es to go abroad unless thus
protected.

Dan and Pompey, with the other seamen of the _Ouzel Galley_, and several
friends who joined them, as soon as they had left Norah and Ellen safe
at home, set off in chase of the ruffians, armed with such weapons as
they could hastily obtain, in addition to the shillelaghs they had
before possessed. Following in the direction they had seen the horsemen
going, they made their way over all impediments, inquiring of every one
they met, and hoping by perseverance to overtake them. They learnt,
however, after proceeding a considerable distance, that the men had
separated, one going off with the led horses in the direction of the
mountains to the westward, another turning southward towards Tramore
Bay, while the third followed a road which would conduct him to Passage,
near the mouth of the river, whence he could cross into Wexford. The
parties accordingly divided, but had not gone far when they lost all
trace of the fugitives, and as Dan observed, "They might as well be
looking for a needle in a bottle of hay, as hope to find the spalpeen."
Late at night they returned to Kingscourt House, the residence of Mr
Ferris, to report the ill-success of their expedition.

"Bedad, your honour, we'll be after keeping a sharp look-out on the
fellows, and if any one of them shows his ugly face in the
neighbourhood, we'll be down upon him as quick as lightning," said Dan.

"But if you don't know the men--and from what I understand, you only saw
their backs in the gloom--you will find a considerable difficulty in
recognising them," observed Mr Ferris, "and may chance to lay hands on
the wrong persons."

"Shure, your honour, we'll ask them if they're the right ones before we
give them a taste of the shillelagh," answered Dan.

"At all events, Connor, I wish you, and a dozen stout fellows you may
pick out, to act as a guard at my house, to protect my daughter and her
friend, should any yet more daring attempt be made to carry them off,"
replied Mr Ferris.

"I'll do that same with all the pleasure in life," answered Dan, "though
it may be a hard matter to keep our eyes open to-night, seeing we were
waking Pat Casey till a late hour this morning, and then, after seeing
him laid dacently under the turf, had to drink long life and success to
his sperrit and a short stay in purgatory, where the praste told us he
had gone--though, being a kind-hearted man, he'd do his best to pray him
out of it."