ost me a fall, or I'll have her yet."

"You had better," replied Fergus Reilly, for such was his name, "neither
make nor meddle with that family afther this night. If you do, that
terrible relation of mine will hang you like a dog."

"How will he hang me like a dog?" asked the Rapparee, knitting his
shaggy eyebrows, and turning upon him a fierce and gloomy look.

"Why, now, Randal, you know as well as I do," replied the other, "that
if he only raised his finger against you in the country, the very people
that harbor both you and us would betray us, aye, seize us, and bind us
hand and foot, like common thieves, and give us over to the authorities.
But as for himself, I believe you have sense enough to let him alone.
When you took away Mary Traynor, and nearly kilt her brother, the young
priest--you know they were Reilly's tenants--I needn't tell you what
happened: in four hours' time he had the country up, followed you
and your party--I wasn't with you then, but you know it's truth I'm
spakin'--and when he had five to one against you, didn't he make them
stand aside until he and you should decide it between you? Aye, and you
know he could a' brought home every man of you tied neck and heels, and
would, too, only that there was a large reward offered for the takin'
of you livin' or dead, and he scorned to have any hand in it on that
account."

"It was by a chance blow he hit me," said the Rapparee--"by a chance
blow."

"By a couple dozen chance blows," replied the other; "you know he
knocked you down as fast as ever you got up--I lave it to the boys here
that wor present."

"There's no use in denyin' it, Randal," they replied; "you hadn't a
chance wid him."

"Well, at all events," observed the Rapparee, "if he did beat me, he's
the only man in the country able to do it; but it's not over, curse
him--Ill have another trial with him yet."

"If you take my advice," replied Reilly, "you'll neither make nor meddle
with him. He's the head o' the Catholics in this part of the country,
and you know that; aye, and he's their friend, and uses the friendship
that the Protestants have towards him for their advantage, wherever he
can. The man that would injure Willy Reilly is an enemy to our religion,
as well as to every thing that's good and generous; and mark me, Randal,
if ever you cross him in what he warned you against this very night,
I'll hang you myself, if there wasn't another livin' man to do it, and
to the back o'