upset the boat as the fellow stood and kissed
his hand.

"Sit down, sir, if you please, and trim the boat," I said. "By your
leave, sir, till I haul the sail."

And before he was aware of it I hauled away, and left him kissing his
hand to a sheet of white canvas that interposed between him and my
little mistress.

That solaced me vastly.

Once out on the lough I found my passenger, who was little more than a
lad of twenty, friendly enough, and inclined to while away the voyage
with chat.

"So the master's at Malin, after the smugglers?" said he.

"Troth, yes," said I; "but they're hard boys to catch."

"I wouldn't thank you for fools that ran into your arms," said he.

"'Deed you won't find many such in these parts."

"What's that building on the far point there?" he asked presently,
pointing to Kilgorman.

"That's Kilgorman House, colonel."

"Oh! There's some story about that house surely. Somebody was murdered
or robbed--what was it?"

"His honour's brother, Terence Gorman, owned it. And he was shot on the
hill fifteen years ago; and nobody will go near the place since."

"Oh, I remember now," said he. "And there was something about a lady
and child that died too. I heard about it from a cracked body that was
servant to my sister-in-law in Paris."

"Biddy McQuilkin," said I. "Sure she's in France still!"

"What, do you know her?"

"She's from these parts, colonel."

"Well, she may be there still, unless they're all dead. Paris is a hot
place for any one just now. When they kill kings, and cut off heads
like turnip-tops, it's no place for strangers."

"They do say the French will be this length before long," said I,
recalling some of the talk I had heard at his honour's table.

He eyed me sharply.

"They do, do they? And how come you to know it?"

"Sure, it's common talk," said I; "and more by tokens, they've sent
their guns before them."

"The less you talk about what you don't understand the better," said the
officer, looking glum; "but I'd give any one a hundred pounds to tell me
where they put the arms when they land them."

Here I thought it wise to be silent. I could have earned a hundred
pounds easily that afternoon.

When we reached Rathmullan, a sergeant was down on the pier awaiting
Captain Lestrange.

"There's wild work going, captain," I heard him say; "the boys are
getting to a head, and every mother's son of them with a gun in his
hand. The troop's been ordere