n us
but what the clothes make? Get into them. I intend certain other
people to take you for me in the dark, and I can warrant you these
clothes, grand as you think them, will be very soundly beaten before
this day is done with."

"Ochone, ochone," moaned Paddy, "am I to get another beating already,
and some of the bruises not yet off my flesh?"

"Put on the coat now, and don't do so much talking. Sure it's all in
the day's work, and I promise you before long you'll have your revenge
on them."

"It's not revenge I'm after," wailed Paddy, "but a whole skin."

"Now you're transformed into a gentleman," said I, "and many a lad
would take a beating for the privilege of wearing such gorgeous
raiment. Here is a packet of paper that you're to keep in your pocket
till it's taken away from you. And now I'll help you to saddle the
horse, and once you're across London Bridge you'll likely come upon
Maidstone and Rye some time in your life, for you can't get back over
the river again except by the same bridge, so you'll know it when you
come to it."

And so I mounted Paddy in the courtyard; the sleepy watchman undid the
bolts in the big gate in the archway; and my man rode out into the
darkness in no very cheerful humour over his journey. I came back and
took forty winks more in the arm-chair, then, with much difficulty, I
roused Jem Bottles. He also, without a murmur, but with much pride in
his dressing, put on the second of my discarded suits, and seemed to
fancy himself mightily in his new gear. With plenty of cord I tied and
retied the two bundles of swords and placed them across the horse in
front of his saddle, and it was not yet daylight when Jem jingled out
into the street like a moving armoury. Two huge pistols were in his
holsters, loaded and ready to his hand.

"By the Saints," said Jem proudly, "the man that meddles with me shall
get hot lead or cold steel for his breakfast," and with that he went
off at a canter, waking the echoes with the clash of his horse's shoes
on the cobble-stones.

I went up stairs again and threw myself down on the bed and slept
peacefully with no Paddy to rouse me until half-past-six, when a
drawer knocked at the door and said that a priest that was downstairs
would be glad to see me. I had him up in a jiffy, and a hot breakfast
following fast on his heels, which we both laid in in quantities, for
neither of us knew where our next meal was to be. However, the good
father paid little