“Having tested the martial magistrate’s courage,” he proceeded, “by a hint from Fergus, who was as much amused by it as I was, and finding that it was of the oozing or Bob Acres quality, we resolved, on hearing that the house was surrounded, to examine, and prime and load all the fire-arms in the house, as the case demanded.  Some had been already loaded, but at all events we looked to them, and such as were uncharged we loaded on the spot, and then threw ourselves on the bed without undressing, in order that we might be ready for a surprise.  Fergus and I, after having lain awake for a considerable time, taking it for granted that they had given up all intention of attacking the house, at length fell into a kind of wakeful doze from which we were at once aroused by a loud knocking at the hall-door.  We quietly opened the drawing-room windows, and in a firm tone demanded what they wanted, and the answer was, that a friend of M’Carthy’s wished very much to settle an account with him.  We replied he was not in the house, and that even if he were, they should fight for him before they got him.  We also told them our opinion of their conduct, and said, that if they did not leave the place, we would scatter the contents of a blunderbuss among them.  I should state that they knew my voice, and said that they didn’t want me then, but that my turn would come soon.  When we had done speaking, a strong mellow voice, which I’ll swear was not strange to me, said something to them in Irish, and the next moment the windows were shivered with bullets.  Fortunately, we kept ourselves out of their range; but at all events, we had light enough to see them put their fire-arms to their shoulders, and time enough to stand aside.  We returned the fire instantly, but whether with any fatal effect or not we could not say.  When the smoke cleared away they had disappeared, but early this morning traces of blood were found on the spot.  A servant of O’Driscol’s, named Phil Hart, says they received no injury, for that he followed them at a distance up as far as Darby Hourigan’s, near whose door they fired a couple of shots.  Darby, it appears, joined Hart, having been aroused by the report of fire-arms; and both, on being discovered on their track, were fired at and wounded.  Hart says it is his blood that is on the lawn, and perhaps it may be so, but I rather think the fellows did not escape scot-free at any rate.”

“But where,” asked John, “was the magistrate all this time?”

“That’s precisely what I am coming to,” replied Alick; “the fact was that the martial magistrate, who, I believe in my soul, lay shivering with terror on his bed the whole previous part of the night, on hearing our dialogue with the Whiteboys, and the report of the fire-arms, altogether disappeared, and it was not until two or three searches had been made for him, that he was discovered squatted three double in the coalhole.  On hearing and recognizing our voices, he started up, and commenced searching