On the other hand, the tenants organised a body called the ’Molly Maguires’—­stout young men dressed up in women’s clothes, their faces disguised and besmeared in the most fantastic manner.  These men waylaid and maltreated the officers of the law so severely, that in a short time no money could induce a gripper, process-server, driver or bailiff to show his nose on the estate.  In this dilemma, Mr. Shirley, as commander-in-chief, ordered his lieutenant and his subordinates to go forth, with a body of police, and drive in all the cattle they could seize on the lands of the defaulting tenants.  The expedition started one fine morning, led on by the mounted bailiff, a fat man, trembling like a hare at the thought of encountering the ’Molly Maguires.’

Mr. Trench’s description of this foray is very graphic:—­’No sooner had this formidable party appeared upon the roads in the open country, than the people rushed to the tops of the numerous hills with which the district abounds; and as we moved forward, they ran from one hill to another shouting and cheering with wild defiant cries, and keeping a line parallel to that in which our party was travelling.

’The object of our expedition was clearly understood by the people; and the exact position of our company was indicated to those in the lowlands by the movements of the parties on the hills; and accordingly, as we advanced, every beast belonging to every tenant who owed rent was housed or locked up, or driven somewhere away.  Thus, as we had no legal right to break open any door, or take any cattle out of any house, but only to seize those we might find in the open fields and upon the lands of the defaulting tenants, we soon perceived (as we might have known before we started) that we were likely to return without success.  The bailiff declared with a sigh, “that not a hoof nor a horn was left in the whole country-side.”

’At length when about to return home, without having secured any booty whatever, we came unexpectedly upon a poor little heifer calf, browsing quietly on the long grass beside a hedge.  The bailiff having ascertained that she was grazing on the land of a tenant who was a defaulter, we seized upon the unhappy little beast, and drove it ingloriously home to the pound at Carrickmacross, a distance of about two miles, amidst the jeers and laughter of the populace, at the result of our formidable day’s driving.’

Thus baffled, Mr. Shirley resolved to try another move.

He applied to the authorities in Dublin for an order for ’substitution of service.’  That is, instead of delivering the legal notices at the houses of the parties, which was impracticable, they were to be posted up on the chapel-door.  To effect this object, a large police force was necessary, and it was accompanied by a stipendiary magistrate.  ’As soon as the party came near the chapel grounds a shout of defiance was raised by the peasantry, who began to crowd into the chapel yard, and with uplifted