“’Well, Mr. Davenant says you will all be safe as long as he’s here, but maybe that at some time, when he’s away, you may have a troop of these villains of the world ride in here, and little they care whether it’s Protestants or Catholics that they plunder.  So, if they come here and begin their devilries, you run for your life down to the river, opposite Ballygan, with a white cloth or a shirt, if it’s daytime, and wave it.  You are to have a pile of sticks and straw ready, and, if it’s night, ye will just set it in a blaze, and there will be help over before many minutes.  You stop there till they come, to tell them how strong the enemy are.

“’The master says you are to tell Bridget about it, so that, if they misbehave themselves inside the house, she can slip out and let you know.  You understand that?’

“‘I do,’ says he; ’and its a comfort to me, for it’s fretting I have been over what might happen, if a troop of those murderin’ villains were to come here, and not a sowl save me and the other boys to take the part of the mistress and Miss Claire.’

“’Well, you know now, Pat, what’s to be done, and see you do it; and now I must go, for the master is waiting for me.  I will be with you tomorrow night for the answer.’

“And so I came back, and I lost ten minutes looking about for the boat, for it was so mighty dark that I could not see a fut.  I kicked against it and very near fell over it.  It’s well I didn’t, for I should have knocked it into smithereens, entirely!”

“Capital, Larry! you couldn’t have done better.  Now I shall feel comfortable.”

After breakfast, Walter told his father of the mission on which he had sent Larry, and the arrangement he had made with Pat Ryan.

“You ought to have told me at first, Walter.  I do not blame you, but you should not do things on your own responsibility.”

“But so far, father, it has not been a regimental affair.  I simply sent my own boy with a note to Miss Conyers, just to say where we were; but, as it may be an affair in which some of the troop may have to act, I have told you about it, so that you can make what arrangements you like.”

“It’s rather a fine distinction, Walter,” his father said, smiling.  “It seems to me that you have engaged us to send a detachment across the river, in case of trouble at Mrs. Conyers’.  However, I heartily agree with you that our kind friends should be protected from injury and insult.

“How many will the boats hold?”

“Thirteen or fourteen men each.”

“Very well, then.  I authorize you, at any time, if I am away with a portion of the troop, to take twenty-five men across if the signal is made.  If I am here I shall, of course, go over myself.  You can take any measures of preparation you may think necessary.”