et's gig, and taking a long pistol out of the holster, he
began to examine the priming as cool as may be.

"'How are you, Nick Basset?" said Bob; "and where are you going this
evening?"

'"How are you, Major?" said Basset, with his eye all the while upon the
pistol. "It is an unpleasant business, a mighty unpleasant business
to me, Major Bob," says he; "but the truth is, there is an execution
against you, and my friend here, Mr. Hennessy--Mr. Hennessy, Major
Mahon--asked me to come over with him, because as I knew you----"

'"Well, well," said Bob, interrupting him. "Have you a writ against me?
Is it me you want?"

'"Nothing of the kind, Major Mahon. God forbid we 'd touch a hair of
your head. It's just a kind of a capias, as I may say, nothing more."

'"And why did you bring the dragoons with you?" said Bob, looking at him
mighty hard.

'Basset looked very sheepish, and didn't know what to say; but Mahon
soon relieved him---

'"Never mind, Nick, never mind; you can't help your trade. But how would
you look if I was to raise the country on ye?"

'"You wouldn't do the like, Major; but surely, if you did, the
troops----"

'"The troops!" said Bob; "God help you! we'd be twenty, ay, thirty to
one. See now, if I give a whistle, this minute----"

'"Don't distress yourself, Major," said Basset, "for the decent people
are a good six miles off at the bog, and couldn't hear you if you
whistled ever so loud."

'The moment he said this Bob saw that the old rogue was up to him, and
he began to wonder within himself what was best to be done.

'"See now, Nick," said he, "it isn't like a friend to bring up all these
red-coats here upon me, before my tenantry, disgracing me in the face
of my people. Send them back to the town, and go up yourself with Mr.
Hennessy there, and do whatever you have to do."

'"No, no!" screamed Hennessy, "I'll never part with the soldiers!"

'"Very well," said Bob, "take your own way, and see what will come of
it."

'He put spurs to his pony as he said this, and was just striking into
the gallop when Nick called out--

'"Wait a bit, Major! wait a bit! If we leave the dragoons where we are
now, will you give us your word of honour not to hurt or molest us in
the discharge of our duty, nor let any one else do so?"

'"I will," said Bob, "now that you talk reasonably; I'll treat you
well."

'After a little parley it was settled that part of the dragoons were
to wait on the road, and the r