloonalla, and ordered the -local braves to put the woman and her furniture back in her house, which -they flatly refused to do. And that was the end of the matter. - -After some weeks’ rest the chiefs of the I.R.A. issued an order calling -all men to the colours, whether they liked it or not. - -It has been mentioned that the country round Ballybor was famous for its -excellent shooting, grouse, snipe, woodcock, duck, and geese chiefly; -and in the days before the rebellion many Englishmen must have spent -happy times shooting and fishing in the many shooting-lodges dotted -about on the mountains and moors to the east and west of Ballybor. - -Now all these lodges are occupied by instructors of the I.R.A., who take -so many of the young men and boys of the district in relays for an eight -days’ intensive training course—drilling, musketry, instruction in the -use of Lewis and Thompson machine-guns, bombing, and twenty-five-mile -route-marches in full fighting order, the latter most unpopular. - -Not only have all old members of the I.R.A. to attend these courses, but -every young man and boy, who had previously refused to join up, have to -go; and there is no refusing to go now. - -You may miss your garden-boy or shop-assistant, to meet him in the -course of the week taking part in a route-march; or if you are foolishly -inquisitive, you may see him at dawn advancing across your demesne in -company with other boys, or firing his musketry course. - -Blake watched two lorry-loads of these recruits setting off on a Monday -morning from the main street of Ballybor under his very nose, Sinn Fein -flags flying; and they sang the “Soldier’s Song” for his special -benefit. - -About two miles from Ballybor there lives a retired officer in a nice -house with a good demesne, a man who served the Empire well and truly -for many years. When the war was over he retired, fondly hoping to spend -the remainder of his days in peace and comfort in his old family home. - -But not so: he happened to be the owner of a demesne which the Transport -Union had promised to its members. So they tried repeatedly to stampede -him out of the country, but that failed. Now his place is occupied by -what the I.R.A. call a week-end camp for the drilling and instruction of -the Ballybor shop-boys. They use his cooking utensils, burn his turf, -and make the night hideous with their yells and oaths, so that the -officer and his family find it impossible to get any rest. Moreover, -they, the I.R.A., do not appear to be strong in sanitary sections. And -they told him that if he took any action they would burn his place to -the ground. - -What action could he take? There is no law in the country except the law -of the pistol. The police are now bound hand and foot. They report these -outrages to the Castle, and what happens? Nothing. The Government are -far too busy hunting for that elusive formula which is to turn this -Irish hell into a paradise, to worry about a stupid old retired officer. -He has no vote in England, nor can he ever affect their political -careers. - -And why all these feverish military preparations? Either to invade -Ulster when the time of a settlement and peace comes, or, if the Truce -is broken, to massacre the R.I.C. and the Loyalists. - -About this time a constable, transferred from the south-west to -Ballybor, brought with him a story—he swore it was true—which will take -a queer lot of formulæ to explain away. Not long ago the I.R.A. ran a -cargo of arms on the coast where he was stationed, openly, with the -police looking on. The police at once reported the affair, and were told -that it did not matter as the arms would never be used. - -Presumably the authorities meant that these arms would not be used -against the Crown forces; but what about loyal Ulster, and those most -unfortunate of people to-day in Europe, outside of Russia, the southern -Irish Loyalists? - -Apparently the I.R.A. chiefs are believers in games for their men, as -witness the following advertisement which appeared in the Ballybor shop -windows:— - - GREAT FOOTBALL MATCH. - - - NORTH BALLYRICK FLYING - COLUMN, I.R.A. - - _v._ - - BALLYBOR PATRICKITES. - - - PAY YOUR SHILLING AND SEE - HOW WE ENJOY THE TRUCE. - -The Transport Union unwittingly supplied the comical element of the -situation when they started a great row with the I.R.A. people in -Ballybor. It appeared that the I.R.A. had been in the habit of not -paying the Union rate of wages to the stalwarts of the Transport Union -for digging trenches across roads and breaking down bridges during the -war, and now they were furious because the I.R.A. refused to pay up the -difference, and threatened them with all sorts of horrible things. And -the I.R.A. laughed at them. - -People in England have not the remotest conception of the terrible -Frankenstein monster which De Valera & Co. have reared up and armed in -Ireland, a hideous monster of murderous and armed gunmen, fearing -neither God nor man, which in the summer of 1921 was on the point of -being exterminated by British bayonets to make this beautiful island of -Ireland once more a clean and wholesome land, where men might dwell in -peace. - -That chance has gone. Will it ever occur again? And if it does will the -British Government seize their opportunity like men and rid Ireland of -this terrible menace? Or will they again be found wanting, groping after -some wretched formula? - -Do people realise why De Valera acts the part of the coy fly in -hesitating to enter Mr Lloyd George’s talking parlour? The sinister -reason is that if he once gives up his claim to an Irish Republic he -seals his own doom. The day he enters into a conference with the British -Government on these conditions, the Irish Republican Brotherhood signs -his death warrant, and well he knows it. - -But if, for argument’s sake, a so-called settlement is arrived at, what -becomes of De Valera’s Frankenstein monster? - -Will it beat its automatics into reaping-hooks and convert its -machine-guns into potato-sprayers? Possibly in the minds of English -Radicals, but nowhere else. - -And when the Welshman and the Mexican have fooled the English and the -southern Irish with a formula, do they think that any formula ever -phrased would fool Ulster? - -On the day that an Irish Republic is set up (Dominion Home Rule is only -another name for it), Sinn Fein, its _raison d’être_ accomplished, dies; -but out of its corpse will arise two parties, or rather armies (for all -men in Ireland are armed to-day except the Loyalists), one consisting of -the farmer shopkeeper class, while the other will be the Citizen Army of -the Bolshevist Labour Party. - -The rank and file of the I.R.A. consists of farmers’ sons, young -townsmen, shop assistants, and the like; they expect either a fat -pension for life or twenty acres of land. Both have been freely promised -to them, and both are equally impossible. - -And these disgruntled gunmen, all armed, will take sides according to -their sympathies, and before many months are past these forces will be -at each other’s throats. And the national air of Ireland will be the -“Red Flag.” - -Like Kerensky in Russia, De Valera will disappear in the welter of -revolution. - -The R.I.C. will have vanished—they have already been told that when the -“Cease fire” sounds, they will be given a month to clear out of Ireland, -lock, stock, and barrel. - -The surrender to Sinn Fein by the British Government is a good example -of the evil which can be brought about by that modern plague, skilful -and unscrupulous propaganda. - -The sooner the good elements in England wake up and combine to insist -that the necessary action is taken in Ireland to enforce law and order, -the better it will be for both countries and the Empire. - -The English people have been fooled by a press which carefully -suppressed all news of the true state of affairs in Ireland, and then -gave lying and distorted accounts. - -It is futile to say that the remedy for false reports lies with the law. -All honest men know that a clever lawyer in a court of law can make a -half or three-quarter black lie appear a whole truth white as driven -snow, as easily as a smart and up-to-date accountant can juggle with a -balance-sheet to show + or - half a million as the necessity arises. - -The day will come in Ireland when men will pray to God for a sight of -the good old green uniform of the R.I.C. And it will be too late. - - - PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES - - - 1. Changed fight to light on p. 198. - 2. Silently corrected typographical errors. - 3. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. - 4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Tales of the R.I.C, by Unknown and The Royal Irish Constabulary - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE R.I.C. *** - -***** This file should be named 53324-0.txt or 53324-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/3/2/53324/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing 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. 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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: Tales of the R.I.C - -Author: Unknown and The Royal Irish Constabulary - -Release Date: October 19, 2016 [EBook #53324] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE R.I.C. *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='tnotes covernote'> - -<p class='c000'><strong>Transcriber's Note:</strong></p> - -<p class='c000'>The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</p> - -</div> - -<div class='ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>TALES OF THE</div> - <div>R.I.C.</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> - -<div> - <h1 class='c003'><span class='xlarge'>TALES OF THE</span><br /> R.I.C.</h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>William Blackwood and Sons</div> - <div>Edinburgh and London</div> - <div>1921</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='small'><em>ALL RIGHTS RESERVED</em></span></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary='CONTENTS'> - <tr> - <th class='c006'></th> - <th class='c007'> </th> - <th class='c008'>PAGE</th> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>I.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE INFORMER</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>II.</td> - <td class='c007'>ON THE RUN</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_20'>20</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>III.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE LANDING OF ARMS</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_37'>37</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>IV.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE RED CROSS</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_54'>54</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>V.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE R.M.</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_69'>69</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>VI.</td> - <td class='c007'>AN OUTLAW</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>VII.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE STRANGER WITHIN THE GATES</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>VIII.</td> - <td class='c007'>MR BRIGGS’ ISLAND</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_108'>108</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>IX.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE REWARD OF LOYALTY</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_120'>120</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>X.</td> - <td class='c007'>POTEEN</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_137'>137</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XI.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE MAYOR’S CONSCIENCE</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_152'>152</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XII.</td> - <td class='c007'>A BRUTAL MURDER</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_166'>166</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XIII.</td> - <td class='c007'>SEAL ISLAND</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_176'>176</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XIV.</td> - <td class='c007'>A FAMILY AFFAIR</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_191'>191</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XV.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE AMERICAN NURSE</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_208'>208</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XVI.</td> - <td class='c007'>FATHER JOHN</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XVII.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE BOG CEMETERY</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_236'>236</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XVIII.</td> - <td class='c007'>A JEW IN GAELIC CLOTHING</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_253'>253</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XIX.</td> - <td class='c007'>MOUNTAIN WARFARE</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_262'>262</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XX.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE GREAT ROUND UP</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_281'>281</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c006'>XXI.</td> - <td class='c007'>THE TRUCE</td> - <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_300'>300</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>TALES OF THE R.I.C.</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/deco.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span> - <h2 class='c005'>I.<br /> THE INFORMER.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>In many parts of the west of Ireland one -finds small mountain farms of from five to -twenty acres, generally consisting of twenty-five -per cent rock, twenty-five per cent heather, -and the remainder of indifferent grass-land. -On such a farm a peasant will rear a large -family, and how it is done is one of the -mysteries of Ireland; but done it is, and -often.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patsey Mulligan was one of a family of -ten, brought up on one of these farms until -he was seventeen, when his father told him -that it was time he thought of keeping himself, -and, incidentally, of earning some money -for his mother. Patsey quite agreed with his -father, but soon found that it was much easier -to talk of getting work in such a poor district -as Cloonalla than to get it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the end Patsey made up his mind that -the only thing to do was to go to England -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>in search of work, and one cold winter’s morning -he set off from his home, in company -with three other lads from the same townland, -to walk the fifteen miles across the mountains -and bogs to the nearest railway station at -Ballybor. Arriving in England, they made -their way to a town in Yorkshire, where one -of them had a brother working in a coal-mine, -and within three days of leaving his home in -Ireland Patsey found himself a Yorkshire -miner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hardly had he settled down to his work -in the coal-mine when the war broke out, -followed by a rush of young miners to enlist, -amongst others Patsey Mulligan; and before -he realised what he was doing, he was a full -private in a famous Yorkshire regiment. Patsey -had, however, enlisted in the name of -Murphy, hoping to keep his people in ignorance -of the fact, knowing it would break his -mother’s heart if she knew he was fighting.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patsey thoroughly enjoyed the training, and -within seven months of enlisting embarked -for France; and after a few weeks’ pleasant -life in billets, gradually moved north until -finally the battalion took over trenches in -the famous salient of Ypres—a great contrast -to Patsey’s home in the west of Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There happened to be in the battalion a -young Irish subaltern by name Anthony Blake, -and when Blake told his Company Sergeant-Major -to find him a servant—an Irishman if -possible—Patsey at once volunteered for the -job, and between the two young Irishmen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>there soon sprang up a friendship through -the common bond of danger and discomfort.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After some time Patsey learnt through one -of the boys with whom he had first crossed -to England that his mother was dangerously -ill, and that she had repeatedly written to -Patsey to come home and see her before she -died, but had naturally received no answer. -In his trouble he appealed to Blake, and that -night found him waiting at Popperinghe Station -for the leave train with a return-warrant to -Ballybor in his pocket.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his arrival at Ballybor he set out on -his long fifteen-mile tramp to his home at -Cloonalla, and late on a summer’s evening -the family of Mulligan were startled by a -British soldier in full marching order walking -into their home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before his mother died she made Patsey -promise that he would not go back to France, -and that he would stay at home and help his -father to mind the other children. It is hard -for a son to refuse his dying mother, and -doubly so for an Irish boy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When his mother’s funeral was over, Patsey -buried his uniform and equipment in a bog-hole -at night; but his rifle he hid in the -thatch of an outhouse, and it was given out -in the neighbourhood that he had been discharged -from the Army as medically unfit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the usual time Patsey was posted as -a deserter in his battalion; Blake found a -new servant and forgot all about his late -one, while Patsey settled down to work with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>his father, and the memory of Blake and the -British Army faded from his mind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though wounded three times, Blake was -one of the lucky men to return home to Ireland -at the end of the war, and at once set -about looking for a job. The son of a country -doctor in the south of Ireland, at the outbreak -of war he had just left school, and had -not had time to settle on a career.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But if in England it was hard for ex-officers -to get employment, in Ireland it was doubly -so; and Blake soon found that it was next -to impossible for a man who had worn the -King’s uniform to get any work or appointment. -The power of Sinn Fein was beginning -to be felt in the land, and though many people -would have gladly employed men returned -from the front, they dared not.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At last, when he had quite given up hope, -he received by post an offer to join the newly-formed -Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish -Constabulary, and, gladly jumping at such an -offer, was soon in training at the depot in -Dublin. After a tour of duty in the south, -the authorities offered him a cadetship in the -R.I.C., and in the course of two months Blake -found himself the District Inspector at Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time the R.I.C., after about as bad -a hammering as any force ever received, were -beginning to get their tails up again; and -whereas previously no policeman dared show -his face outside his barracks after dark, they -were now occasionally sending out strong -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>patrols at night-time, to the great concern of -the local Sinn Feiners, who for a considerable -time had had things all their own way in -the south and west.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police district of Ballybor is, like many -others in the west of Ireland, large, consisting -chiefly of mountains, bogs, lakes, and a few -small scattered villages, some of them hidden -away in the mountains—an ideal district in -peace time for a D.I. who is fond of shooting -and fishing, but in war time a hard district -to control with the small force of police at a -D.I.’s disposal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Previous to Blake’s arrival all the barracks -in the district had been vacated with the -exception of Ballybor and “Grouse Lodge,” -a small barrack at the foot of the mountains -in the Cloonalla district; and as each barrack -was vacated, it was blown up or burnt by the -local Volunteers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In all former rebellions in Ireland the Government -have found that to get information -it was only necessary to pay money. Sometimes -it did not cost much, other times they -had to pay generously, but always money -produced information; and at the beginning -of the Sinn Fein trouble the Government -naturally assumed that money would produce -the informers as before. But this time they -were wrong, and it was only—when the Government -were at their wits’ end—by a lucky -chance of finding important papers on a man, -who was shot at night during a military raid -on a Dublin hotel, that at last they received -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>the information which enabled them to grapple -successfully with Sinn Fein.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There is no doubt that the originators of -Sinn Fein had read their country’s history -carefully, and were determined that this time -there should be no informers; and to this -end they organised a “Reign of Terror” -throughout Ireland such as few countries have -ever seen at any time in history. Their chief -obstacle was the R.I.C., and once this force -was reduced to a state of inactivity—they -thought they had broken it for good and all—their -task appeared comparatively easy. -Every man, woman, and child in the south -and west of Ireland knew that if they gave -any information to the police they would be -shot, and shot they were.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When Blake took over his duties at Ballybor, -he found that the police had no source -of information whatsoever, with the result -that each attack on a barrack and every ambush -of a patrol came as a surprise to them. -So great was the “Reign of Terror” in the -Ballybor district that no person dare speak -to a policeman, and the shopkeepers were -afraid to serve one, even with the necessities -of life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake quickly realised that if he was ever -to get the upper hand in his district, he must -discover some source of getting information, -and find it quickly, before the whole population -were driven to join forces against him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of Sinn Fein’s principles has been that -the fewer who know the fewer can tell, and, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>as a rule, there has only been one man in a -district—usually the local captain of the Volunteers—who -has information of coming events; -and Blake knew that his only chance of reliable -news lay with this man, and with him -alone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About the only information which his men -could give him of his area was that a young -man, who lived in the townland of Cloonalla, -named Patsey Mulligan, was the captain of -the local Volunteers, and that his house was -close to the barracks at Grouse Lodge; so -he determined to go out to Grouse Lodge -Barracks and stay there until he had either -come to terms with Patsey Mulligan, or saw -that it was hopeless.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a fine winter’s morning Blake set out -from the barracks at Ballybor in the Crossley -tender with an escort of six police, the most -he dared take with him for fear of weakening -the Ballybor garrison. It was market-day in -the little town, and all along the road to -Grouse Lodge they met the country people -coming in—some in horse-carts, others in ass-carts, -and the poorer ones on foot—but not -one of them would speak to or even look at -the police, the people on foot even getting off -the road into the fields directly they caught -sight of the police-car approaching.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On learning from one of the constables that -Mulligan’s house was not on the main road to -Grouse Lodge Barracks, but on a byroad, -Blake ordered the driver to go by this road, -and when he came to Mulligan’s house to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>stop the car and pretend that something -required adjusting in his engine. After a -time the driver stopped outside an ordinary -thatched cottage on the side of the road, -and, as Blake had expected, the inhabitants -came to the door to see who it was.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first to appear was a young man, and -as the constable whispered to Blake that he -was Patsey Mulligan, Blake nearly shouted -for joy, for he saw that the man was none -other than “Murphy,” his former servant in -France, and a deserter from his Majesty’s -Army in the field!</p> - -<p class='c000'>At once, before Patsey could get a good -look at him and possibly recognise him, Blake -ordered the driver to go on to the barracks -as fast as the bad road would allow them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The question now was how to get hold of -Mulligan alone, and this was settled by the -information which a constable at Grouse Lodge -was able to give. It appeared that this plucky -constable had for some time past been in the -habit of slipping out of the barracks by the -back entrance at night in plain clothes and -returning before daybreak. He had discovered -that Mulligan was in the habit of meeting a -girl nearly every night at a certain lonely -spot about a mile from his house; and from -overhearing their conversation, had found out -that Patsey wanted to marry this girl, but -that she had refused to marry him until he -had enough money to take her out of the -country and to buy a small farm in America.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On questioning this constable, Blake was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>able to get a detailed account of Mulligan’s -movements since the time of his desertion. -It appeared that for a considerable time after -he came back he hardly left his home at all, -contenting himself by working on his father’s -farm, and it was not until the Sinn Fein -Volunteers were started in the district and -Mulligan was elected captain that he appeared -in public.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About the same time there was a report -in the neighbourhood that Patsey Mulligan -was courting a girl called Bridgie O’Hara, -who lived in the Cloonalla district; also that -another man in the same townland with money -was doing his best to make her marry him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridgie had two brothers in the Royal Irish -Constabulary, and as the Sinn Fein movement -grew stronger and the resistance of the Government -weaker, the Volunteers started to boycott -the O’Hara family. So savage had the -boycott become lately that not a soul dared -speak to them, and it was only by going to -a town several miles away that they were -able to obtain food.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as it was dark that night Blake -and the constable, both in plain clothes, slipped -out at the back of the barracks and made -their way to Mulligan’s trysting-place. As -usual, Mulligan and Bridgie met, and when -they parted Blake and the constable followed -Mulligan until the girl was well out of hearing, -when they called on him to halt, at the same -time covering him with their automatics.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mulligan at once stopped and put up his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>hands, but did not speak, and while Blake -continued to cover him, the constable searched -him for arms. Blake then ordered Mulligan -to walk in front of him until they came to a -mountain track which was off the road; leaving -the constable on guard, he ordered Mulligan -to walk up the track in front of him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After they had gone about a hundred yards, -Blake stopped and asked Mulligan if he knew -that he was liable to be arrested and shot for -desertion from the British Army, and waited -to see the effect of his words, as the whole -success of his plan depended on this.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By now Mulligan had recognised Blake’s -voice, and knowing well what would happen -to him if he fell into the hands of the military, -fell on his knees and begged Blake to spare -him. Blake at once explained his terms, -which the boy eagerly accepted, thankful to -get off at any price, though not counting the -cost and danger of what he was doing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s terms were that Mulligan should -give him information well beforehand of every -contemplated outrage in the district, and, in -return, promised him, on behalf of the British -Government, a free pardon, £500, and a passage -for himself and Bridgie to any country -he wished to go to, but not until the Sinn -Fein movement was crushed in the district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As it happened, only the evening before, -Bridgie had told Patsey that she could not -stand the boycott any longer, and that if he -could not take her away to America at once -she would marry Mike Connelly; hence the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>promise of the £500 seemed to poor Patsey -like a gift from heaven.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was arranged, in order that no suspicion -should be drawn down on him, that Mulligan -should leave his letter at night-time when -going to meet Bridgie O’Hara under a certain -large stone a few feet from where they were, -near the point where the track and road met. -As there was nothing more to settle, Blake -told Mulligan to go home at once, while he -and the constable made their way back to -the barracks, and the following day Blake -returned to Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time Blake found that several of -his men showed a strong disinclination to -leave the barracks, and remembering how -hard it used to be sometimes during the war -to get men who had been stuck in trenches -for months to go “over the top,” he decided -to organise strong daylight patrols so that -each man should leave his barracks for a -certain number of hours every day. In addition -to patrols round Ballybor, he sent out -a strong patrol on certain days to work its -way across country—always by a different -route—to Grouse Lodge Barracks, where the -patrol spent the night, returning to Ballybor -across country the following day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Taking advantage of mistakes made in other -parts of the country, he sent no patrols on the -main routes, but made them all go across -country, only using the roads for short distances -when they were open, and when it was -practically impossible to be ambushed.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>For some time there came no information -from Mulligan, and when at last a note was -brought from him from Grouse Lodge, it only -contained the laconic news that the price for -shooting a policeman had gone up from £60 -to £100; and though no further message came -from Mulligan for another ten days, as no -outrages had been committed during this time, -Blake had no reason to think that he was not -fulfilling his part of the bargain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early one morning a bicycle patrol arrived -at Ballybor Barracks from Grouse Lodge, and -the constable who had been with Blake the -night he met Mulligan handed him a note to -the effect that two car-loads of arms were to -arrive in the Cloonalla district that night for -the purpose of an attack on Grouse Lodge -Barracks the following night. Mulligan gave -the route the cars would take, but did not -state at what hour they might be expected.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On looking at an Ordnance map, Blake -noticed that the cars would have to pass -through a small wood, and that the road -took a sharp bend where it entered the wood. -Taking a leaf out of the Sinn Feiners’ book, -he determined to ambush the cars at the bend, -and to try and seize cars and arms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The difficulty was to know what to do with -the cars once they had gained possession of -them. The Volunteers would no doubt collect -in the Cloonalla district to take over the arms, -hence it would be dangerous to attempt to -take them to Grouse Lodge Barracks, which -was much the nearer barrack to the proposed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>scene of the ambush; so in the end he settled, -if he came off victorious, to take the cars by -byroads to Ballybor and risk being attacked -in the town at night. A few days before this -Blake had received his first batch of “Black -and Tans,” bringing his force up to a respectable -number, so felt quite justified in making -the attempt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as it was dark that night, Blake -with five of his men left Grouse Lodge, and -made their way by the starlight across country -to the wood. The men brought axes with -them, and soon had the road blocked with -two small fir-trees, after which they took cover -on each side of the road and waited.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At ten the moon rose and the night still -remained fine, but it was not until after two -that they heard the cars approaching. The -leading car came round the bend at a good -pace, pulling up just clear of the barricade, -while the second car, failing to see the obstacle -on the road, was unable to pull up in time, -and ran into the back of the leading car.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake at once stood up and called on the -men—there were two in each car—to put up -their hands; but for answer they opened fire -with automatics in the direction of Blake’s -voice, whereupon the police fired a volley at -the cars, and three of the men were seen to -collapse, after which the fourth put up his -hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They found that two of the men were dead, -while the third was shot through the chest. -After removing all papers and arms from the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>dead men, they hid their bodies in the wood, -removed the trees from the road, and started -off to Ballybor, where they arrived without -mishap, and soon had the two cars safely in -the barrack-yard.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On investigation they found that the cars -contained thirty carbines and rifles, several -thousand rounds of ammunition, and two boxes -of home-made bombs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This capture had a great effect on the police -<i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">morale</span></i> in the district, and, in fact, marked -the turning-point in the Sinn Fein campaign -in that area, while the two captured cars -made a welcome addition to the police transport.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly afterwards Blake received a warning -from Mulligan to expect an attack on a -named night on the barracks in Ballybor, and -that an attempt would be made to blow up -the gable-end of the barracks. The night -before the expected attack Blake brought all -the men that could be spared with safety -from Grouse Lodge, and made his preparations -for defence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The attack opened with heavy rifle-fire from -all the surrounding houses, which drove the -unfortunate inhabitants of Ballybor in terror -from the town, and after an hour a determined -rush was made under heavy covering -fire to ram the barrack door; but the fire -of the police forced them to drop the ram -and run for shelter. Only one attempt was -made to blow up the gable, the police allowing -the attackers to start laying the gelignite, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>then dropping a Mills bomb from the window -above, where a projecting V-shaped steel shutter -had been put up, with deadly effect.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After this the attackers kept up an intermittent -rifle-fire for another two hours, and -towards daybreak withdrew, leaving the police -victorious; and although several men had -been seen to fall during the attempt to ram -the door, by the time it was light their bodies -had been removed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A subsequent attack on Grouse Lodge Barracks -was also successfully beaten off without -any police casualties; but an attempt Blake -made to capture an important Volunteer staff-officer -in the Cloonalla district one night failed—the -bird had flown a quarter of an hour -before the patrol surrounded the house where -he had been staying.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This attempt to seize the staff-officer convinced -the Volunteers that there was a traitor -in the district, and a Volunteer intelligence -officer was sent down forthwith from Dublin -to investigate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake now felt that he was really beginning -to break the Sinn Fein in his district, and -decided to take the offensive to the full extent -of his power. Not only did he have the town -and country patrolled night and day, but he -also sent out parties of “Black and Tans” -to search houses in the country for suspected -stores of arms, and also to try and obtain -information by all means in their power.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though at this time the people were beginning -to get restive under the Sinn Fein tyranny, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>yet so great was the terror that not a single -person in the whole district dared to give the -police one word of information of his own will; -and though the information from Mulligan was -of vital importance as regards attacks and -movements by the Volunteers, yet Blake was -still in complete ignorance of the names of -the most dangerous Sinn Feiners.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake felt that he was winning, but he -knew that there would be no peace or rest -in his district until he had arrested the leaders: -the others would then be like sheep without -a shepherd. To this end an interview with -Mulligan was necessary, in order to get from -him the names of these leaders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This time Blake waylaid Mulligan as he was -going to meet Bridgie O’Hara, and at once -saw that the boy’s nerve was fast breaking. -Mulligan gave him the names and addresses -he wanted readily enough, and then implored -Blake to have him arrested at once and taken -to a place of safety, as he was in terror of his -life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He told Blake that the Volunteers were -already suspicious of him, and that an intelligence -officer had been specially sent down from -Dublin to watch him and report on the leakage -of information, and that he could not stick it -any longer. Blake, knowing that once Mulligan -was removed, he would not get any information -at all, managed after a long argument -to persuade him to carry on a little longer, -by promising to arrest him when the other -leaders were taken.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>After parting from Blake the unhappy Mulligan -met his girl, who by this time was half-mad -from the misery of the boycott of her -family. In despair she told him she had made -up her mind to marry Connelly, and they -would sail for America as soon as they could -get passports.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patsey, at the end of his tether and racked -with terror, implored her to wait a little longer, -saying that very soon he would have £500, -and directly he got the money he would take -her away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The girl went home in the seventh heaven -of delight, forgot all about the promises of -silence she had made to Patsey, and told her -mother, who, of course, told her husband, and -it was not many days before the good news -was common property in the district. A few -days afterwards the intelligence officer returned -to his H.Q.’s—his mission was fulfilled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having got the ringleaders’ names, Blake -at once set about his plans for arresting them, -realising that not until they were safe under -lock and key could he truthfully say that he -had won; but it is one thing to arrest two -or three men, and quite a different story to -arrest thirty or forty, as, if not all arrested -at the same time, the majority would get -warning and disappear on the run.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Once again Blake met Mulligan at night, -and arranged with him to call a meeting of -the ringleaders the following Sunday at early -Mass outside a wayside chapel in the Cloonalla -district, when he proposed to arrest them, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>promised Mulligan he would be separated from -the others at once and conveyed to England -on a destroyer. At first Mulligan refused, -being now demented with the fear of assassination, -but when promised the payment of the -£500 on his arrival in England, he consented.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake arranged that on the following Sunday -morning as many men as could be spared -should be sent from Grouse Lodge and Ballybor -Barracks to meet near the Cloonalla chapel -at the same time, when he hoped to surround -the crowd and make the arrests without any -difficulty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a typical soft Irish morning Blake and -his men set out early from Ballybor Barracks -on their drive to the chapel, full of hope that -the day’s work would clinch his victory, and -that then he would apply for leave, as the -strain of the last few months was beginning -to tell on him, and he needed a rest badly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the Crossley was within half a mile -of the chapel and still out of view from there, -Blake stopped the car, got out his men, and -proceeded to surround the chapel, while Blake -himself advanced alone towards the chapel -gates. When he drew near he could see that -the road in front of the gates was a mass of -country people, who did not move until Blake -got close to them, when they divided, forming -a lane towards the gates.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And to his last day Blake will never forget -the sight which met his eyes as he advanced -through the people in a deathly silence. Lashed -to one of the pillars of the chapel gates was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>the body of the unfortunate Patsey Mulligan -with two bullet-holes through his forehead, -and pinned on his chest a sheet of white paper -bearing the single word <span class='sc'>Traitor</span>, while at his -feet lay poor Bridgie O’Hara, her body heaving -with sobs, and her long dark hair, which had -been cut off, lying on the ground beside her.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span> - <h2 class='c005'>II.<br /> ON THE RUN.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Paddy Flanagan stood in the doorway of his -small shop in the main street of the mean and -dirty little village of Ballyfrack, watching the -rain coming down in torrents, while he listened -with one ear to his wife arguing with a countrywoman -in the shop behind him over the price -of eggs, and with his other ear for the high-pitched -sound of a powerful car.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Presently the woman in the shop, having -sold her eggs and bought provisions, wrapped -her shawl over her head and started to make -her way home. As Paddy moved aside to let -the woman out, his ear caught the dreaded -sound he was expecting, growing louder every -second, and culminating in a shower-bath of -mud as two Crossley tenders, full of Auxiliary -Cadets, dashed past the shop and disappeared -as suddenly as they had come.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hardly had the noise of the engines died -away than Paddy’s quick ear caught the sound -of cars approaching again, and two Ford -cars—the first carrying a huge coffin and -the second apparently mourners—drew up -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>at the small hotel almost opposite Paddy’s -shop.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some two years previously Flanagan had -become a rabid Sinn Feiner—he had previously -been as rabid a Nationalist—with a keen eye -to business. For a long time it looked as -though Sinn Fein was the only horse in the -race, and the dream of an Irish Republic -seemed more than likely to become a reality; -lately, however, the British Government had -been sitting up and taking a quite unnecessary -interest in Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>First, the British Government had formed -the Auxiliary Division—“those cursed pups of -Cromwell,” as Paddy described them to his -friends, while Mrs Paddy used to say that the -Government had recruited them from all the -prisons and asylums in England; then, to -crown all, the Government had had the audacity -to put several counties within easy reach of -Ballyfrack under martial law.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So far Paddy had carried on the war for -freedom with words only, but a week before -this story starts he had found to his great -alarm that he would be called upon for deeds. -On a dark Sunday night, just as the Flanagans -were preparing to go to bed, there came two -short sharp knocks at the shop door, followed -by a long one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now Paddy had always had a great dread -of night work, and swore that come what -might he would not open his door to any -man, be he policeman or Sinn Feiner: for a -minute there was a tense silence in the stuffy -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>dark shop, save for the heavy breathing of -Mrs Flanagan, broken suddenly by a blow which -threatened to break in the street door, and a -loud voice called out to Flanagan to open in -the name of the Irish Republican Army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“God save us,” said Mrs Flanagan, and -dived under the bed; and Paddy would have -liked to follow his wife, but he had heard of -the unpleasant results which always followed -a refusal to open to the I.R.A. Before another -blow could be struck on the door he had it -open, and at once three dark figures slipped -into the shop, the last one closing the door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And in the darkness of the shop Paddy -Flanagan listened to his fate: it seemed that -in the adjoining county, where martial law had -recently been proclaimed, the military were -making life quite unbearable for the Volunteers, -and the Auxiliaries had openly declared -that they would shoot John O’Hara—the chief -assassin of policemen in that county—at sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before Flanagan could realise the horror of -the situation, two of the men had disappeared -into the night, and he found himself face to -face with the notorious John O’Hara, with -instructions to pass him on without fail to the -port of Ballybor (some eighty miles), where -O’Hara would be smuggled on board a vessel -bound for England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was some considerable time before Flanagan -could induce his wife to come out from -under the bed and produce a meal for O’Hara. -Before they went to sleep his wife reminded -Flanagan—quite unnecessarily—of the fate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>which the Auxiliaries and “Black and Tans” -had assigned to any one who gave shelter or -help to John O’Hara.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For days past Paddy had been racking his -brains, spurred on by the laments of his wife, -how to get rid of O’Hara, and every day the -danger seemed to grow greater, until at last -Paddy could stand it no longer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The outstanding feature in a western peasant’s -character is always curiosity, and the -longer Paddy stood in the doorway of his shop -gazing at the coffin on the car, the greater his -curiosity became. He had never seen so big -a coffin; if there was a man inside he must -be the “devil of a fellow and all,” but perhaps -it might be a woman—until at last the coffin -drew him as a magnet draws a needle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A close inspection of the two cars told him -nothing, so there only remained to go inside -in the hope of meeting the occupants. Inside -the hotel he found the mourners seated round -the fire in a back room, drinking porter and -discussing the disappearance of John O’Hara, -and after ordering a drink he drew a chair up -to the fire and joined in the general conversation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Paddy soon found out that the coffin contained -the body of a policeman who had been -murdered in a recent ambush in the adjoining -county, and his relatives were bringing his -body home, a village close to Ballybor. Probably -the name of the town gave Paddy the -idea, but in a flash he saw his way clear to -get rid of O’Hara, and that at once—if a dead -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>policeman could be taken in the coffin to -Ballybor, why not the live John O’Hara?</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the next two hours Paddy plied the -relations of the dead policeman with porter, -whisky, and poteen, and by that time had -learnt all he wanted to know: they had permits -to the police for the two cars to travel -to Ballybor, they were all strong and noisy -patriots (in spite of the murdered policeman -outside), and were as ready as the next man -to turn an honest penny.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now Flanagan, being no fool, knew that no -sane man—drunk or sober—would take upon -himself the responsibility of John O’Hara unless -he was forced to, and bearing this in mind -during the negotiations which followed, he -used the threat of the magic letters “I.R.A.” -freely—pretending that he himself was a member -of the dreaded Inner Circle. In the end, -after much drink and a lot of haggling, it was -settled that the cars should be taken into the -hotel yard for the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then, during the night, the policeman’s body -was to be removed to a hay-loft and buried -secretly the following night, under arrangements -to be made by Flanagan, in a bog outside -the village, where several unfortunate -Volunteers, who had fallen in an attack on -the local police barracks, were buried. Meanwhile -the hotel boots, who was a carpenter -by trade, would make ventilation holes in the -coffin, and the “funeral” party would set off -for Ballybor before daybreak.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The last part of the negotiations resembled -<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>the selling of a horse at a fair, and the price -he had to pay sobered Flanagan and nearly -turned his hair white,—not one yard would -they go with O’Hara until they got £100; but -by now Flanagan was desperate, and if they -had demanded £200 he would have paid it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At last all the details were settled, and -Flanagan went home to warn O’Hara of his -coming journey in the coffin: the thought -that in a few hours he would be free of the -man for good and all made life worth living -again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But his joy was short-lived. On entering -the kitchen he found four long-haired young -men making a hearty meal—more victims of -British tyranny, all on the run for the murder -of policemen—and his heart sank at the thought -that there would probably be more to follow: -in fact his house was being used as a clearinghouse -for all the “wanted” men of the adjoining -county.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Flanagan woke up O’Hara, told him of the -arrangements which had been made to get him -to Ballybor, and added that four more men -had just turned up, and that it failed him to -know how to pass them on. O’Hara thought -for a moment, and replied, “Sure it’s easily -known how—why wouldn’t they do for the -mourners?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as O’Hara was ready, and the -young men could be persuaded to stop eating, -the party set out for the hotel in order to -get away before the mourners woke up. O’Hara -took command, found out that one of his companions -<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>could drive a Ford, but that none of -them had any idea of how to get to Ballybor, -and told Flanagan that the driver of the coffin-car -would have to go with them as a guide.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On arrival at the hotel Flanagan roused the -boots, O’Hara gave his instructions about the -driver, and they then proceeded to the bedrooms -of the poteen-logged mourners, who -offered no protest while O’Hara removed their -topcoats and hats for his companions, Flanagan -seizing the opportunity of transferring his £100 -from the sleeping chief mourner’s trousers -pocket to his own again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the light of a guttering candle O’Hara -was packed into the coffin, and in the darkness -of a raw early morning the two cars -pulled out of the hotel yard, and disappeared -down the road which leads to Ballybor. Flanagan, -with a sigh of relief, wiped his forehead, -and prayed that he might never see O’Hara -in this world again, and went home feeling -ten years younger, but determined not to be -at home when the mourners got busy and -came for an explanation.</p> - -<hr class='c010' /> - -<p class='c000'>On the morning O’Hara left Ballyfrack in -the coffin, Blake had motored to the town of -Dunallen to see his County Inspector. On his -way back, about fourteen miles from Ballybor, -the road leads over a narrow bridge and up a -steep hill with a sharp blind turn at the top.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As Blake swung his car, all out, round this -corner, he saw about fifty yards in front two -Ford cars standing in the road, the leading -<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>car with a huge coffin tied across the body of -the car, and round the other car a group of -young men. Pulling up his car, he sounded -his horn, as he had not room to pass, but with -no effect.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake, who was in mufti, had with him an -orderly in plain clothes, and being in a hurry -told him to go and tell the driver to go on. -As the orderly returned, both cars started up -and went on. Once started, they went as fast -as Blake could wish, and for some miles the -three cars kept close together until they reached -a village about ten miles from Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here the main road to Ballybor appears to -carry straight on through the village, but this -only leads into a cul-de-sac—what looks like -a side road on the left of the main street being -the Ballybor turning. The two strange cars -passed the turning, while Blake, once round -the corner, made for home at full speed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He thought no more of the cars, but after -they had gone about a mile the orderly asked -him if he had ever seen such a big coffin before. -Blake replied that he had not noticed the size -of the coffin, and they both relapsed into -silence again, Blake concentrating his attention -on getting back to Ballybor before dark.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Meanwhile the orderly was thinking the -matter out, and came to the conclusion that -the coffin party was not above suspicion. At -this time, when the railway strike was on in -the west, it was not unusual to see a coffin -on a car; but, unless the coffin party belonged -to the village, they must be strangers -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>to the district, or they would not have run -into the cul-de-sac.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When about three miles from Ballybor they -had a puncture, and just as Blake finished -changing wheels, the cars of the coffin party -drew up about fifty yards behind, and three -men advanced towards them. Blake, who was -still quite unsuspicious, thought that the men -were going to ask him to let them pass, and at -once started up his car and got in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The orderly, whose suspicions were now -turned to certainties, drew his revolver, covered -the advancing men, and called on them to -halt; whereupon the three men opened fire, -and the orderly replied.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake yelled to him to jump in, and as the -man swung himself into the seat beside him, -he let the car go, while the men on the road -continued to fire. Luckily the light was by -now nearly gone, and beyond a broken wind-screen -they got away with a good start.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It now developed into a race, Blake striving -to reach the barracks for reinforcements to -stop the funeral party before they could get -clear of Ballybor, and the others to reach the -first turning they came to off the main road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake switched on his lights and drove for -his life, down hill as fast as the car would go -and round corners on two wheels, with the -result that in rounding one blind corner they -nearly ran into a party of Auxiliary Cadets, -whose Crossley had broken down. The Cadets -naturally opened fire without asking any questions—a -car going that pace in the dusk on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>a country road in the west of Ireland nowadays -is asking for it—and again Blake and his -orderly narrowly escaped being shot.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake clapped on his brakes, yelled out -“R.I.C.”; the orderly held his hands high -above his head, and the Auxiliaries gave them -the benefit of the doubt. Luckily the leader -of the Cadets recognised Blake, the situation -was quickly explained, and they took cover -on both sides of the road at the corner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hardly were they in position when the -coffin-car rounded the corner, and the Cadets -opened fire; but so great was the impetus of -the car, and so bad the brakes, that it crashed -into the rear of Blake’s car, the coffin pitched -on to the road, burst open, and out rolled a -huge wild-looking man.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The second car must have closed up with -the leading one as the darkness came on, for -no sooner had the first car crashed than the -second one ran into it, overturned, and pinned -the big man to the road; whereupon Blake -shouted hands up, but the men started to run -back, and the Cadets at once opened fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Three of them fell, but the fourth managed -to get round the corner, and Blake sent two -Cadets after him. The driver of the coffin-car -had fallen clear, and, to avoid the Cadets’ -bullets, ran round the Crossley, straight into -the driver’s arms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as the firing ceased, Blake made for -the big man; the Cadets lifted the car, and -flashed a torch on his face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Only that morning Blake had been reading -<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>a full account of O’Hara, and had studied an -excellent photograph of him, and as the electric -light shone on the man’s face, he realised the -importance of the capture—the most-wanted -man in the west.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Cadets rendered first aid to the three -wounded men, while Blake handcuffed O’Hara -and placed him in the back of his own car, -telling his orderly to watch him closely, and -to keep him covered with his revolver. In -the meantime the two Cadets had returned, -having failed to capture the fourth man.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake was now most anxious to get O’Hara -safely in the Ballybor Barracks, but nothing -would induce the Crossley to start. At last, -after an hour’s delay, they got the engine -going, and the whole party got under way, the -Cadets taking the three wounded prisoners in -the tender, and Blake, in his own car with -his orderly, guarding O’Hara.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The distance to Ballybor was short, but the -delay had made Blake very uneasy, knowing -that the local Volunteers would surely try and -rescue O’Hara if they got word of his capture. -Ahead of them was a thick wood on both sides -of the road, and once past this the betting was -in their favour.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They started without lights, but when they -reached the outskirts of the wood the darkness -was so intense that the Crossley driver switched -on his lights and tried to rush the place. Blake -was forced to follow his example, or get left -hopelessly behind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Faster and faster went the tender, bumping -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>and skidding over the wet bog road, the lamps -throwing a brilliant ring of white light in front -of the car, the rest inky dark. When they -had passed more than half-way through the -wood, and Blake was beginning to think that -they were safe, the Crossley suddenly began -to pull up with a screech of brakes, drowned -by a volley of shots from both sides of the -wood.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The driver kept his head, switched off his -lights, and the dreadful fight started in the -black darkness of the wood. Blake turned his -lights off and started to back his car, but in -the darkness and excitement ran her into the -ditch at the side of the road, where she overturned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He shot clear of the car, and on regaining -the road realised that at present it was useless -to try and get away with his prisoner, so he -shouted to his orderly to guard O’Hara until -the fight was over, and went forward to help -the Auxiliaries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake found them lying down on each side -of the road, firing at the flashes of the ambushers’ -guns, while the leader and driver were -struggling to remove the barricade of timber -and big stones across the road under a hail -of bullets and shot. By this time a Cadet -had got a Lewis gun into action, and at once -sprayed the edge of the wood on each side of -the road with a magazine. Promptly the -ambushers’ fire died down, and after two more -heavy bursts of fire from the Lewis gun their -fire ceased. The Cadets quickly switched on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>the lights of the Crossley, and started to clear -away the barricade.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake suddenly thought of O’Hara, and ran -back to his car to find that he had completely -vanished, the orderly lying pinned to the -ground by the overturned car, unconscious.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The only chance now of recapturing O’Hara -was to push on to Ballybor as fast as possible, -collect all the police available, and search the -country round the scene of the ambush. Without -a motor it would be impossible for the -fugitive to get far during the next few hours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But again the Crossley jibbed, and again a -priceless hour or more was wasted before the -barricade could be removed and the car induced -to start. Nearly another hour was spent -in reaching the barracks, getting out the men, -and starting on the hunt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Until long after dawn they beat the country -within a large radius of the fatal wood, using -powerful acetylene lamps, but to no avail: -neither in the open country nor in any village -could they find any sign or get any tidings of -the missing prisoner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as the light was good, Blake climbed -a tree on some high ground which overlooked -the country, and searched in vain with a powerful -pair of Zeiss glasses. At last, thoroughly -exhausted, the police returned to Ballybor, -beaten.