have been
a terrible sight to see, for those who had first broken in upon the
scene of desolation. In the course of the next morning it had become
known to the police, and it was soon rumoured throughout England and
Ireland that there had been ten murderers engaged in the bloody fray.
It must have been as Captain Clayton had surmised; one with another
intent upon destroying that wretched family,--or perhaps only one
among its number,--had insisted that others should accompany him. A
man who had been one of their number was less likely to tell if he
had a hand in it himself. And so there were ten of them. It might
be that one among the number of the murdered had seen the murder of
Mr. Morris, or of Pat Gilligan, or the attempted murder of Captain
Clayton. And that one was not sure not to tell,--had perhaps shown
by some sign and indication that to tell the truth about the deed
was in his breast,--or in hers! Some woman living there might have
spoken such a word to a friend less cautious in that than were the
neighbours in general. Then we can hear, or fancy that we can hear,
the muttered reasons of those who sought to rule amidst that bloody
community. They were a family of the Kellys,--these poor doomed
creatures,--but amidst those who whispered together, amidst those who
were forced to come into the whispering, there were many of the same
family; or, at any rate, of the same name. For the Kellys were a
tribe who had been strong in the land for many years. Though each of
the ten feared to be of the bloody party, each did not like not to
be of it, for so the power would have come out of their hands. They
wished to be among the leading aristocrats, though still they feared.
And thus they came together, dreading each other, hating each other
at last; each aware that he was about to put his very life within the
other's power, and each trying to think, as far as thoughts would
come to his dim mind, that to him might come some possibility of
escape by betraying his comrades.

But a miracle had occurred,--that which must have seemed to be a
miracle when they first heard it, and to the wretches themselves,
when its fatal truth was made known to them. While in the dead of
night they were carrying out this most inhuman massacre there were
other eyes watching them; six other eyes were looking at them,
and seeing what they did perhaps more plainly than they would see
themselves! Think of the scene! There were six persons doomed,