and a younger brother undertaking to act as our guide across the mountain and round the base of the Glengarriff ridge of hills to a dark gorge, at the County Kerry side.  This was a most trying journey, at least twenty miles long, over precipitous mountains, and performed, for the most part, during night.  It was necessary that we should not rest until we travelled far out of range of the locality where our persons had been known and our retreat discovered.  Our young guide left us with friends or dependents of his family, and returned to be in readiness to communicate any tidings from his brother.  Those tidings came fast on our footsteps; but the message was to warn us that we were not even there safe; for that Lord Bantry had all his tenantry engaged in searching for us.  The despatch added that, if able, we were to be at the “Priest’s Leap” at a certain hour in the evening, where we would hear the result of the efforts made for us.  The tone of the letter left us nothing to hope; still we determined to test the doubtful promise to the last.  Accordingly we set out for the new rendezvous.  The distance was very long unless we crossed through Glengarriff.  This we determined to do, feeling satisfied that the last place we would be looked for would be his lordship’s pleasure-grounds.  We paused to examine more minutely the exquisite serenity of that scene, and learned from a game-keeper several matters illustrative of our pursuer’s character, while his adherents were tracking our supposed footsteps, over moor and mountain, far away.  Arrived at our destination, we had to wait several hours, during which we were amused by our guide claiming fraternity with us, on the ground of being banned by the law, in consequence of a suspicion (a false one, he averred) of having mistaken another man’s sheep for his own.  He had an idea that we, too, must have infringed the law, but in what particular he did not concern himself to inquire.  The fact sufficed for the establishment of a good understanding between us.

We at last saw our female friends approach.  They brought us another excellent dinner, for which we had a still more excellent appetite.  During the time we dined, they informed us that everything was proceeding as favourably as we could expect, and that they had no doubt of success.  When taking leave of us, however, one of them pressed a little note into my hand, and they disappeared in the darkness.  I burned to learn what the note contained.  With the assistance of our new friend we found lodgings in the neighbourhood, where I read that the student failing in his enterprise, and being afraid to compromise himself further, left that very night for college.  He had to consult a clergyman, a very near friend of his, and we made no doubt the present step resulted from his considerate advice.