sprang to his side from behind.  The boy stood astonished at Harry’s appearance.  The latter was splashed and smeared from head to foot with black mire, for he had several times fallen.  His broad hat drooped a sodden mass over his shoulders, the dripping feather adding to its forlorn appearance.  His high riding boots were gone, having long since been abandoned in the tenacious ooze in which they had stuck; his ringlets fell in wisps on his shoulder.

After staring at him for a minute, the boy said something in Irish.  Harry shook his head.

His guide then motioned him to follow him.  For some time it seemed to Harry that he was retracing his steps.  Then they turned, and by what seemed a long detour, at last reached firmer ground.  A minute or two later they were walking along a path, and presently stopped before the door of a cabin, by which two men were standing.  They exchanged a word or two with the boy, and then motioned to Harry to enter.  A peat fire Was burning on the hearth, and a woman, whose age Harry from her aspect thought must be enormous, was crouched on a low stool beside it.  He threw off his riding cloak and knelt by her, and held his hands over the fire to restore the circulation.  One of the men lighted a candle formed of rushes dipped in tallow.  Harry paid no heed to them until he felt the warmth returning to his limbs.  Then he rose to his feet and addressed them in English.  They shook their heads.  Perceiving how wet he was one of them drew a bottle from under the thatch, and pouring some of its contents into a wooden cup offered it to him.  Harry put it to his lips.  At first it seemed that he was drinking a mixture of liquid fire and smoke, and the first swallow nearly choked him.  However he persevered, and soon felt the blood coursing more rapidly in his veins.  Finding the impossibilty of conversing, he again sat down by the fire and waited the course of events.  He had observed that as he entered his young guide had, in obedience probably to the orders of one of the men, darted away into the mist.

The minutes passed slowly, and not a word was spoken in the cottage.  An hour went by, and then a tramp of feet was heard, and, accompanied by the boy, eight or ten men entered.  All carried pikes.  Between them and the men already in the hut an eager conversation took place.  Harry felt far from easy.  The aspect of the men was wild in the extreme.  Their hair was long and unkempt, and fell in straggling masses over their shoulders.  Presently one, who appeared to be the leader, approached Harry, who had now risen to his feet, and crossed himself on the forehead and breast.  Harry understood by the action that he inquired if he was a Catholic, and in reply shook his head.

An angry murmur ran through the men.  Harry repressed his inclination to place his hand on his pistols, which he had on alighting from his horse taken from the holsters and placed in his belt.  He felt that even with these and his sword, he should be no match for the men around him.  Then he bethought of the letters of which he was a bearer.  Taking them from his pocket he held them out.  “Ormonde,” he said, looking at the men.