bly glanced off something as it descended, so that the edge had not
fallen straight on the shoulder bone. It had, however, nearly taken off
the arm. Had it fallen truly, it would probably have been fatal.

After he had attended to the more serious cases, he dressed the wounds of
the other men, several of which were quite as severe as that of Walter,
although they had not incapacitated the men from making their way down to
the boats.

Captain Davenant had kept a watch towards the Hall. And as, in an hour
after they had crossed, no sheet of flame was seen arising thence, he was
able to tell Mrs. Conyers that he thought that it was safe, and that
either Mr. Conyers himself must have accompanied the troops, who would by
this time have unquestionably arrived there, or that some officer, aware
that the owner of the house was a friend, and with sufficient authority
over the men to prevent its destruction, must be in command.

In the morning, he had a long talk with her. He suggested that she and
her daughter should accompany him into Limerick, and be sent, with a flag
of truce, across the bridge to join her husband in William's camp. This,
however, she positively declined to accede to.

"In the first place," she said, "I consider that it is my duty to nurse
the men who suffered for our sake. In the next place, after what we went
through last night, I refuse absolutely to place myself and my daughter
in the hands of the ruffians who disgrace the cause of William. Hitherto,
as a Protestant, I have been an adherent of that cause, as has my
husband. Henceforth, I am an Irishwoman, and as such abhor a cause which
can employ such instruments, and inflict such atrocities upon Ireland. I
will write a letter to my husband, telling him exactly what has happened,
and how we have been preserved, and say that nothing will induce me to
trust myself and Claire among William's troops, but that I shall remain
on this side of the Shannon. If, as I trust will not be the case, the
English force their way across the river, I shall make for Galway, and
thence take ship to England, where we can join him. I intend to remain
here as long as I can be useful as a nurse, and I shall then retire, with
Claire, to Galway, where I have some relations, with whom I can stay
until matters are decided."

Mrs. Conyers at once wrote the letter, which Captain Davenant carried
himself into Limerick, as he was going in to report the occurrences of
the preceding n