</p> - -<hr class='c010' /> - -<p class='c000'>When Blake’s car upset in the wood, O’Hara -had the good luck to fall clear, and to roll -into the ditch at the side of the road. Here -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>he lay still for several minutes until he saw -what move the orderly would make. When -the shooting slackened for a few seconds he -could distinctly hear the groans of the orderly -pinned under the car, and at once realised -that if he could only crawl into the wood he -might be free again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With great difficulty he managed to drag -himself out of the ditch and over the bank, -only to find another and deeper ditch on the -far side. Along this ditch he made his way -until he judged that he must be close to the -attackers; then he wriggled into the wood, -and lay down to await further developments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O’Hara was now afraid to go nearer to the -ambushers, lest they should mistake him for a -Cadet; but before he could make up his mind -what to do the firing died down, and he could -hear the attackers retiring through the wood. -Realising that his only hope lay with these -men, he got up and rushed after them, being -mistaken in the darkness and confusion for -one of themselves.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Once clear of the wood, O’Hara found himself -close to one of the attackers, and while -they ran explained to him who he was, and -learnt that the ambush had been organised in -a village close to by the man who had escaped -from the two Cadets.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On reaching this village the handcuffs were -soon filed off O’Hara’s wrists, two bicycles -provided, and in a few minutes he was on his -way to Ballybor with a guide who took him -along a byroad. It was essential if he was to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>catch the steamer the next day that he should -hide that night in Ballybor, and the chances -were that the police would never think of -O’Hara hiding in the town, practically within -the shadow of the police barracks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Owing to the delay in starting the Crossley, -O’Hara and his guide were actually in Ballybor -before the police: as they neared the turning -to the barracks they could see the lights of -the Crossley behind them. Passing through -the town they made their way to the quay, -where it was arranged that O’Hara should -spend the night with a Volunteer called Devine, -from whose house it was hoped that he would -be able to pass on to the steamer next day -in the company of the stoker.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time the police, except in strong -force, did not leave the barracks at night, and -it was thought quite safe for O’Hara to remain -in Devine’s house. After a change of clothes -and some food, he retired to bed, hoping that -his troubles were nearly over.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early the next morning Devine woke O’Hara -up with the bad news that a picket of Cadets -guarded the approach to the steamer, and -that the game was up. On looking out of -the window O’Hara could see a sentry with -fixed bayonet on each side of the gangway, -while others were resting in the small weighing-house -on the quay-side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O’Hara, who a second before had been confident -of escape, was in despair, and collapsed -on the bed. After a few minutes he pulled -himself together, and on looking at Devine -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>was at once struck by the sinister expression -on the man’s face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Remembering that there was a price of -£1000 on his head, and from Devine’s expression -there was no doubt that he also was -thinking of this reward, without a second’s -hesitation O’Hara covered him with a big Colt -automatic, and told him that if a way was -not found to get him on to the steamer he -would shoot him. Devine, knowing O’Hara’s -reputation, and preferring his life to £1000, -at once suggested a plan.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The town of Ballybor lies about five miles -up a river, and all outward-bound steamers -drop the pilot in the bay at the mouth of the -river, where he is rowed to the little fishing -village of Dooncarra. The steamer was due -to sail at high tide that afternoon, and Devine -suggested that they should bicycle to Dooncarra, -where there ought to be no difficulty -in getting O’Hara aboard by the pilot-boat, as -both the police barracks and coastguard station -there had been burnt some time ago.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After some breakfast they started off, bicycled -boldly past the picket on the quay, and -reached Dooncarra without any mishap, where -Devine arranged for O’Hara to stay in a fisherman’s -house until the pilot-boat left at dusk.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O’Hara had never been to sea before, and -was ill before he ever reached the steamer. -As soon as he got aboard, a stoker, who had -been warned by Devine to expect O’Hara on -the pilot’s boat, took charge of him, and at -once put him into a bunk.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>That night the steamer ran into an Atlantic -storm, and by the time they had made the -north coast of Ireland, O’Hara was beyond -caring whether he lived or died.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake reported O’Hara’s escape to the authorities -in Dublin, who were most anxious to -secure the man, knowing he had been the ringleader -in the worst atrocities committed in the -south recently. They at once came to the -conclusion that O’Hara was trying to get away -by boat from Ballybor to Liverpool and then -on to America, hence the picket of Cadets on -the quay; but to make doubly sure they -ordered an ocean-going destroyer to search the -steamer from Ballybor at sea.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After rounding the north of Ireland the -steamer ran into smooth water, and O’Hara -came on deck for a breath of fresh air. After -a time he became interested in a queer-looking -long grey steamer which was approaching them -from the south, and very soon the queer boat -came within hailing distance, and orders were -megaphoned for the steamer to heave to.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O’Hara was greatly interested in watching -the progress of the destroyer boat, and it was -not until a sergeant of the R.I.C. in plain -clothes, who had known O’Hara in the south, -covered him with a Webley and commanded -him to put up his hands, that he realised that -this interesting show was all for his benefit.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span> - <h2 class='c005'>III.<br /> THE LANDING OF ARMS.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>It was the busy hour of the evening in Stephen -Foy’s public-house in the small western town -of Ballybor, and Larry O’Halloran, the barman, -never ceased drawing corks and measuring -out “half ones” of whisky for the endless flow -of customers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry was a good example of a new type of -Irishman which the Sinn Fein movement has -produced—a type regarded with sorrow and -amazement by the older generation, and at -present unknown in England. Whatever faults -an Irishman possessed, he always had the saving -virtues of wit and cheerfulness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Probably the British have been the last -nation in the world to recognise the great -value of clever propaganda, but there is no -doubt that the originators of the Sinn Fein -movement knew the great influence of judicious -propaganda—they had efficient instructors in -the Boches—and wisely started at the beginning, -that is, with the children at school, and -the result is sadly apparent in the south and -west of Ireland to-day in the hatred of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>British Empire among the young people; and -so obsessed are they with this hatred that they -have neglected to learn the good manners of -their elders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While Larry’s hands never ceased serving -out drink, his brain—trained from childhood -to one end only—never ceased running on one -subject, how and when to obtain arms to -defeat the British. Only the previous evening -Larry had achieved the ambition of his young -life, when he was elected captain by a large -majority of the Volunteers in place of Patsey -Mulligan, who had been tried by court-martial -and executed for treachery to the Irish Republican -Army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry, in spite of his long hair and dreamy -Celtic eyes, was no fool, and knew quite well -that a battalion of Volunteers without arms -was about as much use for fighting as a mob -of old women with umbrellas, and that if ever -they were to fight the British with any chance -of success, they must have arms, and not only -rifles, but machine-guns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Previous to this, by a system of raids at -night, every known shot-gun in the district -had been collected by the Volunteers; but -Larry realised that to send a Volunteer, armed -with a single-barrel shot-gun, to fight a British -infantryman armed with a magazine rifle, was -only a good example of the old saying of sending -a boy on a man’s errand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While Larry was racking his brains how to -obtain arms, a youth, obviously an American, -walked in, accompanied by a strange countryman, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>and proceeded to a small private room -at the back of the house. But though Larry’s -thoughts were far away, trying to get Mausers -in Germany, his eyes were busy in the public-house, -and as the couple disappeared into the -room, he saw at once that the countryman’s -walk was the walk of a soldier.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry knew the boy, Micky Fee, well. His -father was a wealthy Irish-American, who, -amongst other business, owned an arms factory -in the States, and had refused the request of -the Inner Brotherhood repeatedly to send arms -to Ireland for the Volunteers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was possible both to oversee and to overhear -what went on in the inner room. Larry -saw the couple sitting there in close conversation, -and in a few minutes realised that the -strange countryman was in reality a British -Secret Service agent, and that Micky, who had -drink taken, was giving the man all the information -of the local Volunteers he could.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It did not take Larry long to determine what -course to take with the Secret Service agent, -and he had decided on the same fate for Micky -Fee, when he suddenly realised that his prayers -had been answered. His quick brain began to -work out how many rifles, machine-guns, automatics, -and bombs Fee’s father would value -the life of his only child at; the more he -thought of it, the higher he made the figures.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Micky had been on a visit to his grandparents -in Ballybor for some months past, and -had taken an active interest in the Volunteers. -About 2 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> the next morning there came a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>loud knock at the grandparents’ house. When -the old man opened the door he found himself -looking into the muzzles of a ring of guns, and -in a few minutes Master Micky left for an unknown -destination.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About a fortnight later Michael Fee and his -wife received the shock of their lives when -they opened their letters at breakfast one -morning. Among Fee’s was one bearing the -Ballybor postmark, which stated briefly that -his son had been tried by a court-martial of -the I.R.A. on a charge of giving information -to the enemy and condemned to death, and -that the sentence would be duly carried out -unless Michael Fee presented so many rifles, -pistols, machine-guns, bombs, and ammunition -to the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The letter also stated that Mr Fee’s answer -was to be sent to a named Sinn Fein agent in -New York within seven days of the receipt of -the letter, who would give him a time-limit for -handing over the arms, and would also tell -him where the arms were to be landed. A -P.S. was added suggesting that Fee should -bring the arms to Ireland in a yacht, and that -he would be able to take his son back to the -States in her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For many months the Irish papers had been -full of accounts of men taken from their beds -in the dead of night and executed outside their -homes by armed and masked men; also of -the bodies of missing men being found in a -field, days after they had disappeared, riddled -with bullets. Some of the Irish newspapers -<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>tried to throw the blame for these murders on -the forces of the Crown by saying that the -men wore “trench coats,” but never adding -that practically every young man in Ireland -nowadays wears a so-called trench-coat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fee knew that many of these murders were -“executions” of men who had given information -to the police, and the thought that one -morning at breakfast he or his wife might -open an Irish paper to read an account of the -finding of their son’s body riddled with bullets, -caused him to break out into a cold sweat. -Being a good business man, Fee made up his -mind at once, and that evening found him in -New York making arrangements with the Sinn -Fein agent for the immediate shipment of the -arms to Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It’s one thing to talk of smuggling arms into -Ireland, but quite another story to accomplish -it. To the Irish peasant, who has never been -outside his own country, it looks as easy as -falling off a log; but then he has no idea of -the power of the British Navy, and the British -Government does not take the trouble to inform -an Irish peasant that it has the finest -navy in the world—he is supposed to know -this, or to find it out for himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When Fee asked the agent for his suggestions, -the agent trotted out the usual stock -dodges—packing rifles in piano-frames, S.A.A. -in bags of flour, and more equally futile plans, -and he quickly realised that the man was a -fool, so left him and retired to his room in the -hotel to think out a plan for himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>For a long time he could think of nothing -but the picture of his son’s body lying in a -vivid green field in his native land: he could -even see the clothes Micky was wearing, and -the dirty white handkerchief (he was quite -sure it would be dirty) over his eyes. For -hours his mind dwelt on this picture, but in -the end he gained control over himself, and -before he turned in his brain had evolved a -sound plan of action, and with an Irishman’s -sanguine temperament he fell asleep, thinking -that his boy was as good as at home already.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following morning Fee went to a big -yacht agent, but found that he had only a -steam yacht for charter. He explained that -he wanted a motor yacht big enough to cross -the Atlantic, and the man referred him to a -firm of builders who had a yacht of this description, -which he believed was on the verge -of completion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fee next made his way to the yard of these -builders, where he found the yacht he was -looking for, which had been built for a rich -American who had recently died. He soon -came to terms, and arranged with the builders -for the addition of large extra oil-tanks, in -order that the yacht would be able to make -the double journey to Ireland and back without -having to take in oil there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as the yacht was ready for sea, -Fee had large man-holes fitted to the extra -oil-tanks, packed the arms inside them, and -then filled up with oil. Within four weeks of -the receipt of Larry O’Halloran’s letter, Mr -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>and Mrs Fee sailed on their new motor yacht, -the <em>Colleen</em>, for a pleasure trip to their native -land of Ireland.</p> - -<hr class='c010' /> - -<p class='c000'>The place chosen for the landing of the arms -is one of the most beautiful places in the -British Isles, and one of the least known. If -you picture the wildest Norwegian fjord, and -add square miles of mountain, cliffs, moors, -bogs, lakes, and rivers, you may get some idea -of the scenery.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before leaving America Fee cabled to his -parents in Ballybor that he expected to be in -Ireland on a certain date, knowing that the -information would reach Larry through friends -in the Post Office, and that he would take the -necessary steps to meet the yacht at Errinane -on that date, with the result that Larry passed -the information on to the Volunteers in the -Errinane district, and in a short time every -coastguard station and police barracks within -a twelve-mile radius of the landing-place was -burnt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a fine September day the M.Y. <em>Colleen</em> -sighted the west coast of Ireland, and shortly -afterwards made her way up the wonderful -natural harbour which leads to the little fishing -village of Errinane, where she dropped anchor -and came to rest after her long voyage across -the Atlantic. In a few minutes a boat left the -quay, and Larry stepped aboard the yacht, -and after explaining to the Fees that he had -arrived in the district two days previously -with their son Micky, insisted that the arms -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>should be landed that night; but Fee refused, -on the grounds that the British Navy was -bound to know of the yacht’s arrival, and that -if they attempted to land the arms that night -they might be caught by a destroyer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A hot argument ensued—Larry, now that -at last the arms were almost within his grasp, -being mad keen to get them ashore at once. -However, the argument was cut short by a -shout from the deck that a destroyer was -coming up the harbour, and Fee had great -difficulty to induce Larry to leave the yacht.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The destroyer came to an anchor within -fifty yards of the <em>Colleen</em>, and Fee could see -two machine-guns on the bridge trained to -sweep the yacht’s deck. Before the rattle of -the anchor-chain had died away a boat was -lowered, and in a few minutes a party of bluejackets, -headed by a lieutenant, came aboard -the yacht.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fee explained to this officer that he was an -Irishman living in America, and that he had -come over on a visit to his parents. The -officer examined the yacht’s papers, and then -gave orders to his men, who proceeded to -search the yacht thoroughly: mattresses were -opened, all panelling taken down by ship-carpenters, -floors lifted, luggage searched, and -even the oil-tanks sounded, while the taps -were turned on to see if they contained oil.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After three hours’ searching the sailors left -the yacht, and within half an hour the destroyer -put to sea. Hardly had she disappeared when -Larry came aboard again, and as it was nearly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>dark by now, he tried to insist on starting to -land the arms, and again Fee refused.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The yacht settled down for the night, but -soon after midnight a powerful searchlight was -flashed on to her, and again the bluejackets -came aboard and searched the yacht from top -to bottom. Eventually they left, the searchlight -was turned off, and the destroyer could -be heard putting out to sea.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry’s original plan had been to land the -arms on the north side of the bay, and to -hide them in some caves in the mountains, -where French arms had been hidden during -the rebellion of 1798, then to await a favourable -opportunity to remove them to Ballybor. -However, the night the destroyer left the local -fishermen filled their boats with herrings, which -Larry found had all been bought by the big -shopkeeper in Errinane, who intended sending -them to Ballybor Station the next morning in -his three Ford trucks. Not daring to land the -arms during the day, Larry commandeered the -lorries, and as soon as it was dark landed the -arms openly at Errinane quay, packed them -in the largest fish-boxes he could find, and -loaded the boxes on to the lorries, putting -boxes of herrings on top. The arms once -landed, he restored Micky to his parents on -the yacht, and within half an hour the reunited -Fee family were on their way back to -America.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Not long after the yacht had started, the -lorries left Errinane on the long run through -the mountains to Ballybor. When about fifteen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>miles from Errinane, Larry halted his convoy -in a mountain pass, in order to let one of the -drivers repair a tyre.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hardly had they stopped when the lights -of two cars were seen behind them, descending -the road into the pass from the direction of -Errinane. Larry knew at once that they could -only be police cars, and must have been sent -to Errinane on the suspicion that arms had -been landed from the yacht.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He at once got his lorries on the move, -going in the last one himself, and in a few -minutes could hear the hoot of the oncoming -cars close behind. Ahead of them lay miles -of narrow bog road, and as long as he kept -the rear lorry in the middle of the road, -the police cars would not be able to stop -them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon he could hear shouts of halt, followed -shortly afterwards by a volley of rifle bullets, -but Larry and the driver were well protected -by the boxes on the lorry. So they continued -for about two miles, the police firing volley -after volley at the lorry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So far so good; but though Larry knew he -could keep the police from overhauling them -for several miles, yet he knew that in the end -the police must defeat him, unless he could -find some means of stopping them, and the -only way to do this was by sacrificing the rear -lorry. This he made up his mind to do, as the -lorry only carried the bombs; but the difficulty -was to stop the police altogether.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The idea which saved them came from the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>driver, who knew every yard of the road, and -reminded Larry that half a mile ahead of them -there was an arched bridge over a mountain -river, the very place to block the road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry climbed out on the boxes, and with -great difficulty extracted a bomb; returning -to the driving seat, they waited until the -lorry was on the bridge, when they stopped -the engine and started to run for the lorry in -front. When they had gone about twenty -yards, Larry stopped, flung the bomb at the -lorry on the bridge, and ran like a hare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Luckily there was a steep rise beyond the -bridge, and just as they reached the slow-moving -lorry a flame of fire shot up from the -bridge followed by a deafening explosion. They -learnt afterwards that the bridge was completely -wrecked, the leading police car badly damaged, -and that the police took three hours to return -to Errinane, having to back their cars for -several miles before they could turn.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The original plan was to hide the arms in -a saw-mill in Ballybor, owned by a notorious -loyalist, which fact would divert all suspicion -from the mill; but Larry knew that after the -encounter with the police the hue-and-cry -would be up, and that the Auxiliaries would -search every rat-hole in Ballybor before many -hours were past.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On reaching Ballybor in the early hours they -proceeded to the mill, which was situated on -the bank of the river, and at once unloaded; -but instead of hiding the arms there Larry -ordered the men to carry them straight to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>water’s edge, and then sent them to collect -boats and also fishing tackle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Within an hour six boats containing the arms -went down the river, and half an hour afterwards -the town was surrounded and searched -through and through by Auxiliary Cadets who -had concentrated on the place from three -different points—their only bag being the unfortunate -lorry drivers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some three miles below Ballybor there stand -on the bank of the river the ruins of a fine -old Franciscan Abbey, in the vaults of which -the arms were safely hidden. Afterwards Larry -and his men spent the morning fishing for sea-trout -towards the estuary, returning to Ballybor -in the afternoon, hungry and worn-out, to -fall into the hands of the Auxiliaries, who -commandeered their fish and then let them -go home.</p> - -<hr class='c010' /> - -<p class='c000'>After the murder of Patsey Mulligan the -district of Ballybor was comparatively free -from outrages for several months, and Blake, -the D.I., began to think that his troubles -were over; but very shortly after Larry had -successfully run his cargo of American arms -Blake was undeceived, and in a short time -the district became one of the worst in the -west.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Success made Larry bolder, and further success -made him rash. Being miles from a road, -the old abbey was a most inconvenient place -to keep the arms, and he determined to bring -them to the mill in Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>Bennett, the owner, had a house alongside -the mill, and another house some miles out in -the country, where he was in the habit of -going from Saturday until Monday morning, -when the mill house used to be locked up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry arranged another fishing expedition on -a Saturday afternoon, and when it was dark -they transferred the arms from the abbey to -the mill, hiding them under piles of sawdust -in the cellars below the saw-benches. It was -then decided to make an assault on the Ballybor -police barracks the following night, and -to wipe out the police for good and all.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But this time his luck was out. On Sunday -afternoon Bennett suddenly made up his mind -to return to Ballybor, and motored there in -the afternoon with his eldest son. After tea -his son took a walk over the mill, and to his -surprise found a brand-new American repeating-rifle -in the clerk’s office: his father went -at once to the police barracks to inform Blake -of the discovery, who arranged to make a raid -on the mill as soon as it was dark.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake had settled to take the arms, if found -in the mill, straight off to the nearest military -barracks, and to this end left the barracks -with a strong force in two Crossleys. They -went for some distance towards Grouse Lodge -Barracks, turned off at a cross-roads, and made -their way back to Ballybor, arriving at the -mill by the time it was dark.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving the cars about a hundred yards -from the mill, Blake walked on to the entrance -with a sergeant and a constable, and as they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>drew near, to their surprise they saw that the -mill was lit up. Telling his men to wait, Blake -advanced to the door, which led into the -machinery buildings, and on peeping in saw -that the place was full of masked men in a -queue, being served out with rifles from the -clerk’s office.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake saw that he must act quickly, but -that by the time he could bring up his men -all the masked men would be armed, so he -determined on a ruse. In a loud voice he -shouted out, “God save us, here are the Black -and Tans; run, boys, for your lives,” and at -the same time opened fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The magic words “Black and Tan” have -the same effect on an Irish crowd as the name -of Cromwell had during a previous period of -Irish history, and a wild stampede ensued in -the mill, the final touch being added by some -one switching off the electric lights. As soon -as Blake saw the effects of his words he dashed -in to try and secure a prisoner, and managed -to seize a man near the entrance, and hold -him until his men, alarmed by the shots, -arrived hurriedly on the scene.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the aid of electric torches the police -quickly collected the arms which the Volunteers -had thrown away in their panic, and a -constable having gone to fetch the cars, they -were stowed in, and in a short time were on -their long journey to the military barracks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Larry stampeded with the rest of the men -in the mill, but once outside he pulled himself -together, and determined to make an effort to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>regain his beloved arms. Guessing that the -police would be fully occupied removing the -arms, he made his way back along the dark -streets to the mill, and saw the cars drive off.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Part of the preparations for assaulting the -barracks had been to block all roads along -which help could come to the barracks; and, -as Larry expected, after some time the cars -returned to the barracks, being unable to proceed -in any direction owing to deep trenches -cut across the roads.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as Larry had seen the cars return, -he collected three of his best men, commandeered -a car in the name of the I.R.A.—at -this time in many parts of Ireland a harmless -citizen stood an excellent chance of having his -car taken by the military on a Monday, by -the police on Tuesday, by the Auxiliaries on -Wednesday, and by the I.R.A. for the rest of -the week—and drove straight to the Cloonalla -district, through which he knew that Blake -would have to pass the next day on his way -to the nearest military barracks. They took -shovels with them, and soon had the trench -across the road filled in, and made their way -to the house of a local Volunteer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night Larry worked like a man possessed, -and by daybreak had an ambuscade -prepared for Blake at a point where the road, -following the shore of a large lake, runs under -an overhanging rock, and then turns sharp to -the west. Beyond the bend they cut the usual -trench, and above on the rock erected loop-holed -walls of stone and sods, and here they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>waited, armed with every shot-gun, pistol, and -home-made bomb which the district could -produce.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night Blake spent an anxious time in -his small barrack-room, his ears straining for -the sound of the first shot of the expected -attack, and his brain striving to work out the -problem of how to get the arms into safe -keeping. After a time he tried to attend to -some routine work, but soon gave it up as -hopeless.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaning back in his chair he lit a cigarette. -At that moment his eye was arrested by a -large photograph of the notorious John O’Hara -over the fireplace, and he began to think of -how the man had tricked him by getting away -by sea, while the police were hunting the -countryside for him. From O’Hara’s photograph -his eye wandered to a brightly-printed -card hanging on the wall, with a drawing of -a steamer on the top.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time he read the letterpress of the -card without having any idea of what it meant; -then in a flash he realised that the problem -was solved. At high tide the next morning -the s.s. <em>Cockatoo</em> would sail from the port of -Ballybor for Liverpool, and if O’Hara had -tricked him by the sea, then he could trick -Larry O’Halloran by the same means.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following morning, a quarter of an hour -before the <em>Cockatoo</em> was due to sail, two Crossleys -dashed on to the quay, and before the -usual crowd of quay loafers knew what was -happening, they were outside the yard gate, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>and a strong guard of police with rifles at the -ready had surrounded the gangway to the -steamer. In a few minutes more the arms -were all aboard the boat, stacked in an empty -passenger saloon, guarded by police, and two -minutes after Blake had given the captain his -instructions, the <em>Cockatoo</em> was on her way -down the river for England.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span> - <h2 class='c005'>IV.<br /> THE RED CROSS.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>An Englishman who has lived in Ireland for -any length of time, knows that rivalry in -religion and politics not only divides parts of -Ireland, but even causes divisions in families. -At one time recently things had reached such -a state of passion that an Irish soldier or -policeman who visited his home in the south -or west was liable to find the door of his home -shut in his face, and even to lose his life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a small town in the west of Ireland—in -England you would call the place a village—there -lived some years ago a shopkeeper named -John Dempsey, a steady hard-working man, -who left politics alone and attended to his own -business. In due course Dempsey married and -had three children—two boys, Patrick and -William, and a daughter, Sheila.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The children were educated at the national -school, and as soon as their minds were capable -of understanding anything, the wicked and -stupid policy of hatred of and revenge on -England was drummed into their ears week by -week, month by month, and year by year, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>until the English appeared to their childish -imaginations to be the greatest monsters of -brutality in the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the late war started, not before, the -British newspapers and magazines impressed -upon us the thoroughness of the German preparations -for this war, and amongst other -things, of how the present generation had had -instilled into their minds from early childhood -a hatred of the British by every schoolmaster -and learned professor in Germany. For years -past this German method has been carried on -in Ireland, Irish national school teachers preparing -the present generation of young men -and women for the present Sinn Fein movement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>You have in England a saying that a little -knowledge is a dangerous thing, which applies -very well to many national school teachers in -the west and south of Ireland, who, though -they can tell you of every wrong which England -has inflicted on Ireland during the last -three hundred years, yet know nothing of the -greatness and power for good of the British -Empire; nor do they realise the vast benefits -which Ireland reaps as a partner of the Empire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As time went on John Dempsey made and -saved much money on porter, eggs, and other -things, and as the boys appeared to be clever -and anxious to get on in the world, he decided -that they should complete their education in -Dublin, Patrick eventually to become a doctor, -and William to enter the priesthood; but as -soon as the father announced his intentions, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>Sheila, who had never been separated from -her brothers, implored that she might go with -them and become a hospital nurse.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the end the old man gave way and the -three children went to Dublin, where Patrick -duly qualified as a doctor, Sheila became a -nurse in one of the hospitals there, but William -did not become a priest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the brothers and sister first went to -Dublin, Sinn Fein was rapidly becoming the -great party of the Celts in Ireland, and every -young man and woman was pressed hard to -join. Patrick and Sheila joined eagerly, but -William refused, and the idea of becoming a -priest being now distasteful to him, he joined -the R.I.C., to the bitter resentment of his -brother and sister, who refused even to see him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the summer of 1919 the two brothers -and sister met again at home, Sheila on her -summer holidays, Patrick waiting for an appointment, -and William, who was now stationed -at the neighbouring town of Ballybor, on leave. -At first the other two resented the presence of -William, and there were bitter and passionate -political arguments at every meal; but after -a time their natural kindliness prevailed, and -the three became nearly as great pals as formerly, -but the shadow of William’s uniform -seemed always to come between them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sheila was the first to go back. A letter -from her matron came one morning asking if -she would care to go abroad, to take entire -charge of a patient who had been ordered to -live in Switzerland by the doctors. She did -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>not wait to answer, but returned to Dublin -that day, lest she should be too late.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patrick and William were at this time typical -of the two parties into which the people of the -greater part of Ireland were divided—in plain -language, Patrick was a rebel and William a -loyalist! And though the loyalist party was -very small in comparison to the other, yet it -would never have been so small if proper support -from the Government had been forthcoming -at the right time, but would have grown -larger and larger as the outrages increased, and -the decent elements of the population ranged -themselves on the side of law and order.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During his time in Dublin, Patrick, young -and enthusiastic, had become deeply involved -in the Sinn Fein movement, and when one day -he found himself bound hand and foot to a -policy of outrage and murder, he made strong -efforts to regain his freedom, but was quickly -made to realise that he now belonged, body -and soul, to Sinn Fein.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No sooner had Sheila gone than the two -brothers began to quarrel—to end in hot and -bitter words at supper one night, when William -left the table and returned at once to Ballybor. -A few days afterwards Patrick received an -order from Dublin to report at once to the -Sinn Fein H.Q.’s there, and though he would -have liked to refuse, he dared not.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On arrival in Dublin, Patrick duly reported -at H.Q.’s, and there learnt that he had been -chosen for a most unpleasant job. About this -time, after their signal initial successes, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>I.R.A. were endeavouring to organise a force -which would entirely wipe out the police, or at -any rate reduce them to complete impotence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To this end the General Staff of the I.R.A. -were determined to leave no stone unturned -to achieve success in the ambuscades of patrols -and attacks on barracks. During the preliminary -attacks the rebels had lost heavily -through lack of medical care, and it was now -determined that a doctor should attend all -ambuscades and attacks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Funds were plentiful, and in a few days -Patrick found himself set up as a practising -doctor in a large house in Dublin, and it was -arranged that, when an attack was to take -place in a certain district, he should receive a -wire calling him to hold a consultation in a -district close by. They supplied him with a -good car, there were no restrictions on the -movements of doctors, so that the busy young -Dublin doctor, hurrying to the sick-bed of a -country patient, excited no suspicion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The plan was quite simple, and worked -smoothly. An ambuscade would be arranged -at H.Q.’s in Dublin to take place at a certain -point where it was known that a police patrol -passed. The day before Patrick would receive -his wire, and early the next morning would -leave Dublin for the scene of operations. When -within a short distance of the attack he would -stop his car, and remain there until the fight -was over, attend to the wounded, and afterwards -return to Dublin.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On two occasions he was surprised by relief -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>parties of military, but each time he was able -to explain his presence—that it was a mere -chance that he happened to be passing, and -that his professional instincts were at once -aroused by the sight of the wounded men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the case of an attack on police barracks -the procedure was somewhat different. Some -days before Patrick would receive his usual -wire—never from the place where the attack -was to take place, but from a neighbouring -town—and at the same time would receive -instructions in Dublin of the time and place -of the attack.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On arriving at the place of attack he would -put up at the best hotel, giving out that he -had come to attend a consultation in the town, -from which the wire had been sent. After a -talk with the local Volunteer captain, a house -would be decided on as a temporary hospital, -to which the wounded would be taken, and -after the attack Patrick would simply disappear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the danger and excitement appealed -to his high-strung temperament, but soon the -novelty wore off, and he saw that there could -only be one end for him—exposure and professional -ruin, if not a long term of imprisonment. -In vain he asked to be allowed to -resume his profession, but he might as well -have begged for mercy from the Inquisition -of old.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One evening, on his return from an ambuscade, -Patrick found a wire from Sheila, saying -that her patient had suddenly died in Switzerland, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>and that she was crossing to Dublin that -night. The next morning she arrived, radiant -with health, and eager for news.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Under her patient’s will Sheila received a -legacy of about £2000 and a car, which was -stored in a Dublin garage, and now she was -free to devote herself to the cause of Ireland’s -freedom. On hearing of Patrick’s occupation, -she at once determined to join him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patrick was devoted to his sister, and tried -hard to put the idea out of her head, but in -the end had to give way. That very day she -made him take her to H.Q.’s, where she offered -the services of herself and car to the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Owing to an insufficient number of rifles for -ambuscades and attacks on a large scale all -over the country, the General Staff had decided -to collect rifles in Dublin and send them down -to the scenes of attacks in cars. Sheila’s offer -coincided with this decision, and to Patrick’s -horror he and Sheila received orders to attend -attacks, and also to carry the rifles and ammunition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The car was found to be a large touring car, -to which a false bottom was fitted to take -rifles, whilst further false bottoms under the -seats gave sufficient room to hide revolvers, -and a dummy space which was packed with -S.A.A. Sheila had large red crosses painted -on the lamps and wind-screen, and the camouflage -was complete.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For months the brother and sister—Patrick -looking a typical young doctor, and Sheila -dressed as a hospital nurse—carried arms and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>first aid to ambuscades throughout the south -and west, and not the slightest suspicion appears -to have been aroused in the minds of -the authorities. Sheila thoroughly enjoyed the -excitement, and soon became known as the -Florence Nightingale of the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One day there came a wire from home that -their mother was dangerously ill, and begging -them to go to her at once. Patrick knew that -if they asked leave to go, their taskmasters -would refuse, and so decided to take “French -leave.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>William had also been sent for, and again -the two brothers and sister met. After a few -days their mother took a turn for the better, -but Patrick, who dreaded returning to Dublin, -insisted on staying, in spite of Sheila’s urgings -to get back to their work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon after their mother was out of danger -Sheila received an invitation to a dance at a -large farmhouse about two miles away, and -drove there in the car, resplendent in a Paris -evening dress. Patrick and William refused to -go, the former making the excuse that he did -not like to leave his mother, the latter because -he knew that the presence of a policeman would -break up the dance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That evening, after it was dark, William -walked across the fields to see an old school -friend, one of the few men in the district who -would speak to him at all, and then only at -night in his own house. When William left, -this man warned him that Knockbrack Wood -would not be a healthy place for the next few -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>days, but when pressed for an explanation -would say no more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When William reached home he learnt from -his father that during his absence a stranger -had called for Patrick, and that soon afterwards -the two had left hurriedly to fetch -Sheila, Patrick saying that he would have to -return to Dublin that night by car.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Old Dempsey seemed much upset, and after -the warning received that night William’s suspicions -were aroused. As soon as supper was -over he retired to bed, or rather to wait in -his room until the house was quiet, when he -meant to bicycle back to Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William had not been in his room more than -ten minutes when he heard Sheila’s car drive -up, and the front door open and shut. Then -he heard Sheila come upstairs to her bedroom, -followed by Patrick and strange footsteps, and -then the closing of Patrick’s door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The bedrooms of the two brothers were -separated by a thin partition, and William -managed to overhear enough of their conversation -to make out that there was to be -an ambuscade in Knockbrack Wood on Wednesday -night (this being Monday), and that -Patrick was returning at once to Dublin.</p> - -<p class='c000'>William lay as still as a mouse, hoping that -Patrick and Sheila would not realise that he -was in the house, and in their hurry forget -about him. He could tell from the tone of -his brother’s voice that he was not for it, but -further conversation was cut short by Sheila -calling out that she was ready to start.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>Shortly afterwards William heard the three -leaving the house and the car go off in the -direction of Dublin. He waited for a few -minutes to give the stranger time to get well -away, then got out his bicycle, and with his -revolver ready in his right hand, started off -for Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While William was riding for dear life to -Ballybor, Sheila and Patrick were tearing across -Ireland to fetch the arms for the ambuscade. -They reached Dublin without any trouble, had -a short rest and a meal, collected the arms from -the secret hiding-place, and then started off on -the return journey by a different route.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By previous arrangement they were met outside -the town after dark by the local Volunteer -captain and a party of men, who took over the -arms from them, when they drove on home. -Owing to the fact that they had left and returned -at night, no one in the town had any -idea that they had been away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some weeks past the police had been -bringing tremendous pressure to bear on the -rebels throughout the south and west, which -pressure corresponded with the appointment of -a new Inspector-General of the R.I.C. So -strong was the pressure growing that the rebel -staff were afraid of a collapse, and when their -secret service learnt that the I.G. would be -motoring to Ballybor on this particular Wednesday -night, they determined to ambush him -in Knockbrack Wood, and to kill him at all -costs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Knockbrack Wood lies along both sides of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>a main road for a distance of about a mile -and a half, and in the middle the road makes -a sharp bend to avoid a huge granite rock -which towers above the trees and makes this -corner quite blind. On the far side of this -bend from the direction of Ballybor the road -rises suddenly, so that a car going towards -that place would be likely to approach the -bend at a good pace, and be unable to avoid -an obstacle or trench just round the corner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here it was settled to make the attempt on -the I.G.’s life, and on the Wednesday the local -Volunteers, under the direction of staff officers -from Dublin, started to make the preparations. -By dark all was complete, except to cut a -trench across the road, and a large party of -Volunteers had taken up positions on each side -of the road at the bend.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was expected that the I.G.’s car would be -wrecked, or at any rate brought to a standstill, -just beneath the big rock, on the top of -which there was a bombing post, with orders -to drop a flare as soon as the car was below, -to enable the riflemen to aim in the dark, and -to follow up the flare with a shower of bombs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patrick and Sheila waited until it was nearly -dark, when they motored to Knockbrack Wood, -leaving the car up a narrow lane in the wood, -about a hundred yards from the big rock on -the Ballybor side. They then retired to a safe -distance to await events.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After several hours of waiting they left the -wood and walked up and down the road to -Ballybor, as by this time they were half frozen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>with cold. Shortly afterwards they were joined -by the Volunteer captain, and as it would soon -be daylight, Patrick suggested to him that the -men should be sent home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Volunteer captain was a stupid fellow, -and further, he resented any suggestion as to -what he should do from Patrick; and the -three of them—Sheila, Patrick, and the captain—began -a heated argument in the middle -of the road: the captain argued that an order -was an order, and that he would keep his men -there until the next night if necessary, or even -longer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patrick saw the mistake he had made, -shrugged his shoulders, and started to return -to the car with Sheila.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now their whole attention had been centred -on the direction from which the I.G.’s car was -expected to come, and the last thing they -expected was a counter-attack from the direction -of Ballybor; but as Patrick and Sheila -turned to leave the Volunteer captain, they -found themselves covered by a party of R.I.C., -with Blake at their head, and at the same time -heavy firing burst out in the wood on both -sides of the road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Patrick and Sheila had no alternative but -to put up their hands, but the Volunteer captain -tried to escape, and was promptly shot -by a constable. Blake asked what they were -doing at such an hour on the highroad, and -Patrick was starting his usual story of how -he and his sister were on their way from Dublin -to attend an urgent case in the country, but -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>when he caught sight of his brother William -standing behind Blake, he faltered and remained -dumb.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before Blake could ask any more questions -they had to jump to one side to avoid a Crossley -full of Auxiliaries, which dashed past, and -stopped a few yards beyond them, the Cadets -at once jumping out and taking up positions -on each side of the car with Lewis guns trained -to sweep the road as far as the big rock. -Blake, after ordering William and a constable -to take Patrick and Sheila down the Ballybor -road out of the line of fire until he could deal -with them, took command of the Auxiliaries, -and waited for the action to develop.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By this time it was daylight, and the police, -who had worked round the flanks of the ambushers, -began to make it pretty hot for the -men in the trenches. Now it is one thing to -shoot an unfortunate policeman perched up in -a stationary lorry in the middle of the road, -and quite a different story when the policeman -starts to shoot you in the back from behind -a tree, and very soon the Volunteers broke -from their trenches and started to stream down -the Ballybor road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was a momentary lull in the firing, -broken by two hurricane bursts of fire from -the Cadets’ Lewis guns, and the Volunteers fell -in little heaps on the grey limestone road; the -remainder hesitated, and then ran for their -trenches, to be met by a hail of bullets from -the police, who had taken up positions commanding -the trenches while the Volunteers -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>were trying to escape by the road. Again -they tried to escape along the road, and again -the Lewis guns spat out a magazine of bullets -whilst a man could count five, the noise of -the guns being intensified by the dead wall of -trees.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The few Volunteers now left threw down -their arms, put up their hands, and the fight -was over.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the meantime William had taken his -brother and sister down the Ballybor road -until they came to the lane where the car -was, and here he told them to wait. After a -few minutes Sheila asked him to send the -constable out of hearing, as she wished to -talk to him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the constable had retired up the lane -there was a terrible silence for several minutes. -Patrick and Sheila both realised too late that -William must have been in the house when -they started on their journey to Dublin for -the arms, and that he must have gone straight -to Ballybor to warn the police of the impending -ambuscade. They knew that, even if they -were not sentenced to death, they could not -escape a long term of imprisonment, and that -they had been betrayed by their own brother, -but would not—or could not—realise that -William had only done his duty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suddenly Sheila burst into a passionate denouncement -of William’s treachery to his -country and his own flesh and blood, to be -stopped by Patrick with great difficulty, who, -controlling his rising passion and terror by a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>great effort, implored William for their mother’s -sake to let them escape while there was yet -time. At any rate to let Sheila go—surely -the British Government did not wage war on -women.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Poor William was torn between love for his -brother and sister and his duty to his King. -In those short moments he went through the -agony of hell, knowing well that if he refused -to let them escape he would carry for the -rest of his life the brand of Cain; on the -other hand, if he let them go he would not -only be betraying his King, but also he would -ruin his own career, and probably Blake’s as -well.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To William’s great credit be it said, his -sense of duty prevailed, and he refused to let -them go; and to his great relief the unhappy -scene was cut short by the sudden appearance -of Blake.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly afterwards the constable returned, -and reported to Blake that he had found a -Red Cross car up the lane. Blake gave orders -for the car to be brought on to the highroad, -and after collecting his men, started for Ballybor -with Patrick and Sheila prisoners in their -own car.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span> - <h2 class='c005'>V.<br /> THE R.M.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Since the period of Charles Lever, no book of -Irish life has equalled ‘Some Experiences of -an Irish R.M.’ in successfully portraying the -character or “chat” of the true western -peasant; but, at the same time, this book -only shows the social side of a Resident Magistrate’s -life, and hardly does justice to his work -in the wild parts of the south and west.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And of recent years the life led by Resident -Magistrates has become more and more dangerous -as the country became more and more -unsettled. A D.I. can always take an escort -with him, also he can go where and when he -pleases; but an R.M. has to drive alone about -the country, and, moreover, every one knows -that at a certain hour on a certain day the -R.M. will drive to a certain Petty Sessions -Court, and after the Court is over he must -drive home, though possibly by a different -road. It is one thing to face death with half -a score of rifles at your back, and quite a -different tale unarmed and alone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon after Blake came to Ballybor, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>R.M. stationed there retired on pension, and -in his place there came a young man, Anthony -Mayne, who had served with distinction in an -Irish regiment during the war. Being unmarried, -Mayne took up his quarters in a small -hotel close to the police barracks, and in a -short time struck up a friendship with Blake.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In addition to attending at Ballybor Petty -Sessions once a week, Mayne had to go to -several other small towns twice a month. The -district was very large, chiefly wild mountainous -country, and some of the places were -many miles from Ballybor, one place in particular, -Ballyrick, being over thirty miles away -on the shores of the Atlantic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first Court which Mayne attended happened -to be at Ballyrick, probably one of the -wildest and most thinly populated districts in -Ireland. Soon after leaving Ballybor the road -crossed a railway line by a level crossing close -to the sea, and then ran for many miles between -the sea and a chain of mountains to the -small seaside town of Ballyrick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mayne found that the people of this district -were a race of small men; they looked as -though the terrific Atlantic gales had stunted -them in the same way as the trees are stunted -on this coast, and, moreover, their faces were -not pleasing. During his first Court here the -nature of the cases showed plainly that the chief -amusement of the peasants was to beat and -batter each other on all opportunities, especially -on dark nights after a fair, and the distillation -of illicit whisky their chief occupation.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>In Ireland the penalty for harbouring, keeping, -or concealing a still or illicit spirits is -£100, which can be mitigated to £6, luckily -no lower; and from time immemorial the -custom of the shopkeeper class of magistrate -has always been to reduce every fine to the -minimum, with the natural result that the -peasants have come to regard the £6 fine as -the legal penalty for the bad luck of being -caught by the police. £6 is a mere fraction -of the profits of a successful brew of poteen, -and is looked upon in the light of a tax paid -to the Government.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In one case a man was caught red-handed -by the police with fourteen barrels of treacle, -200 gallons of wash, a complete still, and -enough poteen to stock a fair-sized public-house. -The man brought the £6 into Court -with him, being certain he would be convicted -and fined the usual amount.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Mayne, the only magistrate on the bench, -took a very serious view of the case, knowing -the amount of crime and misery caused by this -abominable drink, and fined the man £50.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such a sentence had never been heard in -Ballyrick Court-house within the memory of -man; even the police received a shock, and -a noise resembling a swarm of angry bees arose -to defy the shouts of the police for silence and -order. That evening, when Mayne returned to -Ballybor, he was followed by a police car for -many miles, but the peasants had not had -time to organise their revenge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About this time the magistrates of the district -<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>received letters from the I.R.A. calling -upon them to resign their Commissions of the -Peace, and giving them a time limit. The -shopkeeper and farmer class, being threatened -with that savage scourge in Ireland, a boycott, -had no alternative but to resign, which they -did at once with great promptness and unanimity. -In most cases the gentry hung on to -their commissions, but refrained from appearing -on the Bench at a time when their presence -might have made all the difference.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Very soon the Sinn Fein Courts in the Ballybor -district were in full swing; the country -people received orders not to appear at a -Petty Sessions Court, and in a very short time -every Petty Sessions clerk found himself completely -idle. However, as a matter of form, -Mayne attended every Court regularly, though -the only people present were the police, the -clerk, and himself, and their only work to say -good-day to each other.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By now all the magistrates in the district -had either resigned or feared to attend, and -if only the R.M. could be frightened out of -the country or removed, all Petty Sessions -Courts would be closed, and the King’s Writ -would cease to run in the country both figuratively -and in reality. With this end in view, -the Volunteers began to send threatening -letters to Mayne, and on two occasions he was -fired at when motoring back from holding -Courts in outlying towns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, Mayne was made of the right stuff, -and determined that as long as he was alive -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>the usual Courts should be held throughout his -district, no matter whether the people brought -their cases to the King’s Courts or to the Sinn -Fein Courts, which were generally held the day -before a Petty Sessions Court was due in a -town; and in order to provide cases he arranged -with Blake to carry out a poteen raid -on a large scale in the Ballyrick district, and -that the cases should be tried at the next -Court there. Blake duly carried out the raid, -which was most successful, and the defendants -were summoned to appear in Court, with the -threat of arrest held over their heads if they -did not turn up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the day of the Ballyrick Court Mayne -set out, alone as usual, on his long drive about -9.45 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span>, and on reaching the level crossing -found the gates closed, though no train was -due to pass for several hours. After sounding -his horn in vain, he went to open them himself, -only to find that both gates were heavily -padlocked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then made his way to the crossing-keeper’s -house, which was about fifty yards -up the line. The man’s wife, who was the -only occupant of the house, told him that the -gates had been locked that morning by the -Volunteers, after the police cars had passed -through, and the keys taken away. Determined -not to be beaten, Mayne now got a -heavy stone, and had actually succeeded in -smashing the padlock on the near gate, when -he was shot in the head from behind, and at -once collapsed on the road.