lf, for there are
not half a dozen of ye know one end of the boat from the other."

When Walter reached his quarters, he at once sat down to write. After
many attempts he finished one as follows:

"Dear Miss Conyers:

"After the kindness shown to us by Mrs. Conyers and yourself, I feel sure
that you will like to know where we are posted. We are at Ballygan, just
across the Shannon opposite to your house, and I can see your roof from a
spot fifty yards from the village. It seems a pleasure to me to be so
close, even though we are as much divided as if there were the sea
between us.

"I hope that Mr. Conyers has returned, and that you will have no trouble
with William's troops, whose reputation for good behaviour is not of the
best. I hope that, now that you are among your friends, you have not
quite forgotten us, and that you will let me have a line to say how you
are, and how things are going on with you. My boy Larry is going to take
this across, and will call tomorrow night for an answer, if you are good
enough to send one."

"When will your boat be finished, Larry?" he asked his follower, as the
latter came in, just as it was getting dusk.

"She will be finished tomorrow. The framework is done, and I could make a
shift, if your honour wished, just to fasten the skin on so that it would
take me tonight."

"If you could, I would rather, Larry."

"All right, your honour!" Larry said, with a slight smile. "Two hours'
work will do it."

"I know where you are making it, Larry, and will come round when I go to
inspect sentries, at eleven o'clock. We shall post ten men, a quarter of
a mile apart, on the bank, and I will give orders for them to look out
for you. The word will be 'Wicklow;' so when you come across they will
shout to you, 'Who comes there?' You say, 'Wicklow;' and it will be all
right."

At the hour he had named, Walter went round for Larry, who was working by
the light of a torch stuck in the ground.

"I have just finished it, yer honour; but I was obliged to stop till the
boys got quiet; they were so mighty inquisitive as to what I was in such
a hurry about, that I had to leave it alone for a while."

"Look here, Larry, here is the letter, but that's not the principal
reason why I am sending you across. You will give it to Pat Ryan, as you
suggested, to pass on through Bridget to Miss Conyers; but I want you to
arrange with him that he shall, tomorrow, get some dry sticks put
together on the b