travellers to meet,"
said the father, somewhat bewildered by the harangue.

"Your Reverence is right, but this place could not afford better
accommodation if I had made it myself. I struck into the wood before
they saw me, tore the black lining from my hat, punched two holes in
it for the eyes, and tied it around my forehead, letting it hang down
over my face; then I primed my two pistols and waited for the
gentlemen. When they were nearly opposite, a touch of the heels to my
horse's flank was enough, and out he sprang into the middle of the
road.

"'Stand and deliver!' I cried, pointing the pistols at them, the words
coming as glibly to my lips as if I had said them no later ago than
yesterday. 'Stand and deliver, ye--'" and here Jem glibly rattled out
a stream of profane appellatives which was disgraceful to listen to.

"Tut, tut, Jem," I said, "you shouldn't speak like that. Any way we'll
hear the rest another time."

"That's what I called them, sir," said Jem, turning to me with
surprise, "you surely would not have me tell an untruth."

"I wouldn't have you tell anything. Keep quiet. Father Donovan is not
interested in your recital."

"I beg your pardon, O'Ruddy," said Father Donovan, looking at me
reproachfully; "but I am very much interested in this man's
narrative."

"As any good man should be," continued Jem, "for these were arrant
scoundrels; one of them I knew, and his name is Doctor Chord. He fell
off his horse on the roadway at once and pleaded for mercy. I ordered
the others instantly to hold their hands above their heads, and they
did so, except one man who began fumbling in his holster, and then, to
show him what I could do with a pistol, I broke his wrist. At the
sound of the shot the horses began to plunge, nearly trampling Doctor
Chord into the dust.

"'Clasp your hands above your heads, ye--'"

Here went on another stream of terrible language again, and in despair
I sat down on the pile of saddles, allowing things to take their
course. Jem continued:

"The lesson of the pistol was not misread by my gentlemen, when they
noticed I had a second loaded one; so, going to them one after the
other I took their weapons from them and flung them to the foot of
that tree, where, if you look, you may see them now. Then I took a
contribution from each one, just as you do in church, your Reverence.
I'm sure you have a collection for the poor, and that was the one I
was taking up this day. I have not c