ing nearer to each other, the missiles meant only for the
police overshot their mark and struck the soldiers, who bore their
painful situation with admirable patience.

"Now will you fire, sir?" said O'Grady to the officer.

"If I fire now, sir, I am as likely to kill the police as the people;
withdraw your police first, sir, and then I will fire."

This was but reasonable--so reasonable, that even O'Grady, enraged
almost to madness as he was, could not gainsay it; and he went forward
himself to withdraw the police force. O'Grady's presence increased the
rage of the mob, whose blood was now thoroughly up, and as the police
fell back they were pressed by the infuriated people, who now began
almost to disregard the presence of the military, and poured down in a
resistless stream upon them.

O'Grady repeated his command to the captain, who, finding matters thus
driven to extremity, saw no longer the possibility of avoiding
bloodshed; and the first preparatory word of the fatal order was given,
the second on his lips, and the long file of bright muskets flashed in
the sun ere they should quench his light for ever to some, and carry
darkness to many a heart and hearth, when a young and handsome man,
mounted on a noble horse, came plunging and ploughing his way through
the crowd, and, rushing between the half-levelled muskets and those who
in another instant would have fallen their victims, he shouted in a
voice whose noble tone carried to its hearers involuntary obedience,
"Stop!--for God's sake, stop!" Then wheeling his horse suddenly round,
he charged along the advancing front of the people, plunging his horse
fiercely upon them, and waving them back with his hand, enforcing his
commands with words as well as actions. The crowd fell back as he
pressed upon them with fiery horsemanship unsurpassable by an Arab; and
as his dark clustering hair streamed about his noble face, pale from
excitement, and with flashing eyes, he was a model worthy of the best
days of Grecian art--ay, and he had a soul worthy of the most glorious
times of Grecian liberty!

It was Edward O'Connor.

"Fire!" cried O'Grady again.

The gallant soldier, touched by the heroism of O'Connor, and roused by
the brutality of O'Grady beyond his patience, in the excitement of the
moment, was urged beyond the habitual parlance of a gentleman, and
swore vehemently, "I'll be _damned_ if I do! I wouldn't run the
risk of shooting that noble fellow for all the