“It was too thrue what Rousin Redhead said to-night,” observed one of them, “he always takes care to throw the post of danger on some one else.  Nowit’s not that I’m afeared, but as he’s to have the girl himself, it’s but fair that his own neck should run the first danger, an’ not mine.”

They all assented to this.

“Well, then, boys,” he proceeded, “if yez support me, well make him head this business himself.  It’s his own consarn, not ours; an’ besides, as he houlds the Articles, it’s his duty to lead us in everything.  So I for wan, won’t take away his girl, an’ himself keepin’ back.  If there’s any one here that’ll take my place for his, let him now say so.”

They were all silent as to that point; but most of them said, they wished, at all events, to give “the dirty Bodagh,” for so they usually called him, something to remember them by, in consequence of his having, on all occasions, stood out against the system.

“Still it’s fair,” said several of them, “that in takin’ away the colleen, Bartle should go foremost, as she’s for himself an’ ’not for huz.”

“Well, then, you’ll all agree to this?”

“We do, but whist—­here he is.”

Deeply mortified was their leader on finding that they had come unanimously to this determination.  It was too late now, however, to reason with them, and the crime, to the perpetration of which he brought them, too dangerous in its consequences, to render a quarrel with them safe or prudent.  He felt himself, therefore, in a position which, of all others, he did not wish.  Still his address was too perfect to allow any symptoms of chagrin or disappointment to be perceptible in his voice or manner, although, the truth is, he cursed them in his heart at the moment, and vowed in some shape or other to visit their insubordination with vengeance.

Such, indeed, is the nature of these secret confederacies that are opposed to the laws of the land, and the spirit of religion.  It matters little how open and apparently honest the conduct of such men may be among each other; there is, notwithstanding this, a distrust, a fear, a suspicion, lurking at every heart, that renders personal security unsafe, and life miserable.  But how, indeed, can they repose confidence in each other, when they know that in consequence of their connection with such systems, many of the civil duties of life cannot be performed without perjury on the one hand, or risk of life on the other, and that the whole principle of the combination is founded upon hatred, revenge, and a violation of all moral obligation?

“Well, then,” said their leader, “as your minds is made up, boys, follow me as quickly as you can, an’ don’t spake a word in your own voices.”

They approached the hall-door, with the exception of six, who stood guarding the front windows of the dwelling-house and kitchen; and, to the Dandy’s astonishment, the whole party, amounting to about eighteen, entered the house without either noise or obstruction of any kind.