, including the
force under Schomberg, the army amounted to forty-three thousand men, and
fifty cannon.

King William landed at Carrickfergus, on the 14th of June, and the
combined army at once began their southward march. Against this force,
King James collected but twenty thousand men. Of these, six thousand were
French. They had arrived, under the command of the Count de Lauzun, in
March, but they had not increased the numbers of King James's troops, for
he had been obliged to send, in exchange, an equal number of his
best-trained soldiers, under Lord Mountcashel, for service in France. Of
the fourteen thousand native troops, the Irish horse, which was raised
and officered by Irish gentlemen, was excellent, but the infantry was
composed for the most part of raw levies, but half armed, and the only
artillery consisted of twelve guns, which had arrived with the infantry
from France.

It was a sad parting, when Captain Davenant and Walter left home for the
front. The former was filled with gloomy forebodings. He could scarcely
hope that the ill-trained levies of James could succeed against the
vastly superior force, of disciplined troops, with whom they had now to
cope; especially as the latter were led by an able and energetic general,
while the former were hampered by the incompetence and vacillation of
James.

The day before they started, Captain Davenant rode over to the Whitefoots
and had a talk with Jabez.

"I know not how the campaign will go," he said. "If we are beaten, we
shall probably retire to the west, and maintain the war there. In that
case, Dublin will of course fall into the hands of William. Should this
be so, I will ask you to reverse our late position, and to extend what
assistance you can to my wife and mother. It may be that, if I do not
return here, none will disturb them. I have not made myself obnoxious to
my Protestant neighbours, and no one may take the trouble to bring it
before the notice of the English that I am absent, fighting with the army
of King James. If, however, they should do so, and the castle and what
remains of the estates be confiscated, will you lend what aid you can to
the ladies, and my younger boy, until I or Walter return from the war?"

"That will I do, right gladly," Jabez said, heartily. "Should I hear any
talk of what you speak of, I will go up to Dublin with some of our
friends and ministers, and we will testify to the good relations which
have existed between