friends pressed Mr. O'Brien to retreat, which he refused. Admitting,
fully, his inability to cope with these forces, he declined to avail
himself of the means of escape at his disposal. His comrades impressed
on him that his life belonged to the country; that another effort was
yet within the range of possibility, and that it was incumbent on him to
save himself for the final issue. By long and passionate entreaty, they
induced him to mount the police-officer's horse and retire. When he had
left, Messrs. Stephens and MacManus led off the remainder of their
party, without being pursued or molested.

After a short consultation, they determined to separate. Mr. Stephens
proposed to go on to Urlingford, where a large force was collecting, and
MacManus accepted the duty of bearing to us the intelligence of the
disaster, and taking chance with us for the future. He came up with Mr.
Meagher, Mr. O'Donohoe, and Mr. Leyne, who were then on their way to the
Comeragh mountains, but changed their purpose on hearing this sad
intelligence. They remained that night at the house of a man named
Hanrahan, near Nine-mile House, a small village on the high road from
Kilkenny to Cork.

I was all this time ignorant of what occurred. After Mr. Reilly had left
me, and I was joined by the young friend already mentioned, I summoned
as many of the farmers of the neighbourhood as I could collect, and it
was agreed that ten of them, who would represent each one hundred men,
should meet me next day, after divine service, at the wood of
Keilavalla, situate near the western base of Slievenamon. We were to be
joined by two others from the neighbourhood of Carrick-on Suir, from
which we were distant about ten miles. On that morning the news of Mr.
O'Brien's disaster spread far, and was, of course, exaggerated. I had
slept the previous night not far from the mountain, where I was watched
by two brothers named Walsh, who lived at Brookhill, but have since
removed to the United States. I gladly avail myself of this occasion to
attest their fidelity and bravery. At the time appointed, my friend and
I proceeded to the place of rendezvous. We remained for hours, and
remained in vain. At last one only of the ten arrived. He told us that
at the chapel the Rev. Patrick Laffan read the names of the proscribed
traitors for whose persons a reward was offered....

We continued on the mountain during the remainder of the day; and toward
evening about fifty men came