their looks anything but
encouraging as I entered. A paper on which a few words had been
scrawled, and signed with their three names underneath, lay before them,
and on this their eyes were bent with a sad and deep meaning. I knew
not then what it meant, but I afterwards learned that it was a compact
formally entered into and drawn up, that if, by the chance of war, they
should fall into the enemy's hands, they would anticipate their fate
by suicide, but leave to the English Government all the ignominy and
disgrace of their death.

They seemed scarcely to notice me as I came forward, and even when I
delivered my message they heard it with a half indifference.

'What do you want us to do, sir?' said Teeling, the eldest of the
party. 'We hold no command in the service. It was against our advice and
counsel that you accepted these volunteers at all We have no influence
over them.'

'Not the slightest,' broke in Tone. 'These fellows are bad soldiers and
worse Irishmen. The expedition will do better without them.'

'And they better without the expedition,' muttered Sullivan dryly.

'But you will come, gentlemen, and speak to them,' said I. 'You can at
least assure them that their suspicions are unfounded.'

'Very true, sir,' replied Sullivan, 'we can do so, but with what
success? No, no. If you can't maintain discipline here on your own soil,
you'll make a bad hand of doing it when you have your foot on Irish
ground.

And, after all, I for one am not surprised at the report gaining
credence.'

'How so, sir?' asked I indignantly.

'Simply that when a promise of fifteen thousand men dwindles down to a
force of eight hundred; when a hundred thousand stand of arms come to
be represented by a couple of thousand; when an expedition, pledged by
a Government, has fallen down to a marauding party; when Hoche or
Kleber---- But never mind, I always swore that if you sent but a
corporal's guard that I 'd go with them.'

A musket-shot here was heard, followed by a sharp volley and a cheer,
and, in an agony of anxiety, I rushed to the deck. Although above half
a mile from the shore, we could see the movement of troops hither and
thither, and hear the loud words of command. Whatever the struggle, it
was over in a moment, and now we saw the troops descending the steps to
the boats. With an inconceivable speed the men fell into their places,
and, urged on by the long sweeps, the heavy launches swept across the
calm water of the