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>During the late war extraordinary cases -were known of men shot through the head, -even through the brain, living for hours afterwards, -though generally unable to speak; and -Mayne, though paralysed, was quite conscious -when his murderers came up to where he was -lying.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time the murderers argued whether -they should finish him off, or remove him as -he was. In the end they put him into his -own car, unlocked the far gate, and drove off -in the direction of Ballyrick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After proceeding about a mile they came to -a lane, which led up to a lonely farm close to -the sea. After driving up to the farm they -threw Mayne—still alive and conscious—on to -a manure heap at the back of the farmhouse, -and then drove off. It was afterwards found -that they then took the car to a high cliff -and ran it over the edge, to be broken up on -the rocks below in the sea.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mayne spent the rest of that day lying on -the manure heap, and so terrorised were the -inhabitants of the farm that not one of them -dared go near him. To give poor Mayne even -a cup of cold water would have meant certain -death to the giver.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Late that evening the murderers returned, -expecting to find Mayne dead by now; but -he was still alive, though in a pitiable state. -Again they argued among themselves whether -they would finish him off or not, and again -for some unknown reason they decided not to. -And these are the men who, according to an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>English paper (thank God! not an Irish one), -are “entitled to the treatment which, in <em>civilised</em> -countries, is given to prisoners of war.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After some time an ass was harnessed to a -cart, into which they threw Mayne’s body, -and then proceeded to the seashore below the -farm. Here, after another discussion, they -buried him—still alive, though quite paralysed—up -to his neck in the sand, at a place where -they thought the incoming tide would just -reach him and slowly drown him during the -night-time. It was now several hours since -Mayne had been shot, and one can only hope -that, though he was still alive, his senses had -become numbed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following morning these fiends returned -again to find that they had miscalculated the -height of the tide, which had only reached the -level of poor Mayne’s chin, and that he was -<em>still alive</em>, though probably by now quite mad. -They then dug him up, and this time made no -mistake, but buried him where the tide was -bound to drown him. And the next flood tide -put an end to a torture the like of which Lenin -and Trotsky could hardly exceed for sheer -malignant devilry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake and a strong escort of police had -motored out to Ballyrick ahead of Mayne, in -case there might be an ambush on the road. -The Court was due to begin at twelve, and -when by two there was no sign of the R.M., -Blake left for Ballybor, making inquiries on -the way, but could get no tidings of him anywhere.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>On arriving in Ballybor, Blake wired for a -force of Auxiliaries, who arrived that night, -and at once started with Blake and a strong -force of R.I.C. to hunt the countryside for -Mayne; but nowadays in Ireland, so dangerous -is it for any civilian to be seen speaking -to a policeman, that it is always quite impossible -to obtain any direct information. -People who had seen Mayne set out on his last -ill-fated drive denied that they even knew him -by sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For three days and three nights they scoured -the countryside from Ballybor to Ballyrick, -and from Ballyrick back again to Ballybor, -but no clue or tidings of Mayne could they -get. From the time Mayne left Ballybor, -R.M. and car seemed to have disappeared as -though the earth had opened and swallowed -them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As there was no evidence of foul play, the -police hoped that the R.M. had been kidnapped -and hidden away in the mountains to the east -of Ballyrick. So they posted notices throughout -the district to the effect that, if the R.M. -was returned in two days all would be well, -but if not——</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the end of the two days’ grace a man, -who said he kept the railway crossing on the -road to Ballyrick, arrived on a bicycle at the -barracks ashen with fear, and asked to see -Blake. On hearing the man’s story, Blake -went out to the level crossing and there found -poor Mayne’s body in a rough wooden box, -lying on the side of the line. The cause of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>death appeared obvious; but they were greatly -puzzled to find the clothes soaked with sea-water -and full of sand, and to hear from the -doctor who examined the body that death was -due to—drowning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The level-crossing man was detained at the -barracks, and every means was taken to extract -information from him; but he denied -all knowledge of the murder, and proved an -alibi to Blake’s satisfaction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police spent the next fortnight searching -in vain for Mayne’s murderers, and it is -probable that, but for a curious trait in the -peasant’s character, they would never have -solved the mystery.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Late one evening, about three weeks after -the murder, a typical Ballyrick peasant arrived -at the barracks in Ballybor and asked to see -the D.I., and refused to state his business -except to the D.I. Luckily the police decided -to admit the man, and he was led off to Blake’s -office.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When he was brought in Blake was up to -his eyes in official correspondence, with the -prospect of an all-night sitting before him; -but hoping that the man might have news of -Mayne, he ordered the police to leave the man -alone with him, and then waited for him to -tell his news.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If a western peasant has a favour to ask or -a confession to make, he will talk of everything -and everybody except the object of his -visit, possibly for an hour and probably for -two, and will generally not come to the point -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>until he is preparing to leave. The length of -time required to extract the necessary information -depends entirely on the skill of the interviewer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s visitor was no exception to this rule, -and many an Englishman, cleverer than Blake, -would have made the mistake of hurrying his -man, which is always fatal; and even Blake’s -patience was nearly exhausted before he made -his confession.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Whether the man’s confession was genuine, -or whether he hoped to save his skin by turning -informer is not quite clear; but at any -rate he confessed to Blake that he and five -other men had murdered Mayne at the level -crossing, gave the full details of one of the -worst atrocities which has ever been committed -in Ireland, and stated as his only reason -for confessing that he had not been able to -sleep since the murder.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span> - <h2 class='c005'>VI.<br /> AN OUTLAW.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Probably the great majority of the British -public had no idea of the extraordinary situation -in the south and west of Ireland during -1920, and most likely never will have. In the -summer of that sinister year, when the Sinn -Fein tyranny was at its height, an English -newspaper sent a lady journalist over to this -unfortunate country to find out what really -was the matter with us, and, if possible, to -give the world yet another solution of the -Irish Question.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In her first letter, this lady, quite unnecessarily, -told her millions of readers that she -had never been in Ireland before, proceeded -to relate the peculiarities of the people of -Dublin and Belfast, and finished with a vivid -description of the peaceful and happy condition -of the country, in spite of the interested -rumours put about to the contrary.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the time when this lady journalist was -discovering peaceful and happy Ireland, the -power of Sinn Fein was rapidly passing from -the hands of the hot-air merchants to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>direct-action ruffians; in other words, Arthur -Griffiths became a mere cipher, and Michael -Collins the dictator of the south and west. -And very soon Collins had several imitators.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Born in 1889 in the highlands of Ballyrick, -Denis Joyce, after working for a few years as -gillie and general boy at a shooting-lodge near -Errinane, drifted to Dublin as a labourer, and -at once came under the influence of Connolly, -the prince of Irish Bolsheviks. Taken prisoner -during the Easter rebellion of 1916, he was -eventually released with other small fry, and -in return devoted himself to the extermination -of the British Empire in general, and Irish -policemen in particular.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the spring and summer of 1920, -Joyce and his numerous bodyguard, like an -Irish chieftain of old, lived like fighting-cocks. -Hailed as the conquerors of the British Army -(they had shot several unarmed soldiers) wherever -they went, not only did they live free, -gratis, and for nothing, but the country people -literally fought for the honour of entertaining -these heroes. A great pity that the -lady journalist could not have been present -at one of these banquets. What “copy” -she could have sent to her editor, and the -certified net sale would have soared to the -skies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But though Joyce and his merry men had -a great time, they did not neglect their duty; -and on every occasion, when conditions were -all in their favour, they shot down police -patrols from behind walls, and murdered unfortunate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>policemen when visiting their wives -and families.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, every dog has his day, and in the -autumn of 1920, when the British Army and -the Auxiliary Cadets started to take a hand -in the game, Joyce found himself changed from -a popular hero into a hunted outlaw, with the -usual result that, where formerly he had found -an open door and a smiling welcome, he now -was met by a closed door and a scowl; and -when seeking board and lodging, it became -necessary to persuade the unwilling hosts with -a six-shooter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police and military now commenced -paying calls at night; and a farmer, living -in the depth of the country, hearing a knock -at his door during the long winter’s nights, -had always the pleasing excitement of not -knowing if he was to have the honour of entertaining -some badly-wanted gunmen, a patrol -of the R.I.C., a party of Auxiliary Cadets, a -military search-party, or merely a posse of -local robbers, any of whom might take a -sudden dislike to the unfortunate farmer, with -unpleasant results.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the winter of 1920, Joyce, who would -have made an excellent soldier, made the bad -mistake of mixing up love with war; in other -words, he became greatly enamoured of a girl -living in the south, and in order to be within -reach of her, confined his attentions to that -district for a considerable time, instead of -moving about the country with his usual -rapidity; and the Auxiliaries, getting an inkling -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>of the situation from a former lover of -the girl, made a great effort to surround and -capture him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though he received repeated warnings of the -activity of the Cadets, Joyce put off his departure, -until a day came when word was brought -that the place was surrounded by forces of the -Crown, who would close in on the little town -that evening.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Joyce at once went to tell Molly, whose -father kept a small hotel in the town, and -the girl’s quick wit soon thought out a plan -of escape for her lover. Five commercial -travellers staying in the hotel, and at the time -out touring neighbouring villages, had left -their heavy cases of samples at the hotel, -and their railway passes in the safe keeping -of the hotel proprietor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That afternoon the train to the west carried -Joyce and four of his bodyguard disguised as -bagmen; the remainder were left to shift for -themselves, and that evening, when the Cadets -searched the town from attic to cellar, they -found that the principal bird had flown.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Joyce knew that it would not be safe to -travel by train as far as Ballybor, and as soon -as he thought that they had cleared the Auxiliary -cordon, determined to alight at the next -stop and continue the journey by car. Just -as they were on the point of leaving the train, -however, they noticed several Cadets waiting -by the station exit, so did not get out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two stations farther on they left the train, -and being now outside the net, quickly commandeered -<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>a Ford from the local garage and -set out for the Ballyrick country, where Joyce -had decided to hide and rest for a while. -Keeping to byroads, they made their way -westwards at a good rate until it was nearly -daylight, when, after hiding the car in a wood, -they proceeded to search for board and lodging.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly they came across a good farmhouse, -and, after the usual display of pistols, were -admitted reluctantly, made a hearty meal, -and retired to bed after ordering their host -to have five good bicycles and another meal -ready for them as soon as it was dark.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It has been mentioned that Joyce had worked -as a boy at a shooting-lodge near Errinane, -and he now conceived the brilliant idea of -taking a rest-cure there until such time as the -police took less interest in him. This lodge, -Drumcar by name, belonged to a Connaught -squire who had married an Englishwoman, -and except for a short time in the summer -was only occupied by a caretaker. Situated -in one of the wildest parts of the west, a mile -from the road, hidden by woods of oak and -birch, and overlooking the bay on which Errinane -stands, it was probably the last place in -Ireland where the police would think of looking -for an active gunman, and the chances were -that not a single Auxiliary even knew that -such a place existed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gunmen arrived at Drumcar soon after -dawn, and after rousing the terrified caretaker, -who lived with his son and daughter -in a cottage in the grounds, they settled down -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>to a life of peace and comfort. The girl attended -on them, while the old man brought -food from Errinane in a donkey cart, and a -good supply of poteen from a mountain farm -near the mouth of the bay.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The lodge was well supplied with turf, contained -an excellent library of novels, and Joyce -and his men waxed fat with good living and -soft lying; but it is a case of once on the -run, always on the run, until the inevitable -end comes, or the gunman is lucky enough to -escape to the States.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now, it is a well-known truth in the west -that a “mountainy” man will always, when -sick unto death, home-sick, or in dire distress, -make for his beloved mountains, no matter -what far end of the world he may have drifted -to; and when in due course Blake learnt -through official channels that Joyce had escaped -from the southern town, he at once began to -keep a sharp look-out for him in the Ballyrick -country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But when a fortnight passed and there was -no sign of Joyce, nor yet any report of his -presence in that part of the country, Blake -turned up the man’s official record, from which -he learnt two interesting facts: first, that -Joyce had worked at Drumcar; and, secondly, -that he had a married sister in Bunrattey, a -district on the southern border of Blake’s -country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake now turned his attention to the sister’s -house, and when this proved a blank, he determined -to try Drumcar Lodge as a last resource; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>but at the time of the landing of arms at -Errinane, every police barrack and coastguard -station within a radius of many miles had been -burnt, so that it was impossible to get any -news of the place without going there, the -nearest barrack in Blake’s district being fifty -miles away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A “travelling circus” of Auxiliaries happened -to be passing through Ballybor, and the -leader undertook to investigate the lodge and -let Blake know if they found any trace of -Joyce. Blake advised them to surround the -lodge in the day-time, as, owing to the wild -and mountainous nature of the country, a -night attack would be impossible.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the whole, the gunmen treated old -Faherty, the caretaker, and his children well, -especially the son, Patsy, in the hope that he -would join them; but, luckily for himself, -the lad had a wholesome dread of firearms. -After he had been at the lodge some days, in -spite of feeling quite secure, Joyce, with the -instinct of the hunted, began to look about -for a bolt-hole in case of need; though in the -midst of the wilds the lodge had serious drawbacks, -being situated on the side of a slope, -so that any one leaving the lodge would at -once come under observation from several -points, and, moreover, an arm of the sea cut -off all escape to the north.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In fact, escape seemed very doubtful, until -by chance Patsy mentioned that in a boat-house, -hidden by trees, on the shore of the -bay, there was a large motor-launch, which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>he had learnt to drive the previous summer. -The next time the old man went to Errinane -for provisions, he brought back with him -twenty gallons of petrol (duly entered up in -his absent master’s account), and Joyce felt -easier in his mind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a pouring wet afternoon the five gunmen -were playing nap in front of a comfortable -turf fire in the drawing-room, while old -Faherty’s daughter brewed poteen punch for -them, and Patsy was reading a novel in an -arm-chair, when a long-haired boy dashed in -with the news that a large party of Auxiliary -Cadets had rushed through Errinane, taken -two countrymen they had met on the road as -guides, and were surrounding the lodge from -all sides except the sea. Joyce had launched -the motor-boat only the previous day, and -within a few minutes they were under way, -heading for the mouth of the bay with the -throttle full open. Seeing the launch in the -bay below them as they reached the front of -the lodge, the Cadets opened fire, but before -they could get on to their target the launch -vanished in the thick mist of rain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As pursuit was out of the question, the -Auxiliaries drove straight to Errinane Post -Office, only to find the wires cut. They then -went on to the nearest town, and wired to the -naval authorities at Queenstown, hoping that -they might be able to get in touch with a -destroyer off the west coast by wireless, and -so capture Joyce at sea.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Joyce knew that the hue-and-cry would be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>up, and that it would be fatal to land anywhere -on the coast near Errinane; and as the -sea was calm, he made up his mind to cut -across a big bay to the north and make for -Buntarriv, a narrow passage between an island -and the mainland, which would lead them to -Trabawn Bay, on the shores of which lay his -own country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The launch left the slip at Drumcar at -1 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span>, and Joyce made out that at eight miles -an hour they ought to reach Buntarriv Sound -at four o’clock and Trabawn Bay in another -hour, which should give them plenty of time -to land before darkness set in. Unfortunately, -when out in the open Atlantic, the engine -stopped, and Patsy, who was thoroughly frightened -by now, would only sit down and cry. -Two of the gunmen knew something of motors, -and after nearly two hours discovered that the -carburetter was choked with dirt, and it was -nearly six o’clock before the Sound was within -sight: another quarter of an hour and they -would have been too late. As it was, a destroyer -opened fire on them just as they were -entering the Sound, and they were only saved -by the failing light.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Knowing that the destroyer could not follow -them, and afraid of wrecking the launch in -the dark, they anchored and waited for the -moon to rise, and eventually landed on the -shore of Trabawn Bay. Joyce was at last in -his own country, and before day broke the -gunmen were safely lodged in different mountain -farms close to Joyce’s home, and the next -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>day Patsy was handed over to the local Volunteers -to be returned to Drumcar. The following -day they took the launch to a bay surrounded -by high cliffs, where no human being -except an odd herd ever went, and beached -her at the height of the tide on the sandy -shore, where they left her for future use.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a few days at home Joyce began to -get restless, and resolved to visit his married -sister in the Bunrattey district; but the local -Volunteers could only supply them with two -bicycles, and the distance was too far to walk—forty-two -miles as the crow flies. However, -he learnt from a postman that a police patrol -visited Ballyscaddan, a small village about -sixteen miles east of Ballyrick, daily, and were -in the habit of leaving their bicycles outside -a public-house which they frequented.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gunmen spent the night in Ballyscaddan, -and about eleven o’clock a patrol of six R.I.C. -arrived in the village, left their bicycles outside -the public-house, and went inside to refresh -themselves. The gunmen, who were -waiting in the next house, quickly cut the -tyres of one bicycle to ribbons, and rode off -on the remaining five, leaving the unfortunate -villagers to bear the brunt of the infuriated -policemen’s wrath. That night Joyce and his -four men slept in his sister’s house in Bunrattey.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Besides his courage, the only redeeming -feature about Joyce appears to have been his -love for this sister. As usual, she was delighted -to see him, but by now the other -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>inhabitants would have as soon welcomed the -devil himself as Joyce, knowing that his progress -through the country was blazed by -reprisals.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Gone were the days when he used to hold -audience daily in his sister’s house like a king, -and men came many miles simply to see the -famous Denis Joyce. Now the country people -would avoid him on the road, and not a single -person came to see him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>His sister warned him repeatedly that it -was dangerous to stay any length of time with -her; but Joyce seems to have lost heart, or -perhaps his Celtic soul had a premonition of -coming disaster. At any rate he refused to -go, and spent most of this time sitting by the -kitchen fire brooding.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake soon learnt of Joyce’s escape by sea -from Drumcar, and feeling sure that sooner -or later he would visit his sister before starting -operations in the south again, concentrated -his attention on that district. To this end, he -kept his men well away, and at the same -time asked for the help of the Auxiliary “travelling -circus,” among whom were three Cadets -who knew Joyce well by sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of these Cadets, whose personal appearance -favoured the disguise, was dressed up as -a priest, and sent out on a bicycle to spy out -the land. After two days he returned with -the good news that he had passed the famous -gunman on the road in Bunrattey, and at -once Blake made preparations to surround the -place that night.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>He knew that success entirely depended on -maintaining complete secrecy until the house -was surrounded, and that if even a whisper -of what was in the air got abroad all chances -of capturing Joyce were gone. Tired of seeing -operations ruined by well-advertised Crossleys, -bristling with rifles, tearing along the main -roads, he determined to try and catch his man -by cunning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Directly he received the news that Joyce -was at Bunrattey, he left Ballybor Barracks -with four Crossleys, two of R.I.C., and two of -Auxiliaries, in the opposite direction to which -Bunrattey lay, until they came to a small -village about ten miles to the north, where -there was a large flour-mill. Surrounding the -mill, the police carried out a perfunctory search -and left just before dark, taking with them -two of the miller’s lorries, one empty, and the -other loaded with flour sacks and two large -tarpaulins, cutting the wires as soon as they -were clear of the village.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Making their way eastwards until they -reached a long stretch of desolate bog-road, -they halted with one tender about a quarter -of a mile behind and another the same distance -ahead. They then proceeded to transfer -half the flour sacks to the empty lorry, built -them up with a hollow in the middle so that -both lorries appeared to be fully loaded, filled -the hollows with police, and then threw a -tarpaulin over each.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two lorries then set off to make a large -detour in order to approach Bunrattey from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>the south (the opposite direction to Ballybor), -and Blake made out that they ought to arrive -there about midnight. The four Crossleys -waited and followed at a time which should -bring them to Bunrattey a quarter of an hour -after the arrival of the lorries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Joyce’s sister’s house stood back from the -main road about eighty yards, was one-storied, -very strongly built, and had a tremendous -thatch of straw; to the front there were four -small windows, heavily shuttered, and a stout -oak door, and at the back only a door of the -same kind. At a distance of about thirty -yards from the house a low stone wall ran -round the sides and back, enclosing a small -cabbage garden and the haggard, which gave -excellent cover for the police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The lorries stopped within 400 yards of the -house, and the police quickly and silently surrounded -it without raising the alarm. They -then waited for the arrival of the Crossleys, -when the Auxiliaries and the remainder of the -police formed a second cordon outside the -first one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The leading lorry was now brought into the -lane which led up to the house, and left there -with the acetylene lamps shining full on the -front door and windows, and at the same -time the lamps of the second lorry were taken -to the back of the house and mounted on the -wall, so that any one attempting to leave the -house by the doors or windows would be in -the full glare of the powerful lamps.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Approaching the house from a gable-end, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>Blake crawled along the front until he reached -the door, on which he hammered with the -butt of his revolver, and called on the inmates -to surrender, telling them that they were surrounded -and that resistance only meant death. -Receiving no answer, he called out that if -they did not come out at once with their -hands up, he would open fire on the house, -and for reply there came a volley of bullets -through the lower part of the door. He then -crawled back to cover, and ordered his men -to open fire on the front door with a machine-gun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The concentrated fire of a machine-gun will -cut a hole through a nine-inch brick wall in -a very short time, and in a few minutes the -oak door was in splinters. While the machine-gun -kept up a continuous fire at the height of -a man’s chest, four policemen endeavoured to -get into the house by crawling up to the door, -but when a few feet away two were shot, and -the remaining two only escaped by rolling to -one side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All that the police had to do now, provided -that Joyce was in the house—and the resistance -offered made this a certainty—was to -wait until daylight, when the certain capture -of the gunmen would only be a question of -time. But by now Blake was excited, and -remembering how O’Hara had slipped through -his hands, he determined to burn the rats out -and finish the show. After getting a tin of -petrol from one of the cars, he again crawled -up to the gable-end, set a light to the tin, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>flung it on to the thatch, which at once took -fire, burning fiercely.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Only a few days previously this part of the -thatch had been renewed, and as the weather -had been fine it was bone-dry. But after a -few minutes the fire reached the old and wet -thatch, and as there was a gentle breeze blowing -from the front, very soon the back of the -house was completely hidden by a cloud of -smoke.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Realising the mistake he had made, Blake -ordered his men to keep up a continuous fire -on the back door, and at the same time rushed -the machine-gun round to that side; but so -blinding was the smoke by now that it was -impossible to know where the back door was.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hearing shouts from the front, on going -there he found a young woman standing in -the doorway with her hands up, who told -him that all the men in the house were wounded -and unable to move. On entering they found -three of Joyce’s bodyguard and his brother-in-law -lying in pools of blood on the kitchen -floor, but not a sign of Joyce or the fourth -man.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was still a chance that the missing -two might be found wounded outside the back -door, which was ajar, but the smoke was still -so dense that no one could approach. After -a time the smoke abated, and they found the -fourth man dead a few yards from the house, -but not a sign of Joyce.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again working on the theory that the gunman -would make for his home in the Ballyrick -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>mountains, which lay to the westward at the -back of the house, Blake divided his forces -into two, sending each out on a flank in order -to get well ahead of the fugitive, and then -form a fan-shaped net and beat backwards -towards the house. Four miles away to the -west was the Owenmore river, which ran northwards -through Ballybor, and across the river -were two bridges, each about four miles from -where they were.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The two forces crossed by different bridges, -each dropping three men at the bridges, then -went on about three miles, and at daybreak -started to beat the country back to the bridges. -Here they arrived, worn out, at 10 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span>, and -not a sign had any one seen or heard of -Joyce.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sure that Joyce had crossed the river, the -police started to beat back again over the -ground they had just covered; but by 4 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span> -the men were done in, and Blake had to call -them off and return to Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night he got out a large-scale Ordnance -map of the Bunrattey district, put himself in -Joyce’s place, and tried to think out his line -of escape, presuming that the fugitive had -avoided the bridges and swum the river at the -nearest point from his sister’s house. On -crossing the river he would soon come to a -thick wood on the slope of a hill, through -which the railway line to Ballybor ran, and -here he decided that Joyce must be hiding.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early the next morning Blake set out with -a strong force, and approaching Derryallen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>Wood from all four sides at once, spent the -rest of the day beating the wood through and -through, but without any result, and they -came to the conclusion that by now Joyce -must have got clear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A week afterwards, when Blake was returning -in the dusk from Grouse Lodge Barracks, -a man stopped the car on an open stretch of -road about a mile outside Ballybor. The man -turned out to be the loyal guard of the goods -train, and he told Blake that for several days -past he had seen the engine-driver drop a -parcel as the train passed through Derryallen -Wood, and always at the same place, into a -patch of briers on the side of the line.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s interest in Joyce awoke afresh, but -he felt sure that no living being had escaped -them on the day when they searched the wood, -and they had not been able to find any trace -of a hiding-place. However, it would be interesting -to know what the engine-driver -dropped when passing through the wood, and -by whom it was picked up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The main road from Ballybor to Castleport -ran parallel with the railway, skirting the east -side of Derryallen; and here, on a pitch-dark -winter’s night, in torrents of rain, two Crossleys -stopped for a couple of minutes while -Blake and a party of R.I.C. and Cadets dropped -out, and then drove on again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With great difficulty the party found their -way in the dark to the railway line, where -they remained hidden in some laurels until it -began to grow light, when they were able to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>conceal themselves within easy reach of the -patch of briers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After hours of weary waiting the goods train -passed down, and the engine-driver dropped -the parcel into the briers. At once the police -forgot hunger and cold in their eagerness to -see who would pick up the parcel, but again -they were doomed to hours of weary waiting.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At last, when the men had nearly reached -the limit of their endurance and light was -almost gone, they saw a most miserable-looking -wild-eyed man crawling painfully towards the -patch of briers. When he was within five -yards of the parcel Blake called on him to -surrender, and every man covered him with -his rifle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Game to the end, though unable to stand on -account of a bullet-wound in one leg, Joyce -drew his pistol and glared defiance at the -police; but as he raised himself to fire, a -fifteen-stone Cadet, who had crept up silently -behind him, flung himself on the famous gunman’s -back, and the long chase was over.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Joyce refused to show Blake his hiding-place, -but afterwards they learnt from the -owner of the wood that there was a cave in -the middle of the wood which had been used -by robbers over a hundred years ago, the -entrance of which was completely covered by -thick heather.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span> - <h2 class='c005'>VII.<br /> THE STRANGER WITHIN THE GATES.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>After the loss of the American arms the district -of Ballybor remained quiet for some considerable -time, so that the hard-working farmers -in the country and respectable shopkeepers in -the town began to hope at last that the trouble -was over, and that they might be free to carry -on their work in peace. Unfortunately, a -quiet and peaceful district is anathema to the -Sinn Fein G.H.Q., and before long a Volunteer -flying column received orders to operate in the -Ballybor district, with a view to stirring up -trouble and bringing the county into line with -the south.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By this time the large moderate element of -Sinn Fein, in other words, practically every -man who had a stake in the country—substantial -farmers with haggards to burn, and -prosperous shopkeepers with shops to burn—realised -that they had backed a losing horse, -and were prepared to do any mortal thing for -peace, except help the police. Unfortunately, -the farmers’ sons and shop-boys, who, in the -usual course of events, but for the war, would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>have been in the States by now, took quite a -different view. £20 in the £ rates, burnt haggards, -and ruined businesses meant nothing to -boys who paid no rates nor owned shops or -farms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Up to the winter of 1919 the rebels moved -about the country in motors, how, when, and -where they liked. Even during the time when -every gallon of petrol was being kept for the -armies in France, and the Loyalists were only -allowed six gallons a month (on paper), De -Valera and his staff burnt petrol as freely as -a Connaught peasant will drink poteen. In -connection with this, it would be interesting -to know into whose petrol tanks the many -thousands of gallons of petrol which was washed -up on the western shores of Ireland from -torpedoed vessels passed, and the system of -collection and distribution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After this winter, when the use of cars for -illegal purposes became more and more restricted -as the car-permit regulations became -stricter and more rigidly enforced, the Volunteers -began to make great use of bicycles, and -their flying columns consisted of cyclists only. -Orders were issued from G.H.Q. that every -Volunteer must be able to ride a bicycle, and -local commandants were instructed to see that -every man in their command had one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the Mons retreat the cyclists were -invaluable, both for fighting small rearguard -actions and also for keeping in contact with -the enemy. During the present war in Ireland, -the explanation of the mysteries of how men -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>can shoot policemen from behind a wall and -then disappear into thin air, and of how a -column of gunmen can shoot up a train in -Kerry on Monday and ambush a police lorry -in Clare on Tuesday, is to be found in the -intelligent use of the humble push-bike. And -until the authorities round up every push-bike -in Ireland, these mysteries will continue.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as G.H.Q. determined that the -Ballybor district must be brought into line -with the south, a small party of gunmen, -operating at the time many miles to the south, -received their orders, and late that night a -silent and ghostly party of cyclists rode into -the Ballybor district. At a certain cross-roads -they were met by guides, and long before daybreak -the gunmen were billeted in ones and -twos throughout the townland of Cloonalla.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following night a meeting of the local -Volunteers was held in the National School, -and the leader of the gunmen insisted that a -police ambush or an attack on the Grouse -Lodge Barracks should take place within the -next few nights. The general opinion being -against an attack on the barracks—the field -of fire was too good, and the Black and Tans -too handy with their rifles—it was settled (by -the gunmen) that the police should be ambushed -at a favourable spot where the main -road from Ballybor to Castleport passed through -a wooded demesne.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next morning Father Tom, the parish -priest, was besieged by the young Volunteers’ -fathers, men who had homes and haggards to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>burn, one and all imploring his reverence to -prevent an ambush in the parish, and to save -them from the wrath of the Auxiliaries. Some -of them, when asked, confessed that the gunmen -were staying in their houses, but that -their sons had brought them there without -leave, and that they were powerless to get -rid of them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From the beginning of the movement Father -Tom, who was young for a parish priest and -an ardent Sinn Feiner in theory, had been -one of the leaders in the district, and even -when burning houses and haggards began to -follow murderous ambuscades in far-away Co. -Cork as surely as day follows night, he still -felt a thrill of pride for his countrymen who -were giving their all for freedom, and became -a fiercer Sinn Feiner than ever; but an ambush -(and the sequel) in his own beloved -parish was a very different thing, and a -calamity to be avoided at all costs (his house -stood high, and would give a splendid view -at night of burning houses and haggards), and -there was obviously no time to lose.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next day was Sunday, and at mass -Father Tom, who was a fine preacher, thundered -forth from the altar. A vivid imagination -stimulated his eloquence to such a pitch -that he reduced most of the older members of -his flock to tears.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He told them that it had come to his ears -that certain men in the parish were harbouring -strangers within their gates, and that these -strangers had been trying to incite young and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>innocent boys to murder policemen. He then -described the result of an ambush—how houses -were burnt to the ground and women and -little children were turned out on the road -on a winter’s night (he did not mention the -men, knowing that by then they would be up -in the mountains), and how innocent men were -shot in their beds before the eyes of their -wives; but he said nothing about the widows -and orphans of the murdered policemen. Finally, -he warned his flock against the strangers, -who would fade away before the wrath of the -soldiers and Auxiliaries fell on the parish, and -commanded that they should be instantly -turned out under the direst penalties. And -with a last curse on the strangers he left the -chapel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If Father Tom had thundered from the altar -against ambushes many, many months before, -instead of openly encouraging the Volunteers, -the result might have been very different; -but a leader of men who gives an order to-day -and a counter-order to-morrow is rarely obeyed. -That night it was learnt that a party of military -would proceed from Castleport to Ballybor -on Wednesday night, and it was settled -to ambush them at the spot chosen in the -demesne, the gunmen promising that a carload -of arms and bombs would arrive in time -for the ambush, and also a doctor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the Cloonalla district there lived, nowadays -a <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">rara avis</span></i> in the west of Ireland, a -Protestant farmer of the old yeoman type so -well known in England, and a staunch Loyalist. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>To his house there came on that Sunday night -two of the leading farmers, who told him the -whole story of the proposed ambush, and -begged him to warn the police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The chapel of Cloonalla stands in the centre -of the parish, close to a cross-roads, and on -that Wednesday morning the inhabitants woke -up to find a kilted sentry on guard at the -cross-roads, and before most of them could -get out of bed, two companies of Highlanders, -guided by Blake, were hard at work searching -every house for strangers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake had brought with him two old regular -R.I.C. sergeants, men who had been stationed -in the district for years, and who knew every -man, young and old; but the gunmen had -been in trouble before, and were not to be -caught so easily.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They were all young men and clean shaved, -and before the police and Highlanders entered -any of their billets, one and all were dressed -as women with shawls over their heads; and -in one house, where two of them had been -billeted, the Highlanders found a young woman -sitting on a stool by the fire, nursing a baby -under her shawl, while another pretty shawled -girl was preparing breakfast for the young -mother. A big Highlander could not resist -giving her a glad eye, little knowing that -“she” was a notorious gunman, and wanted -to the tune of a thousand pounds for the -brutal murder of a D.I. as he was leaving -church.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The only result of the raid was the finding -<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>of an old shot-gun in the bed of the local -blacksmith, a man who had always defied the -local Volunteers, and kept a gun for poaching -only, and who was taken off to Ballybor Barracks -amidst the jeers of everybody. However, -in a few days they realised how useful -and necessary a person a smith is in a country -district, and before the week was out the -whole townland was clamouring for the smith’s -release.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, the raid had good results; the -Volunteers refused point-blank to carry out -the ambush on Wednesday night, though the -gunmen stayed until that day, making every -endeavour to bring it off. Finding it was -useless, they disappeared that night as silently -as they had come, promising to return shortly -in greater numbers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The whole district heaved a sigh of relief -when it was known that there were no longer -any strangers within the gates, and settled -down to farm and lead the life God meant -them to live, and hoped against hope that -they might never see a cursed stranger again, -be he gunman or Auxiliary. Blake let it be -known that it was a case of no ambush, no -Auxiliaries, and every farmer in the district -was quite content to keep his side of the -bargain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But peace was not yet to be the portion -of Cloonalla. Within three weeks of the first -gunman leaving, a party of twenty arrived on -a wild winter’s night, and, as on the former -occasion, as silently dispersed to their allotted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>billets. This time the leader of the gunmen -did not ask the local Volunteers to help, but -ordered them to carry out the ambush in the -wooded demesne on the main road from Castleport -to Ballybor, as previously arranged.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gunmen did not appear during the day-time -at all, and had been nearly a week in -the district before Father Tom heard of their -arrival. Unfortunately, the priest was very -ill with influenza at the time, and before he -could take any action the damage was done.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As usual, the scene of the ambush was laid -with great cleverness. Between the two entrance-gates -of the demesne on the main road -there was a sharp rise in the form of an S -bend, with a thick thorn hedge on each side -of the middle of this bend. Where the rise -was steepest, there was a lane leading to the -keeper’s house, about fifty yards from the -road, and at the entrance of this lane the gunmen -laid a mine in the main road to be fired -by an electric wire running towards the keeper’s -house. After laying the mine they forced the -road contractor of that part of the road to -cart broken stones and lay them right across -the road over the mine, so that all traces of -the mine were hidden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The day after the mine had been laid word -came to Cloonalla that the police had arrested -three men in Ballybor during the previous -night, and that it was thought that the prisoners -would be sent to Castleport that night -in a Crossley under a strong police escort. -As soon as it was dark, the gunmen, after -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>parking their bicycles in a wood of the demesne, -collected all the Volunteers they could induce -or force to accompany them, and made their -way across country to the scene of the ambush.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The night was unusually fine with a full -moon, and two hours after the Volunteers and -gunmen had taken up their positions, the -peculiar note of a Crossley engine could be -distinctly heard approaching at a great pace -from the Ballybor direction. The gunman -who had laid the mine was a first-class electrician, -and as the car tore past the lane there -was a blinding flash, followed by a terrific -roar, and the car seemed to jump clean off the -road and then collapse in a burning heap on -the road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With the roar of the mine the ambushers -opened a heavy fire on the car, but receiving -no reply they quickly ceased fire, waiting to -see what would happen next. But the mine -had done its work only too well, and the only -sounds which could be heard were the groans -of dying men amid the burning ruins of the -car. After some minutes two policemen rolled -out of the end of the car and lay on the highroad, -one man with both his legs paralysed, -crying piteously for water, and the second -with part of his head blown away by a flat-nosed -bullet, crying for a priest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Up to this point the leader of the gunmen -had taken charge of all the proceedings, and -when the Volunteers were collected on the road -like a flock of sheep they still waited for -orders. However, after five minutes, as no -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>order was given, they began to look for their -leader, suddenly to realise that every gunman -had faded away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At once every Volunteer started to make -his way home as fast as he could, and within -two minutes the only occupants of the road -were the two dying policemen, lying like two -black logs in the white moonlight. Presently -a terror-stricken keeper crept out of his house, -and as soon as his scattered wits could take -in the situation, he got out his bicycle and -rode into Ballybor for help.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Long before day broke columns of soldiers, -R.I.C., and Auxiliaries concentrated on and -met at that horrible scene on the road between -the two demesne gates, and shortly afterwards -broke like a tornado on the townland of Cloonalla, -and Father Tom, from his bedroom window, -saw his worst fears realised. When daylight -came the parish was at last clear of all -strangers and avengers, but at a terrible price.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A quick-witted policeman remembered that -the only limestone road in Cloonalla was the -road from Ballybor to Castleport, so that it -was easy to tell in a house by an inspection -of boots if any man of that household had -been present at the ambush, and that night -the fathers suffered for the sins of their sons, -and the sons paid the full price of the gunmen’s -crime.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Like good soldiers, the gunmen carefully -thought out their line of retreat before the -ambush took place. They found that a broad -river ran through the demesne parallel to and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>about 400 yards from the main road, that the -nearest bridges above and below were five -miles away, and that across the river ran a -range of wild and desolate country. In a -wood on the bank of the river they found -fishing-boats, used for netting salmon during -the summer-time, and before the ambush the -leader sent two of his men to collect all these -boats at a certain part of the river, and to -remain there in readiness to take the remainder -and their bicycles across. As soon as the -ambush was over they collected their bicycles, -crossed the river, and were soon riding through -a little-known pass in the mountains on their -way to carry on their devil’s work in a part -of the country many miles removed from the -scene of the Cloonalla ambush.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span> - <h2 class='c005'>VIII.<br /> MR BRIGGS’ ISLAND.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Several years before the late war there lived -in the suburbs of London a prosperous stockbroker, -by name Benjamin Briggs, a lonely -bachelor, an ardent fisherman, and a man of -simple and kindly nature. Every year Mr -Briggs spent his entire summer holidays fishing -in Scotland or Wales, and it was not until -after hearing a friend at his club recounting -the wonderful fishing that he had had in -Ireland that he turned his attention to that -country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One afternoon, when passing through Euston -Station, a famous poster of Connemara caught -Mr Briggs’ eye, and the following summer he -made a complete tour of that delightful country -of mountains, moors, and rivers. So charmed -was he with the scenery and the perfect manners -of the peasants that he determined to see -more of the country, and on a fine summer’s -afternoon found himself in the little town of -Ballybor, reputed to be one of the best fishing -centres in Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During a walk through the town before -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>dinner, he happened to see a large notice in -an auctioneer’s window, offering for sale, at -what seemed to Mr Briggs a very low figure, -a fishing-lodge on an island in the middle of -a large lake, famous for its salmon, trout, and -pike-fishing, and distant about six miles from -the town of Ballybor. The notice also stated -that the auctioneer would be glad to give full -particulars, and that the lucky buyer could -obtain immediate possession.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now many of us have cherished a secret -longing to possess an island, no doubt an aftermath -from reading ‘Robinson Crusoe’ when -very young, possibly in the sea if one has a -weakness for that element, or, if not, in the -middle of some large lake full of salmon and -trout. From childhood Mr Briggs had had -two great longings—first, to be a successful -fisherman, and secondly, to possess an island, -to which he could eventually retire and fish -all day and every day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following morning, after an interview -with the auctioneer, he drove out to the lake -on an outside car, was duly met by the caretaker, -Pat Lyden, with a boat, fell in love at -sight with a comfortable little six-roomed lodge -built on the shore of a small green island far -out in the lake and commanding glorious views -of mountains and water, and on his return to -Ballybor he wasted no time in completing the -purchase. The following day he moved to the -island, and spent a happy fortnight fishing -with Pat Lyden before returning to England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From the outbreak of war until 1920 Mr -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>Briggs was unable to visit Ireland, but during -the summer of that year he decided to retire, -and after disposing of his business and suburban -home, set out for Ballybor, meaning to spend -the rest of the year fishing on Lake Moyra. -On a dull morning he landed at Kingstown, -as enthusiastic as a schoolboy on his first -sporting trip, and longing to see his beloved -island once more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mr Briggs only read one newspaper,—a -paper once famous throughout the world for -its impartial and patriotic news and complete -freedom from party taint,—and he had not -the remotest idea that the Ireland of 1914 -and the Ireland of 1920 were two very different -countries. But so simple was the little man’s -nature that he did not realise the state of the -country until he reached a small junction about -sixteen miles from Ballybor, and where he had -to change.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here he had some time to wait, and while -walking up and down the platform a long-haired -wild-eyed stranger sidled up to him -and asked if he was Mr Briggs; and on learning -that he was, the stranger advised him to -return to England at once, as the air on Lough -Moyra was very unhealthy at present. This -greatly disturbed Mr Briggs, but he determined -to take no notice of the mysterious -warning, and, taking his seat in the train, -began to read his papers again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly before the train was due to start -a small party of British soldiers, under a -N.C.O., marched on to the platform, and proceeded -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>to take their seats in a third-class -carriage. At once the engine-driver, fireman, -and guard packed up their kits and prepared -to leave the station. The station-master did -his best to induce them to take the train on -to Ballybor, but not one yard would they go -as long as a British soldier remained in the -train; and in the end they marched out of -the station, amid the laughter of the soldiers, -who continued to keep their seats. The civilian -passengers now left the train, and Mr Briggs -found himself dumped with all his kit on the -platform.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time he sat there, feeling sure that -in the end the train would start, but after -two hours he gave it up, and wired to a garage -in Ballybor for a car to be sent to the junction. -After a further wait of three hours a car turned -up, and late that evening Mr Briggs arrived at -the hotel at Ballybor, weary and quite bewildered. -He seemed to have wandered into -a South American republic instead of into the -old and pleasant Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After breakfast the next morning he determined -to call on his old friend the D.I. before -leaving for the lake, but he hardly recognised -the police barracks, which had been transformed -from a homely whitewashed house into -a sandbagged and steel-shuttered fort. Here -he found that his old friend had retired on -pension, and in his stead reigned a young and -soldier-like D.I., with a row of orders and war -ribbons on his breast. Mr Briggs introduced -himself, but found that neither the D.I. nor -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>the Head Constable had ever heard of either -Mr Briggs or his island, but they told him -that only the previous day a police lorry had -been ambushed on the road to the lake, and -advised him to return to England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, having got so far, Mr Briggs determined -to see his island, come what might; -and after a lot of difficulty, and at a very -high price, a driver was at last found with -sufficient courage to drive him out to the place -where Lyden was to meet him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Lyden was a typical western peasant, and -on former visits Mr Briggs had asked no better -amusement than to listen to his quaint remarks -and stories for hours on end whilst -fishing; but, like the rest of the people, he -now seemed a different being. During the row -out to the island he did not utter a dozen -words, and long before they landed on the -little stone quay Mr Briggs had ceased to ask -the man any questions. After his long absence -the island appeared more enchanting than -ever, and from the kitchen chimney he could -see the blue turf smoke rising in the still -summer’s air, reminding him of Mrs Lyden’s -good cooking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On approaching the house he was startled -to hear loud talking and laughter in the dining-room, -and on entering found the room full of -strangers, eating a hearty meal. At the head -of the table sat a soldierly-looking man, who -wished Mr Briggs good-day, and asked who -the devil he might be.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On first hearing the voices, Mr Briggs had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>jumped to the natural conclusion that a fishing -party had landed and asked Mrs Lyden -to give them something to eat, and he was -prepared to welcome them as became a host; -but to be asked who the devil he might be, in -his own house, was the last straw of the nightmare, -and transformed him from a mild English -gentleman into a foaming fury. However, -the only effect on the strangers of Mr Briggs’ -rage was to move them to greater mirth, and -as he rushed out of the room he heard one -man saying that they must have sent them a -lunatic this time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the kitchen he found Mrs Lyden in tears, -and explanations soon followed. For some -time past the island had been used as a Sinn -Fein internment camp, and his unbidden guests -consisted of a British colonel, two subalterns, -a D.I., and a magistrate from a neighbouring -county, who had given trouble to the Volunteers -by insisting on holding Petty Sessions -Courts in opposition to the newly-established -Sinn Fein Courts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Realising that he was a prisoner in his own -house, he returned to the dining-room, explained -this extraordinary situation to his -fellow-prisoners, and then joined them at their -meal. When he had finished he went for a -stroll with the colonel, who explained matters -more fully to him. Most of the prisoners had -been on the island for some time, and so far -had found no chance of attempting to escape. -The colonel himself had been captured whilst -salmon-fishing on a river in the south, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>then brought blindfolded at night in a car to -Lough Moyra.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On inspecting the boat-house, Mr Briggs -found that all his boats had gone, even the -one Lyden had rowed him out in, which the -colonel told him had been brought over from -another island, where their guards lived, and -that the guards must have returned in her; -further, that they were visited every second -day by these guards, who brought them food, -for which they had to pay a stiff price.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The colonel had unearthed two packs of -patience cards, and the three soldiers, with -the D.I. for a fourth, played bridge from after -breakfast until they went to bed. In the -sitting-room there was a small library of Mr -Briggs’ favourite books, and these kept the -rest of the party from drowning themselves -in the lake.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two days after his arrival, and just as he -was thinking about retiring for the night, -Lyden came in to say that an officer wished -to speak to Mr Briggs outside, and on following -Lyden he found a man dressed in a wonderful -green uniform waiting at the front door. The -officer informed Mr Briggs that he had come -to take him to a republican court, which was -to be held that night on the mainland, and -where the case of the Republic <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">v.