sh to
get anything out of me, change the tone of your voice. I haven't at the
present time, much command over my temper, and I'm now a desperate man,
though I wasn't always so. Either give me the change or the note back
again."

The stranger eyed him closely. Although desperate, as he said, still
there were symptoms of an honest and manly feeling, even in the very
bursts of passion which he succeeded with such effort in restraining.

"I repeat it, that this note came into your hands by an act of
robbery--perhaps of murder."

"Murder!" replied the man, indignantly. "Give me back the note, sir, and
provoke me no farther."

"No," replied the other, "I shall not; and you must consider yourself
my prisoner. You not only do not deny, but seem to admit, the charge of
robbery, and you shall not pass out of my hands until you render me an
account of the person from whom you took this note. You see," he added,
producing a case of pistols--for, in accordance with the hint he had
received in the anonymous note, he resolved never to go out without
them--"I am armed, and that resistance is useless."

The man gave a proud but ghastly smile, as he replied--dropping his
stick, and pulling from his bosom a pair of pistols much larger, and
more dangerous than those of the stranger,

"You see, that if you go to that I have the advantage of you."

"Tell me," I repeat, "what has become of Mr. Fenton, from whom you took
it."

"Fenton!" exclaimed the other, with surprise; "is that the poor young
man that's not right in his head?"

"The same."

"Well, I know nothing about him."

"Did you not rob him of this note?"

"No."

"You did, sir; this note was in his possession; and I fear you have
murdered him I besides. You must come with me,"--and as he spoke, our
friend, Trailcudgel, saw two pistols, one in each hand, levelled at him.
"Get on before me, sir, to the town of Ballytrain, or, resist at your
peril."

Almost at the same moment the two pistols, taken from Sir Thomas
Gourlay, were levelled at the stranger.

"Now," said the man, whilst his eyes shot fire and his brow darkened,
"if it must be, it must; I only want the sheddin' of blood to fill up
my misery and guilt; but it seems I'm doomed, and I can't help it. Sir,"
said he, "think of yourself. If I submit to become your prisoner, my
life's gone. You don't know the villain you are goin' to hand me over
to. I'm not afraid of you, nor of anything, but to die a disgraceful