llains as ever wor born to die
by suspin-sion."

This narrative, the spirit of which was so acceptable to his two
companions, and, if truth must be told, equally so to the third, was
treasured up by M'Carthy, who felt that it ingeniously but cautiously
pointed out to him the course he should adopt under his own peculiar
circumstances. The consequence was, that on coming within about a couple
of furlongs of a dark, narrow, thickly-wooded glen, through which he
knew they must pass, he bolted off at the top of his speed, which,
although very considerable for a man whose strength had been so
completely exhausted by fatigue and the unusual slavery of that day's
wandering through the mountains, was, notwithstanding, such as would
never have enabled him to escape from his companions.

He had not gone a perch when the click of a pistol was heard, but no
report; the fact having been, that the pistol missed fire, and did not
go off.

"D--n your blood!" exclaimed the "friend" to the other, "fire, and don't
let him escape;" the ruffian did so when click No. 2 was heard, but as
before no report.

"Aisy," said the fellow who had fired first, pulling out a long Spanish
dagger; "an inch or two of this is as safe as a bullet, any day; and
by japers he won't escape it." He sprang after M'Carthy as he spoke,
followed by his companion. The third man stepped a pace or two to the
right, and levelling a long double-barrelled pistol, deliberately fired,
when McCarthy's first pursuer fell; the second man, however, with that
remarkable, quickness of wit which characterizes the Irish, in their
outrages as well as in their pastimes, suddenly stooped, and taking
the dreadful dagger out of the hands of the wounded man, continued the
pursuit bounding after his foe with a spirit of vengeance and ferocity,
now raised to the highest pitch. The stranger, seeing that M'Carthy was
still in equal danger if not in still greater, for the now infuriated
ruffian was gaining upon him, once more levelled his pistol--fired--and,
as before, down came the intended assassin. He himself then sprang
forward, as if in pursuit of M'Carthy, exclaiming, "Hell and fury, why
did yez keep between me and him--I think he's hit; give me that dagger,
and I'll go bail I'll make his body soon put six inches of it out of
sight," and having uttered, these words, he rushed forward, as if in
pursuit of their victim.

After he had left them, the following brief dialogue took place