he man that was doomed."

To this our friend judiciously avoided making any reply, the fact
being that several individuals in high trust among these Whiteboys were
occasionally employed to sound suspected persons, in order to test their
sincerity. For about half a minute he spoke not; but at length he said,
with something like sternness--

"There's no use in sich talk as this, my friend; every man that joins us
must make up his mind to do his duty to God and his country."

"It's a quare way of sarvin' God to commit midnight murdher on his
creatures," responded the man with energy.

"I don't know who you are," replied our friend, "but if you take my
advice, you'll not hould such conversation wid every man you spake to in
this body. Wid me you're safe, but at the same time, I say, don't draw
suspicion on yourself, and it'll be betther for you."

"Who is this man?" asked the other, who appeared to have been borne away
a good deal by his feelings, "that commands us?"

"Don't you know Captain Midnight?" replied the other, somewhat
evasively.

"Why, of coorse I know the man by that name; but, at the same time, I
know nothin' else about him."

"Did you never hear?" asked his companion.

"Why, to tell you the truth," said the other, "I heerd it said that he's
the _Cannie Soogah_, or the Jolly Pedlar that goes about the country."

"Well," said the other, lowering his voice a good deal in reply, "if I
could trust you, I'd tell you what I think."

"I'll give you my name, then," replied the other, "if you doubt me;" he
accordingly whispered it to him, and the conversation proceeded.

"I know your family well," returned our friend; "but, as I said before,
be more on your guard, unless you know well the man you spake to. As for
myself, I sometimes think it is the _Cannie Soogah_ and sometimes that
it is not. Others say it's Buck English; but the Buck, for raisons that
some people suspect, could never be got to join us. He wishes us well,
he says, but won't do anything till there comes an open 'ruction, and
then he'll join us, but not before. It's hard to say, at any rate, who
commands us when we meet this way."

"Why so?"

"Why the dickens need you ax? Sure it's not the same man two nights
runnin'."

"But I have been only three or four times out yet," replied his
companion; "and, sure enough, you're very--right--they hadn't the same
man twiste."

They had now reached the road under the Fort or Rath we have alluded