e." One pointed to the hills
dividing the county from Kerry. "The Kerry men are getting rifles. I
know the 'ping' of the brutes only too well. Let them get a few men
who know their weapons, and we'll be potted at five hundred yards
easily enough. Yes, they have rifles now, and what for? To shoot
sparrows? No. You can't guess? Give it up? Ye do? Then I'll tell you.
To carry out the Home Rule Bill. Yes, I do think so. Will you tell me
this? Who will in future collect rates and taxes? The tenants do not
think they will have any more rent to pay. Lots of them will tell you
that. These very men have the members of the Irish Parliament in their
hands. That is; they can return whomsoever they choose. The
representation of the country is in their hands. And the priests agree
with them. No difference there, their object is one and the same, and
when the priests and the farmers unite, who can compel them to pay up?
Is the Irish Legislature which will be returned by these men--is it a
likely body to compel payment of tribute to the hated Saxon at the
point of the bayonet? When the British Government, with all the
resources of Gladstonian civilisation, failed to put down boycotting,
how do you suppose a sympathetic Government, returned by the farmers,
consisting of farmers' sons, with a sprinkling of clever attorneys,
more smart than honest, will proceed with compulsory action? Why they
could do nothing if they wished, but then they will have no desire to
compel. The English people are only commencing their troubles. They
don't know they're born yet. Gladstone will have some explaining to
do, but he can do it, he can do it. He'd explain the shot out of the
Quirke family's legs. Ah! but he's a terrible curse to this country."

The other officer said:--"Our duty is very discouraging. We are
hindered and baffled on every side by the people, whose sympathies are
always against the law. Now in England your sympathies are with the
law, and the people have the sense to support it, knowing that it will
support them, so long as they do the right thing. It was bad enough to
have the people against us, but now things are a hundred times worse.
When Balfour was in power, we felt that our labour was not in vain. We
felt that there was some chance of getting a conviction--not much,
perhaps, but still a chance. Now, if we catch the criminals redhanded,
we know no jury will convict. We try to do our duty, but of course we
can't put the same heart