n the
head or to blow his brains out; and so he did the next best thing which
occurred to him--he ran on, intending to make his way to the Ring Tower
to give information that the prisoner had escaped; though he fully
expected to meet a party in hot pursuit of the fugitive.

Mrs Massey was at supper with her son, when there came a knock at the
door, and a bare-headed damsel appeared.

"Mrs Massey, my mother's taken mighty bad entirely, and will it plaze
ye to come and see what ye can do for her?" she exclaimed, in a
petitioning tone. Mrs Massey, who was proud of the medical knowledge
she exercised for the benefit of her neighbours, immediately arose.

"Indeed, and I'll come, Molly," she answered. "Just wait till I put on
my hood and fill my basket with such things as I may require."

She speedily getting ready, told Owen that she would soon be back, and
that Mrs Hogan would know that she could not leave him all alone for
any length of time; and off she set, with Molly Hogan carrying a lantern
before her.

Owen trimmed the lamp which burnt on the table, and sat down to read
till his mother's return. He had not long been thus occupied, when
hearing the door open he looked up, expecting that Mrs Massey had
returned for something she had omitted to take with her. Instead of his
mother, he saw standing before him the second mate of the _Ouzel
Galley_. For a moment he thought that he must be dreaming.

"You know me, Owen Massey," exclaimed his visitor, "You saved my life
once, when the devil well-nigh had me in his clutches, and I come to
throw myself on your generosity--to ask you to render me a further
service. Should I be recaptured, I should be doomed to the gallows, and
I have no fancy for that fate. Conceal me for a few hours, and I shall
be able to get off in safety; refuse to do so, and I shall fall into the
hands of my pursuers."

Owen hesitated, not because he was aware that the man before him was
O'Harrall, the enemy of his family, but because he was unwilling to
expose his mother to the penalty of harbouring a fugitive from justice.
He rose from his seat and said, "I now know you to be Brian O'Harrall."
His visitor started, and drew back a pace, as if about to leave the
cottage, believing that all hope of assistance must be abandoned.
"Stay," continued Owen, his generous feelings getting the better of him,
"I do not on that account the less desire to save you if I can. Should
you not have been trace