their legs bound with straw ropes, and others with leggings
made of old hats, cut up for the purpose. The women were secured with
cloaks, the hoods of which were tied with kerchiefs of some showy color
over their bonnets or their caps, which, together with their elbows
projecting behind, for the purpose of preventing their dress from being
dabbled in the snow, gave them a marked and most picturesque appearance.

Reillaghan and M'Kenna both reached the chapel a considerable time
before the arrival of the priest; and as a kind of Whiteboy committee
was to sit for the purpose of investigating their conduct in holding out
so dangerous an example as they did, by striking each other, contrary
to their oaths as brothers under the same system, they accordingly were
occupied each in collecting his friends, and conciliating those whom
they supposed to be hostile to them on the opposite party. It had been
previously arranged that this committee should hold a court of inquiry,
and that, provided they could not agree, the matter was to be referred
to two hedge-schoolmasters, who should act as umpires; but if it
happened that the latter could not decide it, there was no other
tribunal appointed to which a final appeal could be made.

According to these regulations, a court was opened in a shebeen-house,
that stood somewhat distant from the road. Twelve young fellows seated
themselves on each side of a deal table, with one of the umpires at each
end of it, and a bottle of whiskey in the middle. In a higher sphere
of life it is usual to refer such questionable conduct as occurs in
duelling, to the arbitration of those who are known to be qualified by
experience in the duello. On this occasion the practice was not much
departed from, those who had been thus selected as the committee being
the notoriously pugnacious "boys" in the whole parish.

"Now, boys," said one of the schoolmasters, "let us proceed to
operations wid proper spirit," and he filled a glass of whiskey as he
spoke. "Here's all your healths, and next, pace and unanimity to us!
Call in the culprits."

Both were accordingly admitted, and the first speaker resumed--"Now, in
the second place, I'll read yez that part of the oath which binds us all
under the obligation of not strikin' one another--hem! hem! 'No
brother is to strike another, knowing him to be such; he's to strike
him--hem!--neither in fair nor market, at home nor abroad, neither
in public nor in private, nei