</span></i> Briggs would -be heard. Mr Briggs had never heard of such -a thing as a republican court, but could get -no further information from the gentleman in -green, and shortly afterwards the party set -out in a boat for the mainland.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>By the time they landed it was quite dark, -and after a walk of about twenty minutes they -arrived at a large building, which Mr Briggs -recognised as Cloonalla chapel, and here the -officer handed him over to a local publican, -who told him to follow him into the chapel. -Inside there was a large crowd of country -people, while at one end was a raised table, -at which were seated the three judges—two -in civilian attire, and the third in the clothes -of a priest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After his eyes had got accustomed to the -poor light of the few oil-lamps, Mr Briggs -recognised in the presiding judge the parish -priest of a neighbouring parish, and in the -other two judges a butcher and a good-for-nothing -painter from Ballybor. At the time -of his entry a river fishing-rights case was -before the court, with a Ballybor solicitor acting -for the defendant, while another well-known -solicitor from the same town acted as -“Republican Prosecutor.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a time the case of the Republic <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">v.</span></i> -Briggs came on for hearing, and Mr Briggs -learnt, to his great astonishment, that they -proposed to take his island and fishing rights -on Lough Moyra from him compulsorily for -the sum of £200, to be paid in Dail Eireann -Bonds, whatever they might be, and that he -was to be deported to England as soon as -convenient. At the end of the case the presiding -judge asked Mr Briggs if he had any -objection, but he wisely refused to say anything, -and shortly afterwards was handed over -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>to the green officer, who took him back to the -island.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A few days after, as Mr Briggs was sitting -disconsolately on a rock at the north end of -the island, gazing across the lake and wondering -if he would ever fish there again, he heard -the distant hum of a motor-engine, and in a -short time saw a ‘plane approaching the island -from the south-east. Wild with excitement, -he dashed into the house, calling the colonel -to come out at once. The colonel got up -from the card-table, and on seeing the ‘plane -quickly collected all the sheets and blankets -he could find, and hurriedly spread them out -in the form of rough letters, spelling the word -“<span class='sc'>Help</span>” on the grass in front of the house, -and then ran down to the end of the quay, -where he waved a sheet frantically over his -head.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For what seemed an age to the prisoners, -the ‘plane took no notice of the colonel’s signals; -then, to their great joy, the pilot cut -off his engine, dropped to about 800 feet, and -flew low over the island, turned, flew over the -island again, and then made off at full speed -in a southerly direction. That night none of -the prisoners slept a wink, expecting every -minute to hear the sounds of their deliverers’ -approach.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the return of the ‘plane to the aerodrome -a cipher message was at once despatched to -Blake, with instructions to investigate the -trouble on the island; but, as usual, the -message was delayed in the post office, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>received too late to take any action that evening. -On inquiry, Blake found that, though -formerly two police boats were kept on the -lake for the purpose of raiding poteen-makers -on the islands, some time ago these boats had -been burnt, and there was no means of getting -out to the islands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early the next morning the police borrowed -a motor-launch lying in the river at Ballybor, -and with difficulty mounted it on a commandeered -lorry. Taking a strong police force -with them, Blake and Jones then set out for -the lake, deciding to launch the boat at a -bay close to Cloonalla chapel. Here the road -ran about fifty yards from the lake, but by -the aid of rollers they soon got the launch off -the lorry and afloat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving a guard over the cars and lorry, the -police then set out for the islands, and all -went well until they reached the neck of the -bay, which was only about 200 yards wide. -Here they came under heavy rifle-fire from -the north shore, the attackers being hidden -amongst bushes and the ruins of an old cottage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Unfortunately one of the first shots cut the -magneto wire, and the launch at once started -to drift helplessly in the wind towards the -attackers. While Blake repaired the wire, -Jones swept the attackers with a Lewis gun, -which quickly smothered their fire, and the -wire being soon repaired, the launch got under -way again, and made for the open lake at -full speed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake had never been on Lough Moyra -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>before, but had brought with him a sergeant -who had often taken part in poteen raids on -the islands in former days. On looking at an -Ordnance map he found that there were two -large islands—one with only a fishing-lodge -marked on it, and the other with seven houses -shown—and on the sergeant’s advice they -made for the latter, on the assumption that -something must have gone wrong with their -boats, and that the people might be short of -food.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When within about 400 yards of the island -they again came under rifle-fire, and realising -that they had called at the wrong house, and -that it would be impossible to effect a landing -except at a heavy loss, they changed their -course and made for the second island; but -before they got half-way a boat put out from -the first island, and made off in the direction -of the far shore.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The launch was fairly fast, and in a very -short time they were within 600 yards of the -boat, when Blake fired a single shot as a signal -to it to stop. In reply the boat opened fire -on the launch, but one short burst of Lewis-gun -fire quickly brought them to their senses, -and the occupants put up their hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After disarming these men Blake took their -boat in tow, and this time succeeded in reaching -Mr Briggs’ island safely, where he was -astonished to meet the prisoners on the quay, -and more especially the D.I., who had been -missing for some time, and of whom all hope -had been given up. The whole party then set -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>off for the mainland, found that the guard -had successfully beaten off an attack on the -cars, and eventually all returned safely to -Ballybor with only two constables slightly -wounded.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two days afterwards Mr Briggs embarked -on the s.s. <em>Cockatoo</em>, bound for England, where -he will probably remain until the war in -Ireland is over.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span> - <h2 class='c005'>IX.<br /> THE REWARD OF LOYALTY.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>For some time after the death of Anthony -Mayne, the murdered R.M., Petty Sessions -Courts ceased to be held in Ballybor, and -the Sinn Fein Courts reigned supreme. At -length Mayne’s successor arrived, and endeavoured -to start the Courts in his district again, -but found that not only were the country -people too terrorised to bring any cases before -a British Court, but that most of the magistrates -had resigned, and none of the few remaining -ones would face the bench.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, Fitzmaurice, the new R.M., stuck -to it, and in the end a retired officer, living -just outside Ballybor, became a magistrate for -the county; and suddenly, to the intense -excitement of the whole town, it was given -out that some countryman had had the audacity -to defy the edict of Dail Eireann, and -to summon a neighbour to appear before the -British magistrates.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The court-house at Ballybor is a most -curious-looking edifice of an unknown style -of architecture, shabby and dismal outside -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>and like a vault inside. On the day that the -Court reopened the place was packed to the -doors, and when the clerk stood up to announce -the Court open, and ending with the -words, “God save the King!” the silence -could be felt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was what is known in the west of Ireland -as a “saft day”—a day of heavy drizzling -rain and a mild west wind off the Atlantic, -and after a time the crowded court-house of -countrymen in soaked home-spuns and women -with reeking shawls over their heads literally -began to steam, and the strong acrid smell -of turf smoke from the drying clothes became -overpowering. At first all eyes were fixed on -the two magistrates sitting on the raised dais -at one end of the court-house, and many, remembering -poor Mayne’s end, wondered how -long the two had to live. The R.M., they -knew, was well paid by the British Government, -but the second magistrate’s unpaid -loyalty must surely be a form of madness, or -most likely he received secret pay from the -Government.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the disposal of cases brought by the -police for various offences, the only civil case -on the list—in reality the beginning of a trial -of strength between Sinn Fein and the British -Government—came on for hearing, and in due -course the magistrates gave a decision in favour -of the complainant, a herd by name Mickey -Coleman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Taking advantage of the suspension of the -law, a neighbour, Ned Foley, had thought to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>get free grazing, and day after day had deliberately -driven his cattle on to Coleman’s land. -Coleman, having remonstrated repeatedly with -Foley in vain, consulted a Ballybor solicitor, -who advised him to bring Foley into a Sinn -Fein Court, where, he assured him, he would -get full justice. This Coleman refused to do, -and after consulting a second solicitor, brought -the case before the Ballybor Petty Sessions -Court.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Coleman appears to have been a man of -great determination and courage, as he had -been repeatedly warned by the Volunteers that -if he persisted in taking Foley into a British -Court they would make his life a hell on earth; -and as he left the court after winning his case, -a note was slipped into his hand to the effect -that the I.R.A. neither forgets nor forgives.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Coleman had started life as a farm labourer, -eventually becoming herd to a Loyalist called -Vyvian Carew, whose ancestors came over to -Ireland in the time of Queen Elizabeth, and -who lived alone in a large house about eight -miles from Ballybor, where he farmed his own -demesne of four hundred Irish acres.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carew belonged to a class of Irishman fast -dying out in the west, and considering that it -has always been the policy of every Liberal -Government to throw them to the wolves, it -is almost beyond belief that any are left in -the country. A type of man any country can -ill afford to lose, and all countries ought to be -proud and glad to gain. After serving throughout -the late war in the British Army, Carew -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>had returned home, hoping to live in peace -and quiet for the rest of his days, but had soon -been undeceived. Though working himself as -hard as any small farmer, and farming his land -far better than any other man in the district, -it was decided by men who coveted his acres -that he possessed too many, and the usual -steps in the west were taken to make him -give up three of his four hundred acres, and if -possible force him to sell out all.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Coleman started with a heavy heart for his -cottage in Rossbane, Carew’s demesne, and -from the moment he left the court-house until -he lifted the latch of his door found himself -treated as a leper by townsfolk and country -people alike. Probably some of the people -would have been willing to speak to him, and -most likely many admired his pluck, but a -man who comes under the curse of the I.R.A. -is to be avoided at any costs. No man can -tell when that sinister curse, which is often a -matter of life and death to a peasant, may be -extended to an unwary sympathiser.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the evening, when going round the cattle, -he met his master, who, on being shown the -threatening note, at once wanted Coleman to -bring his family up to the big house; but he -refused, knowing that if he did his cottage -would probably be burnt and his own few -cattle either stolen or maimed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon after eleven that night there came a -loud knock at the door, and Coleman, who -had been sitting by the fire expecting a visit, -rose up to meet his fate, but was caught by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>his terrified wife, who clung to him with the -strength of despair. At last Coleman succeeded -in opening the door, and to their utter -astonishment in walked a British officer, dressed -in khaki topcoat, steel helmet, and with a belt -and holster. The officer explained that he -came from Castleport, that he had a large party -of soldiers on the road outside, and that he -was going to scour the countryside for rebels -that night. Lastly, he said that he had been -told Coleman was well disposed, and would he -help him by giving information?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Coleman, who at the sight of a British -officer in a steel helmet, when he expected a -Volunteer with a black mask, had been overcome -with joy, at the mention of that sinister -word “information” regained his senses, and -answered that he had none to give; that he -was only a poor herd striving to do his work -and keep a wife and a long weak family, and -that he had nothing to do with politics.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The officer said nothing, but sat down by -the fire on a stool and started to play with the -children; presently he returned to the charge -again, and asked the herd where the Foleys -lived, and if they were Volunteers. The mention -of the name of Foley confirmed Coleman -in his growing suspicion, and he replied that -he knew the Foleys for quiet decent boys, and -he believed that they had nothing at all to do -with politics.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly afterwards the officer wished them -good-night, leaving Coleman and his wife a -prey to conflicting emotions. If he really was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>a British officer, then at any rate they were -safe for that night, but if not, then probably -some terrible outrage was brewing. Only a -week before the Volunteers had set fire, while -the inmates were in bed, to the house of a -farmer, who had bought the farm a few days -previously at a public auction, contrary to the -orders of the I.R.A.; and though the inmates -just managed to escape in their night attire, -their two horses and a cow were burnt to -death, and their charred bodies could still be -seen lying amid the ruins from the main road—a -warning to all who thought of disobeying -the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the time it would take to walk to the -Foleys’ house and back there came a second -knock, and the officer entered again, pushing -one of the young Foleys in front of him with -his hands up. “Here’s the young blighter,” -said the officer to Coleman, “and if you will -give the necessary information about him, I’ll -have him shot by my men outside at once.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But Coleman, whose suspicion by now was a -certainty, refused to be drawn, and replied -that he knew nothing against the Foleys, and -that they were quiet respectable neighbours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time the officer tried his best to -get Coleman to give evidence against Foley, -but at last, finding it was useless, left, taking -his prisoner with him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By now the Colemans were too unhappy to -go to bed, and sat round the fire in silence. -After an hour there came a third knock, and -again the officer appeared; but this time -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>Coleman could see quite a different expression -on his face, and in a brutal voice, not taking -the trouble to hide his brogue, he bade the -unfortunate herd “get up out of that and -come outside.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Coleman followed his tormentor outside, and -there found a mob of young men and boys -waiting for him, who proceeded to kick him -along the road for a mile, when he could go -no farther, and fell on the road. They then -tied his hands and ankles, and left him in the -middle of the road for a police car to run over -him. And here he lay all night in the rain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next day was market-day in Ballybor, -and many of the country people started early -in their carts for the town, and though none -drove over the herd, yet one and all passed -by on the other side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Luckily, when the herd was nearly gone -from cold and exposure, the good Samaritan -appeared in the shape of Carew driving to -Ballybor, and in a short time he had Coleman -back at Rossbane in front of a big turf fire; -and after placing him in charge of the cook, -brought the herd’s family to a cottage in the -yard, and then drove into Ballybor to see -Blake. But the D.I. had his hands too full -to be able to give protection to individuals.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time, next to Sinn Fein, the Transport -Union was the strongest party in the -west, and being composed of landless men, its -main object was to gain land for its members -by all and every means in its power, with the -result that their attention was concentrated -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>on outing all men with four hundred acres or -more in their possession, and next would come -the men with three hundred acres, and so on -down the scale.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The farmer with forty acres or thereabouts—the -best class of small farmer in the west, -and if let alone the most law-abiding, as they -are numerous and possess something worth -holding on to—soon realised where this would -lead to, and tried to apply the brakes. They -would have succeeded but for their younger -sons, who, in the ordinary course of events, -would have found good employment in the -States, but under present circumstances have -to remain at home helping to make small -fortunes for their parents. It is this class of -young men who, with the shop boys, form the -rank and file of the I.R.A., and in the case of -the farmers’ sons it is the western peasants’ -usual characteristic of “land hunger” which -forms the chief driving power.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At one period it looked as though Sinn -Fein and the Transport Union would come -to loggerheads; but Sinn Fein proved too -strong, and the two became partners to all -intents and purposes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A few days after he had returned from his -fruitless visit to Blake, Carew received a letter -from the secretary of the local branch of the -Transport Union calling upon him to dismiss -Coleman, and that if he did not comply at -once the Union would call out all his men. -Carew ignored the letter and the threat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Owenmore river runs through Rossbane, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>roughly dividing it into two equal parts, and -after a fortnight Carew received a letter from -the I.R.A. calling upon him to attend a Sinn -Fein Court the following Sunday night at Cloonalla -Chapel, and saying that the part of his -demesne separated from the house by the river -was to be taken from him, and if he wished -to claim “compensation” he must attend the -“Court.” And again Carew ignored the letter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A week afterwards all his farm hands and -servants, with the exception of the cook, Katey -Brogan, simply vanished, and Carew found -himself with only Katey and Coleman to keep -going a large house and a four-hundred-acre -farm. Nothing daunted, he took the Colemans -into the house, made Mrs Coleman cook and -Katey housemaid, whilst Coleman and he determined -to carry on with the farming as best -they could.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A few days after a little girl brought a -message that Katey’s father was very ill, and -that her mother wished her to go home at -once; so Katey left immediately, and the -following day Carew rode over to see if he -could help the Brogans, knowing that they -were miserably poor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Brogans lived in a two-roomed hovel -on the verge of a bog, and on entering a terrible -sight met Carew’s eyes. The old man lay -dead in one bed, Katey dead in the second -bed with a large bullet-hole through her forehead, -and the old mother crooning over the -fire ashes, stark mad.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then tried to find out what had happened -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>from two neighbouring cottages, but in each -case the door was slammed in his face with a -curse of fear. After wandering about for over -an hour he met a small boy, who told him the -details of the worst murder the country had -yet seen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It appeared that Katey must have written -to the police in Ballybor with reference to the -treatment of the Colemans, and that the letter -had fallen into the hands of Sinn Fein agents -in the post office.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Using old Brogan’s illness to decoy Katey -home, the murderers waited until midnight, -when they knocked at the door. At the time -Katey was sitting by the fire making broth -for her father, and at once opened the door, -to be confronted by eight armed men wearing -white masks and black hats, one of whom said, -“Come with us.” Apparently Katey refused, -whereupon they seized her, bound her wrists, -and dragged her screaming and struggling to -a field some hundred yards from her home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here they tried her by court-martial, convicted -her, and no time was lost by the assassins -in carrying out the death sentence. They then -flung her body outside the cottage, where it -was found by her mother, whose cries brought -old Brogan out of his bed, and between them -they managed to carry their murdered daughter -in. The shock was too much for the old man, -and he died shortly after he returned to bed, -which finally turned the old woman’s brain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then followed weeks of misery. Every night -Carew’s cattle were driven, his gates taken off -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>their hinges and flung into the river, trees were -cut down, fences smashed, and the showing of -a light at any window was the signal for a -volley of shots. Life in the trenches on the -Western Front was often fearful enough, but -to realise the life Carew and his herd led at -this time one must remember that they had -to carry on week in week out, with no rest -billets ever to retire to, apart from the fact -that at any moment sudden death in some -horrible mutilating form might be their lot.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first fair at which Carew tried to sell -cattle warned him of the futility of attending -any more. Sinn Fein “policemen,” with green, -white, and yellow brassards on their arms, -took care that no buyers came near him, while -all the corner boys in Ballybor amused themselves -by driving his cattle backwards and forwards -through the fair until they could hardly -move. Directly Carew would make for one -set of tormentors, a fresh lot would appear -behind his back and take up the chase.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After starting Coleman on his way home -with the weary cattle, he went to the grocer -he had dealt with for years, meaning to lay -in a good stock of provisions. On entering the -shop the owner took Carew into a private -room, and explained that if he sold one pennyworth -of food to him his shop would be burnt -over his head that night, and that all the -shopkeepers had received the same orders from -the I.R.A. Carew then went straight to the -police barracks, where the police soon bought -all that he required.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>It was nearly dark when Carew drew near -to his entrance gate, and as his horse started -to walk four men darted out from the shadow -of the demesne wall, two seizing the horse, -while the rest, covering him with shot-guns, -ordered him to get out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carew had no alternative but to comply, -whereupon his captors led him down a lane -towards the river, where they were joined by -a crowd of men and boys. On reaching the -river a violent argument started, one section -being for drowning him out of face, while another -wished to give him a chance of his life -if he would swear to give up his land. In the -end they compromised, and two tall men took -Carew by the arms and waded out into the -river with him until they were over their -waists.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The leader then called out to Carew that if -he would not agree to surrender all his lands -and promise to leave the country they would -drown him there and then. In order to gain -time Carew pretended to be greatly frightened, -and started a whining altercation with the -leader on the bank. As he expected, his -would-be executioners soon joined in heatedly, -so much so that shortly one let go of his arm, -and throwing the other off his balance with -a quick wrench, Carew dived, and swimming -down and across the river under water was -soon in safety on the far bank. As soon as -the crowd realised that their prisoner had -escaped, they opened fire on the river at once, -hitting one of the men in the water, whereupon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>the wounded man’s friends turned on -another faction and a free fight ensued.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Once across the river, Carew ran as hard -as he could for the house of a friendly farmer -living on the main road on the east side of -the river, borrowed a bicycle from the man, -and set off for Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By great good luck, as Carew reached the -barracks in Ballybor, he found Blake on the -point of setting out on a night expedition with -a Crossley load of police. On hearing his story -Blake at once agreed to return with him, in -the hope that they might be in time to save -Rossbane.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In order to surprise the Volunteers, Blake -went by the road on the east side of the river, -and on reaching Carew’s demesne hid the car -inside in the shadow of some trees. Carew -then swam the river, brought back a boat, -and ferried the police across in three parties.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The farm buildings and main yard of Rossbane -lie between the house and the river, and -on entering the yard the police found Coleman -lying insensible and surrounded by his weeping -wife and children. Learning from the woman -that the Volunteers were on the point of setting -fire to the house, the police, led by Blake and -Carew, who was armed with rifle and revolver, -and by now in a white heat of fury, made for -the house in two parties, one under Carew for -the front entrance, and the other under Blake -for the back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The last thing the Volunteers expected was -a brutal assault by the police, and after eating -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>and drinking all they could find and looting -what happened to take their fancy, they had -just sprayed petrol over the hall and set it on -fire when the police entered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is not often that the R.I.C. have the -pleasure of coming to grips with the elusive -I.R.A., but when they do they put paid in -capital letters to the accounts of their murdered -comrades, men shot in cold blood in -their homes, or dragged unarmed out of trains -and butchered like cattle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The R.I.C. are probably one of the finest -fighting forces to be found in a continent -where, at the present day, practically every -man is trained to arms, and most people have -seen the fight cornered rats will put up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The main hall of Rossbane was in the centre -of the house, and after setting fire to it the -Volunteers had started to leave, some by the -front door and others through the kitchen, -with the result that they ran into the arms of -the police, who did not waste time with futile -shouts of “hands up,” but proceeded at once -to business.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first they fought in darkness; but soon -the flames gathered strength, and their glow -silhouetted the forms of the Volunteers, giving -the police as good targets as man could wish for.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a short time the Volunteers broke; some -rushed upstairs never to be seen alive again, -while others fled into the drawing-room which -opened off the hall, only to find escape cut off -by heavy barred shutters. By now the centre -of the house was burning fiercely, and all the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>police had to do to complete the rout was to -wait outside the two exits and let the flames -act the part of ferrets. Ten minutes more -saw the end, and with it the few Volunteers -who escaped with their lives, handcuffed together -in a miserable group in the big yard, -covered by two Black and Tans. And when -the captain of the Rossbane Company of the -I.R.A. revised his company roll, his pen must -have been busy with “gone to America” after -many names.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dawn broke on a sight worthy of modern -Russia, on the smouldering ruins of the fine -old house, on the wretched groups of singed -and blackened Volunteers, and on the group -of still weeping Colemans huddled in a corner -of the yard as far from the fire of the Volunteers -as they could get.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carew, still undaunted, though wounded in -a leg and shoulder and soaked to the skin for -hours, wished to stay on in the cottage in the -yard; but as soon as the fight was over, Blake -had sent half his force back to Ballybor in the -Crossley to bring out more transport, and the -argument was settled by the arrival of two -Crossleys and three Fords, in which Blake -returned to barracks, taking Carew and the -Colemans with him as well as the prisoners. -It was impossible to leave any police at Rossbane; -the wounded had to be attended to, -and Blake rightly guessed that the Volunteers -had had a dose that night which would keep -them quiet for some time to come.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carew’s wounds were only slight, and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>following day he was determined to return to -Rossbane. Poor Coleman had no option but -to go with his master, having no money, a -family to provide for, and knowing full well -that he might as well ask for the crown of -England as seek employment elsewhere in the -west, while emigration to the States was out -of the question.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake was now in an awkward dilemma. -Unable to give Carew protection, he feared -that if he returned the chances were that both -he and the herd would be murdered. However, -Carew was determined to go, so Blake -gave out on the quiet that if anything happened -to either of them the Auxiliaries would -be called in, and let him go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time Carew lived in peace. The -fight at the burning of Rossbane had put the -fear of God into the local Volunteers, and most -of them would as soon have faced a Lewis -gun as face Carew in a fighting mad temper, -while the threat of the Auxiliaries stayed the -hands of the “shoot him from behind a wall -brigade.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At length Carew went up to Dublin to find -out about the payment of his malicious injury -claim for the burning of Rossbane, and on his -return was met at Ballybor Station by Blake -with the news that some I.R.A. flying column -had beaten Coleman to death and burnt all -the outbuildings at Rossbane, not leaving a -wall standing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carew wished now to put up a wooden hut -at Rossbane and endeavour to carry on alone; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>but Blake refused to let him go, and in the -end he was persuaded, greatly against his will, -to sell his lands by public auction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The auction took place in Ballybor, the lands -being divided into lots of a suitable size to -suit small farmers; but the auctioneers did -not receive a single bid—the I.R.A. saw to -that.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Carew now determined to leave his lands -waste, his home in ruins, and as soon as he -received the money for his malicious injury -claim, to go to British East Africa, there to -await the return of better days in Ireland, -when he intends to return and rebuild the -home of his fathers. Will they ever come?</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span> - <h2 class='c005'>X.<br /> POTEEN.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>There are very few industries in the west of -Ireland, and of these by far the most lucrative -is the distillation of illicit whisky, or, as it is -generally called by the peasants, poteen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The average countryman would far rather -make a fiver by sticking a stranger with a -horse than £100 by hard honest work. Add -an element of danger, and he is quite content. -The making of poteen combines much -profit with little labour and a good element of -danger, in that the distiller may be caught by -the police and heavily fined.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The beginning of poteen is lost in the mist -of past ages, and the end will probably synchronise -with the end of Ireland; the amount -made varies with the demand, and the demand -fluctuates with the price and supply of whisky.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During 1919, when whisky became weak, -dear, and scarce, and the police for a time -practically ceased to function, the call for -poteen became so great that the demand far -exceeded the supply, and for many months -the whisky sold in the majority of publichouses -<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>throughout the west was made up of -a mixture of three-quarters poteen and a -quarter whisky.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the beginning of the last century all -poteen was made from malt in the same way -as whisky is made, until some thoughtful man -argued that if they could make beer from -sugar in England, we could surely make poteen -from the same material in Ireland; and as -any one buying malt or growing barley was -liable to attract the eye of the R.I.C., all -poteen ceased to be made from malt, and the -far simpler method of distilling from “treacle” -continues to this day. Treacle is largely imported -in barrels to Ireland, ostensibly for the -purpose of fattening cattle and pigs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the early part of 1919 a young Welshman, -David Evans, was demobilised with a -good gratuity, and being a keen fisherman, -determined he would have one good summer’s -salmon-fishing in Scotland before settling down -to work. But Evans was not the only man -looking out for salmon-fishing in Scotland, and -he soon realised that that country was out of -the question.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the war Evans had served at one -time in the same division with Blake, and -thinking that the latter might know of some -good salmon-fishing at a moderate rent, he -wrote to him. By return of post came an -answer from Blake, saying that, owing to the -bad state of the country, very few Englishmen -had taken fishings in Ireland that season, -and that there was a very good stretch of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>Owenmore river, about ten miles above Ballybor, -to let at a moderate rent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Evans at once wired asking Blake to take -the fishing for him, and ten days afterwards -took up his quarters at Carra Lodge, a small -fishing lodge on the bank of the river.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ireland has probably benefited more than -any other country in Europe by the war, and -not least by the submarine scourge, which not -only raised the prices of cattle and pigs beyond -the dreams of avarice, but also increased the -number of salmon in Irish rivers to an extent -unknown within the memory of man. Before -the war salmon and sea-trout in many western -rivers were rapidly becoming exterminated -through the great increase of drift-nets at sea; -but directly the first German submarine was -reported to have been seen off the west coast -not a fisherman would leave land, with the -result that the fish had free ingress to their -native rivers, and the numbers of spawning -fish were greatly increased.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Evans had great sport, thoroughly enjoyed -himself, and found the peasants quite the most -charming and amusing people he had ever -met. No matter what sort of house he entered, -he was received like a prince and bid ten -thousand welcomes; a carefully dusted chair -would be placed by the fireside for “his honour,” -and a large jar of poteen produced from -under the bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Towards the end of his time at Carra Lodge, -Evans came to the conclusion that, if he could -only discover some way of making a decent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>income, he would settle down in the west of -Ireland; but the question of how to make -money puzzled him greatly. Farming did not -appeal to him, and beyond that there did not -appear to be any other industry open to an -enterprising young man, and any profession -was ruled out owing to the long period of -training required.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before the war Evans had worked for a -short time in a distillery, and had a good idea -of how to make whisky and of malting; but -to start a distillery in the Ballybor district -was out of the question, owing to the smallness -of his capital. But if he could not make -whisky, he could make poteen with a very -small outlay.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On making inquiries, he found that the -possibilities of the idea were enormous; the -outlay was small, the returns great, but the -risks were also great. Yet if detection could -be avoided, the returns would only be limited -by the amount of treacle and malt available.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this period the country people were full -of money, and as whisky was almost unattainable, -they were prepared to pay a very high -price for poteen, and the distilleries were -rapidly making fortunes. Still there was considerable -danger attached to the trade. The -police, though hardly ever seen outside their -barracks except in large numbers, occasionally -carried out extensive poteen raids, and as -it was nearly an impossibility to find a house -without poteen in it, they never returned -empty-handed.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>Having decided to go into the poteen trade, -the next question was where to make it. To -start distilling in a small way in a small house -merely meant certain discovery after making -small profits, and Evans knew that once he -was caught red-handed by the police the game -would be up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During bad times in any country, when the -honest but timid men go to the wall, the unscrupulous -but bold men come into their own, -and often make a fortune by means which in -quieter times would be out of the question. -Evans belonged to the latter class.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Towards the end of 1919 the peasants started -to burn unoccupied country-houses throughout -the south and west. Doubtless they were -often burnt by wild young men without rhyme -or reason, but also probably with the idea of -making it impossible for the owners to return -to their homes, and so force them to sell their -demesne lands to the very people who had -burnt their houses.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A few miles from Carra Lodge, at the foot -of the mountains, stood one of the largest -houses in Connaught, Ardcumber House, the -family seat of one of the oldest Elizabethan -families in Ireland, and probably the finest -sporting demesne in the west. The great -house, full of Sheraton and Chippendale furniture, -commanded wonderful views of mountains -and moors; while in front runs the -Owenmore river, famous for its salmon fishing, -through a valley which in winter time can -show more snipe, duck, geese, and wild game -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>of all sorts than any other valley of its size in -the British Isles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One would have thought that the above -sporting attractions would have satisfied any -man; but the owner was one of those queer -Irishmen who preferred any country to his -own, and divided his time between London and -Continental watering-places, leaving the management -of his estates to an agent, who lived -in Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When reading the ‘Field’ one evening, -Evans came across an advertisement of Ardcumber -House to let to a careful tenant at a -nominal rent. Realising that the agent feared -the house would be burnt if left empty, he -drove into Ballybor the following day, took -Blake with him to interview the agent, and -drove home with a lease of Ardcumber House -in his pocket, at a rent which the sale of game -and salmon would cover twice over.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The best of the fishing being now over, -Evans crossed to England, nominally to collect -his kit, in reality to have a large still made, -which he had packed in large cases, labelled -furniture, and brought over by long sea to -Ballybor. At the same time he arranged with -a sugar agent in England to ship treacle in -paraffin barrels to Ballyrick and Ballybor as -he required it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When at home in Wales he induced a cousin, -John Evans, to join him, and the two set -out for Ireland. In Dublin they purchased a -Ford truck, which they had fitted up as a -shooting waggonette with a hood like a boxcar, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>and in this, after obtaining the necessary -police permit through Blake, they drove straight -down to the west, and took up their quarters -at Ardcumber.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They found the house in charge of an old -woman, who lived in one of the gate lodges, -and arranged with her to cook for them and -look after the few rooms they used, allowing -her to go home every evening at six o’clock.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the top of the house they found six large -rooms shut off from the rest of the house by -a heavy door at the head of the stairs. Here -they erected the still, using a fireplace as a -flue; in a second room they erected wooden -fomenting vessels, and in a third stored the -treacle and poteen. In order to obtain a supply -of water they fitted a pipe to the main water-supply -tank, which was in the roof above the -attics.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They now settled down to a regular routine -of shooting by day and distilling for a greater -part of the night, living entirely to themselves. -Once a week they drove into Ballybor in the -Ford to obtain provisions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Whenever they learnt that a consignment -of treacle had reached Ballybor or Ballyrick, -they at once removed it in the Ford, stored -it in the stables, which they kept carefully -locked, and carried the treacle in large pails -at night-time to the fermenting vessels in the -attics.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time, so occupied were the police -with looking after themselves, and the country -people with keeping clear of the R.I.C. and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>Volunteers, that nobody gave a thought to -the “two queer foreigners above in the big -house” who were mad on shooting.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as they had accumulated a good -supply of poteen (the Irish peasant has no -fancy ideas about allowing poteen to mature, -and will as soon drink it hot from the still as -not), they began to think of how to dispose of -it without calling unnecessary attention to -themselves. In the end they decided not to -try distributing the poteen themselves, but to -find a reliable agent who had a good knowledge -of the locality.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Even when he was very poor indeed the -western peasant always insisted on having the -best of tea, or perhaps it would be more correct -to say that he insisted on paying a high -price. At one time, so great were the profits -on tea, that merchants used to send carts -through the country districts selling nothing -but tea, called by the country people “tay -carts.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>David Evans found out that the principal -tea merchant for the Ballybor district—in fact, -for many miles round—was a grocer called -Terence O’Dowd, who kept a large shop in -Ballybor, and had a branch in Ballyrick. -Hearing that O’Dowd was fond of coursing, -Evans called at his shop, and after buying a -quantity of provisions, invited the man to -bring his hounds out to Ardcumber the following -Sunday for some coursing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the coursing they took O’Dowd into -their confidence, showed him the distillery -<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>and arranged that he should act as their agent. -This part was simple, but the difficulty was -how, when, and where to deliver the goods to -O’Dowd. If the “tay carts” came to Ardcumber, -or the distillery Ford went to O’Dowd’s -continually, suspicion would be aroused. After -a long discussion they decided on a plan of -action.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Once a week, when Evans drove into Ballybor -for provisions, he was to fill up the Ford -with poteen and leave the car in a shed in -O’Dowd’s yard, where the poteen could be -transferred to O’Dowd’s cellars and the car -loaded up with empties. O’Dowd wanted to -use earthenware jars, but Evans decided on -two-gallon petrol tins as being less likely to -excite suspicion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For a considerable time the plan worked -well. Evans took a full load weekly to O’Dowd’s, -whose tea carts distributed the poteen far and -wide throughout the district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One morning Blake, who had spent a busy -night raiding in the district for arms and -poteen stills, called in at Ardcumber on his -way home and had breakfast with the Evans. -During the conversation he mentioned casually -that the country was flooded with poteen, -and that they had failed to find out where -it was being made, but that they suspected -it was being delivered in tea carts from Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as Blake had gone David drove off -into Ballybor, settled up his accounts with -O’Dowd, who was only too thankful to be rid -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>of the job in time, and before he left for home -had arranged with an egg merchant called -Michael Flanagan, who sent lorries out to all -the villages for miles around collecting eggs, -to take over the agency, the petrol tins to be -hidden in the straw of the empty egg-crates.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police appear to have had no suspicion -of Evans, and the probabilities are that the -Ardcumber distillery would have worked on -indefinitely but for interference from a quite -unsuspected quarter. The Sinn Fein leaders -of the district began to grow uneasy at the -effects of the apparently unlimited supply of -poteen on the discipline of the Volunteers, -and determined to put down the industry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Any men who were now found with stills in -their possession by the Sinn Fein police were -paraded before the congregation outside the -chapels after Mass on Sunday morning, the -stills broken up with hammers, the owners -heavily fined, and then let go with a warning -of much severer penalties if they were found -guilty of the same offence again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Afterwards Evans and Flanagan received -summonses to appear on a named date before -a Sinn Fein Court. Flanagan went and was -heavily fined, but Evans took no notice of the -summons.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Flanagan was now, of course, afraid to act -as agent, and the question again arose of how -they were to get the poteen to the different -buyers. While matters were in this state -Flanagan sent a warning to Evans that the -Volunteers would raid Ardcumber on a certain -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>night, and that the results would be very unpleasant -for them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The situation was now serious. It was impossible -for two men to defend such a large -house, and once inside, the Volunteers, apart -from the fact that they would probably shoot -them, would certainly break up the distillery, -and the rapid increase of their bank balances -would cease.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That evening they received a letter stating -that they had been banished from Ireland by -an order of the Sinn Fein Court, and giving -them two days in which to leave the country. -The same night, after dark, a volley of shots -was fired through the window of every room -showing a light, and the following morning -they had to cook their own breakfast, as the -old woman did not turn up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But David Evans was not beaten yet. After -breakfast he motored into Ballybor, where he -waited until it was dark. He then went to -the barracks, and told Blake that the Volunteers -had threatened to raid Ardcumber the -following night for arms, and suggested that -the police should ambush the Volunteers in -the grounds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake, only too glad to help a friend, and -eager to get the Volunteers together in the -open, consented, and before Evans left the -two had thought out a very pretty trap.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It has been mentioned that Ardcumber stood -at the foot of a range of mountains, which -isolated the Ballybor country on the east, and -across them for many miles there was only -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>one track, which led down to the back of the -demesne, and which was never used except -by country people bringing turf in creels on -donkeys from the mountain bogs during the -day-time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake proposed to start out the following -afternoon with a good force, cross the mountains -by the main road, which ran through -a pass due east of Ballybor, and return by the -mountain track, reaching Ardcumber demesne -soon after dark. Here David Evans was to -meet them and guide them to the scene of the -ambush. The district between the demesne -and the mountains was thinly populated, and -at that hour no one would be abroad for fear -of the Black and Tans. The attackers would -be certain to come from the opposite direction, -and would not be likely to arrive before the -moon rose at 11 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>The police, with a party of Cadets and two -Lewis guns, were in position by 9 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span> in a -shrubbery on each side of the avenue, about -a hundred yards from the house. At 11.30 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span> -the Volunteers, sure of their prey, marched up -the avenue in column of route, singing the -“Soldiers’ Song.” When they were within -forty yards Blake called on them to halt, lay -down their arms, and put up their hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The column halted at once, and for a second -appeared to waver, but an officer gave the -order to deploy. Before the column could -break up both Lewis guns opened fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Unfortunately at this moment a dark cloud -obscured the moon and heavy rain began to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>fall, with the result that, after the first short -burst of fire, the Volunteers were invisible; -and though the police started in pursuit, they -failed to overtake the flying rebels, and had -to concentrate on the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After collecting and rendering first-aid to -the wounded—there were none killed—the -police brought their cars up to the house, and -shortly afterwards returned to Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Evanses were now fairly safe from the -Volunteers, but again the question of distributing -the poteen arose, and this time it -looked as though they would have to do it -themselves. They tried to induce Flanagan -to come on again; but the egg merchant was -by now thoroughly frightened, and thankful -to get off with a heavy fine. O’Dowd, being a -police suspect, was out of the question, but -there still remained His Majesty’s mails.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The story of how the Evanses had played -the police off against the Volunteers was soon -the talk of the countryside for many a mile, -and so queer and uncertain is the Irish peasant’s -mentality that, where one would have -expected them to be furious and determined to -be avenged, on the contrary their great sense -of humour was immensely tickled at the idea -of the police defending the Ardcumber distillery, -and the Evanses became popular heroes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the Volunteer attack, Blake, being -afraid that they might make another attempt -to capture the arms in Ardcumber House, -offered David a party of Black and Tans for -protection, but this offer was refused.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>For some time His Majesty’s mail cars -carried the Ardcumber poteen punctually and -efficiently—in fact, far better than either -O’Dowd or Flanagan had done. Petrol tins -were still used to put the poteen in, and Evans -would leave the full tins at a garage twice a -week, where the mail cars got their petrol -from, and if a mail car carried a few extra -tins of petrol, who thought anything about it?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Unfortunately the mail contract for that -district ran out a few months afterwards, and -this time was given to a man from the north, -an Orangeman, and once again Evans had to -find a fresh way of sending round the country -his now famous poteen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But so popular had the Evanses become -that, instead of having to seek agents, they -received offers to deliver the poteen from the -manager of a creamery in the Cloonalla district, -and also from the manager of a Cooperative -Society in a village distant about -four miles from Ardcumber. Evans closed -with both offers, and the cousins redoubled -their efforts to turn out all the poteen they -possibly could, knowing that an end must -come sooner or later.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two months afterwards the Auxiliaries discovered -that the creamery was being used as -a Sinn Fein prison, and, as a result, raided -the place one night and burnt it to the ground. -Incidentally, they found several full petrol tins -in the manager’s office, filled up their petrol -tanks with them, and could not make out -why the cars would not start.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>It is both possible and probable that, except -for some unforeseen accident, the Evanses -might have gone on making and selling poteen -for an indefinite time—in fact, as long as the -country remained in the present state of chaos. -The distillation of poteen always has and always -will appeal to the western peasant, and the -story of how the Evanses called in the police -to defend their still against the attack of the -Volunteers will be told over the firesides of -many a cottage for generations to come—long -after Sinn Fein is dead and buried.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But at last their good luck deserted them. -One night while working at the still, John -carelessly knocked over an oil-lamp, and in a -moment the old dry woodwork of the attic -was in flames. Before morning the grand old -house, with its great collection of priceless -furniture, was a smouldering ruin, nothing but -the bare blackened walls standing, and so it -is likely to remain for all time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Evanses, having made a considerable -sum of money by now, said good-bye to Blake, -and returned to their native land.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XI.<br /> THE MAYOR’S CONSCIENCE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>In the spring of 1920 Blake suddenly received -orders to proceed to a town in the south of -Ireland on special duty, and on applying for -leave was granted a fortnight, which he determined -to spend in Dublin. In due course his -relief arrived, and after handing over he found -himself free from all responsibility for the first -time for many months.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this period the Government and the -Irish railwaymen were enacting a comic opera -worthy of Gilbert and Sullivan at their best, -the Government paying the railway companies -a huge subsidy, the greater part of which found -its way into the railwaymen’s pockets in the -form of enormous wages, while the men refused -to carry any armed forces of the Crown; -and the public, who, of course, indirectly paid -the subsidy, looked on helplessly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In order to get a passenger train Blake had -to motor thirty-two miles to a station in the -next county, where, as yet, no armed forces -had tried to travel. While waiting here a green -country boy asked him some trivial question, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>and with little difficulty Blake led him on to -tell his whole history.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In spite of a Sinn Fein edict to the contrary, -many young men, who could find no work in -Ireland, or who wished to avoid service in the -I.R.A., were at this time contriving to emigrate -to the States by crossing to England and sailing -from Southampton. In order to defeat -this, Sinn Fein agents were in the habit of -frequenting the termini in Dublin for the purpose -of getting in touch with these would-be -emigrants and forcing them to return home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This youth, who came from the Ballyrick -district, and had never been in a train in his -life, told Blake that a brother in the States -had sent him his passage, and that he was -due to sail from Southampton in a few days’ -time, but had to go to the American Consul in -Dublin in order that his passport might be -<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">viséd</span>, and asked Blake where the consul’s -office was.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake warned him not to tell any one he -met on his journey that he was going to -America, or he would surely fall into the -hands of the Sinn Fein police, and thought no -more about the matter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the train reached a junction after -about an hour and a half’s run, there was considerable -delay while a large party of Auxiliary -Cadets searched the train, and eventually -arrested a police sergeant, whom they removed -after a desperate struggle to a waiting motor. -Blake was reading at the time, and did not -think anything was wrong until he saw the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>sergeant being dragged out of the station. -It then occurred to him that, though he thought -he knew every Cadet in the west by sight, -yet he failed to recognise any of the search-party. -However, it was useless to interfere, -as he was alone and unarmed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake stayed at a hotel near Stephen’s -Green, and for the first part of the night, so -silent and empty were the streets, that Dublin -might have been a city of the dead. However, -about 2 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span>, a miniature battle broke out in -some near quarter, and for hours rifle-fire and -the explosions of bombs continued, varied at -times by bursts of machine-gun fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following morning after breakfast he -set out to see a high official in the Castle, a -friend of his father’s, and also to report at the -R.I.C. Headquarters there. While walking -along Grafton Street shots suddenly rang out -at each end, and at once the crowd tried to -escape down several by-streets, only to be held -up by the Cadets at every point; and it was -not until two hours afterwards, when the Cadets -had satisfied themselves that the men they -wanted were not there, that Blake was free -to proceed to the Castle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The streets appeared much the same as -usual, but the Castle was greatly changed from -peace times. The entrance gates were heavily -barred; barbed wire, steel shutters, and sandbags -in evidence everywhere. Outside, a strong -party of Dublin Metropolitan Police and Military -Foot Police. Inside, a strong guard of -infantry in steel helmets, while a tank and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>two armoured cars were standing by ready to -go into action.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As nobody was allowed to enter the Castle -without a pass, Blake had to get a friend from -the headquarters of the R.I.C. to identify him -before he could gain admission, and he learnt -from his friend that the party of Auxiliaries -he had seen the previous day arresting the -police sergeant at the junction were in reality -a flying column of Volunteers, who had managed -to smuggle the Cadets’ uniforms into the -country from England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake found that most of the officials in the -Castle were virtually prisoners there, and in -order to keep their figures down had improvised -a gravel tennis-court and also a squash racket-court.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When training at the depot in Dublin, Blake -had made the acquaintance of a Colonel Mahoney, -who had retired and lived near Kingstown -with his only daughter, and his chief -object in going to Dublin was to see Miss -Mahoney again. After leaving the Castle he -met her by appointment, and after they had -lunched and been to a picture-house, they left -by tram to be back in time for tea with the -Colonel. After the tram started Blake found -that he had an hour to spare, and got out at -Ballsbridge to see a friend, while Miss Mahoney -went on alone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On reaching the Mahoneys’ house Blake -learnt that, when Miss Mahoney got out at -Kingstown, she had been followed by four -young men, who had demanded the name of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>the man she had travelled in the tram with, and -on her refusing to disclose Blake’s name, they -had knocked her down with the butts of their -revolvers, and left her there partially stunned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following day, when on her way to -meet Blake again in Dublin, her tram was -held up by Auxiliaries, and all the men on -it carefully searched for arms; but before the -Cadets boarded the tram, Miss Mahoney saw -several young men pass their revolvers to girls -sitting next to them, with the result that the -Auxiliaries found no arms. On leaving the -tram at the end of Kildare Street, the pockets -of her coat feeling unusually heavy, she put -her hands into them and found a revolver in -each. At the same moment two men overtook -her and demanded their arms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When he had been in Dublin four days -Blake had to go to Broadstone Station to -inquire about a kit-bag which had been lost -on the journey to Dublin. He reached the -station about a quarter of an hour before the -departure of the train for the west, and passing -a group of young men on the platform, -recognised amongst them the youth who had -asked him where to find the American consul.