Part 22 (1/2)
”Better still. But do you think he is in the country, O'Donnel?”
”I would rather swear he is, sir, than that he is not. He won't lave her aisily.”
”Who do you mean by her, sir?”
”I would rather not name her, your honor, in connection with the vagabond.”
”That's delicate of you, O'Donnel; I highly approve of your sentiment.
Here, have a gla.s.s of wine.”
”Thank you, Sir Robert; but have you any brandy, sir? My tongue is as dry as a stick, wid that glorious bonfire we had; but, besides, sir, I wish to drink success to you in all your undertakings. A happy marriage, sir!” and he accompanied the words with a ferocious grin.
”You shall have one gla.s.s of brandy, O'Donnel, but no more. I wish you to deliver a letter for me to-night. It is to the sheriff, who dines with Lord ------, a friend of mine; and I wish you to deliver it at his lords.h.i.+p's house, where you will be sure to find him. The letter is of the greatest importance, and you will take care to deliver it safely. No answer by you is required. He was out to-day, levying fines from Popish priests, and a heavy one from the Popish bishop, and I do not think, with a large sum of money about him, that he will go home to-night.
Here is the letter. I expect he will call on me in the morning, to breakfast--at least I have asked him, for we have very serious business to discuss.”
The Rapparee took the letter, finished his gla.s.s of brandy, and disappeared to fulfil his commission.
Now it so happened that on that very evening, before the premises had been set on fire, Mary Mahon, by O'Donnel's order, had entered the house, and under, as it were, the protection of the military, gathered up as much of Reilly's clothes and linen as she could conveniently carry to her cottage, which was in the immediate vicinity of Whitecraft's residence--it being the interest of this hypocritical voluptuary to have the corrupt wretch near him. The Rapparee, having left Whitecraft to his reflections, immediately directed his steps to her house, and, with her connivance, changed the dress he had on for one which she had taken from Reilly's wardrobe. He then went to the house of the n.o.bleman where the sheriff was dining, but arrived only in time to hear that he was about to take horse on his return home. On seeing him preparing to mount, bearing a lantern in his hand, as the night was dark and the roads bad, he instantly changed his purpose as to the letter, and came to the resolution of not delivering it at all.
”I can easily say,” thought he, ”that the sheriff had gone home before I came, and that will be a very sufficient excuse. In the meantime,” he added, ”I will cross the country and be out on the road before him.”
The sheriff was not unarmed, however, and felt himself tolerably well prepared for any attack that might be made on him; and, besides, he was no coward. After a ride of about two miles he found himself stopped, and almost at the same instant the lantern that he carried was knocked out of his hand and extinguished, but not until he caught a faint glimpse of the robber's person, who, from his dress, appeared to be a man much above the common cla.s.s. Quick as lightning he pulled out one of his pistols, and, c.o.c.king it, held himself in readiness. The night was dark, and this preparation for self-defence was unknown to his a.s.sailant. On feeling the reins of his horse's bridle in the hands of the robber, he snapped the pistol at his head, but alas! it only flashed in the pan.
The robber, on the other hand, did not seem anxious to take his life, for it was a principle among the Rapparees to shed, while exercising their rapacious functions, as little blood as possible. They have frequently taken life from a feeling of private vengeance, but not often while robbing on the king's highway. The sheriff, now finding that one pistol had missed, was about to draw out the second, when he was knocked insensible off his horse, and on recovering found himself minus the fines which he had that day levied--all the private cash about him--and his case of pistols. This indeed was a bitter incident to him; because, in addition to the loss of his private purse and firearms--which he valued as nothing--he knew that he was responsible to government for the amount of the fines.
With considerable difficulty he was able to remount his horse, and with a sense of stupor, which was very painful, he recommenced his journey home. After a ride of about two miles he met three hors.e.m.e.n, who immediately challenged him and demanded his name and residence.
”I am the sheriff of the county,” he replied, ”and have been robbed of a large sum of money and my pistols; and now,” he added, ”may I beg to know who you are, and by what authority you demand my name and residence?”
”Excuse us, Mr. Sheriff,” they replied; ”we belong to the military detachment which government has placed under the control of Sir Robert Whitecraft.”
”Oh, indeed,” exclaimed the sheriff; ”I wish to heaven you had been a little more advanced on your journey; you might have saved me from being plundered, as I have been, and probably secured the robber.”
”Could you observe, sir, what was the villain's appearance?”
”I had a small lantern,” replied the functionary, ”by which I caught a brief but uncertain glance of him. I am not quite certain that I could recognize his features, though, if I saw him again--but--perhaps I might, certainly I could his dress.”
”How was he dressed, sir?” they inquired.
”Quite beyond the common,” said the sheriff; ”I think he had on a brown coat, of superior cloth and make, and I think, too, the buckles of his slices were silver.”
”And his features, Mr. Sheriff?”
”I cannot exactly say,” he returned; ”I was too much agitated to be able to recollect them; but indeed the dim glimpse I got was too brief to afford me an opportunity of seeing them with any thing like distinctness.”
”From the description you have given, sir,” said one of them, ”the man who robbed you must have been Reilly the Outlaw. That is the very dress he has been in the habit of wearing. Was he tall, sir, and stout in person?”
”He was a very large man, certainly,” replied the sheriff; ”and I regret I did not see his face more distinctly.”
”It can be no other, Mr. Sheriff,” observed the man; ”the fellow has no means of living now, unless by levying contributions on the road. For my part, I think the scoundrel can make himself invisible; but it must go hard with us or we will secure him yet. Would you wish an escort home, Mr. Sheriff? because, if you do, we shall accompany you.”
”No,” replied the other, ”I thank you. I would not have ventured home unattended if the Red Rapparee had still been at his vocation, and his gang undispersed; but as he is now on the safe side, I apprehend no danger.”