tenants had taken other measures. A firing party
was posted on a neighbouring hill, and as the Sheriff left the shelter
of the walls a volley was poured in from a clump of trees four
hundred yards away, one bullet narrowly missing a man who ducked at
the flash. The riflemen were visible among the trees, and the Sheriff
returned the fire. Several policemen also fired into the clump, but
without effect, and their fire was briskly returned from the hill,
this time just missing the head of a policeman covered by a bush, a
bullet cutting off a branch close to his ear. The police then prepared
to charge up the hill, when the firing party decamped. No arrests were
made, although the marksmen must have been dwellers in the
neighbourhood. A policeman said, "We know who they are; you can't
conceal these things in a country place; but we have no legal
evidence, and although we saw them at four hundred yards, who will
accept our identification at such a distance? And of course no jury
would convict. We have no remedy in this unfortunate country. So long
as Gladstone and such folks are bidding for the people's votes so long
we shall have lawlessness. But for the change of Government all would
long have been settled amicably. But I heard a young priest say to the
people, 'Hold on a bit till the new Government goes in.'"

To return to the Malone affair, Mr. MacAdam applied to the police for
resident protection not for himself, but for the caretakers, whom he
now proposed to instal in a farmhouse in the occupation of one of the
Colonel's servants, and from which no one had been evicted. The
authorities refused protection on the very remarkable plea that the
situation of the aforesaid premises was so dangerous! so that had the
place been quite safe, they would have consented to protect it.
MacAdam determined to carry out his plan, with or without protection.
He left Limerick at midnight with an ammunition and provision train of
seven cars, with two caretakers and four workmen, with materials to
fortify the place. He had previously given the authorities notice that
he meant to occupy Knockclare, the house in question, and before he
started they sent a police-sergeant from Tulla, a twenty miles drive,
to formally warn him off, for that his life would assuredly be taken,
and the officer also demanded that he should be permitted to
personally warn the caretakers of the risk they ran. This was granted,
but the men stuck to their guns. At the