ved, and added to the panic and dismay.

In fact, however, both parties were waiting. The Protestants dared not
commence hostilities until assured that William was firmly seated on the
English throne, and ready to come to their assistance. The Catholics were
equally desirous to maintain the peace, until assured that no hope
remained save the sword.

A month after John Whitefoot had left, Walter received a letter from him:

Dear Friend Walter:

You will have heard, no doubt, of the troubles that have arisen here. My
father sent me here to learn a trade, but at present, all men's minds are
so agitated that there is no talk save of arms and of fighting. My
kinsman is as bad as the others. He spends the day going hither and
thither among the townsfolk, and has been made an officer in one of the
six companies which have been raised here, and pays no further heed to
business. The town is mightily divided: the younger and more zealous
spirits are all for fighting, while almost all the older and wealthier
citizens are opposed to this.

"This is how the trouble began. The Earl of Tyrconnell sent, as you know,
three thousand soldiers to help King James, at the first news of the
landing of the prince, and to do so he withdrew the regiment which was in
garrison in this town. On the 7th of this month of December, the people
here heard that the regiment of the Earl of Antrim was approaching the
town to take the place of those troops. When the news arrived, there was
a sort of panic in the town, and the news was spread that this regiment
was intended to massacre the people.

"Why this should be I do not know, and I cannot but think that the alarm
was a false one. However, the regiment arrived on the river bank, and
some of its officers crossed and entered the city. When they were in
council with some of the leading citizens, a party of apprentices, with
some of the rabble, shut the gates. For some time there was great debate.
The older citizens were mostly in favour of admitting the earl's
regiment. Why, they asked, should Derry alone defy the power of
Tyrconnell and King James? If King William made his cause good, and came
over to Ireland to aid the Protestants, it would be time enough for the
men of Derry to join him, and to fight for their faith; but if they now
stood alone, they could do no good to the cause of King William, and
would bring destruction on themselves and their city.

"But these arguments were of no avail. Th