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were no police within sight, and it -was useless to interfere single-handed, but -without doubt the talkative youth had fallen -into the hands of the Sinn Fein Police, who -were returning him to his home minus his -passage-money: the group consisted of four -dejected-looking youths and three rough-looking -men, obviously in charge of the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>When his leave was up Blake left for the -south by an express train, changing at a junction -after about two hours’ run. Here, just -as the train was on the point of starting, an -armed party of the Royal Fencibles under a -subaltern marched on to the platform and took -their seats in several different third-class carriages, -the officer getting into Blake’s carriage. -There was a considerable delay, and Blake -expected that, as usual, the guard and driver -would refuse to carry armed soldiers, but to his -surprise the train started without any incident.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After an hour’s run, the train pulled up -with a sudden jerk in a cutting just outside -a station, and as the subaltern put his head -out of the window to ascertain the cause, the -train was raked from end to end by heavy -rifle-fire, and the young subaltern collapsed on -top of Blake, his head shattered by a dum-dum -bullet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake threw himself flat on the floor of the -carriage until the fire from the top of the -cutting slackened owing to a Lewis gun opening -fire from one of the carriages near the engine. -Taking the dead boy’s revolver, he then jumped -on to the line, and made his way towards the -forward carriages, where the soldiers had opened -fire with their rifles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here he found a gallant Lewis gunner, badly -wounded in an arm and leg, firing his gun as -fast as he could mount the magazines, and so -preventing the Volunteers from leaving their -cover at the top of the bank and attacking at -close quarters.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>So hot was the Lewis gunner’s fire that after -five minutes the Volunteers broke off the action -and simply vanished. Blake then turned his -attention to the wounded civilians, and though -he had grown indifferent to dreadful sights -through years of war, the awful condition of -the dead and wounded in that train made him -physically sick.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The majority of the wounds were from flat-nosed -bullets, with the most terrible results. -In one carriage lay a young woman in a pool -of blood, her chest literally blown away by -one of these devilish bullets. In another, a -middle-aged man was screaming like a mad -wild animal, his arm and shoulder shattered, -and at his feet lay an old countrywoman, the -top of her head blown off.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Very few of the soldiers had been wounded, -and under Blake’s command they at once -started off in pursuit, only to catch a glimpse -of the Volunteers disappearing down a road -on bicycles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a long delay the train went on, and in -order to try and forget the awful scenes he -had just witnessed, Blake endeavoured to read -two English papers. The first paper, in a long -leading article, called for a policy of conciliation -in Ireland, while the second (a threepenny -edition of the first) recounted at great length -a speech made the previous day by a famous -legal politician calling loudly upon the Government -to withdraw all troops from Ireland, and -demanding that the R.I.C. and Auxiliary Cadets -should be severely dealt with for their brutal -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>reprisals on innocent people, but never a word -about the savage attacks on these same R.I.C. -and Cadets by these “innocent people,” or a -single thought for the widows and orphans of -the murdered policemen. In disgust he threw -both papers out of the carriage windows, and -consigned all politicians to the bottomless pit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On arriving at Esker, Blake found that his -chief duty was to act as liaison officer between -the military and police, and that he would be -attached to the staff of the G.O.C. of the -district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He quickly realised that the bad reports of -the state of the south had not been exaggerated, -and that it was in a far worse state than the -west. Ambushes of police and military, attacks -on trains, shootings of unarmed soldiers and -police in the streets at all hours of the day and -night, the finding of dead men riddled with -bullets in every kind of place, from an open -field to an empty house, and the robbery of -mails occurred daily with monotonous regularity; -and so accustomed had people of all -classes become to this saturnalia of crime, that -they thought no more about the murder of a -human being than the usual man thinks of -killing a rat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s principal work consisted of investigating -these crimes in company with police -and soldiers, and afterwards in making out a -report for the General. In addition, he accompanied -the General when making tours -through the district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One morning they received news of a terrible -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>ambush of Cadets, and on arriving at the scene -of the ambush Blake found the dead bodies of -the Cadets still lying on the road. All their -equipment and personal effects had been stolen, -and their faces smashed in with an axe. Probably -in several cases this barbarous mutilation -had been committed before the unfortunate -Cadets were dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two days afterwards the bodies of the murdered -Cadets passed through Esker <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en route</span></i> -for England. All shops were closed, and great -crowds collected in the streets. Blake was -greatly struck by the different attitudes of -sections of the crowd, some taking their hats -off with every mark of reverence and sympathy -when the coffins passed, while others kept their -hats on until ordered by the officers to uncover, -and many showed plainly by their faces that -they were in full sympathy with the murderers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Conditions in the south were now rapidly -drifting into a war of extermination, and every -morning brought fresh reports of men shot the -previous night, either in bed before the eyes of -their relations, or else against a wall outside -their homes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One evening word came to headquarters -through the secret service that a baker in an -outlying village was to be shot that night. -It appeared that the baker, a moderate Sinn -Feiner, had been chosen by the Inner Circle -to take part in one of their nightly “executions,” -and had refused. So the edict had gone -forth that if the baker would not commit -murder, he should be murdered himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>The General at once sent Blake with a party -of soldiers to try and save the baker’s life, -but, missing their way in the dark, they arrived -a few minutes too late. They found the unfortunate -man lying on his bed shot through -the head, while the only occupant of the house, -the murdered man’s sister, sat white-faced by -the bedside moaning and wringing her hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They could get nothing out of the sister, -except that a party of armed and masked men, -in “trench coats” as ever, had suddenly burst -into the house and insisted that her brother -should accompany them for some unknown -purpose, and that he had refused. For a time -they argued with him, until another man -rushed into the house, calling out to them to -be quick as the soldiers were near. Whereupon -they shot the baker as he lay in bed, with the -sister looking on, and then left the house -hurriedly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There seemed nothing to be done, and Blake -was on the point of leaving when his eye -caught a piece of white paper under the bed, -which turned out to be the baker’s death-warrant -for treason, signed by the C.M.A. of -the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return Blake handed the death-warrant -to the Intelligence people, who returned -it shortly, saying that they could make -nothing of it. After showing it to the General, -Blake put the warrant away, and thought no -more about it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some weeks afterwards, owing to the shooting -of soldiers and police in the streets after -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>dark, the curfew was advanced an hour. As -a result, the number of curfew prisoners greatly -increased—so much so on the first night that -there was no room in the usual detention -quarters, and the officer of the guard was -obliged to use an empty office for the overflow.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While the General was working in his office -after dinner, the officer of the guard brought -a note from the Mayor of the town, who, he -explained, had been found on the streets after -curfew hour by a patrol, and was now a prisoner -in the office below. The note requested a -personal interview with the G.O.C., and stated -that the matter was of the highest importance. -The General passed the note to Blake, who was -puzzled by the familiarity of the writing, but -unable to remember where he had seen it -before.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After some hesitation the General decided to -see the Mayor, who was brought in by the -officer of the guard, and left alone with the -General and Blake. After beating about the -bush for some time, the Mayor asked that he -might be kept under arrest and, if possible, -deported by sea to England, as he was in great -danger of assassination, but would give no -reason for the danger, only stating that he had -received threatening letters.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The General explained that under no circumstances -would he allow the Mayor to be -detained under arrest or deported, unless he -could show sufficient reasons. The Mayor -replied that he considered the threatening -<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>letters an ample justification for his request; -he had not brought the letters with him, but -that if allowed to go home with a guard he -would fetch them. But the General, being -determined to get all the information he could -out of the man, and knowing that once he had -granted his request it would be impossible to -get anything out of him, refused.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By now Blake had identified the Mayor’s -handwriting with the writing on the baker’s -death-warrant, and getting out the latter, -placed the two papers in front of the General, -who at once taxed the Mayor with being the -head of the Inner Circle in Esker. This he -denied, but on being confronted with the two -papers, broke down and made a complete confession.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It appeared that for a long time past he had -been the leader of Sinn Fein in that district, -and though himself a moderate man, he had -been unable to control the wild men, who had -forced him, as head of the Inner Circle, to sign -the death-warrants of the men condemned to -be “executed,” or, in other words, the men -they wished out of the way. After a time, -being a very religious man, his conscience had -rebelled against wholesale murder, and he had -refused to sign any more death-warrants.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Whereupon the wild men, being afraid that -the Mayor might give them away, had signed -his death-warrant themselves, and that very -morning he had received by post a warning to -prepare for death.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The General was now quite satisfied to order -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>his arrest and deportation forthwith; but the -Mayor asked that he should be allowed to go -home to say good-bye to his family, and that -he might be arrested in his own house at some -early hour in the morning. It was now nearly -midnight, and the General, after granting his -request, arranged that a patrol should arrest -him at 4 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>At 4 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> to the minute Blake drove up to -the Mayor’s house in a lorry with an officer -and fifteen men, but at once saw that something -was wrong. Instead of the house being -in complete darkness, most of the windows -were lit up, and the loud wails of women could -be heard in an upstairs room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving the officer to post sentries at the -front and back of the house, Blake knocked -at the door, which was opened after some -delay by a woman, who, on seeing a police -officer, tried to slam the door in his face. -Blake, however, managed to slip into the hall, -and asked the woman what was wrong, but -she ran upstairs, calling out to some one above -that the police had returned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the first landing the woman was joined -by another woman and a man, and after a -lot of trouble Blake at last got out of them -that an hour previously a party of tall men -in black mackintoshes, with soft hats pulled -over their eyes, had gained admittance to the -house, and made their way straight to the -Mayor’s bedroom, where they found him kneeling -down by his bed praying. After pushing -the Mayor’s wife out of the room they shot -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>him, threw his body on the bed, and rushed -out of the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake asked to be shown the Mayor’s body, -and the man led him to a bedroom at the -back and opened the door. After making certain -that the dead man was the Mayor, Blake -left and drove straight back to the General.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That day the town was seething with excitement, -and it was openly stated by many men that -the Mayor had been murdered by the police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly afterwards a public inquiry was held, -and it was clearly proved that every policeman -in the town could be satisfactorily accounted -for during the night of the murder, -and, moreover, that every round of rifle and -revolver ammunition could also be accounted -for. However, this did not suit the Sinn -Feiners, and a verdict of “guilty” was brought -in against the authorities, though there can -be no possible doubt in any unbiassed mind -that the Mayor of Esker was murdered either -by, or by the orders of, the Inner Circle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When he went home, after his interview -with the G.O.C., the natural assumption was -that he had been giving information, and the -Inner Circle determined that he should give -no more. Whether they knew that he was -to be arrested and deported at 4 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span>, and -deliberately forestalled the arrest, or whether -they merely knew that he was at headquarters, -and were waiting to murder him on the first -favourable opportunity, is not clear, and does -not affect the question of the guilt of the -murder.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XII.<br /> A BRUTAL MURDER.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The childlike trust which so many Englishmen -have in their institutions is a source of -never-ending wonder to Irishmen, more especially -the Englishman’s blind faith in the integrity -of the Post Office in both countries. -Long after Sinn Fein had made the Irish Post -Office its chief source of information, the Government -and public continued happily and -blindly to confide their confidential correspondence -to the tender mercies of the King’s -enemies, and at the same time expressed their -bewildered astonishment at the uncanny amount -of information that the Sinn Fein Secret -Service was able to obtain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is highly doubtful if Blake would ever -have even thought of obtaining information -from the mail bags, if a young subaltern, who -commanded a platoon of the Blankshires temporarily -stationed in the Ballybor Police Barracks, -had not made the suggestion one night -at dinner, and had even offered to carry out -the operation himself if Blake had any official -qualms. At first Blake refused, knowing that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>the authorities did not approve of tampering -with the public’s private letters; but being -desperately hard up for certain information he -gave in, and it was arranged that Jones, the -subaltern, should carry out the search.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A cross-country letter in the west of Ireland -will often take nowadays any time from three -to five days to arrive at a town only twenty -miles away, and of the chief reasons of this -delay one is that the mails often lie for twelve -to twenty-four hours in a head post office -before being sent out to rural sub-offices for -distribution, or in a railway van at some -junction awaiting a connection. This was well -known to Blake, who had often to complain -of delay in delivery of official letters, and also -of letters from the “Castle” being frequently -opened in the post.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Examining the mails in the Ballybor Post -Office was out of the question, owing to the -almost unbelievable fact that the staff, from -the postmaster to the charwoman who washed -out the tiled floors of the post office every -morning, were Sinn Feiners, one and all, so -that there only remained to search the mails -in the train.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this period the western railways were -slowly dying from a creeping paralysis caused -by the engine-drivers and guards refusing to -carry the armed forces of the Crown, quite -oblivious of the fact that it was only possible -to pay the railway men’s enormous wages -through the Government subsidy. For a time -some lines shut down, but a goods train managed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>to reach Ballybor six days a week with -mails and the bare necessities of life for the -inhabitants—chiefly porter barrels. By good -luck the guard on this train chanced to be a -Loyalist—probably the only one on the line—and -it was arranged with him that the mails -should be searched by Jones while the mail -van waited in a siding for several hours at a -junction about sixteen miles from Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Disguised as harvestmen, Jones and his -servant were dropped at night from a Crossley -close to the junction and admitted to the -mail van by the guard; they at once set to -work with electric torches, the batman opening -the letters, whilst Jones read and made a -note of any useful information, and when they -had finished returned in the car to Ballybor -Barracks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On returning to the barracks, Blake and -Jones went carefully through the information, -and found that one letter addressed to a noted -Sinn Feiner, Mr Pat Hegarty, who lived near -a village called Lissamore, about eight miles -away, gave sufficient evidence on which to -hang Mr Hegarty. The writer stated that on -the 3rd inst. Hegarty was to expect the arrival -of an officer of the I.R.A. in uniform, who -would come from the direction of Castleport -on a bicycle about 10 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span> Hegarty was to keep -this officer in his house, place the new supply -of American arms at his disposal for ambushes, -and the officer would not leave the district until -Blake had been either killed or kidnapped.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some months previous to this Blake had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>been in the south on special duty, and during -his absence, MacNot, the D.I. who relieved -him temporarily, had called a truce with the -Volunteers as long as all appeared well on -paper, with the result that the Volunteers had -been able to make full preparations for a -second effort to wipe out the police in the -district. Soon after his return to Ballybor -Blake heard strong rumours of a second landing -of American arms during his absence—this -time, at night at Ballybor quay—and the -letter confirmed the rumours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the night mentioned in the letter, Blake -and Jones, accompanied by a police sergeant -and two constables, left Ballybor Barracks in -a car after dark in the opposite direction to -that in which the village of Lissamore lay, and -after going about three miles turned off at a -byroad and proceeded by unfrequented roads, -until they reached a small wood about half a -mile from Hegarty’s house on the Castleport -road; here they blocked the road with the -car, and waited for their victim.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There was bright starlight, and punctually -at 9.45 they saw a cyclist approaching from -the direction of Castleport; but so dark was -it in the wood that the cyclist only avoided -running into the car by throwing himself off, -to be quickly seized by two stalwart policemen -before he could let go of his handle-bars, -gagged and well tied up. They then took him -into the wood, removed his uniform, dressed -him in an old police uniform, and finally deposited -him at the bottom of the car.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>Jones then put on the Volunteer officer’s -uniform, took his bicycle, and rode on to -Hegarty’s house, while the police backed the -car up a bohereen and waited there. Before -starting out they had arranged that Jones -should camouflage his English voice by a -Yankee twang, as a brogue was quite beyond -his powers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On arriving at Hegarty’s house, Jones leant -his bicycle against the wall, and gave three -mysterious knocks at the door. For quite two -minutes there was no answer, and just as he -was preparing to knock again, the door opened -about three inches, and a girl’s voice asked in -a whisper who was there, and what he wanted -at that time of night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now, unfortunately, the letter had not given -the name of the I.R.A. officer, so Jones, being -afraid to give a name lest the Hegartys might -know the officer’s real name, muttered that he -was a republican officer, and had come to see -Pat Hegarty. The door at once closed, and -he could hear the girl open and close a door -at the back of the house, and for fully ten -minutes nothing further occurred.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This was not part of the play which Jones -and Blake had carefully rehearsed in the barracks -that afternoon, and Jones was quite -nonplussed what to do next. Being young -and impetuous, he was just on the point of -ruining the whole show by breaking in the -door, when it opened and the girl’s voice told -him to come in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The room was pitch dark, and for a second -<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>Jones hesitated; but the girl laid her hand -on his sleeve, and led him through to a lighted -room at the back, where he found Hegarty -with his wife and son about to sit down to -supper. Hegarty bade him welcome, and the -meal started.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After they had eaten for some time in silence, -Hegarty asked him several questions about -where he had been recently, and of prominent -Volunteers in other parts of the country. Jones -made the best answers he could, not forgetting -to keep up his American accent, and mentioned -casually that he had only recently come -over from the States, where his parents had -been living for some years.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For a time there was silence again, but -Jones could feel that the eyes of Maria Hegarty -were on him all the time; and presently she -began to ask most awkward questions about -places and people in the States, and Jones -was hard put to it to avoid suspicion. Luckily -Maria mentioned that her friends lived in the -Eastern States, so that it was easy for Jones’s -people to live far away in the west, and the -situation was saved.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Supper over, the women cleared the table -and retired, while Hegarty produced a large -jar of poteen and tumblers, and the three men -settled themselves round the fire to drink and -talk. For the next two hours Jones extracted -all the information he could out of the Hegartys, -who, though shy at first, warmed up after -several glasses of poteen, and Jones learnt -from young Hegarty that the arms were kept -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>under the floors of a disused Protestant school-house -in the rectory grounds at Cloonalla, the -rector of which was a notorious Loyalist, and -would have died sooner than conceal arms -knowingly for the rebels.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this point Jones, who had never tasted -poteen before, suddenly realised that he was -nearly drunk, and that before he became quite -drunk it would be wiser to lie down on a bed. -On inquiry, he found that he was to sleep -with young Hegarty, the idea of which so -staggered him that he felt soberer at once, -and determined to try and hold out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suddenly there came a violent knocking at -the front door, followed by what sounded like -the bang of a rifle-butt on the back door. -At once the Hegartys put out the light, and -started to hustle Jones up a ladder to a loft -above the kitchen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But by now the poteen had quite got to -Jones’s head; and when the police went into -the kitchen, they found old Hegarty and his -son still struggling to get an I.R.A. officer up -the ladder. The Hegartys now let go of Jones, -who promptly closed with Blake, and a tremendous -struggle started in the kitchen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a few minutes Jones was overcome, and -lay on the floor with a heavy constable sitting -on his chest. Blake then ordered the Hegartys -to light the lamp, and afterwards to stand -against the wall with their hands over their -heads, and the constables to take Jones outside -and shoot him. But he had not reckoned -on Maria, who burst into the kitchen and with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>piercing screams endeavoured to throw her -arms round Jones’s neck. Maria was a strong -girl and desperate, and it took Jones and the -two constables all they knew to shake her off -and struggle out of the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Luckily Maria did not attempt to leave the -house, and ten seconds after the back door -had closed, six revolver shots rang out in -quick succession, followed by the sound of a -heavy body falling on wet ground. After telling -Maria and her mother to go to their bedroom, -Blake took Hegarty and his son into -the back-yard, and showed them the body of -the unfortunate Volunteer officer thrown by -the police on the manure-heap. During the -next half-hour he had little difficulty in getting -all the information he required about local -Volunteers (he made no mention of the arms), -and after warning them not to move the -corpse, the police left the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Maria appears to have been greatly taken -with Jones’s youthful beauty, and nearly -ruined the whole show again by insisting on -her father and brother going out to bring in -the corpse and lay it out in the kitchen. -Luckily the Hegartys were too much afraid, -and Jones told Blake afterwards that the -agony of lying with his face buried in liquid -manure was nothing to the agony he suffered -listening to the Hegartys arguing whether his -corpse should be left lying on the manure-heap -to be eaten by dogs, or brought into the -kitchen and laid out as a “dacent son of ould -Ireland” should be.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>While this argument was still raging a car -stopped at the front door, and again the police -rushed into the house, out at the back door, -dragged the corpse off the manure-heap, through -the house, and flung it on top of the real -Volunteer officer in the back of the car. After -telling the Hegartys that they would throw -the body into the lake, the police drove off at -a furious rate in the direction of Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On returning to barracks, Jones at once -rushed off to have a hot bath, while Blake -went to his office to find his two clerks snowed -up with paper, correspondence which had -arrived by the goods mail while they had been -out. After they had some food, Jones was all -for raiding the rector of Cloonalla at once; -but Blake made the fatal mistake of attending -to the correspondence then, and putting off -the raid to the following night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next night they set out with a strong -force of police for the Cloonalla Rectory, but -found, though there were evident signs that -their information had been correct, that the -arms had been removed; the rector was most -indignant, and they returned defeated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A few nights afterwards, when at dinner, -Blake showed Jones the following paragraph -in an Irish paper.</p> - -<p class='c011'>“<span class='sc'>A Brutal Murder.</span></p> - -<p class='c011'>“On the night of the 3rd inst., about midnight, -armed men in uniform, some of them wearing trenchcoats, -raided the house of Mr Patrick Hegarty, a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>respectable farmer, who has never been known to -take any active part in politics. Inside these men -found a young man alleged to have been wearing -the uniform of an officer in the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c011'>“This unfortunate young man, without trial of any -kind, was at once dragged outside the house, riddled -with bullets, and his body thrown on a manure-heap -in a most callous and brutal manner.</p> - -<p class='c011'>“After brutally ill-treating Mr Hegarty and his -family, the murderers left, to return again, saying that -they would take the body away and throw it into -the lake. Though the lake has been carefully dragged, -no sign of this unhappy youth’s body has yet been -found.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XIII.<br /> SEAL ISLAND.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Sergeant O’Bryan was as fine a type of the -R.I.C. as you would meet in half a dozen -baronies: of magnificent physique, great courage, -full of tact, and with the perfect manners -of a true Irishman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the end of 1918 O’Bryan found himself -sergeant in charge of Cloghleagh Barracks, a -comfortable thatched house close to the shores -of Lough Moyra, and distant about four miles -from Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While at Cloghleagh his principal work consisted -of trying to put down the making of -poteen, which was carried on extensively by -the inhabitants of two small islands at the -south end of the lake; otherwise the sergeant -was on the best of terms with all the people -of the district, who often appealed to him for -advice and help. And as O’Bryan was a keen -fisherman, he often managed to combine business -with sport while out in the police boat.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon after Blake became D.I. at Ballybor, -orders were received from the County Inspector -to evacuate Cloghleagh Barracks, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>for O’Bryan and his men to proceed to Ballybor -Barracks. As the country round Cloghleagh -had as yet shown no hostility towards -the police, and as it was hard to get a house -in any town, O’Bryan asked and obtained -leave for his young wife and family to remain -on at Cloghleagh Barracks; and here, not -long after the sergeant had gone, the youngest -O’Bryan was born.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two days afterwards, on a wet winter’s -evening, there came a knock at the barracks -door, and when Mrs O’Bryan asked who was -there, a man’s voice bade her open in the -name of the I.R.A. Obeying, she found two -masked men, who covered her with revolvers, -and told her they would give her five minutes -to clear out of the barracks before they set -it on fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Mrs O’Bryan had seven children, the eldest -about ten years and the youngest two days -old, most of whom were in bed by this time. -As fast as she could she roused and dressed -the children; but the five minutes soon passed, -and the men entered and bundled the whole -family, some of the children only half clothed, -out into the wet and cold of a winter’s night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Outside Mrs O’Bryan found a large party of -Ballybor shop-boys, some of them wearing -black masks, led by four strange gunmen. -This party had arrived in Cloghleagh about an -hour before, and had at once proceeded to -picket all roads leading to and from the barracks, -and every unfortunate countryman or -woman they met making their way along the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>roads was at once seized by the pickets, taken -to the barrack-yard, and there placed face -inwards against the wall with their hands on -top of their heads.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as the O’Bryan family had been -hustled into the road, the gunmen threw -paraffin and petrol on the thatch of the barracks, -set it alight, and in a very short time -the building was a charred ruin. They then -mounted their bicycles and rode off into the -night, leaving the unfortunate O’Bryans to -shift for themselves.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving her family huddled under a hedge, -the mother tried to get into two neighbouring -houses; but the blighting curse of the I.R.A. -was on her and hers, and not a house would -even open its door, let alone take them in. -In the end she saw that it was hopeless, and -returning to her children, did her best to keep -them warm with her own body and the few -blankets she had managed to bring out of the -barracks. And here they spent the night like -the beasts of the fields.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Next morning some countryman, braver -than the rest, brought word to the Ballybor -Barracks of the burning at Cloghleagh, and -Sergeant O’Bryan arrived on the scene to find -his wife and family perished and starving. -Such is the mercy of the I.R.A. for the little -children of the R.I.C.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O’Bryan took his family back to Ballybor -Barracks, where they were fed and warmed; -but in Ireland nowadays a police barracks is -no place for little children and women, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>before night they must leave. In vain the -sergeant tried to find lodgings; he might as -well have tried to swim the Atlantic. Every -door was slammed in his face directly he made -his appeal. But the good Samaritan is not yet -extinct in Ireland, and at last the sergeant -found a refuge for his family in the empty -gardener’s lodge of Ballybor House.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While being turned out of Cloghleagh Barracks, -Mrs O’Bryan had recognised two of the -incendiaries, who had taken their masks off, -as two prominent Sinn Fein shop-boys of -Ballybor, afterwards telling her husband their -names—Martin Walsh and Peter Lynch—and -the sergeant never forgot them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a glorious June day Blake was leaning -over the parapet of the lower bridge crossing -the Owenmore river in Ballybor, watching the -fishermen hauling in a net full of silvery grilse, -and wishing that he could accept an invitation -to fish at Ardcumber. After a time his eye -wandered to a fleet of boats below the bridge, -some anchored, while others were attached to -mooring buoys. From force of habit he started -to count them, and on finding that there were -no less than thirty-seven, he began to make -out their total carrying capacity, which roughly -came to the high figure of three hundred.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the following Sunday he happened to be -crossing the same bridge at about ten in the -morning, and stopped to look at three boats, -packed with young men, a few carrying fishing-rods, -starting off down the river. The fishing-rods -were there right enough, but something -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>seemed wrong; the men looked too purposeful, -and, moreover, eight or nine young men -in a boat with a couple of rods is an unusual -sight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake watched the boats disappearing fast -down the river, and wondered what would be -the right word to substitute for fishing. After -a while he realised that there was not a boat -left on the river, and, further, that if all the -boats had carried as many passengers as the -three he had just seen start, over three hundred -young men from Ballybor had gone -a-fishing that Sunday morning, the majority -of whom, if not all of them, were shop-boys, -the most dangerous element in the town.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The barracks commanded a good view of -the reach of the river where the boats were -usually moored, and next Sunday at an early -hour Blake told off Sergeant O’Bryan with a -pair of field-glasses to report how many boats -and how many men went out a-fishing. At -eleven o’clock the sergeant reported that, as -usual, all the thirty-seven boats had started, -carrying two hundred and fifty young men, -and that among them he had recognised most -of the prominent Sinn Fein shop-boys of the -town. But he did not add that he had seen -Walsh and Lynch.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Five miles below Ballybor the Owenmore -river, from being roughly two hundred yards -wide, suddenly becomes an inland sea, with a -width of over three miles and a length of a -mile. Between this inland water and the open -sea runs a long narrow range of sand-hills, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>commonly known as Seal Island, nearly three -miles long and with an average width of four -hundred yards.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake came to the conclusion that the fishing -expeditions every Sunday must be connected -with this lonely island; but except for -drilling—and sand-dunes did not seem a suitable -place for a parade—he could think of -nothing to which this island would lend itself. -Moreover, he knew that if he tried to find out -what was going on by observing from the mainland, -he would be spotted and the alarm -given, and that if he tried to approach the -island in a boat from the seaside the fishermen -from Dooncarra would give him away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the end it was settled to wait until the -following Sunday, when Sergeant O’Bryan -made his way across country before daylight -and hid himself in the tower of an old abbey -on the shore of the inland sea, from which the -greater part of Seal Island was visible. On -the Sunday night he returned to barracks, and -reported that the “fishermen” had all landed -at the little pier on the south side of the -island, left a small guard over the boats, and -made their way into the sand-hills, where they -were hidden from his view. Some time afterwards, -muffled intermittent rifle-fire started, -and continued at intervals for several hours, -after which the “fishermen” returned to their -boats, and rowed back leisurely to Ballybor -on the flood tide.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But before Blake could tackle the mystery -of Seal Island, he had to turn his attention -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>to a flying column of the I.R.A. which was -reported to be making its way towards Ballybor. -On the Sunday evening when O’Bryan -returned from the old abbey, word was brought -in by a Loyalist that the flying column had -been seen that day in the Ballyrick mountains, -and had taken up its quarters in the empty -house of Mr Padraig O’Faherty, member of -Dail Eireann for the Ballybor country, who -had been for some time past an unwilling -guest of the British Government somewhere -in England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Padraig O’Faherty’s house was (advisably -was) situated in the middle of a desolate -valley in the mountains twenty miles from -Ballyrick and the same distance from Ballybor, -and could only be approached by a bog -road, which winds through mountains and -moors without passing a single human habitation -for the last eight miles. Moreover, there -was not a tree within fifteen miles of the house, -so that any attempt at surprise, or even attack, -during the day-time was out of the question. -At the first sight of a Crossley—and they had -a three-mile view of the road both ways from -the house—the flying column would simply -dissolve into the mountains, probably to reappear -the next day attacking a police barrack -fifty miles the other side of Ballybor. A good -example of the kind of problem the R.I.C. -has to solve daily in the wild parts of the west.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night Blake left Ballybor with an -advance-guard of police on bicycles, and making -a detour of the town, timed himself to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>arrive at O’Faherty’s house just before daylight, -having arranged that Jones should follow -in the Crossleys with his platoon of Blankshires -and as many police as could be spared.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Arriving too soon, they hid their bicycles -in some high heather near the road, and as -soon as it was light enough took up positions -at different points round the house, so that -every avenue of escape would be swept by -their rifle-fire, and waited for the main body -to arrive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the sky became light, smoke could be -seen rising from some of the chimneys, a -suspicious sign at that hour of the morning, -and shortly afterwards four young men appeared -at the door, yawning and stretching -themselves. After examining the valley in -every direction with field-glasses, they proceeded -to bring about forty bicycles out of a -stable and park them in military formation -outside, after which they re-entered the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the next hour nothing happened, -and just as Blake had given up all hope of the -main body arriving and was thinking of trying -to rush the house with his small force, a -large party of men started to leave the house -and make for the bicycles, and Blake was -forced to give the order to open fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Several men were seen to drop at once, -while the rest rushed back into the house, -carrying their wounded with them, and in a -minute heavy fire was opened from every -window in the house on the police positions, -the firing of a single shot by a policeman -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>being the signal for a hail of bullets in that -direction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake was now getting very anxious at the -non-arrival of Jones’s party, fearing that instead -of capturing the flying column, the -Volunteers might capture the police; and in -order to deceive them, ordered his men to -withhold their fire unless the Volunteers tried -to rush them. At last Jones turned up, having -been delayed repeatedly by punctures, and -completed a strong cordon round the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake now attempted to draw the cordon -closer, but every time the police and soldiers -tried to advance by short rushes under heavy -covering fire, the Volunteers opened such accurate -fire from every window, including machine-gun -fire from one of the upper rooms, that he -had to desist. Eventually the soldiers silenced -the machine-gun with their Lewis guns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After getting to within three hundred yards -of the house, Blake found that, owing to the -formation of the ground, it would be impossible -to advance any nearer without very -heavy losses, and refused to allow Jones to -make an assault with his men until all other -means of reducing the place had failed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The day was now wearing on, and for several -hours the situation had remained a complete -deadlock. The Volunteers were obviously -marking time until darkness set in, when -they would stand a good chance of slipping -through the cordon; and Blake fully realised -that if he did not win during daylight, he -would surely lose in the dark.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>Blake and Jones lay in the heather close -together, arguing as to whether they should -try to assault the house or not. Jones was -keen to try, while Blake feared a failure with -heavy losses. The day was by now blazing -hot, with a steady south wind, and Jones, after -lighting a cigarette, carelessly threw the match -away alight, and in a second the dry heather -took fire, and was only extinguished with -great difficulty. But the fire had given Blake -the idea he had been hunting for so long.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Collecting all the matches that the men -possessed, Jones made his way round to the -south side of the house, and distributed them -amongst all the men there, who, at a given -signal, set fire to the heather in front of them, -and as soon as the house was enveloped in a -cloud of smoke, the whole force charged for -the house. As soon as they got within range, -the police hurled Mills’ bombs through every -window, and the soldiers then dashed in with -fixed bayonets, but the bombs had done the -work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They found that the Volunteers had suffered -heavily, hardly a man escaping a bomb splinter -or a Lewis-gun bullet, and the question was -how to remove so many wounded. In the -house they found bed and bedding for fully -forty men, and a great supply of fresh and -tinned food; also rifles (chiefly Mauser), American -shot-guns, automatics, revolvers, a quantity -of ammunition, and a good stock of home-made -bombs in a kind of cellar.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Not having enough transport, Blake sent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>off a fast car to ask for help from the County -Inspector. Before leaving, Blake blew up Mr -Padraig O’Faherty’s house with the Volunteers’ -bombs, and the party returned to Ballybor -before dark, victorious, but worn out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as they had had some sleep, Blake -and Jones started to work out their plans for -a surprise attack on Seal Island the following -Sunday, and found that they had a difficult -task before them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Except at the east and west ends of the -island, where the two channels of the river -cut through the ridge of sand-hills, all approaches -were visible for a long distance, and -any idea of surprise out of the question. On -the other hand, if an attempt was made to -cross the channels, the Volunteers would have -ample time to reach their boats at the pier -in the middle of the south shore and so escape, -while at a low tide it was possible to walk -across at one point to the mainland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the end they gave it up, and went to -consult the C.I., who decided to call in the -assistance of the Navy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On Sunday morning Sergeant O’Bryan duly -reported that the boats had gone down the -river, as usual with full crews. The previous -night a destroyer had crept into the bay with -all lights covered, and after landing a large -party of bluejackets on Seal Island, had left -again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After allowing sufficient time for the Volunteers -to land and get to work, Blake followed -in a commandeered motor-launch, and at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>same time Jones left the barracks with his -platoon in two Crossleys, each with a Lewis -gun, one party making for the western mouth -of the river, and the other for the eastern, -where they proceeded to take up positions -covering all escape across the channels.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About three hundred yards from the pier -on Seal Island, Blake and his men landed on -a small round green island called Gannet -Island, and took up positions covering the -boats lying alongside the pier. Directly they -landed, a small group of men were seen to -leave the pier and disappear into the sand-dunes. -Meanwhile the launch, with a machine-gun -mounted in the bows, proceeded to patrol -along the south shore of the island over the -shallow water.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a short time heavy firing broke out -in the sand-hills and then died down, to break -out again as a large body of Volunteers streamed -towards the pier; but before they could reach -their boats, Blake’s men on Gannet Island -opened fire on them, and the launch sprayed -them well with its machine-gun. The Volunteers -seemed nonplussed and at a loss what -to do; but the bluejackets, advancing in open -order with fixed bayonets from the sand-hills, -quickly decided them, and they made for the -east end of the island, disappearing into a -hollow followed by the bluejackets.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again heavy firing broke out from the -direction of the hollow, and continued at -intervals for over an hour. Fearing that -something was wrong, Blake then embarked -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>his men on the launch, and after landing at -the pier, proceeded in the direction of the -firing, to find the Volunteers holding a large -house which so far the sailors had failed to -take.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The house came as a surprise to the police, -none of whom had ever set foot on the island -before, and there seemed every prospect of -another deadlock. The house was old, well -built, and commanded a fine field of fire in -every direction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But sailors are handy men, and after a consultation -with Blake, the lieutenant in command -decided to signal to his destroyer, which -had anchored in the bay again, to open fire -with her guns on the house. After trying in -vain to get a direct view of the house, the -destroyer opened indirect fire, a sailor on a -high sand-hill signalling the result of each shot. -Unfortunately the house was so sheltered by -the sides of the hollow that nothing short of -a howitzer could have reached it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the sailors were not beaten. After -putting farther out to sea, the destroyer tried -again, and this time at the third shot got -home with a direct hit, and in a few minutes -it was seen that the house was on fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sailors and police now held their fire, and -waited for the exciting moment when the -Volunteers would be forced by the flames to -bolt. A quarter of an hour, half an hour -passed, but not a Volunteer bolted from the -now fiercely burning house. At last the roof -fell in with a crash and shower of sparks, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>every man gripped his rifle, thinking that at -last the rebels would be smoked out; but -nothing happened. They had either vanished -into thin air or were roasted alive. Still the -sailors and police waited on, thinking that in -the end somebody must come out. Without -any warning one gable-end of the house suddenly -fell outwards, and simultaneously firing -broke out from the east channel of the river, -about five hundred yards away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The spell was now broken, and every man -dashed in the direction of the firing. When -they reached high ground they could see many -of the Volunteers swimming across the channel, -while those who could not swim were running -towards the north side of the island.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The half-platoon of the Blankshires, with -Sergeant O’Bryan as a guide, had taken up -their position in the sand-hills on the mainland -commanding the passage across the east channel, -and had only been interested spectators -of parts of the battle up to the time the gable -fell, when, to their astonishment, they suddenly -saw the Volunteers streaming out of the -sand-hills and dashing into the river in front -of them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Foremost among the swimmers Sergeant -O’Bryan saw, to his great joy, the heads of -Walsh and Lynch, their foot-long hair floating -like manes behind them, and knew that his -enemies had been delivered into his hands. -By the time the swimmers reached the mainland, -and found themselves covered by the -rifles and Lewis gun of the soldiers, they had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>had enough, and put up their hands of their -own accord.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sailors and police now beat the island -towards the west end, and after a hard scramble -over the sand-hills captured the remaining -Volunteers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A careful search of the place where the -Volunteers had suddenly appeared out of the -ground showed that there was an underground -passage running from the house to within a -short distance of the shore, probably used in -former days for smuggling purposes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A further search explained the reason of the -Volunteers’ Sunday visits to the island. In -a valley of the sand-hills they found an up-to-date -rifle-range, and afterwards learnt that -it had been built during the early part of the -war, and frequently used for firing musketry -courses by units of the New Armies training in -Ireland.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XIV.<br /> A FAMILY AFFAIR.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The mac Nessa, Prince of Murrisk, claimed -descent from one of the Nine Hostages; and -though proud of his lineage, he was still prouder -of the boast that, up to comparatively recent -times, not one of his ancestors had died in his bed. -A violent death in some form or other, chiefly -the “middoge,” accounting for one and all.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Murrisk Abbey is a modern house, as old -places go in Ireland, but in the grounds there -are the ruins of a very old castle, built in the -days when the O’Fogartys ruled a countryside -as far horse could gallop in any direction -during the hours of daylight. Here the mac -Nessa had spent most of his life, hunting, -shooting, fishing, and farming, and incidentally -bringing up a family of two sons and four -daughters.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Both the sons, Cormac and Dominic, had -served during the war in the British Army. -Dominic willingly and eagerly, and Cormac, -the elder, only because he feared his father, -who was a staunch Loyalist.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The spring of 1919 found the two brothers -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>at home. Cormac for good and all as he -believed, and Dominic until he could decide -how and where to make a living.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In England there is nowadays a large class -whose one and only object in life appears to -be to take sides with any and every enemy -of their country, be he Boer, Boche, Bolshevik, -or Sinn Feiner. This party never ceases to -aid and abet these enemies by every means -in their power, short of endangering their own -skins, and at the same time never let an opportunity -pass of accusing our soldiers and police -(in Ireland) of every abominable crime which -man has been known to commit. During the -war this class of Englishmen greatly puzzled -and irritated the French, as they have every -nation that has ever admired the British as a -race. A French interpreter once said to a -British officer, “Many of your race are noble, -the rest are swine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In Ireland, by some lucky chance, we have -escaped this detestable and despicable breed -of man, to whom a sincere rebel is infinitely -preferable, but at the same time we have a -class of men and women who are first cousins -to them. In many good Irish families, noted -for generations past for their unswerving -loyalty, there is often one member who is an -out-and-out rebel. Luckily he or she has -generally less brains than the rest of the -family, and is looked upon as a harmless -lunatic, and one of the crosses which have -to be borne in the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A plausible reason often advanced for this -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>sporadic appearance of a rebel in a loyal -family is the complete lack of conversation -at the dinner-table, once sport has been exhausted, -when all members of a family see -eye to eye in politics; and as a “mutual -admiration society” quickly palls on many -young men and women, one member expresses -contrary political opinions to the others out -of pure cussedness, and the anger and recriminations -of the rest quickly turn the bored -jibber into a red-hot rebel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Not many weeks after the brothers had returned -home from the war, Cormac, who had -spent many hours of his youth reading books -and pamphlets on the wrongs England had -inflicted on Ireland instead of hunting and -shooting, and had even appeared at breakfast -once in a weird ginger-coloured kilt, raised the -red flag of Sinn Fein one evening at the dinner-table. -Probably he did it from sheer boredom, -hoping to draw his father into a wordy argument -and so pass the time. The result, however, -had a far-reaching effect on the lives of -both Cormac and Dominic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The mac Nessa was a big man and Cormac -was not, and but for the intervention of -Dominic, the elder son would probably have -had an unpleasant and painful eviction from -the dinner-table. However, the old chieftain -controlled himself with a great effort, but as -soon as the servants had withdrawn he ordered -Cormac to leave the house the following morning -for good and all, and in a sullen rage -Cormac stalked out of the room.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>Leaving word with the butler to pack his -kit, Cormac made his way to the house of the -parish priest, about two and a half miles from -the abbey, where, being a Roman Catholic, -he hoped to receive sympathy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If there is one Church in the world which -might be expected to range itself wholeheartedly -on the side of law and order it is -the Church of Rome, whose very existence -depends on obedience, and it must have been -a source of wonder to many English people -why, at the very beginning of the Sinn Fein -movement, this Church did not at once come -into the open and denounce Sinn Fein from the -altar in plain and unmistakable terms. Any -thinking priest must know that under a semi-Bolshevik -republic the power of the Roman Catholic -Church would be gone, and gone for ever.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Cormac found the old priest kind and gentle -as ever, but firm in his refusal to listen to any -Sinn Fein views, and in a fresh rage he left -to make his way to the curate’s lodging in a -neighbouring farmhouse, and here he was received -with open arms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The curate quickly perceived what a valuable -recruit Cormac might make, and before -he left to spend his last night at the abbey, -took advantage of the boy’s excited mood to -make him swear to join the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a very early breakfast, Cormac left -his home on the fifteen-mile drive to Ballybor, -where he caught the mail train for Dublin, -his heart full of hatred of his family, and his -mind set on revenge.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>A week of dirty Dublin lodgings convinced -Cormac that he had made a fool of himself, -and putting his pride in his pocket, he wrote -to his father asking to be allowed to return -home. By return of post came a typewritten -post-card from the mac Nessa to the effect -that while he lived no rebel should ever darken -his door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That evening two strangers called at his -rooms, and after making certain of his identity, -explained that a message had been received -at the Sinn Fein headquarters in Dublin from -Father Michael of Murrisk that Cormac was -prepared to join in the Sinn Fein movement, and -offering him a high-sounding position. Cormac’s -vanity was flattered, and he accepted at once.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Knowing that Cormac’s name would carry -great weight with many half-hearted supporters -and waverers, the Sinn Fein leaders employed -him solely on propaganda work, sending him -to every part of the country, not excepting the -north, to speak at meetings, and always taking -good care that his name appeared in large -letters on the posters, and kind friends were -not wanting to send the mac Nessa cuttings -of his son’s speeches from every Irish and -English paper in which they appeared.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During his travels Cormac at different times -met in trains and hotels many friends of his -own class, who one and all, to their great -credit, refused to speak to him, and this treatment -embittered him still more against all -Loyalists, more especially against his father -and brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>After one trip to a town in the south, where -he had tried to enter a club, and had been -ejected by the hall porter, he offered himself -on his return to Dublin for “active service,” -and was at once sent to the Ballybor district -to organise outrages, the Sinn Fein leaders -knowing that the name of O’Fogarty was one -to conjure with in that country even in these -days.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the meantime Dominic had been asked -by the authorities to join the newly-formed -Auxiliary Division of the R.I.C., in order that -his knowledge of the Ballybor country might -be utilised, and after a short training in Dublin -found himself quartered in Ballybor with a -platoon of Cadets.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By a coincidence the two brothers arrived -in Ballybor within a week of each other, -Cormac an avowed Sinn Feiner, and Dominic -an officer in the Auxiliaries, who were about -to take on the rebels at their own breed of -warfare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Every kind of news travels fast in country -districts in Ireland, and within twelve hours -of the brothers’ arrival it is doubtful if you -could have found, even in the mountains of -Ballyrick, a child who did not know of the -O’Fogartys’ return. Moreover, there is nothing -an Irishman loves more than a fight, and -one between two brothers of the best-known -family in three counties, with armed men at -their back, was something worth looking forward -to, even in these days of murder and -outrage. And at local race-meetings in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>west bets were freely taken on the issue of -the fight between Cormac and Dominic O’Fogarty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All thought of King or Republic was now -completely forgotten in Ballybor, and for -many miles around the countryside was divided -into two camps. Most of the Volunteers, all -nominally, were for Cormac, whilst all Loyalists -and a good many Volunteers secretly supported -Dominic, with the result that, so keen -were both sides to outmanœuvre each other, -the police obtained far more information than -they had for a long time past.