mselves--the ruinous dilapidation of the outer buildings,
disenchanted the spectator of his first more favourable opinion; until
at length, as he surveyed the incongruous and misshapen pile, with its
dreary mountain back-ground, he wondered how, at any point of view,
he should have deemed it other than the gloomy abode it seemed at that
moment.

[Illustration: 193]

The only figure Frederick Travers had seen, as he rode along, was
that of a man carrying a gun in his hand, in a dress somewhat like a
gamekeeper's, who, at some short distance from the road, moved actively
across the fields, springing lightly from hillock to hillock with the
step of a practised mountain walker, and seemingly regardless of the
weight of a burden which he carried on one shoulder: so rapidly did he
move, that Frederick found it difficult to keep pace with him, as the
road was deeply cut up, and far from safe for horse travel. Curious to
make out what he carried, Travers spurred eagerly forward; and, at last,
but not without an effort, came within hail of him at the iron-barred
gate which formed the outer entrance to the castle from the high road.
The burden was now easily seen, and at once suggested to Frederick's
mind the reason of the bearer's haste. It was a young buck, just killed;
the blood still trickled from the wound in its skull.

"Leave that gate open, my good fellow," cried Frederick, in a voice of
command, as the other pushed the frail portal wide, and let it fall back
heavily to its place again--"Do you hear me?--leave it open."

"We always leap it when mounted," was the cool reply, as the speaker
turned his head round, and then, without deigning either another word or
look, continued his way up the steep ascent.

Travers felt the rude taunt sorely, and would have given much to be near
him who uttered it; but, whether disdaining to follow a counsel thus
insolently conveyed, or, it might be, not over-confident of his
horse, he dismounted, and, flinging wide the gate, rode quickly up the
causeway--not, however, in time to overtake the other; for, although the
way was enclosed by walls on both sides, he had disappeared already, but
in what manner, and how, it seemed impossible to say.

"My father has omitted poaching, it would seem, in his catalogue of
Irish virtues," muttered the young man, as he rode through the arched
keep, and halted at the chief entrance to the house. The door lay open,
displaying the cheerful blaze of a p