arguing ingenuity and invention, but his eyes, which
were small and treacherous, glared—whenever
he became excited—with the ferocity of an
enraged tiger. His shoulders were broad, his
chest deep and square, his arms long and powerful,
but his lower limbs were somewhat light in proportion
to the great size of his upper figure. This, however,
is generally the case when a man combines in his own
person the united qualities of activity and strength.
Even at the period we are describing, when this once
celebrated character was forty years of age, it was
well known that in fleetness of foot there was no
man in the province able to compete with him.
In athletic exercises that required strength and skill
he never had a rival, but one—with whom
the reader will soon be made acquainted. He was
wrapped loosely in a gray frieze big-coat, or
cothamore,
as it is called in Irish—wore a hat of two
colors, and so pliant in texture that he could at
any time turn it inside out. His coat was—as
indeed were all his clothes—made upon the
time principle, so that when hard pressed by the authorities
he could in a minute or two transmute himself into
the appearance of a nun very different from the individual
described to them. Indeed he was such a perfect
Proteus that no vigilance of the Executive was ever
a match for his versatility of appearance, swiftness
of foot, and caution. These frequent defeats of
the authorities of that day made him extremely popular
with the people, who were always ready to afford him
shelter and means of concealment, in return for which
he assisted them with food, money, and the spoils
of his predatory life. This, indeed, was the sagacious
principle of the Irish Robbers and Rapparees from
the beginning to
rob from the rich and give to
the poor being their motto.
The persons who accompanied him on this occasion were
three of his own gang, who usually constituted his
body-guard, and acted as videttes, either for his
protection or for the purpose of bringing him information
of such travellers as from their known wealth or external
appearance might be supposed worth attacking.
They were well-made, active, and athletic men, in
whom it would not be easy to recognise any particular
character at variance with that of the peasantry around
them. It is unnecessary to say that they were
all armed. Having satisfied himself as to the
identity of master and man, with a glance at his companions,
the Rapparee said,
“What on earth brought you and Andy Cummiskey
here, noble squire? Oh! you lost your way Andy
says. Well now,” he proceeded, “you
know I have been many a day and night on the lookout
for you; aye, could have put daylight through you
many and many a time; and what do you think prevented
me?”
“Fear of God, or of the gallows, I hope,”
replied the intrepid old man.