Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 289: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. 309 EE ee ee Oe ee eee As Redmond O'Hanlon spoke, he seized a brand and plunged it into a peat fire at his side, He then applied the burning torch ‘to the com- bustible matter of which the beacon (which, in the meantime, had been set up) was composed. The kindled signal in an instant, with its tall, pointed flame rising up from a thick cloud of smoke, is answered. Look ! a second blazes on the headland edge. A third and fourth issue from the Nephin heights and Croagh Moyle mountains. They light the enemies of the Rapparee’s faith to perdition. Ere another minute had elapsed, similar sheets of flames shot up right and left, On the high lands, on the coasts, on the summits of the hills, or the eminences of the forests, so sud- denly and strangely did these fires flash forth, that earth and air seemed, as it were, to have been tinged with a blood-red hue by the hand of enchantment. The aspect of the Rapparees was more than ever dark and foreboding in the deep reflection. Their savage features, fantastic garbs, and gaunt figures, made them look like beings of some infernal dominion. Afar off, in the illumed scene, might be descried a considerable body of men advancing in another direction. Their arms, accoutrements, and\steady step pro- claimed them as soldiers of the English army, “Comrades,” exclaimed Redmond O’Hanlon, as he beheld the Royalists, ‘‘our foe is near us—they rush upon their own destruction. Hach to his post, and keep allin shade and silence. Without noise,’ continued the robber, “divide into little bands to avoid suspicion.’ Arrived within musket shot of the enemy, halt; there I will tell you on what I have resolved.” Redmond O’Hanlon raised his musket, and, as his companions were hastening to their rendezvous, firmly addressed in the following words :— ‘“ Remember, I lodge a bullet in the brain of the man (were he my own father) who dares to move a step without my orders,” The whole band, either awed by the resolution of their leader, or admitting the necessity of the course he was pursuing, tacitly dispersed without offering the slightest opposition to his will. They sevarated into companies and took every variety of route from the high road to the moun- tain, emulating in their march the wild inhabitants of the region. The Rapparees had no sooner taken their de- parture than our hero and Jack Sheppard sprung from the place that afforded them the means of concealment. “ Well, Sir John,” exclaimed Jack Sheppard, blithely, ‘‘I find that there are greater rogues here than on our side of the channel.” “They may appear so to you, Jack,” replied our hero, ‘but you must bear in mind that super- stition, and, I regret to say, that too often, oppression have exercised their baneful influence on poor old Ireland and rendered her sons, other- wise noble, vindictive and cruel beyond their nature.” * Oh, Sir John,’ added his companion, ‘you have always a good word for every one, but I cannot allow that these rascallians are for one moment to be compared to the Claude Duvals or Joe Hinds of merry England! Why, some of the finest gentlemen of the day are eminent on the road, and your true highwayman would consider he was disgraced if he did not conduct himself in a dignified manner.” “The Irish,” said Roving Jack, “‘ may, neverthe- less, boast of some of her robbers. Power, the great Tory of Munster, was a savant and most accomplished scholar, Strong Jack Macpherson, the Leinster boy, was as noted for his strength of mind as his strength of body, which latter quality was so great that it was asserted he could break a horse-shoe with the grip of his hand. Delany, Carrick, and Cahir Na Cappul, were each men of cultivated minds, and equally generous and just.” “It is not for me, Sir John,” replied Jack Shep- pard, “to dispute with one that knows so much more than myself; therefore, I will confine my remarks to the Rapparees who have but now left us. “They, I fear, are upon some dangerous errand. What their motive and where their destination may be I have failed to make out,” “How had we better act in this emergency?” asked the highwayman, ‘ We dare not proceed on our journey. Every outlet is in the possession of the scouts, who guard the passers with the eye of the lynx.” ‘“Tf we fall into the hands of these ruffians,’’ said our hero, “we may not fare so well as we did on our late encounter with the Omadhaun.” That name is well thought of, Sir John.” * How s0 ?” *« We will bend our steps towards the lighthouse, its keeper will surely give us shelter till the morn- ing.” To this proposal Roving Jack at once acceded, and prepared to accompany his associate. The storm which had set in still continued to rage, but despite the fury of the elements the travellers journeyed onward with rapidity, By the brilliant reflection of the distant beacons their dark forms were seen in a few minutes tra- versing the rugged roadway and pursuing the course over the rocky edges of the neighbouring mountains, CHAPTER CXXXYV, THE FARM-HOUSE IN THE DERRY-CALGAICH OR OAK GROVE—THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER, WE shall now turn to the chamber of a farm-house in the neighbourhood of the Rapparees’ late ren- dezyvous. This room, which had all the peculiarities known to those acquainted with the dwellings of the Irish people, possessed in particular one above the rest, in the shape of a vast chimney stone-wrought mantle piece covered with many a cipher and now crackling with a fire of broom. Its side, similarly adorned, formed a spacious cupboard, whose contents were hid by a broad cur- tain‘of green serge. This apartment, apparently built some two centuries since, had two entrances, namely, one at the back, and the other on the left of the chimney heretofore alluded to, while a wind- ing staircase encircling the same led to the floor overhead. On the night upon which the fiery cross had been raised by Redmond O’Hanlon, several persons had been engaged in the above homestead. The nature of their occupation being household duties, Barney and Larry appearing conspicuous in laying a cloth for the “ Misther and Misthress ” who had been absent during the day and were moment- arily expected home to supper. Una, the adopted daughter of the owner of the farm, and who, as we have already acquainted the | cOMIGIOOksSEGomM