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dominic made up his mind to take the -offensive straight away, and learning from one -of his Volunteer sympathisers that his brother, -when in Ballybor, always slept in the house -of a man called Ryan, made arrangements to -raid the place, and at any rate to put Cormac -out of action for some time to come.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, Cormac learning of his brother’s -kindly intention, thought that it would be an -excellent opportunity to raid Murrisk for arms -on that particular night, and incidentally to -get some of his own back from his father. -Leaving Ballybor as soon as it was dark with -a dozen men, they bicycled to Murrisk, and -after parking their machines in a wood near -the main road, proceeded to knock up the -house. The butler opened the door, but did -not recognise Cormac in a mask, though his -walk seemed vaguely familiar to him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The mac Nessa was no coward, and on -entering the inner hall, the raiders found themselves -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>covered by the old man with a double-barrelled -shot-gun. Cormac had expected that -his father would show fight, and knowing where -the electric light<a id='p198'></a> switch was in the hall, had -arranged with his men that when he turned -the light off they should throw themselves -flat on the floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the light went out the mac Nessa fired -both barrels, which went harmlessly over the -raiders’ heads, and before he could reload they -had him down and tied up. Cormac then -turned on the light, and by now, half-mad -with rage and excitement, would have gone -for his father; but his men kept him back, -and when they had secured all the arms in -the house under Cormac’s directions, they -hustled him away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the meantime Dominic with a party of -Cadets had raided Ryan’s house, but, of course, -drew blank.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early the next morning a mounted messenger -brought word to the barracks in Ballybor that -Cormac and a party of armed and masked -men had raided Murrisk during the night and -removed all arms and ammunition. That -afternoon Dominic put up large notices all -over Ballybor to the effect that if he caught -Cormac in the town he would horsewhip him -in the market-place.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Both the town and countryside were in a -wild state of excitement after the Murrisk -raid, Cormac’s supporters acclaiming his victory, -while Dominic’s could only reply, “Wait -and see.” And so keen were Dominic’s party -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>to help their man, that information of every -possible kind and description literally poured -into the barracks by every post.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Like children, as ever, the people quickly -forgot that they were either Loyalists or rebels, -the blood-feud between the two brothers being -far more interesting and exciting; and it is -probable that, if only sufficient arms had been -forthcoming on both sides, the brothers’ feud -would have developed into a pitched battle, -and if the police had interfered both parties -would then have joined forces and turned on -the common enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After leaving Murrisk, Cormac, knowing that -Ballybor would now be too hot for him, made -for some caves in the Slievenamoe Mountains -to the east of the town, and here he remained. -Some time before these caves had been fitted -up like dug-outs in France, while the food -supply gave no difficulty, every house at the -foot of the mountains having to supply rations -on requisition for any gunmen using these -caves. Here Cormac had plenty of time on -his hands, and thought out a clever plan to -put Dominic out of action.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly before Cormac raided Murrisk, a -new and simple manager had arrived at one -of the Ballybor banks. The arrival of a new -bank manager in an Irish provincial town is -always the signal for all in financial difficulties -to get busy and try their luck with the fresh -arrival, and amongst the new manager’s first -visitors came the Urban Council, who by sheer -bluff managed to get their already big overdraft -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>increased by some thousand pounds. A -fresh election being within sight, they then -proceeded to borrow a derelict steam-roller -from the County Council, who had practically -ceased to function, and to spend the money -steam-rolling the streets of Ballybor. In this -way they hoped to catch the votes of the -labourers by the payment of high wages, and -of the shopkeepers and owners of cars by improved -streets.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Being in a great hurry to get on with the -good work, they forgot that the streets had -never been steam-rolled before, and that the -gas-and water-pipes were very near the surface, -with the result that for every yard of -street the roller passed over one or more gas- -or water-pipes burst, and the town soon smelt -like the inside of a gas-works.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The consequent proceedings give a very fair -idea of the Celtic capacity for public affairs, -and of how the country would be run under -“Home Rule,” or any other kind of rule except -the “Union.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Instead of stopping the steam-rolling until -all mains and pipes had been relaid at a sufficient -depth to resist the rolling, they solemnly -proceeded to roll, burst, and mend from one -end of the main street to the other, to the huge -delight of all the local plumbers, who also had -votes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Luckily the money was exhausted by the -time the main street was finished, and though -the greater part of the surface was excellent, -the ridges made by digging up the pipes at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>intervals would break the axle of an unsuspecting -stranger’s car, to the great benefit of -the local garages.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police barracks at Ballybor are situated -in a “cul-de-sac” off the main street, at the -corners of which stand the principal hotel -and a bank, and all cars going to or from the -barracks must pass this corner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Word was brought to Cormac in his mountain -dug-out that his brother left Ballybor -Barracks early every morning with a Crossley -full of Cadets, and that they spent the whole -day and often most of the night searching the -surrounding country for him. Before leaving -Ballybor he had witnessed the steam-rolling -comic opera, and bicycling by night to Ballybor, -he lay up during the day, got in touch -with a plumber, borrowed his tools and barrow, -and late that afternoon (in the plumber’s -clothes, and slouch hat pulled well over his -face) started to dig up the road between the -bank and the hotel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Human nature always seems to regard the -digging up of a street in the light of a huge -joke, and during his work Cormac was not -only chaffed by the bank manager and the -hotel loafers, but by the police themselves. -When it was dusk he was joined by a Volunteer -with a charge of gelignite, which had -been raided from a Government ship off the -south-east coast and brought to the west by -car, and the two proceeded to lay a contact-mine -in the centre of the road. They then -filled in the earth, returned the tools and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>barrow to the plumber, and bicycled back to -the mountains.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While Cormac was busy laying his mine, -Dominic and Blake were poring over an Ordnance-map -in the barracks not sixty yards -away. Having come to the conclusion that it -was quite useless to search the countryside -piecemeal, and hearing a rumour of what was -going on in the mountains through one of the -forced food contractors having made a bitter -complaint to a passing police patrol, they were -now planning to surround the southern half -of the Slievenamoe Mountains, and organising -a great drive, and the next two days were -spent working out the details.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About 9 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> a mineral-water lorry, in order -to turn, backed up the cul-de-sac, and the -mine being well and truly laid, disappeared in -a sheet of flame, wrecking the bank and hotel. -Hardly had the sound of the explosion died -away, and before the police left the barracks -to investigate, every young man in Ballybor -of the shopkeeper class had his bicycle out -and was off as hard as he could pedal. A -Volunteer greatly resembles a mountain hare: -directly the hunt is up he makes at top speed -for high ground, and the harder you press -both the faster they leg it up the mountains. -Blake and Dominic managed to control their -men, and no reprisals followed, the only arrest -being the unfortunate plumber who had lent -his outfit to Cormac, and whose bicycle had -been “borrowed” by an agitated shop-boy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the present time a big drive in the west -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>presents great difficulties. Very few, often -none, of the R.I.C. or Auxiliaries know anything -of the many wild and mountainous parts -in their districts, and the soldiers are invariably -complete strangers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To reconnoitre the ground beforehand is out -of the question, and it is difficult to induce -reliable guides to act.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The part of the mountains Blake and Dominic -had selected to drive lay about nine miles due -east of Ballybor, divided by a deep pass from -the remainder of the range to the north, and -ending in a wild rocky valley intersected by -the Owenmore river to the south, and the total -area to be covered was about eighteen square -miles of mountains, glens, cliffs, and bogs. It -was not possible to start operations before -3 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> (the month being August), and they -would have to stop soon after 11 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">P.M.</span></span> (summer -time), which gave them roughly twenty hours -to beat the eighteen square miles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Taking the total number of troops at their -disposal, Blake divided them into groups of -six, giving them nearly a hundred groups. -Then Dominic picked out from a contoured -Ordnance-map the same number of points -surrounding the mountains, from all of which -there was a good view and field of fire, and it -was arranged that as many groups as possible -should have either a Vickers machine-gun or -a Lewis gun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The actual drive was to be carried out by -the police. The Cadets under Dominic were to -start from the north end in a crescent formation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>and advance towards the highest point, -which lay nearly in the centre of the area, -while the R.I.C. under Blake were to advance -from the south.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Dominic knew every yard of the mountains, -having shot grouse there with his brother -since boyhood, but the difficulty was to procure -a guide for Blake’s party, none of whom -had ever set foot on the mountains. With -much persuasion, however, Dominic at last -induced a man, who had been one of the -mac Nessa’s game-watchers on the mountains -for years, to act as guide. This man had to -be promised a large sum of money, and to -save him from the revenge of Sinn Fein, it was -arranged that directly after the drive he should -be safely got away to enlist in the British -Army under an assumed name, and, if he -wished, be sent straight off to India.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All officers and N.C.O.’s were given maps -showing the position of every group marked, -and it was arranged that the police should be -in position at 3 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> and the troops half an -hour later. A few days before the date fixed -for the drive Dominic and his Auxiliaries disappeared -from Ballybor, and it was given out -that they had gone to Co. Cork.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sharp at 3 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span>, on a perfect August day, the -drive began. Dominic and the Cadets had to -start from the shores of a large lake lying in -a cup at the top of the pass, and climb a -thousand feet before reaching the first valley -in the mountains. At the top they halted for -a breather and to admire the wonderful view. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>To the east the summer sun was fast rising, all -around them stretched miles of heather-clad -hills, and away to the north-west lay the sea, -a pearly grey-blue in the fast growing light.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a rest Dominic got his men into formation, -spreading them out as far as possible -without losing touch, while he kept a small -party in the rear to go to any threatened -point where the gunmen might try to break -through the cordon. The Cadets had brought -their signallers with them, equipped with a -heliograph and flags, who remained with the -reserve party.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On reaching higher ground Dominic could -see with his glasses the small groups of soldiers -taking up their positions, while far away in -the plain to the eastward the Owenmore river -wound like a blue thread through the dark -bogland. A Cadet on his left nearly walked -on a pack of grouse, which swung right-handed, -passing within twenty yards of Dominic, and -reminding him vividly of other days.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Very soon the Cadets began to feel the heat -of the sun, and the hard going began to tell -on several of them. Sitting in a Crossley is -bad training for walking a grouse mountain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After going about a mile and a half a party -of men were seen in front making eastward at -full speed down a valley, the end of which -Dominic knew was held by a group of soldiers -with a machine-gun. Halting his men, he then -brought his right wing well round so as to cut -off the gunmen’s retreat to the west should -they attempt to break back.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>The fleeing gunmen were soon lost sight of in -dead ground, but presently the sound of firing -was heard from the far end of the valley, and -after a time the gunmen were seen retreating -across the Cadets’ front, and making as hard as -they could for the west side of the mountains.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this point Blake’s men came in sight -from the south, and quickly getting in touch -with the Cadets’ right wing, completed the -cordon. The gunmen, seeing that they were -surrounded and all retreat cut off, split up into -two parties, took up positions on two kopjes, -and waited for the attack.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As a frontal attack would have entailed -heavy loss, and seeing that there was another -kopje on Blake’s side which would command -and enfilade the gunmen’s positions, Dominic -ordered the Cadets to pin the gunmen down -by their fire, and at the same time sent a -signaller to Blake telling him to occupy the -commanding kopje. This Blake did, and also -sent to the nearest group of soldiers for a -machine-gun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The fight lasted for two hours, and though -the gunmen were always subject to a hot fire, -and several times a man was seen to spring -into the air and collapse in the heather, yet -they stuck it gamely until the machine-gun -was brought up and opened a heavy fire on -both kopjes; the remaining gunmen then -stood up and put up their hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the two kopjes the police found twelve -dead gunmen and twenty-eight prisoners, -eighteen of whom were wounded. And amongst -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>the dead Dominic found Cormac, shot through -the heart.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After arranging for the burial of the dead -(with the exception of Cormac, who was carried -down the mountain-side on a stretcher) and -the removal of the prisoners, Dominic took a -party of Cadets to search some caves which -he knew of about half a mile to the south-west. -Here, as he expected, he found that the -gunmen had been living in comparative comfort. -One cave had been used as a living-room -and contained chairs and tables, while two -smaller inner ones were fitted up with bunks -in tiers like a Boche dug-out, and had heather -for bedding.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Towards evening the worn-out Cadets got -back to their Crossleys on the pass road which -ran along the north shore of the lake; and -after leaving a party with a searchlight mounted -on a tender to stop any stray gunmen escaping -during the night on bicycles by the road to -the east, Dominic started for Murrisk in a -Crossley with his brother’s body.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Many an evening the two brothers had -driven home together over the same road -after a happy day’s grouse-shooting, never -dreaming that their last journey together -would be to bring Cormac’s body to the home -of their ancestors.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The mac Nessa met the party in the great -hall of Murrisk, and his ancestors looking down -from the walls must surely have thought that -they were back again in their own times of -everlasting war and sudden death.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XV.<br /> THE AMERICAN NURSE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>In the early ‘eighties there lived in the Cloonalla -district a small farmer named Peter Walsh, -who was what is generally called in the west -a bad farmer, which is simply the Irish way -of saying that he was lazy and good-for-nothing, -and for several years Walsh had been -in the clutches of the Cloonalla gombeen man, -the local big shopkeeper.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The ways of the gombeen man are quite -simple and usually most successful, the success -largely depending on a run of bad potato -crops, as generally after two successive failures -the majority of the farmers in a poor mountainous -district have no money at all. They -are thus forced to go to the gombeen wallah, -who advances them so much money, according -to the size of their farm and their capacity for -drink, as a mortgage on the farm at a high -rate of interest. But instead of paying them -money he gives credit for goods, and there is -a verbal agreement that he will not foreclose -as long as the farmer deals solely with him -and makes no bones about the prices he is -charged. Formerly this was the terrible millstone -<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>which used to hang for life round the -necks of many western peasants.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, Walsh’s millstone troubled him -not one bit, and he “staggered” along for -several years until there came a sequence of -three bad and indifferent crops, which finished -him completely. Seeing that Walsh was not -going to make any effort, the gombeen man -closed on the farm, and Peter, the wife, and -their one child, Bridget, aged three years, left -Ireland for America, illogically cursing the -British Government for their own sins and -those of the gombeen devil.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now the gombeen man had no use for -Peter’s farm himself, so he proceeded to make -Peter’s brother, Michael, drunk one Saturday -night in his shop, and made the farm over to -him with the former conditions, not forgetting -to double the mortgage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In due course Michael died without kith or -kin saving Bridget, now a hospital nurse in -New York, who one day received a letter from -a Ballybor solicitor informing her of her uncle’s -death, and that she was the sole heiress to -his two farms in Cloonalla, and asking for -instructions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From her youth upwards Nurse Bridget had -heard nothing but abuse of the so-called English -tyranny in Ireland—in fact, up to the time -when she went to be trained hospital -nurse, her only knowledge of England and -Ireland was the thousand and one supposed -wrongs which Ireland had suffered at the hands -of England since the days of Cromwell, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>her one ambition in life was to see the downfall -of the British Empire, and with that the -freedom of her fatherland. In America, the -Irish children find plenty of mentors of hate -of England, both among their own people and -the Germans.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In time, when Bridget began to earn some -money as a nurse, she joined every Irish anti-British -society, secret and otherwise, she could, -and at the time of her leaving the States to -take over her uncle’s farms possessed more -wonderful and weird badges and medallions -than she could conveniently wear at once: -incidentally the societies relieved her of most -of her earnings “to provide powder and shot -for ould Ireland.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the liner, Bridget met many of her race, -mostly men and women who had worked hard -for some years in the States and saved enough -money to return to Ireland, where they hoped -to buy a small farm or shop and never to -wander any more. One and all were longing -to be in Ireland once again, and not one ever -mentioned a word of the “brutal English -tyranny” until Bridget started the subject.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget landed at Queenstown, made her -way to Cork, and set out on the long and -tedious cross-country railway journey to the -west. At the best of times the journey is a -slow one, but during 1920 it became much -worse owing to the great uncertainty of any -train reaching its destination. Trains were -even known to stand in a station for days on -end while the driver, the stoker, the guard, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>and the station employees argued and re-argued -what they would do and what they would not do.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Twice during the journey Bridget had -glimpses of the brutal British soldiery when -two military parties wished to travel on the -train, and the driver and guard refused to -start until the armed assassins of the British -Government left. At first Bridget was slightly -confused; no doubt the soldiers were terrible -blackguards, but at the time they seemed to -be quiet and inoffensive, and she remembered -frequently having seen American soldiers in -the trains in the States, and the drivers and -guards there made no objection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, a fellow-passenger explained to -her that the soldiers used the Irish railways -to go from one part of the country to another -in order to murder the unfortunate soldiers -of the Republican Army, and that the guard -and driver, as became good citizens and soldiers -of the Irish Republic, were quite right to refuse -to aid and abet the British by carrying them -on the train.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At a junction some thirty miles from Ballybor -she changed into a composite train carrying -passengers and goods, and soon after -leaving the junction the train pulled up suddenly -in a cutting, and there was loud shouting -and firing. Bridget was greatly alarmed and -excited, thinking that she would now see the -British troops commit some of the terrible -crimes she had heard so much about in the -States—she had heard nothing of the crimes -of the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>It takes a long time in the west of Ireland -to do anything, and it was quite twenty -minutes before Bridget realised that this was -a hold-up by the I.R.A., and that all the -passengers were to get out and line up at the -top of the cutting. The confusion then became -terrific, half the passengers going up one side -of the cutting, and the remainder up the other.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Wild-looking masked bandits then started -shouting to the people to come down and go -to the other side, whereupon a general post -ensued.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Finally, the whole lot was collected together, -searched, and at last allowed to take their -seats in the train again; but the performance -was not by any means over yet. Next, the -waggons were all broken open, the contents -thrown on the line, and then returned except -Belfast merchandise, which was made into a -heap—coffins, cases of jam and tea, boxes of -linen, &c.—sprinkled with petrol, and then set -on fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget arrived at Ballybor on a summer’s -evening, and at once set out for Cloonalla. -Ballybor appeared a mean and dirty little -town to her American eyes, and she hoped for -better things at Cloonalla—a good hotel and -decent stores. After an hour and a half’s -drive the carman pulled up outside Cloonalla -Chapel, and asked his fare where she wanted -to go to. Not realising where she was, Bridget -replied, to Cloonalla, the best hotel in Cloonalla, -only to learn to her astonishment that -the place boasted only one shop and no hotel -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>of any kind. And in the end she was thankful -to accept the hospitality of a farmer’s wife, -and share a stuffy bed with the woman’s -daughter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget received a shock when she saw her -uncle’s house—she said that they wouldn’t put -a pig in it in America—and the idea she had -had of settling down there quickly vanished. -However, she determined to stay on awhile -in Ireland, and help to the best of her ability -the famous soldiers of the I.R.A. (she had not -realised yet that the bandits who had held -up the train were the famous soldiers) of -whom she had heard so much in America.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On visiting the solicitor in Ballybor, she -found that her uncle had left her a few hundred -pounds, and this she gave to the man Hanley, -with whom she lodged, to buy cattle with to -stock her farm.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as Bridget had settled down she -found ample scope for her political ambitions -both in Cloonalla and Ballybor, where most -of the young people of her own age found -talking sedition far easier and more amusing -than hard work; and as everybody seemed to -have money to burn, she had a great time—political -meetings, drilling, picnics, and dances. -And after joining the Cumann na Ban she -volunteered for active service with the local -company of the I.R.A., little knowing what -was before her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the game was amusing enough, -teaching the young men the rudiments of first -aid, and lecturing to the girls and youths of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>Cloonalla in the school-house in the evening, -followed by dancing until the early hours of -the morning; and probably Bridget would -have gone no further than this but for the -unfortunate arrival of two professional gunmen -in Cloonalla, who had been sent from -Dublin to carry out the usual series of outrages -and then to vanish before the storm burst.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gunmen came with a list of local undesirables -(from the I.R.A. point of view) to -be removed—many of the names had probably -been given out of private spite through the -means of anonymous letters, a very favourite -practice in Ireland—and at once proceeded to -work, or rather to see that the Cloonalla Volunteers -did the dirty work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following week seemed to Bridget like -a horrible nightmare, starting with the murder -of ex-soldiers, who paid the full penalty of -being so stupid as to believe that the British -Government would protect its friends and -supporters in Ireland, and culminating in the -revolting crime of the murder of a Protestant -clergyman, who was seventy-nine years of age.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early in the morning, before the household -was up, the old man heard a loud knocking -at the hall door, and on coming downstairs -found the usual party of armed and masked -men, who ordered him to follow them. He -did so, and had no sooner reached the road -than they shot him dead,—to be found by his -old wife—the servants dared not leave the -house—lying in the middle of the road in a -pool of blood.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>That night the gunmen vanished, and with -them the orgy of crime ceased for a time at -any rate. There is no doubt that these revolting -and apparently purposeless murders are -instigated by the I.R.A., but nevertheless they -are carried out by the peasants in most cases, -and they will have to bear the stigma now and -always. Under a determined leader they appear -to take kindly to “political murder.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget was physically and mentally sick -with horror, and made up her mind to return -to the States as soon as she could dispose of -her farms, and to this end bicycled into Ballybor -to arrange with an auctioneer to sell the -farms for her by public auction at the earliest -possible date. The following day the auctioneer -inspected the farms, and declared that she -ought to get at least a thousand pounds for -her interest in each farm, and fixed a near -date for the auction, though he was very -doubtful if the I.R.A. would permit it, and -advised her to try and obtain their consent. -But the last thing in the world Bridget wanted -was to have any further dealings with the -I.R.A., and the auctioneer left promising to -do his best.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night after the Hanleys and Bridget -had gone to bed they received a visit from -the captain of the Cloonalla Volunteers, who -wanted to know if it was true that Bridget -was going to try and sell her farms by public -auction. Bridget told him that it was quite -true, and that she was going to return to -America. Whereupon he told her that the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>I.R.A. would not allow this, and that if she -wanted to dispose of her land a Sinn Fein -Court would value it, and the Republican -Government would then take it over and pay -her in Dail Eireann Bonds (to be redeemed at -their face value when Ireland is free and the -Republic established), and after telling her to -stop the auction he left.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a few days Bridget received an order to -attend a Sinn Fein Arbitration Court in Cloonalla -Chapel at night, where the judges valued -her farms at one hundred pounds each (loud -applause in Court by the men who hoped to -get the farms), and ordered her to hand over -the land the following day to the Cloonalla -Volunteer captain, who had every intention of -keeping the farms himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget protested loudly that she was a -citizen of the United States, that the farms -were hers, and that if this was a free country -like America she was entitled to get the full -market value for them, which she had been -told was quite two thousand pounds; and -lastly, that she had proved herself a good -patriot, and burst into tears.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All of no avail—the judges gave her three -days to get rid of her cattle and hand over -the land, at the end of which time if she had -not complied she was to be deported, and her -farms and cattle confiscated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget returned to the Hanleys’ house to -find her boxes packed and dumped in the -road, together with her bicycle, and the door -of the house locked, and this in the middle of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>the night. After trying in vain to gain admittance -she sat down on one of her boxes and -started to cry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Towards dawn she again made a piteous -appeal to the Hanleys to be allowed to stay -in their house for the rest of the night, and -that she would leave the following day; and -for answer Mrs Hanley cursed her, and warned -her that if she was not gone before daylight -her hair would be cut off, and “God only -knew what else would happen to her.” In a -blind terror she mounted her bicycle and rode -madly into Ballybor, where she had to wait -some hours in the streets before she could -gain admittance to a lodging-house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget was made of the right stuff, and -with the daylight and the contact with friendly -human beings her courage returned, and she -went to see the auctioneer once more, but received -cold comfort. The man had been -warned not to hold the auction, but was willing -to, provided he had police protection (he -saw his trade slipping away if he did not), -and suggested that she should go and see -the D.I.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake listened patiently to her tale of woe—he -already knew the part she had played -with the Cloonalla Volunteers, but liked the -girl’s looks and her pluck, and at the end -promised her protection for the auction, but -warned her that he could not protect her -afterwards, and advised her to get out of the -country as soon as she could.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Bridget then hired a car and drove out to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>Cloonalla to try and collect her belongings. -The boxes were still there by the roadside, -but empty. And on going on to her farms she -found that the fences and gates were smashed -and her cattle gone. She tried in vain to get -information of them, but found that not a -man, woman, or child would tell her anything.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Returning to Ballybor, she again saw Blake, -who promised to send out police to try and -find her cattle. The following day the police -went out to Cloonalla, rounded up the first -score of men they met, made them build up -the fences, mend the gates, and lastly, gave -them two hours to return Bridget’s cattle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The I.R.A. now turned the full blast of that -potent weapon, the boycott, on to the unfortunate -Bridget. Not a soul would or rather -dare speak to her—at any rate in public. Little -children meeting her in the streets or country -roads ran away, fearing lest she might cast -an evil eye on them. Shopkeepers were forbidden -to supply any goods to her, and the -lodging-house people would have put her out -on the streets but for the interference of the -D.I. By this time Blake was determined to -see her through, and when the auctioneer -attempted to rat, made him think better of -it and stick to his agreement with Bridget.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The day of the auction arrived, and with it -the biggest crowd Cloonalla had ever seen. -In fact, so dense was the throng that when -Blake drew up with the auctioneer and Bridget, -he was afraid to let his men near the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>crowd lest they might be rushed. Standing -up in a Crossley, he ordered the people through -a megaphone to form three sides of a square -facing the road, and, as soon as they had -complied with his order, he told the auctioneer -to get out and carry on with his work on the -fourth side of the square. This he did, and, -after describing the value and virtues of the -farms in the usual flowery language of his -kind, asked for a bid.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There followed a deadly silence of fully two -minutes. Again the auctioneer called for a -bid, and yet a third time—not a man in the -huge crowd dared open his mouth. Land-hunger -is the predominant trait in a western -peasant’s character, and many men in that -crowd would have risked their souls for Bridget’s -farms; but so great was the power, or -rather the fear of the I.R.A., that not a single -man dared speak.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Seeing that it was useless to go on with the -farce, Blake ordered the auctioneer to return -to the car. At once the crowd broke with an -angry roar, and made an ugly rush towards -the road, but a volley of blank in the air quickly -stopped them, and they turned to scatter in -the opposite direction, while the police party -returned to Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night, when she went to bed in the -lodging-house, Bridget locked her door and -piled all the furniture she could against it. -About 2 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> some one knocked loudly at her -door and bade her open, but she lay still and -gave no answer. She could then hear the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>raiders entering the other rooms of the house, -and the screams of inmates, followed by the -curses of the raiders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The girl lay shaking in bed, knowing that -it was only a question of time before they -came again, and when they did it gave her -almost a sense of relief. This time they did -not knock, and she could hear whispering, -followed by a man wearing rubber soles running -down the passage, and then a crash as he -hurled himself against her door.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The door was rotten and gave, but the furniture -still held it up, and the other men then -put their shoulders against it, and finally it -gave way altogether, and the whole lot pitched -into her room in a heap on the floor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As Bridget screamed, the men flashed their -electric torches on to her, and by the light -she could see that they all wore painted white -masks, which completely covered their faces -except the eyes and mouth. One great brute -then seized her by the hair, and dragged her -screaming down the stairs and into the street, -where the others held her while the big man -shaved her hair off with a razor. They then -lashed her wrists and ankles, gagged her, and -flung her in her nightdress into a waiting Ford, -which disappeared into the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A police patrol, guided by the screams, -arrived on the scene just as the Ford was -disappearing in the direction of Castleport. -Sending a constable back to the barracks for -a car and more men, the sergeant in charge -searched the lodging-house, only to raise a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>fresh alarm among the terrified inmates, most -of whom were under their beds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a few minutes the car arrived, and the -police raced off after the Ford as fast as the -Crossley would travel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time the police had had a strong -suspicion that a creamery about half-way between -Ballybor and Castleport had been frequently -used by the I.R.A. as a detention -prison, and as they drew near the place they -saw lights disappear from the windows.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After surrounding the building, the sergeant -knocked at the door and received no answer. -Being afraid to delay lest they might be attacked, -he told his men to take one of the -two thick iron-bound planks carried under the -body of the Crossley, and used for crossing -trenches on the roads, and to use it as a -battering-ram on the door. At the second -blow the door splintered, and a third made -a hole large enough for the police to pass in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sergeant now advanced into the building, -revolver in one hand and torch in the -other, and had nearly reached the back when -shots and shouts were heard, and at the same -time he saw a man disappearing through a -door ahead of him and fired.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On reaching the door he was met by his -own men, who said that three men had tried -to escape that way, and that they had shot -two, the third escaping.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They then searched the building, and found -Bridget lying in a kind of coal-cellar, half-dead -from fright and exposure, and, wrapping -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>her in a policeman’s greatcoat, took her back -to the lodging-house, leaving a guard there -for the rest of the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next day Bridget fled to England, to -return to America from Southampton. Nothing -in this world would have induced her to -spend another night in Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She left the sale of her farms in the hands -of the auctioneer, who, to his great surprise, -some time afterwards found a buyer at a low -figure in a man who came from the north.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police saw the northerner into his new -home, and left him there. The following -morning the man staggered into the Ballybor -Barracks, and when he had sufficiently recovered, -he told Blake that soon after he had -gone to sleep he was awakened by volumes of -smoke, and on getting out of bed found that -the house was on fire. Seizing his clothes, he -just managed to get out before the blazing -roof fell in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Outside he was met by a roaring crowd, -who beat him nearly to death with sticks, and -while he lay on the ground he could hear the -screams of his horses and cattle being burnt -to death in the blazing outbuildings. The -crowd then left him for dead, well pleased -with their night’s work. After some hours he -recovered and managed to crawl into Ballybor.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XVI.<br /> FATHER JOHN.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The tiny village of Annagh lies on the eastern -slope of the Slievenamoe Mountains, about -fifteen miles due east of Ballybor, and consists -of one dirty street with, roughly, forty-nine -miserable tumble-down hovels and one -grand slated two-storied house, as usual the -shop and abode of the village gombeen man, -who also kept the Post Office—not because -he was the most honest man in the village, but -because there was nobody else able to do so.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A good many years ago, on a bitter winter’s -night, a tinker, answering to the name of -Bernie M’Andrew, drove his ass-cart into the -village of Annagh, and called at the only shop -to know if there were any kettles or cans to -be mended. The night was so cold and wet -that the old shopkeeper, in the kindness of his -heart, bade the shivering tinker put up his -ass and spend the night. The tinker stayed -and never left.</p> - -<p class='c000'>M’Andrew’s stock-in-trade, when he arrived -at Annagh on that winter’s night, consisted -of half a barrel of salt herrings, a kettle, the -usual tinker’s soldering outfit, a policeman’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>discarded tunic, and the rags he stood up in. -Within a year M’Andrew had buried the old -shopkeeper, who had lived alone for years and -was beloved by all, and reigned in his place.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Being an ambitious tinker, M’Andrew started -a gombeen business with the old man’s savings, -which he found by chance in the secret drawer -of an old desk, and in a very short time became -the best hated and most feared man in the -district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first M’Andrew supported Sinn Fein -enthusiastically, but when he saw law and -order beginning to disappear, being now a -man of property, he became alarmed, and -tried to run with the hare and the hounds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>M’Andrew’s great opponent was the young -parish priest, Father John, who, after serving -as a chaplain with the British Army in France -with great distinction—he had been decorated -for bravery in the field by both the British -and the French—returned to Ireland, having -seen enough bloodshed for his lifetime.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Father John was a grand man both physically -and morally and in the right sense of the -words, and if only the majority of young Irish -priests were up to the standard of Father John -there would be little trouble in Ireland to-day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When he became the parish priest of Annagh, -Father John saw at once that M’Andrew was -fast reducing the great majority of his parishioners, -who were poor men with poorer mountain -land, to a state of slavery, and realised -that it only wanted two bad years in succession -to put the whole parish under the gombeen -man’s thumb.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>At first he tried to keep the farmers away -from M’Andrew’s shop; but this they resented, -as it entailed a journey of many miles to the -nearest town, and then they had to pay nearly -as much as to M’Andrew. Next he denounced -M’Andrew and his evil practices from the -altar, warning the people of the consequences; -but in spite of all the priest could do or say -the gombeen man flourished.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From the very first Father John opposed -the Sinn Fein movement both by word and -deed, and when the first Sinn Fein organisers -appeared in his parish he quickly hunted them -away; but before he knew what was happening -practically every young man in the parish had -been enrolled, whether he liked it or not, as -a soldier in the I.R.A. M’Andrew was quick -to seize his chance of revenge, telling the -people that the priest was a secret agent of -the British Government—hadn’t he served in -the British Army and taken the pay of the -British Government, an enemy of the people?—and -that he was doing his best to stand -between them and liberty. In a week Father -John was practically an outlaw in his own -parish, and M’Andrew became the popular hero.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though he still officiated in the chapel, Sinn -Fein saw to it that he was paid no dues. For -nearly two years this state of affairs continued, -and it would have been impossible for -the priest to live if the older and more sober -members of his flock had not come to his house -secretly in the dead of night and paid him -their dues.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One day, when feeling ran very high, Father -<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>John opened his daily paper to see his own -death reported, and a long obituary notice, -probably the handiwork of M’Andrew.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was a situation common in Ireland—the -peasants blind to the virtues of their truest -friend, and making a popular idol of their -worst enemy: it is a sad thing that many -Irishmen will always insist in believing what -they wish to believe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Father John was by nature a kindly and -genial man, a lover of sport, of a good horse, -and of the society of men, and those two years -must have been a perfect hell on earth for him. -Not that any one was ever openly rude to -him; they just sent him to Coventry and kept -him there, hoping to break his heart, and that -by refusing to pay him any dues they would -gradually freeze him out, and in his place would -come one of those fire-eating young priests -who would lead them to victory and freedom.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The summer of 1920 was wet and cold, with -frosty nights during every month except July. -Now, if your potatoes grow in boggy land, and -there comes heavy rain followed by a night’s -frost, not once but several times, you will have -no potatoes, and probably very little crop of -any kind. And if your living depends on the -potato crop, you stand a good chance of starving, -unless the gombeen man will come to your -assistance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By November the whole parish of Annagh -practically belonged to M’Andrew, who held -a mortgage on nearly every acre of tenanted -land, and proceeded to bully the people to his -heart’s content.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>On a Sunday morning in December, at about -10 o’clock, the hour when the village usually -began to come to life, the inhabitants were -startled by the screams of a woman, and when -they rushed to their doors saw M’Andrew’s -servant running out of the village towards -Father John’s house. M’Andrew had been -murdered during the night without a sound, -and the servant had no idea of what had -happened until she went to his room to see -why he had not got up. All M’Andrew’s books -had been burnt, and afterwards the murderers -must have cursed the day they did not set a -light to the house as well.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the next day the village woke up to find -a company of Auxiliaries billeted in M’Andrew’s -house and the yard full of their cars—a -case of out of the frying-pan into the fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time past the police had known -that men on the run were hiding in the mountains -near Annagh; but though the area came -within Blake’s district, it was impossible to -keep any control over it, owing to the fact -that the Owenmore river and the Slievenamoe -Mountains lay between it and Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Auxiliaries spent the day fortifying -M’Andrew’s house, and that night started operations, -and the inhabitants soon realised that -the British Empire was not yet an “also ran.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Just as it was getting dark the Auxiliaries -in Crossleys would suddenly burst out of -M’Andrew’s yard, travel perhaps five or ten -miles at racing speed, and then surround and -round up a village or district, so that the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>numerous gunmen who had come from the -south for a rest cure found it impossible to -get any sleep at all.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The local Volunteers at once sent an S.O.S. -to Dublin, and received the comforting answer -that a flying column would arrive shortly in -the district and deal effectively with the -Auxiliaries. In the meanwhile they were to -harass the enemy by every means in their -power and carry on a warfare of attrition—in -other words, if they found one or two Cadets -alone—if unarmed so much the better—they -were to murder them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the local Volunteers were very much -afraid of the Auxiliaries, Sinn Fein propaganda -having taught them to expect nothing but -murder, rape, and looting from the “scum of -English prisons and asylums”; but after a -few days had passed and nothing dreadful -happened to man or woman, they took heart -once more and started their usual warfare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Auxiliaries were commanded by a Major -Jones, and on the Sunday following their -arrival in Annagh Jones left alone in a Ford -at an early hour to see Blake in Ballybor. -The road crosses the mountains through a -narrow pass, and near the top of the pass there -is a small chapel, a school, a pub, and a few -scattered cottages.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return Jones passed this chapel as -the people were coming out from Mass, blew -his horn, and slowed up. After passing through -the crowd he noticed a group of youths standing -on the right side of the road, and opened his -throttle wide, thereby probably saving his life.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>When the car was within ten yards of the -group every man drew a pistol, and it seemed -to Jones as though he was flying through a -shower of bullets. However, though the car -was riddled, and had any one been sitting in -the other three seats they would all have -been killed, Jones found himself uninjured, -and the old “tin Lizzie,” responding well to -the throttle, flew down the hill at twice the -pace Henry Ford ever meant her to travel at.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That evening Father John called on Jones -and apologised for the outrage, and Jones at -once fell under the charm of the priest. Probably -his astonishment at Father John’s visit -had something to do with it, but in the days -to come, when Father John supported his -words by deeds, Jones learnt that his first -impression had been a correct one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Returning in the early hours of the morning -from a raiding expedition to the south of -Annagh, the Auxiliaries were surprised to see -a tall priest standing in the middle of the -road and holding up his hand. Fearing a trap—there -was a blind corner just behind where -the priest was standing—they stopped about -two hundred yards off and beckoned to the -priest to advance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They were still more surprised to find that -the tall priest was Father John, who, having -received information after they had started -that the Volunteers were going to lay trees -across the road at this corner in the hope of -smashing up the Auxiliary cars, had spent the -whole night walking up and down the road in -order that he might warn them of their danger.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>Father John drove back to Annagh with -the Cadets, and by the time they reached the -village every Cadet swore that the priest was -the finest man they had yet met in Ireland, -and they didn’t believe there was a finer one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From that on Father John accompanied the -Auxiliaries on many a stunt, and there is no -doubt that he gave them every help in his -power and all information which reached him; -but though he would travel anywhere with -them, he would never accept hospitality from -them, nor would he enter M’Andrew’s house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About six miles from Annagh, in a hollow -of the mountains, is the tiny village of Glenmuck, -completely isolated from the rest of the -world, and so situated that its presence was -quite hidden until you literally walked on top -of it. None of the inhabitants, who lived -chiefly by making poteen in the winter time -and going to England as harvesters in the -summer, possessed a cart, for the very good -reason that the nearest so-called third-class -road was five miles away, and only a goat -track passed within a mile of the place.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here in due course arrived the flying column -of the I.R.A., seventy strong, every man -mounted on a bicycle and armed with a British -service rifle and as many pistols as he could -find room for. They were also the proud -possessors of a Lewis gun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As usual, the gunmen were billeted so many -in each farm, and after being badly harassed -for some time in the south, Glenmuck seemed -like Paradise to them. The nights were spent -in dancing, card-playing, and drinking poteen. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>Somewhere about noon the gunmen got up, -and after breakfast visited each other in their -different billets after the fashion of our troops -in France, walking about openly with their -rifles slung over their shoulders. The Lewis -gun team passed their days teaching the boys -and girls of the village the mechanism of the -Lewis gun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The leader’s idea was to give his men much-needed -rest and amusement for a few days, -and then to try and ambush the Auxiliaries; -and probably they could have spent quite a -long time resting here without the Auxiliaries -having the slightest suspicion of their near -presence. But war seems to be made up so -largely of “ifs,” and the “if” in this case -proved to be Father John.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When out riding on his rounds one morning, -the priest noticed that most of the young -people of his parish appeared to be gravitating -in their best clothes towards Glenmuck, and -suspecting a poteen orgy, he sternly commanded -a young damsel to tell him why she -was going to Glenmuck, and the girl told him. -Father John rode straight back to Annagh, -to be just in time to stop Jones from starting -off on a raid in the opposite direction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Jones first sent off a Cadet on a motor -bicycle to Blake at Ballybor, sending him a -verbal outline of his plan of attack on Glenmuck, -and asking him to co-operate with the -Auxiliaries from the other side of the mountains. -He then turned out every Cadet in the -place, left M’Andrew’s house empty to take -care of itself, and made off at full speed in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>the direction of Glenmuck with the priest -acting as guide.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They reached the nearest point to Glenmuck -on the road at noon, and after leaving a small -guard over the Crossleys, the rest of the company -set out in open order across the mountain -for the flying column’s lair.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gunmen had had great luck in the south -for a long time, and their luck still held. A -youth, making his way across country to get -a sight of the wonderful gunmen, happened to -look behind him when on top of a rise, and -saw about a mile away the oncoming Auxiliaries. -Being a sharp youth he realised who -they were, and ran for the village as fast as -his young legs would carry him, and by chance -ran straight into the leader when he entered -the outskirts of the place.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Reaching the hill above the village the -Auxiliaries made a last desperate rush down -the slope, in the hope of catching the gunmen -scattered in the different cottages, and so -mopping them up before they could get together; -but by this time the flying column -had taken up positions on the top of the far -slope above the village, and as the Cadets -reached the cottages they came under heavy -machine-gun fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Quickly realising what had happened, Jones -ordered one platoon to make a frontal attack -on the gunmen’s position, while he sent a -second and third platoon to try to work round -their flanks; the fourth platoon he kept with -him under cover in the village.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then followed a very pretty fight for an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>hour, by which time the gunmen, like the -Boers of old, thought it was time to move -on and take up a position on the next ridge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Jones knew that if he could only keep in -close touch with the flying column it was only -a question of time before Blake, who would -be guided by the heavy firing, would attack -them in the rear, and that they would then -stand a good chance of bagging the whole lot. -The fight gradually worked across the mountains, -the gunmen retreating from ridge to -ridge, while the Cadets stuck to them like grim -death, always striving to pin them down, and -when they retreated to drive them in the -direction from which Blake ought to appear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Late in the afternoon heavy shooting suddenly -broke out behind the gunmen, and the Cadets -redoubled their efforts to close with them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By this time the opposing forces had worked -their way down the western slopes of the -mountains almost as far as the high upland -bogs, and directly the gunmen realised that -they were likely to be surrounded, they broke -and fled down a valley, closely pursued by -police and Cadets. Unfortunately the light -was getting bad, and the gunmen’s luck still -held good. When they had gone about a -mile, they came across a big party of country -people with whom they mixed, and when the -police came up with them it was impossible to tell -gunmen from peasants—probably the former -were busily engaged cutting turf while the latter -looked on. Their arms were passed to the women, -who hid the rifles in the heather and secreted -the pistols and ammunition on their persons.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>During the whole long fight Father John -attended to wounded Cadet and gunman alike, -always to be seen where the fight was hottest; -and though his calling was conspicuous from -his clothes and white collar, yet on several -occasions the gunmen deliberately fired on him -when attending to a wounded Cadet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the battle of Glenmuck the flying -column was seen no more in that district, and for -weeks the local Volunteers gave Jones no trouble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Time after time Jones had received information -that certain young men in and about -Annagh carried arms, but whenever they were -surprised in a shop or pub no arms could be -found on them, and it was noticed that they -always moved about in the company of certain -girls.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon after the battle of Glenmuck the belles -of the district received the shock of their lives -when shopping in a town some miles away -with these young men. About noon four -Crossley loads of Cadets suddenly dashed into -the town with two women searchers dressed -in dark-blue uniforms, and that day the first -real haul of revolvers and automatics was -made. As usual, the men passed their arms -to the girls directly they saw the Auxiliaries -arrive, but this time no notice was taken of -the men, while the girls, who on former occasions -had stood looking on and jeering at the -Cadets, found themselves quickly rounded up, -and the women searchers soon did the rest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After this the moral effect of the women -searchers was so great that not a girl in the -district dare carry arms or even despatches. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>The girls were not sure whether the searchers -were women or young Cadets dressed up as -women, and this uncertainty greatly increased -their alarm.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About six weeks later Jones found out that -a much-wanted Dublin gunman, called Foy, -who had murdered at least two British officers -in cold blood, was hidden in the district, and -was being fed by his mother and sister, who -lived about two miles from Annagh. Time -after time the Cadets tried to surprise Mrs -Foy or her daughter carrying food to Foy’s -hiding-place, but always in vain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Foy’s presence soon began to be felt in the -district. Two Cadets, returning off leave in -mufti and unarmed, were taken out of the -train and murdered just outside the station, -their bodies being left there for all who passed -to see, and no man dared to touch the bodies -until the police arrived. Next the Cadets were -ambushed twice in one week, both times unsuccessfully.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Father John, who had hoped that at last -his parish had returned to the paths of peace, -was furious, and denounced from the altar all -men and women who shielded murderers. -Finally, after the murder of the two Cadets, -he refused Holy Communion to Mrs Foy and -her daughter, which is a very serious step -for a priest to take.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And when remonstrated with, he replied -that, sooner than not denounce and punish -murderers and those who aided and abetted -them, he would throw off his coat and become an -Auxiliary. More power to you, Father John!</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XVII.<br /> THE BOG CEMETERY.