ld stood, threatened, with the most awful imprecations,
'to blow the brains out of the first man who should dare to press on
them.'

O'Connor now interfered, requesting the crowd to forbear, and some
degree of order was restored. He then said, 'that in firing as he
did, he had no intention whatever of waiving his right of firing upon
Fitzgerald, and of depriving that gentleman of his right of prosecuting
the affair to the utmost--that if any person present imagined that he
intended to fire in the air, he begged to set him right; since, so far
from seeking to exort an unwilling reconciliation, he was determined
that no power on earth should induce him to concede one inch of ground
to Mr. Fitzgerald.'

This announcement was received with a shout by the crowd, who now
resumed their places at either side of the plot of ground which had
been measured. The principals took their places once more, and M'Creagh
proceeded, with the nicest and most anxious care, to load the pistols;
and this task being accomplished, Fitzgerald whispered something in the
Captain's ear, who instantly drew his friend's horse so as to place
him within a step of his rider, and then tightened the girths. This
accomplished, Fitzgerald proceeded deliberately to remove his coat,
which he threw across his horse in front of the saddle; and then,
with the assistance of M'Creagh, he rolled the shirt sleeve up to the
shoulder, so as to leave the whole of his muscular arm perfectly naked.
A cry of 'Coward, coward! butcher, butcher!' arose from the crowd.
Fitzgerald paused.

'Do you object, Mr. M'Donough? and upon what grounds, if you please?'
said he.

'Certainly he does not,' replied O'Connor; and, turning to M'Donough, he
added, 'pray let there be no unnecessary delay.'

'There is no objection, then,' said Fitzgerald.

'_I_ object,' said the younger of the O'Gradys, 'if nobody else will.'

' And who the devil are you, that DARES to object?' shouted Fitzgerald;
'and what d--d presumption prompts you to DARE to wag your tongue here?'

'I am Mr. O'Grady, of Castle Blake,' replied the young man, now much
enraged; 'and by ----, you shall answer for your language to me.'

'Shall I, by ----? Shall I?' cried he, with a laugh of brutal scorn;
'the more the merrier, d--n the doubt of it--so now hold your tongue,
for I promise you you shall have business enough of your own to think
about, and that before long.'

There was an appalling ferocity in his tone and