ut no
man in prison, and yet the kennels at Ahaseragh had been burned to
the ground. This had occurred only on the preceding day; and he got
the account of what had happened from a hunting man he knew well.
"The hounds were out you know last Saturday week as a finish, and
poor Tom did hope that we might get through without any further
trouble. We met at Ballinamona, and we drew Blake's coverts without
a word. We killed our fox too and then went away to Pulhaddin gorse.
I'll be blest if all the county weren't there. I never saw the boys
swarm about a place so thick. Pulhaddin is the best gorse in the
county. Of course it was no use drawing it; but as we were going away
on the road to Loughrea the crowd was so thick that there was no
riding among them. Ever so many horsemen got into the fields to be
away from the crowd. But Tom wouldn't allow Barney and the hounds to
be driven from the road. I never saw a man look so angry in my life.
You could see the passion that was on him. He never spoke a word,
nor raised a hand, nor touched his horse with his spur; but he got
blacker and blacker, and would go on whether the crowd moved asunder
or not. And he told Barney to follow him with the hounds, which
Barney did, looking back ever and anon at the poor brutes, and giving
his instructions to the whips to see well after that they did not
wander. They threatened Barney scores of times with their sticks, but
he came on, funking awfully, but still doing whatever Tom told him. I
was riding just behind him among the hounds so that I could see all
that took place. At last a ruffian with his shillelagh struck Barney
over the thigh. I had not time to get to him; indeed I doubt whether
I should have done so, but Tom,--; by George, he saw out of the back
of his head. He turned round, and, without touching his horse with
spur or whip, rode right at the ruffian. If they had struck himself,
I think he would have borne it more easily."

"How did it end?"

"They said that the blackguard was hurt, but I saw him escape and get
away over the fence. Then they all set upon Tom, but by G---- it was
glorious to see the way in which he held his own. Out came that cross
of his, four foot and a half long, with a thong as heavy as a flail.
He soon had the road clear around him, and the big black horse you
remember, stood as steady as a statue till he was bidden to move
on. Then when he had the hounds, and Barney Smith and the whips
to himself,--and I wa