I fear to ask for your father and John."

"They are both murdered, sir," she replied; "they have fallen victims to
men who are in the habit of wearing white shirts and black faces--with,
I fear, blacker hearts."

"Great God!" he exclaimed, "is this so? but time now is life: I must bear
your suspicions, Julia, until a fitter occasion. You, Alick, as you will
not and wish not to leave your mother and sisters unprotected, follow
me--follow me, or, as I hope for God's mercy, you are lost, and your
sisters--I dread to think of it."

"It is enough," said Alick, struck now with absolute impatience: "I
consent, Frank--what do you wish?"

He brought him at once to the kitchen, where he took soot from the
chimney, which he moistened with water, and, in a couple of minutes,
blackened his face and put the bloody shirt over his dress. The change
was so completely and quickly effected, that the females for a moment
took it for granted that they were strangers who had forced an entrance
by some other way.

"Now," said M'Carthy, placing a loaded pistol in Alick's hand, "the
pass-word for the night is '_the Cannie Soogah_'--you won't forget
that?--but, above all things, don't think of using your pistol,
whatever may happen, until you hear me shout, '_the Cannie Soogah to the
rescue!_' and even then, wait until you see and speak to him--the brave,
the noble, the glorious fellow!"

"Good God! and is he here?" asked Alick.

"He's here--he's everywhere," replied the other: "he's here, at all
events, before now, I hope: the manner in which I shall call upon his
name is this--first, I shout 'the Cannie Soogah!' the very mention of
which will be followed by a general cheer; then, when he appears, I
shall call out, 'the Cannie Soogah to the rescue!' After this you must
be guided by me, as I must be by the Cannie Soogah and circumstances.
Come, now, it is safer to open the door and admit these ruffians."

"And remember," added Alick, turning with a look of agony to the
females, "that the men have all been shot, and are lying in the upper
room!"

The ruse of M'Carthy succeeded. The Whiteboys, on being admitted, took
it for granted that those who opened the door belonged to themselves and
had got in by some other entrance. The house was hastily searched;
and the fact of the Purcels having been killed in the upper room, was
corroborated by the limbs of John and his father being visible among the
burning pile. The state of the house now r