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>After many months of the Sinn Fein Terror, -the town of Ballybor became a place of shadows -and whispers. At night-time men saw shadows, -real and unreal, moving and stationary, at -every corner of the streets and in every lane; -and during the day-time, when men met in -the streets, they would only speak in low -whispers to each other, and always keeping -one eye over their shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Public opinion withered and died. Sinn -Fein had no use for it—men became completely -detached, mere spectators of the unchecked -and uncondemned orgy of crime; -like the younger generation in England, who -waste a large part of their lives in picture-houses, -gazing at films of vice and crime. -And if a man had been murdered in the main -street at Ballybor in the middle of the day, -not a hand would have been raised to save -the victim—the inhabitants would simply have -regarded the incident in the light of a film, -and then gone home to their dinners.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The oft-heard remark when a policeman has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>been murdered, “that it served him right for -joining the R.I.C.,” epitomises the attitude of -the majority of the Irish public towards so-called -“political murder.” As a rule, an Irishman, -on being asked if there was any news in -the paper, would reply, “No, only the usual -columns of murders and outrages.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Walter Drake, as his name implies, was -descended from an Elizabethan soldier who -had settled in the west of Ireland and built -a large house about two miles from Ballybor, -and here for many generations the Drakes had -lived, hunted, and farmed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Walter Drake had at an early age entered -the army through Sandhurst, but retired after -six years’ service on the death of his father, -and since then had lived at the Manor, spending -a large part of his time helping his poorer -neighbours in every way in his power: a -quiet man of a retiring nature, a popular -magistrate, and a good neighbour, but a determined -Loyalist. Called up again in August -1914, he had served throughout the war with -distinction in his old regiment, to return once -more to his home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Had Drake lived in any civilised country in -the world, he would most assuredly have died -in his bed when his time came, esteemed by -all as a just, kindly, and honourable man; -but, as in war, the best seem to be always -taken, so it has been in Ireland. His only -crimes appear to have been that he continued -to act as a magistrate after receiving an order -from the I.R.A. to resign his commission of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>the peace, and devoting himself to helping ex-soldiers -in the town to get their pensions and -trying to get grants of land for such as were -worthy. The granting of land to ex-soldiers -was bitterly opposed by the Transport Union, -who wanted every acre for their own landless -members. And probably being a personal -friend of Blake’s and beloved by the police -force, would constitute another crime in the -eyes of the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a certain Monday night the constable -on duty at Ballybor Barracks reported that a -great light could be seen in the sky, and -thought there must be a big fire not far from -the town. Going to the top of the barracks, -Blake at once saw that a large house must be -on fire, and judging from the direction the -chances were that it was the Manor. Taking -a dozen men in a Crossley, he at once went -off there, to find the grand old house burning -fiercely, and by the light of the fire he could -make out a pathetic group of figures on the -tennis-ground in front of the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first person whom Blake met was the -old butler, who told a tale now familiar in -many parts of Ireland to-day. The household -had retired at their usual hour of eleven, after -which the butler had carefully closed up the -house and gone to the servants’ hall to smoke -a pipe before turning in. Soon afterwards he -heard a loud knocking at the front door, followed -by a volley of shots, some of which must -have been fired through the windows, as he -could hear the sound of falling glass.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>The old man went and opened the front -door, to be met by a ring of rifles, shot-guns, -pistols, and electric torches, behind which he -could make out the usual mob of masked -ruffians. A strange voice then demanded -Major Drake; and when the butler told them -that the Major had gone to Dublin by the -mail that day, a man handed him a letter -telling him that in ten minutes’ time they -were going to burn the house to the ground, -and that he had better warn the inmates if -he didn’t want them roasted alive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The butler at once took the letter to Miss -Drake, who read the following pleasant communication -addressed to her brother:—</p> - -<p class='c011'>“Major Drake,—Owing to your aggressively -anti-Irish attitude, we have received orders to -burn your house to the ground. You will be -given ten minutes to collect your clothes. By -order.—I.R.A.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The girl hurriedly slipped on a dressing-gown, -and went down to the hall to find it -full of the brutes sprawling in chairs and -smoking. The leader came forward to speak -to her, and she begged him to have mercy on -her mother, who was old and in feeble health, -and who would surely be killed by the shock -of having her house burnt and being turned -out into the night; and implored the man -to take anything he wanted, offering him all -the money she had and her mother’s jewellery. -For answer the man pulled out his watch, and -said that she had exactly ten minutes to get -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>her old English mother out of the house, no -more and no less.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Seeing that it was useless to argue with the -brute, Miss Drake called the butler and her -mother’s maid, woke up the old lady, dressed -her the best way they could, and as the household -passed out through the central hall, they -saw men sprinkling the furniture and carpets -with petrol. Hardly had they reached the -lawn when the men rushed out past them. -There was a violent explosion (petrol-tins -bursting), and the house seemed to burst into -flames in an instant. And here they remained -on the tennis-ground, helpless and hopeless, -their only crime Loyalty, until Blake found -them there, silently crying.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Seeing that the house was gone, that, in -fact, it was impossible to save anything, Blake -put the Drakes into the Crossley, with the old -butler and the servants, and drove them to -a hotel in the town.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Drake had been seen motoring through -Ballybor to the station on the Monday, and -by that evening there was a whisper in the -town that something had happened to him, -but what the something was the whisper did -not mention. During Tuesday rumour lay -dormant. On Wednesday, however, rumour -awoke and rapidly made up for lost time, and -by that evening it was freely whispered throughout -the town that Drake had joined the I.R.A.; -that he had bolted to Canada to escape from -the I.R.A., only to be taken out of the train -on his way to Dublin by a flying column of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>gunmen, tried by a court-martial, condemned, -and executed; that he had gone to Dublin -to join the Auxiliaries; and lastly, that he -had gone to London to get married.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On Wednesday morning Miss Drake, whose -poor old mother lay in a state of collapse at -the hotel, came to Blake in great distress, and -implored him to find her brother. She was -sure something must have happened to him, -as she had wired twice, and then, getting no -reply, had wired to the secretary of his club, -where he had intended staying, and from whom -an answer had just come to say Major Drake -had not arrived.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake promised to do all he could, and -started off at once to the station to make -inquiries. Having found out that Drake actually -did leave Ballybor by the mail train on -Monday, he next sent an urgent cipher message -to the authorities in Dublin, hoping they would -be able to trace him there. Blake then set out -for Knockshinnagh, the next station on the -line to Dublin, about a mile from the small -town of the same name, and situated in the -midst of a vast bog, which stretches towards -the foot of the mountains to the east and -west, and runs nearly as far as Ballybor. -Here, acting on the assumption that the -rumour of Drake having left the mail train at -this station was correct, Blake carefully interrogated -the station-master and the three porters. -One and all denied having seen Drake -on the day in question—one porter, who had -been there years, adding inconsequently that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>he did not even know him by sight, and thereby -making Blake sure that he was on the right -track at last.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night Blake again visited the station-master -at his house in the station after midnight; -and pretending that he knew for certain -that Drake had left the train at Knockshinnagh, -warned the man of the serious consequences -of refusing to give information. -1 <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.M.</span></span> is an unpleasant hour to interview armed -men, and thinking that the police were uncomfortably -near and the I.R.A. in the dim -distance, the station-master made a full confession.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A few minutes before the limited mail -arrived at Knockshinnagh on Monday, three -armed and masked men had driven up in a -Ford car, and directly the train pulled up had -made straight for the carriage in which Drake -was travelling. At once they seized him, and -dragged him, struggling, out of the carriage to -the car, and then drove off rapidly in the -direction of Ballybor. Before the train pulled -out, a stranger in a third-class carriage warned -the station-master, in the name of the I.R.A., -to give no information to any one. As no -further information could be got from the -station-master, Blake returned to the barracks, -and set out again for Knockshinnagh after -breakfast, to endeavour to trace the Ford -from there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The road from Knockshinnagh to Ballybor -runs practically the whole way through a vast -bog, which is drained by the Owenmore river, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>with a deep fringe of water-meadows on each -bank. At intervals side roads connect up the -villages on the higher ground near the mountains -with the main road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police had covered nearly three miles -of the road without getting any news of Drake -or the Ford, when a sharp-eyed sergeant -noticed the narrow tracks of a Ford turning -up one of these side roads to the east. The -car had turned the corner sharply, leaving a -deep track of two wheels in the soft ground -on the edge of the road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Turning down this side road, they proceeded -slowly without seeing any further car-tracks -until they came to a long low cottage, standing -back about fifteen yards from the road. -Here they found tracks which showed that the -car had pulled up at the door of the cottage, -turned, and returned towards the main road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Leaving his men outside, Blake entered with -a sergeant, in time to see the owner bolting -out of the back door, only to be caught by the -sergeant and brought back. The man said -his name was Moran, and protested his loyalty -loudly before Blake could ask him a question.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In Ireland if you want information badly, -often the best way to obtain it is to bluff -your opponent into believing that you already -know part of it, leaving him to guess as to -how much you know. Blake took this line of -attack with Moran, and asked him the names -of the four men who had called at his cottage -on the previous Monday in a car. But Moran -knew the game as well as Blake, and denied -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>that any car had been to his house lately, or -indeed at any time, whereby Blake knew that -the man lied, and had something to conceal.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then threatened Moran that if he did -not tell all he knew he would arrest him and -keep him until he did, and at the same time -took him outside and pointed out the old -tracks of a car in front of the cottage. This -had the desired effect, and at long last Blake -thought their search was at an end.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Moran, it appeared, was the caretaker of -an I.R.A. cemetery, or rather an old disused -cemetery, where formerly unbaptised children -were buried, and which now was used to bury -Volunteers who had “gone to America.” On -the Monday in question three armed and -masked men had driven up to his house with -a prisoner, and after trying him by “court-martial” -in the cottage, had taken him to -the cemetery, and made Moran help them to -dig a grave, while the unfortunate prisoner -looked on. They blindfolded and shot him, -and finally forced Moran to put the body in -the grave and fill it in. They then left.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Though hard pressed, Moran denied any -knowledge of the identity of the masked men -or their victim; and when told to describe -the murdered man, gave a description which -might have applied to hundreds of men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake then ordered Moran to show him the -cemetery, but when thus driven into a corner -he took on the courage of a cornered rat, and -though they tried for an hour not one inch -would he go. Seeing that the man was desperate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>and would have died sooner than show them -the cemetery, Blake returned to the barracks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That night, as soon as it was dark, a strong -police force rounded up the six leading Volunteers -in Ballybor, and took them out to -Moran’s house in two Crossleys, arriving as -the full moon was showing over the top of the -mountains.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the first knock on the door Moran came -out, his face contracted with fear, which turned -to relief on seeing the uniforms of the police; -but when he saw the six Volunteers he nearly -collapsed. Blake now ordered Moran to lead -them to the cemetery, and so great was the -man’s terror that he started off across the bog -without a word.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After walking over a mile in the moonlight, -they came to a low ridge of limestone mounds -running through the bog and parallel to the -mountains. Here in a hollow was the old graveyard, -which looked like a disused sheep-pen, -such as the country people use for the rounding-up -of mountain sheep when the different -owners pick out their own sheep and lambs -to brand them. The cemetery was surrounded -by a stone wall, broken down in many places, -and inside was a tangled mass of elder and -thorn bushes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After posting sentries round the graveyard, -Blake made Moran point out the latest grave, -and after the trembling man had shown them -a mound between two bushes, he ordered two -of the Volunteers to start opening the grave -with spades brought by the police. Presently -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>one of the spades met something in a sack, -and on opening the sack they found the body -of a short dark man—obviously a peasant—whereas -Drake had been a tall fair man. On -examination they found wounds in the body -and left leg.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For a moment Blake was quite nonplussed—he -had been so sure that the body would be -Drake’s. He was certain that the station-master -had spoken the truth, and there seemed -no reason to doubt Moran’s evidence, though -why he should be in such a state of terror -was not plain. Further, it was now five days -since Drake was supposed to have been murdered, -and the body they had just dug up -had obviously been in the ground two days -at the most, probably only one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A careful examination of the cemetery -showed that there was no other recent grave.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s thoughts were interrupted by one -of the Volunteers, a man called Brogan, asking -with his tongue in his cheek and an impudent -sneer: “Is yer honour satisfied now, -and will we be after burying this poor fellow -decently agin?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Taking no notice of Brogan’s question, Blake -told a sergeant to make the Volunteers carry -the dead man to the Crossleys, and to wait -for him there. After they had gone he made -Moran go down on his knees and swear on his -oath that the body they had dug up was the -man who had been executed on the previous -Monday; but Moran could only swear that -he had been so frightened at the time that -he had not taken any notice of the prisoner, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>but that to the best of his belief the body was -the one he had buried. Moran then broke -down, and had to be half-carried, half-led to -his cottage, where they left him, and returned -to Ballybor with the Volunteers and the corpse -for a military investigation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The failure to find Drake’s body in the bog -cemetery forced Blake to follow up the other -rumours regarding his sudden disappearance, -but every rumour and clue failed them, and -it looked as though Drake’s fate was to be -added to the long list of unsolved Irish crimes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two days after the police had visited the -cemetery, Blake received information that arms -for a police ambush had been brought into -Murrisk townland, and also that poteen was -being freely made and drunk there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having arranged with a company of Auxiliaries -stationed in Annagh to co-operate with -him, Blake left the barracks with two Crossley -loads of police and a Ford an hour before -dawn one morning, and as the day broke the -Auxiliaries and police started to close in a -cordon on the village and outlying farms where -they suspected the arms were hidden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first signs of life were two women running -across a bog, and when followed one of -them was seen by Blake with his glasses to -throw a still into a bog-hole, while the other -one took two large jars from under her shawl -and smashed them together into pieces. The -women were quickly rounded up, and on being -taken to the nearest house, the police found -six fully-dressed men well tucked up in two -beds, and the remains of a huge fire in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>kitchen, while the whole house reeked of -poteen—good circumstantial evidence that the -party of eight had spent the night running a -still.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a long and fruitless search for arms, -Blake found himself close to Murrisk Abbey; -so, after sending the Auxiliaries back to Annagh, -he went to pay the mac Nessa a visit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The old man was delighted to see him, and -insisted that he should stay to dinner, and the -police should have drink and food.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake and the mac Nessa dined alone, and -over the port the old man started to tell Blake -tales of his youth. After his second glass and -the long day in the cold, Blake began to feel -drowsy, and his thoughts wandered to Drake -and the grave in the bog cemetery, only to -wake up with a start, hearing the old man say -something about a grave, followed by, “Is yer -honour satisfied now?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Apologising for his deafness, he asked the -mac Nessa to begin again, and the old man -told a rambling story of a butler of his young -days called Faherty, whose chief recreation -was shooting rabbits in the park during the -summer evenings. Close to the park lived a -pompous retired shopkeeper called Malone, -who had a very fine red setter, which was -always wandering in the park, like Faherty, -after rabbits.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On several occasions Faherty and Malone -had had words over the setter, and the climax -was reached when Malone arrived at the Abbey -one evening, purple with rage, and insisting -on seeing the mac Nessa, burst into his study, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>accused Faherty of having shot his setter, and -added that he knew that the dog was buried -in a shrubbery at the back of the house. The -mac Nessa at once called for Faherty; the -three proceeded straight to the shrubbery with -a spade, and Faherty was made to open the -grave which they found there. After digging -down a short way he came on the body of a -cur dog, to Malone’s great astonishment and -disappointment, and Faherty asked in a voice -of triumph, “Is yer honour satisfied now?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After Malone had gone home, the mac Nessa -asked Faherty for an explanation, and the -butler told his master how he had shot Malone’s -setter by mistake in the dusk, and then buried -him in the shrubbery. The following day he -heard that Malone suspected him, and had -heard of the funeral in the shrubbery, so the -next night he shot a cur dog, and buried him -on top of the setter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the way back to the barracks Blake could -not help thinking of the similarity of the remarks -of Faherty and Brogan when the bodies -of the cur dog and the dark peasant were dug -up, and that night he dreamt that he was -opening an endless row of graves, and never -knew whether he would dig up a cur dog or -a dark peasant, and all the time he was hoping -to find Drake’s body. At last he came to a -grave where he was positive he would find -Drake, and started to dig like mad, only to -wake up and find his own red setter on his bed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake now determined to renew his efforts -to find Drake. He ordered the Head Constable -to round up the same six Volunteers, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>and as soon as this was done set off once more -for the bog cemetery. Making their way to -Moran’s house, they learnt from his wife that -the previous evening her husband had been -removed by masked men with shovel hats and -wearing black mackintoshes. The wife, noticing -the black mackintoshes, accused the police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Borrowing a couple of spades, the police -then went to the graveyard, and as soon as -the dark man’s grave could be found, Blake -ordered the Volunteers to open it again, and -at the same time watched Brogan’s face carefully. -On the way out to the cemetery, Brogan -had been laughing and sneering as on the -former occasion, but directly he heard Blake’s -order he went as white as a sheet, and began -to tremble, and a look of terror leapt into -his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake knew that at last he was on the right -track.</p> - -<p class='c000'>None of the Volunteers moved, waiting for -Brogan to give a lead, and Blake had to -repeat his order, calling on Brogan by name -to start digging. Pulling himself together -with a great effort, the Volunteer commenced -slowly to throw the earth out of the grave, -the sweat, though it was a cold day, pouring -down his face.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The lower Brogan dug the slower he dug, -until at last, when he had excavated about -two feet of soil, he suddenly fainted and collapsed -into the shallow grave.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police were by now strung up to the -highest pitch of excitement, and a huge sergeant, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>who had been a great favourite with -Drake, suddenly gave a hoarse shout, and, -jumping into the grave threw Brogan out, -and started digging like a madman, while the -rest began to fidget with the triggers of their -rifles and look ominously at the uneasy Volunteers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Suddenly the sergeant’s spade met a soft -resistance, and in a few seconds he had uncovered -and opened a sack, to find, as Blake -expected, the body of poor Drake with a huge -expanding bullet hole through his forehead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next five minutes will always be to -Blake a nightmare: the police went stark -mad,—when highly-disciplined troops break -they are far worse to handle than any undisciplined -crowd,—and with a howl of rage -made for the cowering Volunteers, ignoring -Blake’s shouts; and to this day Blake has -no idea of how he kept his men from taking -revenge on the Volunteers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Probably he would have failed but for the -lucky chance of noticing that Brogan, who -had come to, was trying to escape. The diversion -of chasing Brogan brought the police back -to their senses, and by the time he had been -captured and brought back, discipline was -completely restored.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before they left the cemetery, Brogan made -a complete confession of all he knew about -the tragedy. He told Blake that information -had been given to the G.H.Q. of the I.R.A. -in Dublin that Drake was on the point of -taking command of a company of Auxiliaries -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>who were to be stationed in his own house, -the idea being to use Drake’s local knowledge, -which Blake knew to be quite untrue. On the -Sunday two gunmen arrived from Dublin with -orders to shoot Drake and burn his house. -Finding out that Drake intended to go to -Dublin the following day by the mail train, -they commandeered a Ford in Ballybor, taking -Brogan with them as a guide, and took him -out of the train at Knockshinnagh; and after -the murder they returned to Ballybor, superintended -the burning of Drake’s house, and then -disappeared into the night on stolen bicycles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Shortly afterwards Brogan heard a rumour -that Drake had been murdered and buried in -the bog cemetery, and he became very uneasy. -That night he and three of the Volunteers -received orders to take part in a police ambush -on the far side of the Slievenamoe Mountains, -which order they obeyed, going in a Ford.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the ambush a strange gunman—none of -the local Volunteers knew who he was or where -he came from—was killed, and when some -argument arose as to how to dispose of his -body, Brogan at once volunteered to take the -body back with him and bury it in the bog -cemetery, his intention being to bury the gunman -on top of Drake, so that if by chance -the police opened the grave they would find -the body of the gunman and be put off the -scent. After the first visit of the police the -Volunteers had removed Moran to a Sinn Fein -detention prison, fearing that he might break -down and give information.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XVIII.<br /> A JEW IN GAELIC CLOTHING.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>“Beware of false prophets, which come to -you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they -are ravening wolves.”—St. Matt. vii. 15.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Probably very few people in England have the -remotest idea to what extent anarchy was rife -throughout the south and west of Ireland, even -in parts of loyal Ulster, during the year 1920.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Most of the Irish members of Parliament, -seventy-three to be exact, swore allegiance to -Dail Eireann. Of these, seven lived abroad, -and the remainder spent most of their time in -prison.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the beginning of the year Sinn Fein -captured practically every County Council, -Rural Council, and Poor Law Guardian’s Board -in twenty-seven counties; nearly all these -Boards defied the Local Government Board, -and took their orders from Dail Eireann direct.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Next came the burning of County and Civil -Courts, police barracks and Petty Sessions -Courts, followed by murderous attacks on -police and Loyalists throughout the south and -west, though chiefly in the south at first.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>In many parts Loyalists were forced under -the jurisdiction of Sinn Fein Land, Arbitration, -and Civil Courts. Solicitors had their -choice of practising in these Courts or not -practising at all, and a solicitor must live as -well as another man.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police had no power outside their barracks, -and in many districts a policeman was -never seen for weeks on end, whole districts -being policed by civilian Volunteers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A large national loan was raised openly in -defiance of the British Government, its avowed -purpose being to carry on war against England -and to break up the British Army. Sinn -Fein banks and insurance societies were floated, -the money obtained being used for the same -purposes. Sinn Fein laws were passed and -enforced, and a large army organised and built -up, drilled and armed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time the British Prime Minister repeatedly -assured the country that there never -could and never would be an Irish Republic; -while Lloyd George talked De Valera acted, -and the Republic came into being while Lloyd -George was still talking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the summer of 1919 a very ordinary -and at first uninteresting strike of shop assistants -took place in Ballybor for higher wages -and shorter hours, and the shopkeepers managed -to carry on with the aid of their families, -and few of the public suffered any inconvenience -from the strike.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Good relations still existed between master -and employee in nearly every shop in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>town, and the shopkeepers were just on the -point of an amicable settlement with their -assistants when a Transport Union agitator, -or, as he called himself, a Gaelic organiser, -appeared on the scene, and in a few hours the -whole situation was changed. The local secretary -of the Transport Union, to which the -shop assistants belonged, at once broke off all -negotiations with the shopkeepers, and before -night several acts of sabotage had been committed -in the town.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The next morning saw the strike begin afresh -in deadly earnest. Every street was picketed -by strikers, who refused to allow any one, -townspeople or country people, to purchase -any foodstuffs until the shopkeepers had given -in to their impossible demands. Doubtless the -idea was that the starving people would bring -such pressure to bear on the shopkeepers that -they would be forced to give in and grant -practically any terms to the shop assistants. -In a word, the old game of blackmail.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Several unfortunate old country-women, who -had managed to evade the pickets and to purchase -provisions, were caught on their way -home by the strikers and their purchases -trodden into the mud of the streets. One old -clergyman, who lived several miles from Ballybor -in an isolated district, managed not only -to dodge the pickets and buy much-needed -food, but to get two miles on his way home. -However, a picket of shop-boys, mounted on -bicycles, overtook him, threw all his provisions -into a bog-hole, beat him severely, turned his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>pony loose in the bog, and left him by the -roadside.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the shopkeepers were bewildered and -at a complete loss to understand the sudden -change in the attitude of their assistants, but -on hearing Paidraig O’Kelly, the so-called -Gaelic organiser, make his first public speech, -they knew at once what they were up against.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In 1914, before the war broke out, all thinking -Irishmen knew that the coming and growing -danger in Ireland was the Transport Union, -formed originally for the perfectly legitimate -object of raising the status and wages of the -working classes (quite apart from the small -farmer class) by combined action. But in a very -short time this Union became the instrument -of Bolshevism in Ireland under the able command -of James Connelly, a disciple of Lenin’s -long before the latter had risen to power.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so thoroughly and well had Connelly -made out his plans for the future that in every -town and village the complete machinery of -Soviet Government had been prepared, ready -to start working the instant the revolution -should break out. Men had been appointed to -every public office, and the houses of the well-to-do -allotted to the different Commissioners -and officers of each local Soviet.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Luckily for Ireland, the rebellion of 1916 -saw the end of James Connelly, probably the -most dangerous and one of the cleverest men -of modern times in Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With the death of Connelly and the disappearance -of Larkin to America, the Transport -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>Union fell into the hands of less able -men, but still carried on successfully with -agrarian agitation, though marking time as -regards revolution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the war the Union found itself up -against Sinn Fein, and for a time it looked as -though the two parties would come to blows -and so nullify each other’s efforts. Unfortunately -both parties saw that their only chance -of success was to co-operate; doubtless the -Transport Union thought that if the rebellion -was successful their chance would come in the -general confusion, and that they would be -able to get their Soviet Government working -before the Sinn Feiners could get going.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During 1919 and 1920 Sinn Fein and the -Transport Union nearly came to blows on -several occasions in the west over agrarian -trouble. The Transport Union wanted to take -advantage of the absence of law and order to -hunt every landlord and big farmer out of -the country and divide their lands amongst -the landless members of the Union, while Sinn -Fein policy was to wait until the Republic had -been set up, when, so they declared, there -would be an equitable division made.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Ballybor strike collapsed as suddenly as -it had started with the disappearance of Paidraig -O’Kelly. The previous day a public meeting -on the town fair green had been held by -the Transport Union, and all the young men -and girls of the town and countryside had -attended. At first the local firebrands addressed -the meeting with their usual grievance, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>and then O’Kelly spoke for a full hour. At -first he confined himself to the strike, and -carried his audience with him when he painted -a vivid picture of the different lives led by the -shopkeepers and their “slaves,” how the former -and their families lived on the fat of the land, -the latter in the gutter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The crowd had now had all they wanted -and were prepared to go home to tea, but -O’Kelly had a good deal more to tell them. -Suddenly and without any warning he began -to unfold the doctrine of Lenin, to show them -how the world and all the good things in it -ought really to belong to them, and that these -good things would never be theirs until the -ruling classes were forced to disgorge them, -and that the only way to make the swine -disgorge was to kill them one and all—gentry, -business men, and shopkeepers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The man could really speak, and held his -audience spellbound while he unfolded the -Irish Eldorado of the future; but through all -his speech ran the one idea to kill, always to -kill those in a higher station of life than his -listeners. To finish with he called upon them -to start with the police, to shoot them like -the dogs they were, and when they were gone -the rest would be easy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Sergeant M’Grath had been detailed to attend -the meeting to take down in shorthand -any speeches which might require explaining -afterwards, but until O’Kelly started to preach -the doctrine of Lenin he had not opened his -notebook.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>The sergeant had served in most parts of -Ireland, but O’Kelly’s speech and brogue -puzzled him: the man spoke like an Englishman -trying to imitate the Irish brogue, but -with a thickness of speech which the sergeant -could not place. Nor could he place the shape -of O’Kelly’s head, a round bullet-shaped one -with a high narrow forehead and coarse black -hair.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He duly reported O’Kelly’s speech to the -D.I., who endeavoured to find out where the -man came from, but failed to get any definite -information. One rumour said that O’Kelly -came from Cork, another from America, and -yet a third that he was a native of Castleport. -So the only thing to do was to arrest the man -and then try to identify him; but O’Kelly -had completely disappeared.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Nothing further appears to have been heard -of O’Kelly in Ireland during 1919, but the -following year an itinerant lecturer on beekeeping -turned up in Co. Donegal, who bore a -strong resemblance to Lenin’s disciple. This -man’s practice was to give a short lecture on -bees in school-houses, and then to launch forth -into pure Bolshevism—a complete waste of -time on the average Donegal peasant. Next -he was heard of in Belfast, where he was -lucky to escape a violent death at the hands -of some infuriated shipyard workers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In May 1920 the Transport Union in Ballybor -began suddenly to give Blake a lot of -trouble—cases of men being dragged out of -their beds at night and forced with a loaded -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>gun at their heads to join the Union steadily -increased.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Several landlords who employed a good -many men were threatened that, if they did -not pay a higher wage than the maximum -laid down by law, all their men would be -called out and that they would in addition -be boycotted. And any who refused at once -had their hayricks burnt and their cattle -injured.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Rumours came to Blake’s ears of a man -making extraordinary speeches at night in the -different country school-houses throughout the -district to audiences of young men and girls, -speeches which apparently combined Sinn Fein -aims with red revolution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During 1920 Sergeant M’Grath had been -sent to Grouse Lodge as sergeant-in-charge, -and thinking that he recognised O’Kelly in -the revolutionary lecturer who was touring the -district, he kept a careful watch on the Cloonalla -school-house, and within a week had surprised -and captured the man, who turned out -to be O’Kelly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>O’Kelly was brought up before the R.M. in -Ballybor Barracks, charged with inciting the -people to murder the police during the strike -of 1919, and pleaded not guilty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The R.M., who looked upon the man as a -harmless lunatic (he had not heard him haranguing -a crowd), offered to let him go provided he -entered into a recognisance to be of good behaviour -and could find two sureties in fairly -substantial sums. O’Kelly replied that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>dared not enter into a recognisance to be of -good behaviour, and further, that if he was -released he would continue to preach revolution. -Whereupon the R.M. gave him three -months and left the barracks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake then saw O’Kelly alone, and endeavoured -to find out who and what he was. It -was obvious that the man was not an Irishman, -nor did he appear to be English. O’Kelly -refused to give him any information regarding -himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While this interview was going on an Auxiliary, -whose home was in Scotland, and who -commanded a section of Cadets on temporary -duty in Ballybor, looked in to see Blake and -found him with O’Kelly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After O’Kelly had left the room the Auxiliary -told Blake that he knew the man well, and -had often seen him in Glasgow, where, previous -to 1919, the man had lived for two years working -as a Jewish Bolshevik agent, and that he -had suddenly disappeared from Glasgow when -the police began to get unpleasantly attentive.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XIX.<br /> MOUNTAIN WARFARE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The movements of the flying columns of the -I.R.A.—gangs of armed ruffians, usually numbering -about forty, but sometimes more, sometimes -less, and led by men with military -experience (ex-soldiers and even ex-officers, to -their everlasting shame)—have always corresponded -accurately to the amount of police -and military pressure brought to bear on them, -which pressure has continually fluctuated in -agreement to the whims and brain-waves of -the politicians in power.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Figuratively speaking, these same politicians -have kept the police and military with one -hand tied behind their back, and sometimes -when the screams of the mob politicians in the -House have been loudest, have very nearly -tied up both their hands. If a chart had been -kept during the Irish war showing the relative -intensity of the politicians’ screams and the -activities of the I.R.A., the reading of it would -be highly interesting and instructive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Extra pressure, more rigid enforcement of -existing restrictions on movement, and increased -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>military activity have always resulted -in a general stampede of flying columns to the -mountains of the west, where the gunmen could -rest in comparative safety, and swagger about -among the simple and ignorant mountain-folk -to their hearts’ content.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here they would stay until the politicians, -frightened by inspired questions in the House, -would practically confine the military and -police to barracks. The gunmen would then, -with great reluctance, leave the safety of the -mountains, and return to the southern front, -to carry on once more the good work of political -murder.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And so the game of seesaw went on. Every -time that the Crown forces saw victory in sight -the politicians would drag them back again to -start all afresh. The wonder is that the Crown -forces stuck it so long with every hand against -them, and their worst abuse coming from a -cowardly section of their own countrymen in -England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early in 1921 the Crown forces in the south -of Ireland suddenly gave forth signs that a -determined effort was to be made to deal -effectively, once and for all, with the gangs of -armed murderers and robbers roaming the -country, masquerading as soldiers of the Irish -Republic; and again the flying columns fled -in haste to their mountain retreats in the west, -a part of the country where the majority of -the inhabitants have always done their best -to keep out of the trouble, with a few isolated -exceptions.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>This time they stayed longer; in fact, each -time it became harder to induce the gunmen -to forsake the peace of the mountains for the -war in the south. After a time they started to -vary the monotony by carrying out punitive -expeditions against the police and the unfortunate -Loyalists in the surrounding lowlands, -but always to fly back to the mountains -at the first sight of a force of police or soldiers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ex-soldiers were the chief game at this -period. A district would be chosen where -there were no troops and few police. A list -of all ex-soldiers living in this district would -be made out, and guides provided by the local -I.R.A. commandant. Each ex-soldier would -be visited in turn during a night, given his -choice of active service with the I.R.A. or a -sudden death. Those who remained loyal to -the King would be led out and butchered like -sheep, though possibly the murderers would -not take the trouble to remove their victims, -but would fire a volley into them as they lay -in bed, and leave them there. Truly a brave -army!</p> - -<p class='c000'>Transport presented no difficulty to the gunmen. -The British Government took practically -no steps to control the movements of motors, -motor bicycles, or push-bicycles, except the -motor-permit farce, which greatly inconvenienced -Loyalists only. All they had to do was -to commandeer as many cars or bicycles as -they wanted, where, when, and how they liked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, this was not all the work which -the Sinn Fein leaders intended their flying -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>columns to carry out, and in order to induce -the gunmen to return to duty the usual noisy -peace squeal was started in England, so that -conditions might be made pleasanter for the -gunmen in the south. The murdering of ex-soldiers -and helpless Loyalists could be easily -carried out by local Volunteers under a well-seasoned -murderer—an excellent method of -initiating raw recruits into the methods of the -Sinn Fein idea of warfare. The British Government, -always great judges of Irish character, -thought that the Sinn Fein leaders were coming -to their senses at last, took off the pressure, -and the gunmen duly returned to duty.</p> - -<hr class='c010' /> - -<p class='c000'>At length there came a time when these -columns really got the wind up, stampeded to -the western mountains, and this time refused -point-blank to return to duty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the late spring of 1921 Blake was suddenly -called over to England on private business in -London, and afterwards went down to the -country to spend a few days with the parents -of a man with whom he had served in France.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The day after his arrival Blake’s host told -him that a Black and Tan, a native of the -place, had been murdered in Ireland a few days -previously, and was to be buried that day in -the parish graveyard, and asked Blake if he -would accompany him to the funeral.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When passing through Dublin on his way -to England, Blake had seen in the Castle the -account of how this unfortunate Black and -Tan had met his death—shot in the back when -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>walking in the streets of a small western town -with a girl; and not content with that, the -murderers had fired a volley at him as he lay -wounded on the ground, and even fired several -shots after the girl as she fled shrieking up -the street. So terrified were the townspeople -that, though there were many in the streets at -the time, not one dared to even approach the -dying constable, and it was not until a full -hour afterwards that a passing police patrol -found him lying dead in a great pool of blood. -Incidentally, the murderers had by then put -sixteen miles behind them by means of stolen -bicycles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake accepted, expecting to see a large -funeral to do honour to the murdered policeman, -but to his great surprise and indignation -found that only the near relations of the murdered -man were present.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Returning from the funeral, Blake happened -to see the local police inspector in the main -street of the little town, and at once tackled -him about the funeral, wanting to know why -the local police had not been present as a last -mark of respect to a man who had died for his -country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The inspector seemed greatly surprised and -rather taken aback, and replied that he could -hardly be expected to turn his men out to -attend the funeral of a murderer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For a moment Blake saw red, and but for -a natural horror of making a scene in a public -place, would probably have knocked the inspector -down. Then, thinking that there must -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>be a bad blunder somewhere, he asked whom -the Black and Tan had murdered, and how he -had met his death. The inspector admitted -that the Black and Tan had been murdered, -he believed, and then opened out on the crimes -and atrocities which the Black and Tans had -committed in Ireland—murder, rape, and highway -robbery,—in fact, the usual list of atrocities -which is generally to be read in the Sinn -Fein propaganda pamphlets.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake waited patiently until the inspector -had given him a harrowing picture of the condition -of the south and west of Ireland: heartrending -accounts of homeless and starving -women and children, old and young men and -boys hunted like wild beasts in the mountains -and living on berries and roots; shops burnt -to the ground and looted by Black and Tans -in mufti; and of men and boys shot by -Auxiliaries in the dead of night before the -eyes of their relations.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then asked the inspector who had given -him this information, adding that he would -like to see the proof of it, and at the same -time telling him that he was a D.I. in the R.I.C.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The inspector invited Blake to go to the -police station with him, and here, as Blake -had expected, he was shown the usual lying -propaganda and pamphlets of Sinn Fein, which -have been distributed by the million throughout -England, Scotland, Wales, and the U.S.A. -An extract from one pamphlet is worth repeating:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Famine is about to add thousands of innocent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>victims to the hundreds of thousands -already in need of the bare necessities that -keep body and soul together. In every Irish -village and town sickness, pestilence, and death -invade the humble homes, striking swiftly and -surely the mothers and children incapable of -resistance through months of struggle against -cold and hunger.... Children of tender years, -ragged and wretched, trudge daily through the -cold to a school now used for a relief station -to obtain the one meal a day on which they -live—a piece of bread and a warm drink.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Seeing from his ribbons that the man had -served in the war, Blake asked him if he would -take the word of a brother officer against that -of a Sinn Fein rebel. The inspector seemed to -think this a good joke, and replied: “A -brother officer every time.” “Well, then,” -said Blake, “as an ex-British officer, I give -you my word of honour that all those pamphlets -you have just shown me are a pack of lies -circulated by Irish rebels to ruin your country.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Still the inspector was only half convinced, -and in spite of all Blake could say he saw when -he at last left that the man’s belief in the -printed pamphlets of Sinn Fein was still unshaken. -Such is the tremendous effect of print, -whether newspapers or pamphlets, on the -modern mind, and the firm belief in the old -saying that there can be no smoke without -a fire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That afternoon Blake was carried off by his -hostess to a drawing-room lecture at a big -country-house. His hostess was not quite sure -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>what the lecture was about, but believed it had -something to do with Russia. After tea the -lecturer arose, and before he uttered a word, -Blake had a premonition of what was coming. -A tall thin man, with pronounced Celtic peculiarities -and a mane of long, lank, black hair, -Blake had seen his prototype thousands of -times in the west of Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Throwing back his great mane with a jerk -of his head, the lecturer started on an impassioned -recital of the atrocities committed -in Ireland by the British Army of Occupation, -practically the same collection of lies and -wicked quarter truths which Blake had heard -from the police inspector that morning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake watched the faces of the audience -closely, mostly women of the upper and middle -classes, and could see that the lecturer’s ready -tongue was making a deep impression on them. -There was no yawning or fidgeting, and the -audience, many of them with the parted lips -of rapt attention, kept their eyes riveted on the -quite interesting face of the wild man of the -west, camouflaged by a London tailor to harmonise -with an English drawing-room.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake let the man have a fair innings, and -then while he was drinking a glass of water -(Blake felt like asking him if he would not -prefer poteen) stood up and said quietly, -“Ladies and gentlemen, so far this lecture has -been nothing but a pack of lies from beginning -to end. The lecturer is a Sinn Fein rebel -camouflaged as an Irish gentleman, and I am -a D.I. of the Royal Irish Constabulary. During -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>the war I fought for your country, and the -lecturer probably assisted the Boches in every -underhand and mean way he could. You can -judge for yourselves which of us is most probably -telling the truth, and nothing but the -truth.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The wild man turned with a wicked snarl, -all signs of the veneer gone, and his face reminded -Blake of a cornered gunman he had -had to deal with once during a raid on a -Dublin lodging-house; and there would probably -have been an ugly and unseemly scene, -but the owner of the house intervened, and -gently but firmly led the wild man out of the -room, while Blake and his friends left the -house at once.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return Blake found a cipher wire -from his County Inspector recalling him at -once, and going by car to London managed -to catch the Irish mail from Euston. All the -sleepers were engaged, but by good luck he -found himself in possession of a first-class -compartment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While idly smoking a cigarette and meditating -on the extraordinary amount of Sinn Fein -propaganda he had met with in the course of -one short day in England, he noticed a well-dressed -slight girl pass and repass the glass -door of his compartment several times. As the -mail pulled out of the station this girl pulled -open the sliding-door from the corridor and -sat down opposite Blake, remarking that it -was a grand evening, and thereby unconsciously -informing him that she was Irish.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>Suddenly realising that he was smoking, he -asked the girl, who he could see was unusually -pretty and quite young, if she had any objection, -and, as he had expected, she readily -entered into conversation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After a time she remarked, with a pretty -engaging smile, that she saw he had nothing -to read, and getting down her suit-case, handed -Blake a handful of the identical pamphlets he -had already seen that morning in the English -country police station. In addition, there was -one fresh one on “The Irish Issue,” by William -J. M. A. Maloney, M.D., captain in the British -Army, August 1914-August 1916.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake then saw that his original suspicion -was correct, and that he had to deal with that -most dangerous of all spies, Sinn Fein or any -other breed—a pretty girl.</p> - -<p class='c000'>By the time Rugby was passed he had heard -the simple life-history in a rural part of England -of the girl, ending with the information -that she was going to Dublin for three months, -and that she was very much in dread after all -the dreadful happenings there she had read of -in the papers, and she had never been in -Ireland before (all this in a very fine rich -Dublin brogue). And Blake began to think -that he must really possess that most priceless -of assets, to look a much bigger fool than -you are.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the stop at Crewe the girl again attacked -him about Dublin, asking if he lived in -lodgings there, and, if so, was there a room -to let in the same house. A few days previously -<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>Michael Collins’s flat in a certain Dublin -street had been raided with satisfactory results -to the raiders, and Blake gave her this address, -assuring her that she would here find quarters -entirely suitable to her requirements. The girl -took the hint, and the rest of the journey to -Holyhead was spent in silence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the mail-boat Blake saw the girl once -more, sitting with a youthful officer of the -Dublin garrison, and carrying on an animated -conversation with their heads touching.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On arriving at Ballybor Barracks Blake -found further orders awaiting him from the -County Inspector to proceed at once to Castleport -with all the men and cars he could spare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The wildest rumours were afloat amongst his -men: that the I.R.A. were going to take the -field openly (this notable achievement was -reserved for the Truce); that a large force of -Americans had landed from a yacht at Errinane -with stacks of arms, and that they were -raising and arming the mountain men of that -district greatly against their wish and inclination, -and that De Valera had been landed on -the west coast from a submarine, was hiding -in the mountains of Ballyrick, and was at long -last going to take the field himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Collecting every man he could spare and -taking all the transport except one Crossley, -Blake set off with a strong convoy of police -for Castleport. The men were in great heart, -and eagerly looking forward to a good square -fight in the open with the hitherto elusive -soldiers of the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>At Castleport they found the barracks packed -with police, drawn in from all the outlying -districts; even two large houses adjacent to -the barracks had had to be commandeered to -hold all the men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The County Inspector explained the situation, -which was quite simple. A large force -of I.R.A. flying columns, estimated at over a -thousand strong, were reported to have refused -to return to the south, and had taken up permanent -quarters in the Maryburgh Peninsula, -north-west of Errinane, and were playing old -puck generally throughout that part of the -west. At first these flying columns had been -distributed all through the mountains, some in -the Ballyrick country, more in the Slievenamoe -Mountains, and a large party to the south of -Castleport; but owing to the unpleasant attentions -of Auxiliary flying columns they had gradually -retired towards the Maryburgh Peninsula, -where so far they had been left unmolested.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The gunmen on the Slievenamoe Mountains -had had a bad fright from the very efficient -company of Auxiliaries quartered at Annagh. -Father John had done all in his power to get -rid of these unwelcome guests in his parish, -but showing a fine turn of speed they just -managed to escape, actually dashing through -Ballybor in the middle of the night in a convoy -of commandeered Fords a few days before -Blake’s return.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For some time the gunmen had been in the -habit of commandeering their rations at night -from Castleport, and during these nights the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>town would be completely isolated. The first -intimation of anything being wrong which the -townspeople had was the return one night -of several white-faced crying girls, who told -their parents that they had just by chance -met Pat So-and-So, and that he had asked -them to go for a stroll, and hardly had they -got outside the town when armed men had -seized poor Pateen and ordered the girls to go -home at once. Incidentally the poor Pateens -were kept as a labour platoon by the gunmen, -and made to do all the dirty work of digging -trenches, breaking down bridges, &c., which -occurred during the operations to follow. A -different butcher, baker, and grocer would be -visited each time, just to show that there was -no question of favouritism with the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>While this requisitioning was proceeding -every road leading into Castleport was held -by strong pickets of gunmen, who, as soon as -the ration party returned, would make for the -Maryburgh Mountains on bicycles, the ration -party travelling on a commandeered lorry.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Directly the County Inspector got wind of -this proceeding, he made an attempt to surprise -the gunmen one night, but their local -information was too good, and he failed. Then, -hearing that this big muster of gunmen was -hiding in the Maryburgh Peninsula, he collected -all the forces he could, and prepared to kill, -capture, or drive them into the Atlantic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Soon after Blake’s arrival at Castleport, -apparently reliable information came in that -a landing of arms had been carried out early -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>that morning at Errinane, and that these arms -were to be taken as soon as it was dark to the -Maryburgh Peninsula. The County Inspector -at once detailed Blake and Black, the Castleport -D.I., to take a large force of police and -attempt to seize the arms before they could -be taken out of Errinane.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Errinane lies about twenty-one miles to the -south of Castleport, on a narrow inland bay. -The road runs the whole way through wild -mountainous country, though at no point does -the road run very close to the mountains.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the way out Blake carefully looked out -for any points where an ambush might be -carried out, and noticed that there were two -bad spots: one where the road skirted the -edge of a wood with a rocky hill close on the -other side; the second, about eight miles from -Castleport, where the road twisted through a -ravine with steep rocky sides dotted with -bushes, and at one place crossed a narrow high -bridge—an ideal place for an ambush. Blake -was so much impressed with this place that -he stopped the cars and made his men search -carefully the sides of the ravine, but not a sign -of any preparations for an ambush could they -find. Nor were there any trenches on the road.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After picketing Errinane, Blake searched -every house, shop, store, and barn in the -village, but not a sign of arms could be found, -nor was any yacht to be seen in the harbour.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was late when they started back for -Castleport, and Blake, who was suspicious of -an ambush at the bridge in the ravine, which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>was the nearest point on the road to the Maryburgh -country, ordered Black to go ahead -with two Crossleys, and to search the ravine -thoroughly, and then to wait until the rest of -the force caught him up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s party was delayed by two punctures, -and when they got near to the ravine heavy -firing suddenly broke out ahead of them. -When within half a mile of the bridge, they -saw a party of men running away from a -culvert in a dip of the road ahead of them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Luckily, Blake was in the leading car, and -ordered the driver to pull up about a hundred -yards short of the culvert, which, sure enough, -went up before they had been waiting two -minutes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The firing ahead had now grown heavier, -and every now and then the dull thud of a -bursting Mills bomb could be heard above the -racket of musketry. Realising that Black must -be hard pressed, Blake divided his force into -two, ordered each party to deploy on one side of -the road and attempt to outflank the ravines.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When within three hundred yards of the -bridge both parties came under heavy enfilade -machine-gun fire—machine-guns which made a -noise none had ever heard before, and were -probably American Thompson guns,—and they -were forced to take the best cover they could -find in the open bog.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The machine-gun fire at once died down, -only to break out again every time the police -attempted to advance by short rushes. By -painful degrees they managed to get within -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>eighty yards of the bridge, where the formation -of the ground protected them from that horrible -enfilade hail of bullets, and gathering -themselves together they charged at the reverse -slope of the ravine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At once the firing ceased, and when at last -they had torn their way through briars and -gorse to reach the top, all that they found was -small piles of empty cartridges and two ordinary -tweed caps—not a sign of a gunman whichever -way they looked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They then turned their attention to their -comrades on the road, and here a heartrending -sight met their eyes. At first it appeared as -though all the occupants of the two cars were -either dead or wounded, but as they descended -towards the bridge a small party of police -crawled from underneath it, soaked to the -skin. They found Black lying against the front -wheel of the leading car with four bullet wounds -in his body and his head smashed in by a -dum-dum bullet—stone-dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake found out from the survivors that -Black had disregarded his orders, and had not -pulled up until the cars had passed the bridge, -when a hail of bullets swept the cars from the -top of both banks of the ravine. Black was -wounded by the first volley, was hit twice -while getting out of the car to lead his men -to the attack, and in the head as his foot -touched the ground.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sun had by now gone down, and collecting -all his wounded and dead, Blake pushed -off for Castleport as fast as he could.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>Beyond a blown-up culvert half a mile from -the ravine, which the cars crossed without -difficulty on their own planks, they met with -no further trouble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then followed three feverish days of planning -and preparing for the great drive, which it was -hoped would put a thousand gunmen out of -action for good and all; unless indeed a new -Chief Secretary should come to Ireland, perhaps -this time from Australia or possibly from -India, or even a Jew, who would celebrate his -arrival in this unfortunate country by opening -wide the gates of the internment camps.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The area to be driven was roughly three -hundred and sixty square miles, which will -give some idea of the magnitude of the task -which a handful of police had to tackle with -the aid of a battalion of infantry and a company -of Auxiliaries. And when it is added -that the entire peninsula consisted of mountains -(five of them well over two thousand -feet, and unclimbable in many places), bogs, -lakes, and rivers, with only one decent road -which ran <em>round the coast and at the base</em>, it -will be granted that the task was nearly an -impossible one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Also the few scattered inhabitants would be -certain to be found to act as unwilling scouts -for the gunmen. Moreover, once the weather -turned wet, which may happen in the course -of a few hours on the west coast, a thick mist -would cover the mountains, and all the gunmen -had to do then was to walk out of the -trap and make their way inland.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>The plan of attack was as follows. The -Castleport-Errinane road crossed the twenty-mile -neck of the peninsula, and before dawn -one day ten columns, each of eighty men, -formed up a mile apart.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as it was light enough to see, these -columns started, marching in columns of route -for the first two miles; they then deployed -into open order, got in touch with each other, -and then started to drive the country out of -face for the remaining eighteen miles. Frequently -the line had to halt while a column -would hunt a mountain in its line of advance, -or a detour round a lake had to be made.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the first four miles there was no sign of -the gunmen—the column only met flocks of -mountain sheep, and no sign of a human -being; but, when ten miles from the west end -of the peninsula, the troops on both flanks -came under fire—evidently an attempt to stop -them working round behind the gunmen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The troops in the centre now tried to advance, -but were also held up by heavy fire before -they had gone half a mile; but at their third -attempt the flanks met with no opposition, -and the whole line was able to continue the -advance. From now on the gunmen offered a -determined resistance at every ridge, but always -retired before their positions could be turned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At last, close on nightfall, the Crown forces -came to the strongest position of all—a long -ridge in the centre with small hills at each -end, extending to the north and south coasts -of the peninsula.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>As there was no time left for a turning -movement, a direct assault was tried, only to -fail twice. It was then decided to wait until -the full moon had risen, when it would be -possible to make a turning movement along -the coast.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Unfortunately the sky became cloudy, and -during the whole night the Crown forces were -unable to move; but as soon as the daylight -came another assault met with no opposition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Once on top of the ridge they could see the -remainder of the peninsula to the west coast, -and not a sign of a gunman anywhere; nor -when they searched every valley and even -some sand-hills on the coast could they find so -much as a single gunman.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following day word was brought into -the barracks at Castleport that a column of -gunmen, thousands strong, had been seen -marching in column of route into the Ballyrick -Mountains from the coast; but how they -could have got there from the Maryburgh -Peninsula did not transpire for some time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Later it was learnt that when the Crown -forces gave up the attack on the final ridge to -wait for the moon, the gunmen waited until -it was dark, when they made their way to the -coast. Here they had collected every fishing-boat -to be found. The sea being calm, the -whole force managed during the night to cross -the bay to the north, a distance of fifteen miles, -landed on the Ballyrick coast soon after dawn, -and at once set off for the Ballyrick Mountains.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XX.<br /> THE GREAT ROUND UP.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>At the beginning of the Irish war, when the -I.R.A., to use its own words, “took the field -against the British Army,” its activities were -purely local and sporadic. Some unfortunate -police patrols of half a dozen men, often less, -walking along the King’s highway, interfering -with none except evil-doers, would be suddenly -fired at with shot-guns, sometimes loaded with -jagged slugs and pieces of metal, from a safe -cover behind a stone wall with carefully-prepared -loopholes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These police patrols never had a dog’s -chance, and should have been discontinued -long before they actually were.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At first the murderers did not trouble to -make sure that they had a perfectly safe line -of retreat behind them when the location of -these cowardly ambushes was chosen, but after -a few failures they made no mistake in future, -the line of retreat, either through a thick wood -or down the reverse slope of a hill, being -always the first consideration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Married police living in houses or rooms in -the town of their station afforded an easy and -safe target for the venom of these hooligan -shop-boys and farmers’ sons. At first the police -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>used to go home unarmed, and used to be shot -down in the back while passing along an ill-lighted -street or lane, or the assassins would -knock at the door of the policeman’s home, -and if he came to the door would fire at him -and then run away.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Occasionally, in districts where the standard -of bravery was very high, all the Volunteers -would collect in a small town after dark—always -after dark—and carry out an attack -on the local police barracks. They knew perfectly -well that it was impossible for the police -to leave their barracks owing to the smallness -of their numbers, and that as long as they kept -well under cover (which they did) they were -just as safe as they would be in their own -beds at home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These so-called attacks on police barracks -simply consisted in gangs of hooligans first -taking careful cover in houses adjacent to the -barracks, and then firing off as many rounds as -they possessed. They always ceased fire long -before daybreak, in order that they might be -home in good time before it was possible for -the police to leave barracks or a relief party -to arrive on the scene.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this period of the war, raiding the houses -of the Loyalists for arms, and incidentally for -money and valuables, not forgetting drink, -was a much safer and more remunerative -night’s amusement than shooting policemen or -attacking barracks, though the price then was -£60 for every policeman murdered.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A party of twenty to thirty Volunteers, -usually boys from fifteen to twenty years of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>age, would meet at a fixed rendezvous some -time after dark with all the arms they could -raise. They would then don black cloth masks, -turn up their coat collars, pull their hats down, -and sally forth to spend the night robbing, -murdering, and terrorising the unfortunate -Loyalists of the district.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Imagine the feelings of a respectable old man -living in a lonely house, who had probably -never harmed any one during his lifetime, and -whose only crime consisted in being loyal or -refusing to subscribe to the funds of the I.R.A., -in many cases a form of common robbery.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Night after night he lies in bed expecting to -hear a loud knock at the door, and at last it -comes. He opens the door to find a dozen shot-guns, -old rifles, and pistols pointed at him. -Some brute then demands his arms; the old -man says he has none. They push him aside -and force their way in. The old man is made -to sit down while two young hounds keep -prodding him in the back of the neck with the -muzzles of their pistols, to remind him what -they could do if they liked. The remainder -ransack the house from top to bottom, take -away any money or valuables they can find, -and consume any drink there may be. If they -cannot find any money or valuables, they -threaten him with death until he disgorges. -And lonely women suffered in like fashion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The demand for arms used to be merely a -blind for committing robbery. The location -of every firearm in a district was well known -from the beginning of the war.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>If the reader happens to be an English -country gentleman, let him think what it -would be like never to know the night or hour -when he would be raided by a gang of farm -labourers or village loafers, armed and masked, -from the nearest village. He might retire to -bed to be waked up by loud knocking on his -front door. If he did not open quickly a -rifle shot would be fired through the lock, and -if the door did not open then, it quickly would -to the blows of hatchets which would follow. -A wild gang of drunken brutes would burst -into his nice house, smash desks, sideboards, -and cupboards, searching for loot. Lucky man -if he escaped with the loss of arms, money, -and valuables, and not of home and life as well.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If the reader is an ex-soldier, let him imagine -what his feelings would be like if in the middle -of the night he was pulled out of his bed by -these same ruffians, and given his choice between -joining Trotsky’s Own Light Infantry, -or whatever the local Red force may call itself, -or being shot out of face. Being true to his -country, he refuses to have anything to do -with Bolshevism, and is shot before the eyes -of his agonised wife.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Remember that the loyal country gentlemen -and ex-soldiers of Ireland have sacrificed -their blood and treasure on the altar of Empire -as well as their English cousins, and hence are -entitled to as much protection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But no, when it comes to a matter of politics -and votes they are thrown to the wolves, to -the eternal shame of England. The sacrifice -of the southern Loyalists will form one of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>most disgraceful chapters in the history of -England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Robberies on a more extensive scale followed: -bank managers taking large sums of -money to out-of-the-way villages on the occasion -of a fair, in order to facilitate payments -by buyers to farmers, were held up and robbed. -Mail-cars carrying pension money for the old -and poor were held up and robbed; likewise -post offices, banks, railway stations, and large -shops—and most of this money used to forward -the cause of armed rebellion. In fact, -the Government were largely being fought -with their own money, or, rather, that of the -helpless British taxpayer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But this form of warfare, though most unpleasant -for the unfortunate Irish Loyalist, -and probably disturbing to the few people in -England who knew anything about what was -happening in Ireland, would never have led -to anything provided the British Government -had taken the necessary steps quickly to preserve -law and order and punish evil-doers. -But no, as ever in Ireland, they would do -nothing, except procrastinate, until it was too -late.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Instead of strengthening the R.I.C. and -sending more troops into the country, they -merely evacuated outlying police barracks, -which were promptly burnt amidst scenes of -triumph by the local Volunteers, and hailed -by all rebels as the first outward sign of the -retreat of the English from Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If the police released by the evacuation of -these barracks had been used to form flying -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>columns to quiet the worst districts, there -might have been some sense in this manœuvre; -unfortunately, the men were all wanted to -make up the wastage in the occupied barracks -caused by the large number of resignations of -young constables in the R.I.C. at this time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Looking back, these constables who resigned -appear to have been mean deserters of their -comrades, but after-events have to a certain -degree justified their action. They were certain -that, no matter how often the British -Government swore to see its loyal servants -through, in the end it would let them down, -and the pity is that they were right. True, -there was a day when an Englishman’s word -was as good as his bond, but that day appears -to be quite out of date. Or perhaps it does -not apply to politicians!</p> - -<p class='c000'>Doubtless greatly surprised at their initial -success, the chiefs of the I.R.A. now determined -on a much more ambitious form of warfare—namely, -the formation of flying columns -to harry and murder the Crown forces throughout -Ireland, not excepting Ulster; at the same -time they started a tremendous campaign of -propaganda in England and the States.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The idea of breaking up the British Empire -by means of a number of small flying columns -of corner-boys in Ireland, and green pamphlets -at John Bull’s breakfast-table, appears laughable; -but Sinn Fein has shown itself a wonderfully -astute judge of the mentality of the -present-day politician in England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The summer of 1920 saw the greater part of -the south and west in the hands of the Republic, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>who not only boasted an army in the field, -but ran their own police, law-courts, and Local -Government Board. It was not an uncommon -occurrence for a man to be first arrested by -the R.I.C. for some offence, and then by the -I.R.A.; sometimes there used to be quite an -exciting race between these two forces to see -who could catch the culprit first.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The first flying columns were made up of -determined and hard-up corner-boys collected -from every district in the south and west, -and were sent out under specially qualified -leaders to murder as many police and soldiers -as they could, no matter whether they were -armed or unarmed, asleep or awake. The price -for the murder of a policeman rose gradually -to £60, and eventually to £100.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With a terrorised population and a Government -which refused to function, these columns -had everything in their favour, and carried -on their campaign of murder and assassination -practically unhindered at first.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Their chief channels of information were the -post-office and young girls. The larger proportion -of post-office officials were openly disloyal, -postmasters even being caught red-handed -decoding important police and military -wires for the information of the I.R.A. And -young girls not only obtained information by -walking out with policemen and soldiers, but -also carried the gunmen’s arms to and from a -murder or ambush.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It used to be no uncommon sight in Dublin -to see a tram-car held up by Auxiliaries and -searched with no result. Before the Auxiliaries -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>had boarded the tram, the gunmen would -openly pass their pistols to girls sitting beside -them. Any one giving information would -never have left that tram alive, nor would it -have done any good, as the Auxiliaries were -powerless (until near the end of the war) to -search women.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As regards transport, they had only to take -it where, when, and how they liked—motors, -motor bicycles, lorries, and push-bicycles by -the thousand in every part of the country. -Think how different the result might have -been if the Government had taken up all this -transport and reduced the I.R.A. to their flat -feet. And, of course, they used the trains -freely, and without payment, both to carry -arms and men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Young girls, especially if pretty, make far -the most dangerous spies in the world; and -though they have always been used during a -war on a small scale by every country, yet -this is probably the first occasion on which -a nation has conscripted girls of from twelve -to twenty-five years wholesale for this vicious -and contaminating work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Even little children were taught the art of -eavesdropping, and, of course, if they did not -hear every word, readily filled in the blanks -from their imagination. Many a man in Ireland -during the last two years has lost his life -through the medium of a little child. The -Markievicz woman ought to appear on the Day -of Judgment with the record millstone round -her neck.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Despatches were carried in dozens of ways—boys -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>on bicycles, men on motor bicycles, -who also acted as scouts for ambushes, in the -sample cases of bagmen (a common method -also at one time of sending arms and ammunition -about the country), by the post, and by -railway guards—in fact, by every method which -came to hand.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The I.R.A. obtained much valuable information -through opening letters in the post, but -their really important and often vital information -came to them through a bad leakage in -the Castle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Any shortage of recruits was quickly made -good by a drastic form of the old pressgang. -An unwilling recruit would be dragged out of -bed in the middle of the night, placed against -a wall, and given a minute to decide for King -George or the Irish Republic. King George -meant a bullet in the brain, probably a dum-dum -of the worst description; the Irish Republic -meant active service with a flying -column at some near future date.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Money was obtained in just as simple a way. -A levy of, say, a pound a cow or a pound a -beast would be laid on a district. A farmer -had six cows or one horse, two asses, and three -head of cattle. In either case he would pay -£6 to the funds of the I.R.A. Any arguing -there was would be solely on the side of the -collector, who would have the butt-end of a -large pistol protruding from his pocket. Such -a simple and effective method of collecting a -tax! No troublesome forms of beastly red -tape, and no large staff of fat and lazy clerks -to pay! Just a truculent-looking blackguard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>with a very large pistol, not necessarily loaded, -and the money pours in. Cases of non-payment -of this form of taxation have never been heard -of, nor is there any means of dodging it. Cattle -are not easy to hide.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Rations were obtained by the simple process -of requisition. In some cases they used to -go through the farce of giving a receipt for the -stolen goods in the name of the I.R.A.!</p> - -<p class='c000'>With the police unable to function, banks -and post-offices offered an easy prey to these -ruffians. The meanest form of robbery was -the taking of money to pay old-age pensions -from mail-cars on their way to outlying districts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A special murder gang was formed, which -went about the country to murder any man—policeman, -R.M., or civilian—who was particularly -active in trying or helping to restore -law and order in the country—that is, any -man who was too tough a nut for the locals -to crack. And, of course, in many cases -private feuds and spites came under this heading. -As has been mentioned, the price for a -policeman was £100. People would be heard -discussing this openly, and wondering if the -price would go up or down, in the same way -as they might discuss Dunlop’s or Guinness’s -shares.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But the most effective weapon of Sinn Fein -has been their propaganda campaign in America -and England, coupled with the treasonable and -treacherous aid from certain politicians and the -effective silence of the daily press, with one -great and notable exception.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>The following letter, which fell into the hands -of the Crown forces in Ireland, speaks for -itself:—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in2'>Dail Eireann (Department of Finance),</div> - <div class='line'>Mansion House, Dublin, 21st March 1921.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><em>To Director of Propaganda.</em></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>A Chara</span>,—The enclosed copy of notes from Ireland -will probably be of some interest to you. I have -previously sent some copies of these and other things -from the Unionist Alliance people.</p> - -<p class='c011'>Many figures have been given in the papers recently -with regard to R.I.C. resignations, dismissals, recruitment. -All these <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">questions</span></i> have been asked on instructions -from me, and I think you might be able to make -very good use of some of them. For instance, in the -10th March ‘Hansard’ (pages 688 and 689) are given -the figures which appeared in the ‘Independent’ some -days ago. In a few days’ time we shall get total strength -and total numbers recruited over certain periods.</p> - -<p class='c011'>I have got an arrangement made in London whereby -the ‘Independent’ correspondents will always quote -the figures pretty fully for our benefit.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c012'> - <div>Do Chara,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c013'><span class='sc'>Michael Collins</span>.</div> - -<p class='c000'>Sinn Fein first learnt the art of propaganda -from those pastmasters the Boches; but if -ever the latter think of trying their luck with -another “Der Tag,” they will find that Sinn -Fein can teach them now more than ever they -taught Sinn Fein. The Celtic mind seems to -be peculiarly adapted and susceptible to propaganda -consisting largely of half and three-quarter -lies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But nothing surprised and dismayed Irish -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>Loyalists more than the suppression of reports -of murders and outrages in Ireland in the great -majority of English papers, though later on -these same papers filled columns with any -murder or atrocity alleged to have been committed -by police or Auxiliaries. Moreover, -from their tone, it soon became obvious that -some papers were strongly pro-Sinn Fein.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To an Irishman the English Radical has -always been one of the greatest wonders and -mysteries of this world; and often he cannot -help asking why God has sent him into this -world. Of course, there is no doubt that all -are here for some purpose, good or bad, but -of what use is the Radical to England?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Is he the wee drop of poison in the whole -which is to bring about the downfall of the -Empire as a punishment for the sins of its -leaders? At any rate, he has always been a -puzzle and enigma to Irish and French alike, -and they have no use for a man whose chief -idea of patriotism appears to be to take any -and every side against his own country.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There is no possible doubt that the Government -were forced or frightened, by the howls -of the Radicals, incited by Sinn Fein propaganda, -to order that reprisals by the Crown -forces in Ireland should cease, whereby the -Crown forces’ most effective weapon was taken -from them, though it was still left in the hands -of the murder gang.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Fierce were the denouncements by the Radicals -in the House of the unfortunate Irish -police; but one waited in vain for a like denouncement -of the murder gang (men who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>have committed as bad atrocities as the world -has seen) by these same unctuous gentlemen. -Ye hypocrites!</p> - -<p class='c000'>Much has been said and written (chiefly -propaganda) about the wickedness of reprisals, -but it is better first to examine the situation -before condemning them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It must be clearly understood that the whole -power of the murder gang lay in reprisals: -they took reprisals against every one who was -against them by murder, arson, and intimidation. -The Crown forces had only the law, -which was paralysed. No one dared give -evidence; it was death to do so.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Under these circumstances the Crown forces, -principally the R.I.C., took counter-reprisals; -this was the only possible method by which -they could save their own lives and the lives -and property of the Loyalists, who looked to -them for protection.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For many weary months unhappy Ireland -was rent and torn by this form of warfare, -and it became obvious to most that if one side -did not win pretty soon the country would -be ruined. Twice the Crown forces wriggled -their hands free, and on both occasions had -the I.R.A. on the verge of collapse: one stout -blow would have finished the show. And each -time the I.R.A. were saved by the screams of -their English allies. Each time the Government -quickly took fright, quickly tied the -Crown forces’ right hands, and even threatened -to tie up their legs if they set the English -Radicals on the howl again. And once more -the I.R.A. plucked up courage, and the old -<span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>weary game of ambush and murder started -afresh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At long last the Government took a sudden -notion to make a desperate effort to finish off -the gunmen before the gunmen finished them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the failure to round up the big force -of gunmen in the Maryburgh Peninsula, Blake -returned at once to Ballybor with all his men, -arriving to find a cipher wire from the County -Inspector to tell him that the gunmen had -turned up in the Ballyrick Mountains, and that -as soon as the Crown forces could be regrouped -another effort would be made to come to grips -with these slippery customers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No sooner had Blake started to deal with a -fearful accumulation of official correspondence -than the head constable told him that Constable -John M’Hugh, who came from the east -centre of Ireland and had not been long in -the force, wished to see him—adding that -M’Hugh’s father had been murdered, and that -the constable was most anxious to go home, -but that the police at his home had wired -that it was not safe for the man to go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake saw M’Hugh at once, and found him -in a pitiable state of grief, the first great -sorrow of his young life—but had to refuse his -request, though the boy pleaded hard, with -the tears running down his cheeks. M’Hugh’s -case is a good example of the murder gang’s -reprisals on those who will not fall in with -their views.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Old M’Hugh was a widower living with his -two sons near a large town on the east coast. -Unfortunately John was an unwilling witness -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>of the first murders of British officers in Ireland -during the present rebellion, and in order -to save the lives of his sons old M’Hugh got -them into the R.I.C. as soon as he could.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On several occasions old M’Hugh was threatened -by the I.R.A. that if he did not make his -sons resign they would do for him: every -time he refused, and told his sons nothing -about being threatened. Finally, the usual -pack of masked fiends went to the old man’s -cottage in the dead of night, and murdered -him by the refined process of dragging him out -of bed and kicking him on the head until they -smashed his skull in—a deed hard to beat for -pure brutal savagery.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following day Blake received a long -visit from the County Inspector, who gave -him the outline of the new plan of campaign, -and instructions for the part Blake and his -men were to take.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The country of the Ballyrick Mountains is -a square-shaped peninsula of, roughly, fourteen -hundred square miles, consisting of vast flats -of bogs on the north, west, and east, intercepted -by hills, while the south part consists -of nothing but mountains. One main road -runs through the centre, east and west, and -another skirts the coast for three-quarters of -the north coast, then turns inland, crosses the -other road at about the centre of the peninsula -at the village of Ballyscadden, then continues due -south until it reaches the coast. In the whole -peninsula there are only half a dozen small -villages, all not less than sixteen miles apart.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To drive this huge country would require at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>least twenty times as many troops as were -available, and A.S.C. train to keep them supplied -with rations; there remained the possibility -of starving the gunmen into surrender.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All the villages were to be occupied by -military, and every road picketed and blocked -with barbed wire; at the same time the military -were to endeavour to form a cordon -across the neck of the peninsula, a distance of -thirty-five miles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police, who were to do the actual hunting, -were divided into flying columns, with all -available transport. The Navy was to be -responsible for the numerous islands on the -west and south coasts, and were to open fire -on any parties of gunmen who came within -the range of their vision and guns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Aeroplanes were to work continuously over -the country during daylight, and on locating -the enemy, were to drop their messages at the -police headquarters at Ballyscadden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was expected that at the first sign of -danger the gunmen would make for the mountains -in the south, when the area of operations -would be greatly restricted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When all preparations were completed a -start was to be made as soon as there seemed -a reasonable prospect of fine weather. Finally, -at Blake’s suggestion, they tried to collect -every flock of mountain sheep and confine -them to the flat country to the north, but -after the first day many of the sheep returned -to their own mountains in spite of the efforts -of the shepherds.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake’s part was to keep all his available -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>men at headquarters, ready to dash off at a -moment’s notice on receipt of information of -the location of any party of gunmen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Owing to a bad westerly storm operations -had to be postponed for a few days, during -which time the gunmen were left undisturbed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As had been expected, they drew a blank -in the flat country, though it was reported by -the first ‘plane up that a large party of cyclists -had been spotted making their way south from -Ballyscadden some time before the police occupied -that village.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The weather then turned very fine, and as -there was a full moon, it was decided to sit -tight for a few days in order to see whether -starvation would force the gunmen to attempt -a break through.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For two days the aeroplanes had nothing -to report except the movements of small -parties of not more than six men, and always -in the mountains to the south. On the third -a ‘plane dropped the exciting news that a big -column, estimated at several hundred men, -was marching south-west with an advance of -scouts to a depth of two miles.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake at once turned out his men, and made -off south at full speed. At the same time a -column left Castleport to make its way up the -coast road and intercept the gunmen before -they could debouch from the mountains—their -orders being to advance up a valley -from the coast to a shooting-lodge, which was -situated at the junction of three valleys, two -of which lead north-east and south-west round -the foot of Falcon Mountain. Here they were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>to wait while Blake endeavoured to drive the gunmen -down the north-east valley towards them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For twenty-four hours Blake kept up a running -fight with the gunmen in the mountains, -always trying to head them towards the valley -which leads to the foot of Falcon Mountain, -and at last, when his men could hardly move, -had the satisfaction of seeing the gunmen -making for the valley.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The police followed slowly and painfully, to -find not a sign of a human being at the shooting-lodge. -The men flung themselves down -in the heather, beat to the world, and some -of them even burst into tears of rage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The explanation came afterwards. The -Castleport party received orders to proceed up -the valley from the sea, and intercept the gunmen -at a shooting-lodge. Unfortunately there -were two lodges—one on the shore of a lake -about half-way up the valley from the sea, -and the second and right one at the junction -of the three valleys. Naturally the Castleport -party, none of whom had been in these mountains -before, stopped at the first lodge they -came to on the shore of the lake.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A thick mist came up off the sea that night, -and the gunmen, who had taken refuge on -the upper rocky slopes of Falcon Mountain, -slipped through the cordon in the mist in twos -and threes, commandeered bicycles, and so -made good their escape.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some time afterwards, being again very hard -pressed, large parties of gunmen took up their -quarters in the Ballyrick Mountains, and lay -low. Gradually their numbers increased, until -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>it was reported that the mountains carried as -many gunmen as sheep.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At this time the Government appeared to -have at last realised that the only way to -restore order in Ireland was to oppose force by -superior force. Many people could have given -them this information months previously.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A report went through Ireland that the -Government was massing artillery at Holyhead -to mow down the I.R.A. with their brutal -high explosives and shrapnel. In reality what -happened was that all batteries in England -were turned into mounted infantry, only about -twenty-five men being left with a battery, and -concentrated at Holyhead, preparatory to crossing -to Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To Blake’s joy, the Ballyrick country was -chosen as the first scene of what was fondly -supposed would be the end of the rebellion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Quickly 20,000 troops were massed across -the neck of the Ballyrick Peninsula with every -available Auxiliary and a large force of R.I.C., -while a naval force was standing by off the -coast ready to land sailors and marines. All -that was wanted was a good weather forecast -to start in, and put an end to this great mob -of gunmen—the curse of modern Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The good weather forecast came along all -right, and on the morrow they were to get a -move on and put an end to this miserable -breed of cowardly warfare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But on the morrow, instead of the Advance, -they heard the Stand Fast sounded, and to -their dismay learnt that a truce had been -proclaimed—a truce with murderers, forsooth!</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span> - <h2 class='c005'>XXI.<br /> THE TRUCE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Blake had been educated at a big English -public school, where he had learnt that the -keynote to an Englishman’s life is straightness. -Further, in the British Army he had found -that all good Britishers try their level best to -run straight.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Early in 1921 there had been a strong -rumour in the R.I.C. that the British Government -had come to secret terms with Sinn -Fein, and that after a period of window-dressing -a truce would be declared; then -would follow a lot of talk, and the terms of -settlement would emerge. It was even reported -that a conference had been held in -Norway of representatives of the British Government -and Sinn Fein, and also a representative -from each of the Dominions, and a settlement -arrived at.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the time the Prime Minister fired off one -of his loudest and most daring defiances at -Sinn Fein: that he would never give in nor -would he ever treat with the murder gang in -Ireland, that the Crown forces in that country -<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>would be supported by all the resources of the -Empire, and so on <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">ad nauseam</span></i>. And this, as -Blake heard a cynic remark, was a sign that -the sinister rumour was most likely true.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake had dismissed the idea with a laugh, -but when the truce bomb burst his mind at -once flew back to the secret settlement rumour, -now months old, and he began to suspect with -a horrible fear that they had been sold, and -badly sold.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Naturally the first effects on the police were -bad. The older men who had been let down -before laughed and cried to each other, “Sold -again!” but the younger ones, who had yet -to learn the ways of politicians, took the matter -to heart, and started to brood over it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were several questions to which they -badly wanted an answer; the chief being, if -there was to be this complete surrender, why -had it not been made long ago, when the lives -of many of their relations and pals in the Army -and R.I.C. might have been saved, not to -mention the lives of many Loyalists? These -valuable lives had been freely given in order -that Ireland should be freed from the murderous -plague of gunmen, in the same way as -during the late war the lives of the Empire’s -best were sacrificed in order that we should -be freed from the murderous plague of the -Boches.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Further, they wanted to know what terms -had been made with regard to their comrades -who had fallen into the hands of the I.R.A.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Loyalists were staggered, knowing that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>their worst fears would now be realised; to -be handed over to the murder gang, which was -the reward the cynics in the Dublin clubs had -always prophesied, would be England’s return -for the efforts of the Loyalists during the war. -However, they could say nothing and do nothing, -but simply make the best of their fate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The neutrals, most of whom had changed -their flag as often as the British Government -had changed its mind, now, of course, openly -threw in their lot with Sinn Fein.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The townspeople and farmers openly rejoiced -at the prospect of even a temporary peace, -though in their hearts many of them knew -that there could be no real peace in Ireland -until the gunmen had been wiped out or reduced -to a state of impotence by disarming -them. However, the future could take care of -itself as far as they were concerned.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For the first few days of the Truce the Sinn -Feiners appeared to be doubtful whether their -wonderful good luck could be really true, and -consequently lay low. Then men and boys -who had been on the run for many moons returned -to Ballybor, and gave an exhibition of -“See the Conquering Hero Comes” in the -streets daily; among them men wanted badly -for atrocious murders, who now snapped their -fingers openly in the faces of the police. A -policeman could not walk the streets of Ballybor -without meeting these swaggering fellows, -who openly laughed and jeered at them when -they passed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, a considerable number did not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>return, and on their relations inquiring about -their whereabouts from the I.R.A. liaison officer, -they were told they never would come -back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Gradually, being sure they were indeed safe, -and that in truth they had the British Government -on the run instead of being on the run -themselves, they grew bolder and more insolent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One brute went up to the sentry outside -the police barracks and deliberately spat on -him, hoping no doubt that the constable would -lose his temper and break the truce. The constable -stepped into the barracks and returned -at once with the Sinn Fein flag, with which -he carefully wiped the offending stains off his -face and tunic under the nose of the astonished -gunman. He then proceeded to stand on the -flag in the mud, and asked the gunman, “What -about it?” For some seconds the gunman -stood irresolute, then turned and walked off, -looking a complete ass, followed by the loud -laughter of the police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From now the Republicans proceeded to take -over the government of the district, the police -standing by helpless, bound hand and foot by -the strict order that on no account were they -to disturb the peace atmosphere. How the -Boches must be laughing at us!</p> - -<p class='c000'>In every parish Republican Courts were advertised -to be held in the local papers, and -were held without let or hindrance, the advertisements -stating that “Summons, &c., can be -had on application to ——, Clerk of the Court.” -And why not? Had not the I.R.A. beaten -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>Lloyd George to his knees, and was not the -British Government on the run?</p> - -<p class='c000'>To give the comical touch necessary in -Ireland, the R.M. continued to receive instructions -from the Castle to attend the various -Petty Sessions Courts in every district and -deal out the British version of the law. -Probably the first time (and please God the -last) that any part of Great Britain and Ireland -has been governed by two sets of laws at the -same time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With regard to this disgraceful state of -affairs one particular case will give a good -illustration of how low British law has fallen -in the west of Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A very decent man called O’Brien, who had -been a herd to the Congested Districts Board, -bought a farm from the Board with three other -men, the farm being divided into four.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This did not suit the landless members of -the Transport Union in the district, whose -idea was that they should have the land without -paying for it. They told O’Brien to get -out, but he refused; they then proceeded to -smash the fences and drive and injure his -cattle. O’Brien built up the fences and put -his cattle back.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They next proceeded to beat O’Brien, who -afterwards went into Ballybor but returned -without taking any action, as they told him -there that there was now no law in the country. -That night they beat him again; the -process consisted of first holding him while a -powerful man closed his eyes with repeated -<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>blows of his fists, and then they hammered him -to their heart’s content and left him in the -road for dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hours afterwards O’Brien crawled home on -his hands and knees—he was practically blinded, -and appears to have found his way home by -instinct,—and some days afterwards, when he -had recovered a little, he went to the police -in Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A magistrate happened to be at the barracks -at the time, and insisted that steps should be -taken to protect O’Brien and punish the savages -who had beaten him, though the police -told him that they were afraid that it was -quite useless to try.</p> - -<p class='c000'>However, the magistrate took O’Brien’s information, -the case came on week after week -at the Ballybor Petty Sessions, always to be -adjourned at the request of the police, waiting -instruction from the Castle. At last O’Brien, -in despair, took his case to the local Sinn Fein -Court; and here the chief offender was fined -£27 and the others large sums, and they were -warned that if they interfered with O’Brien -again they would be dealt with very severely.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And this is a good example of how British -law protects a decent citizen in Ireland at the -present time; but one forgets that the peace -atmosphere must not be disturbed at all costs! -But is there any wonder that the people are -fast leaving the King’s Courts for those of Sinn -Fein, and of their own free will now?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Republican Local Government inspectors appeared -in every district, and quickly ousted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>the King’s inspectors; held courts of inquiry -on unfortunate road surveyors who had refused -to take the oath of allegiance to Dail Eireann, -and tried to sack loyal dispensary doctors.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The chief amusement of the local gunmen -on leave, and of their friends, male and female, -was now to spend their time joy-riding through -the countryside, flying Sinn Fein flags on their -commandeered lorries and singing the “Soldier’s -Song” whenever they passed any police -or a barracks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One expedition of this kind went out to -Ballyrick on a Sunday and returned to Ballybor -about midnight. Blake happened to be -passing down the main street at the time, -and encountered a party of drunken bank -clerks trying to see how much row they could -make.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake remonstrated with them, and told -them that if they did not go home quietly -he would have them arrested. One clerk at -once started to sing the “Soldier’s Song” at -the top of his voice, and another shouted at -Blake in an insolent voice, “What about the -truce, Mr B——, D.I.?” Blake saw red—he -had borne and suffered much for many days,—and -he gave the bank clerk a full drive on the -chin which sent him flying. The whole party -then swiftly retreated in silence.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following day Blake paid a visit to the -bank, and said to the clerk he had ousted the -previous night, “Look here, Mr Bank Clerk, -don’t think I hit you last night because you -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>were drunk. There’s a fine open yard at the -back of the barracks, and if you will come -round now, we can fight it out.” Abject -apologies from Mr Bank Clerk, and Blake left -the bank.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One morning a woman arrived at the barracks -in a state of great distress and asked to -see the D.I. She told Blake that she lived in -a small house in Cloonalla, which she rented -from another woman in the village. Twice her -landlady had tried in a British court to evict -her, and had failed. The landlady then applied -to the local I.R.A., who promptly turned the -unfortunate woman with all her furniture and -belongings into the street, and there she remained. -When she remonstrated with them -they showed her a warrant signed by the -village Sinn Fein magistrate and left her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake at once applied to the County Inspector -for instructions, who applied to the -higher authorities. Back came the answer, -“See circular so-and-so,” which on being turned -up stated that all breaches of the Truce should -be at once reported. Meanwhile the woman -remained homeless: neighbours in an Irish -village nowadays fight shy of an I.R.A. victim, -and circulars are not substitutes for roofs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again Blake tried to get leave to take action, -and this time the answer was to forward four -copies of the case to the police adviser in -Scotland. In despair he put his pride in his -pocket and applied to the I.R.A. liaison officer -of the district for help.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>And the next day the liaison officer arrived -in Ballybor—an ex-soldier and a well-known -murderer. Blake felt that he could hardly -stand this final insult to an honourable uniform; -but duty is duty, and a truce must be -kept.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The liaison officer went out in a car to Cloonalla, -and ordered the local braves to put the -woman and her furniture back in her house, -which they flatly refused to do. And that was -the end of the matter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After some weeks’ rest the chiefs of the I.R.A. -issued an order calling all men to the colours, -whether they liked it or not.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It has been mentioned that the country -round Ballybor was famous for its excellent -shooting, grouse, snipe, woodcock, duck, and -geese chiefly; and in the days before the rebellion -many Englishmen must have spent -happy times shooting and fishing in the many -shooting-lodges dotted about on the mountains -and moors to the east and west of Ballybor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now all these lodges are occupied by instructors -of the I.R.A., who take so many of -the young men and boys of the district in -relays for an eight days’ intensive training -course—drilling, musketry, instruction in the -use of Lewis and Thompson machine-guns, -bombing, and twenty-five-mile route-marches -in full fighting order, the latter most unpopular.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Not only have all old members of the I.R.A. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>to attend these courses, but every young man -and boy, who had previously refused to join up, -have to go; and there is no refusing to go now.</p> - -<p class='c000'>You may miss your garden-boy or shop-assistant, -to meet him in the course of the week -taking part in a route-march; or if you are -foolishly inquisitive, you may see him at dawn -advancing across your demesne in company -with other boys, or firing his musketry course.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Blake watched two lorry-loads of these recruits -setting off on a Monday morning from -the main street of Ballybor under his very -nose, Sinn Fein flags flying; and they sang -the “Soldier’s Song” for his special benefit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About two miles from Ballybor there lives -a retired officer in a nice house with a good -demesne, a man who served the Empire well -and truly for many years. When the war was -over he retired, fondly hoping to spend the -remainder of his days in peace and comfort in -his old family home.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But not so: he happened to be the owner -of a demesne which the Transport Union had -promised to its members. So they tried repeatedly -to stampede him out of the country, -but that failed. Now his place is occupied -by what the I.R.A. call a week-end camp for -the drilling and instruction of the Ballybor -shop-boys. They use his cooking utensils, burn -his turf, and make the night hideous with their -yells and oaths, so that the officer and his -family find it impossible to get any rest. Moreover, -they, the I.R.A., do not appear to be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>strong in sanitary sections. And they told -him that if he took any action they would -burn his place to the ground.</p> - -<p class='c000'>What action could he take? There is no -law in the country except the law of the pistol. -The police are now bound hand and foot. They -report these outrages to the Castle, and what -happens? Nothing. The Government are far -too busy hunting for that elusive formula -which is to turn this Irish hell into a paradise, -to worry about a stupid old retired officer. -He has no vote in England, nor can he ever -affect their political careers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And why all these feverish military preparations? -Either to invade Ulster when the time -of a settlement and peace comes, or, if the -Truce is broken, to massacre the R.I.C. and the -Loyalists.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About this time a constable, transferred from -the south-west to Ballybor, brought with him -a story—he swore it was true—which will take -a queer lot of formulæ to explain away. Not -long ago the I.R.A. ran a cargo of arms on the -coast where he was stationed, openly, with the -police looking on. The police at once reported -the affair, and were told that it did not matter -as the arms would never be used.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Presumably the authorities meant that these -arms would not be used against the Crown -forces; but what about loyal Ulster, and those -most unfortunate of people to-day in Europe, -outside of Russia, the southern Irish Loyalists?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Apparently the I.R.A. chiefs are believers -in games for their men, as witness the following -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>advertisement which appeared in the Ballybor -shop windows:—</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>GREAT FOOTBALL MATCH.</div> - <div class='c002'>NORTH BALLYRICK FLYING</div> - <div>COLUMN, I.R.A.</div> - <div class='c004'><i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">v.</span></i></div> - <div class='c004'>BALLYBOR PATRICKITES.</div> - <div class='c002'>PAY YOUR SHILLING AND SEE</div> - <div>HOW WE ENJOY THE TRUCE.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The Transport Union unwittingly supplied -the comical element of the situation when -they started a great row with the I.R.A. -people in Ballybor. It appeared that the -I.R.A. had been in the habit of not paying the -Union rate of wages to the stalwarts of the -Transport Union for digging trenches across -roads and breaking down bridges during the -war, and now they were furious because the -I.R.A. refused to pay up the difference, and -threatened them with all sorts of horrible -things. And the I.R.A. laughed at them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>People in England have not the remotest -conception of the terrible Frankenstein monster -which De Valera & Co. have reared up -and armed in Ireland, a hideous monster of -murderous and armed gunmen, fearing neither -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>God nor man, which in the summer of 1921 -was on the point of being exterminated by -British bayonets to make this beautiful island -of Ireland once more a clean and wholesome -land, where men might dwell in peace.</p> - -<p class='c000'>That chance has gone. Will it ever occur -again? And if it does will the British Government -seize their opportunity like men and rid -Ireland of this terrible menace? Or will they -again be found wanting, groping after some -wretched formula?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Do people realise why De Valera acts the -part of the coy fly in hesitating to enter Mr -Lloyd George’s talking parlour? The sinister -reason is that if he once gives up his claim to -an Irish Republic he seals his own doom. The -day he enters into a conference with the -British Government on these conditions, the -Irish Republican Brotherhood signs his death -warrant, and well he knows it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But if, for argument’s sake, a so-called -settlement is arrived at, what becomes of De -Valera’s Frankenstein monster?</p> - -<p class='c000'>Will it beat its automatics into reaping-hooks -and convert its machine-guns into potato-sprayers? -Possibly in the minds of English -Radicals, but nowhere else.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And when the Welshman and the Mexican -have fooled the English and the southern Irish -with a formula, do they think that any formula -ever phrased would fool Ulster?</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the day that an Irish Republic is set up -(Dominion Home Rule is only another name -for it), Sinn Fein, its <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">raison d’être</span></i> accomplished, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>dies; but out of its corpse will arise two -parties, or rather armies (for all men in Ireland -are armed to-day except the Loyalists), one -consisting of the farmer shopkeeper class, while -the other will be the Citizen Army of the -Bolshevist Labour Party.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The rank and file of the I.R.A. consists of -farmers’ sons, young townsmen, shop assistants, -and the like; they expect either a fat -pension for life or twenty acres of land. Both -have been freely promised to them, and both -are equally impossible.</p> - -<p class='c000'>And these disgruntled gunmen, all armed, -will take sides according to their sympathies, -and before many months are past these forces -will be at each other’s throats. And the -national air of Ireland will be the “Red Flag.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Like Kerensky in Russia, De Valera will disappear -in the welter of revolution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The R.I.C. will have vanished—they have -already been told that when the “Cease fire” -sounds, they will be given a month to clear -out of Ireland, lock, stock, and barrel.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The surrender to Sinn Fein by the British -Government is a good example of the evil -which can be brought about by that modern -plague, skilful and unscrupulous propaganda.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The sooner the good elements in England -wake up and combine to insist that the necessary -action is taken in Ireland to enforce law -and order, the better it will be for both countries -and the Empire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The English people have been fooled by a -press which carefully suppressed all news of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>the true state of affairs in Ireland, and then -gave lying and distorted accounts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is futile to say that the remedy for false -reports lies with the law. All honest men -know that a clever lawyer in a court of law -can make a half or three-quarter black lie -appear a whole truth white as driven snow, -as easily as a smart and up-to-date accountant -can juggle with a balance-sheet to show + or -- half a million as the necessity arises.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The day will come in Ireland when men will -pray to God for a sight of the good old green -uniform of the R.I.C. And it will be too late.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004' /> -</div> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c005'>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES</h2> -</div> - <ol class='ol_1 c002'> - <li>Changed fight to light on p. <a href='#p198'>198</a>. - - </li> - <li>Silently corrected typographical errors. - - </li> - <li>Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. - </li> - </ol> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Tales of the R.I.C, by Unknown and The Royal Irish Constabulary - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE R.I.C. *** - -***** This file should be named 53324-h.htm or 53324-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/3/2/53324/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing 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. 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