by a stupor which almost destroyed the
power of thinking.

All this, however, availed him not. Before twelve o'clock the next day
informations had been sworn against him, and at the hour of three
he found himself in the very room which had been assigned to Connor
O'Donovan, sinking under the double charge of abduction and robbery.

And now once more did the mutability of public feeling and opinion as
usual become apparent. No sooner had fame spread abroad the report of
Flanagan's two-fold crime, and his imprisonment, than those very people
who had only a day or two before inferred that Connor O'Donovan was
guilty, because his accuser's conduct continued correct and blameless,
now changed their tone, and insisted that the hand of God was visible in
Flanagan's punishment. Again were all the dark traits of his character
dragged forward and exposed; and this man reminded that man, as that man
did some other man, that he had said more than once that Bartle Flanagan
would be hanged for swearing away an innocent young man's life. Such,
however, without reference to truth or justice, is public opinion among
a great body of the people, who are swayed by their feelings only,
instead of their judgment. The lower public will, as a matter of course,
feel at random upon everything, and like a fortuneteller, it will for
that reason, and for that only, sometimes be found on the right side.
From the time which elapsed between the period of Bartle's imprisonment
and that of his trial, many strange circumstances occurred in connection
with it, of which the public at large were completely ignorant. Bartle
was now at the mercy of a man who had been long looked upon with a
spirit of detestation and vengeance by those illegal confederations with
which he had uniformly declined to associate himself. Flanagan's
party, therefore, had now only two methods of serving him, one was
intimidation, and the other a general subscription among the various
lodges of the district, to raise funds for his defence. To both of these
means they were resolved to have recourse.

Many private meetings they held among themselves upon those important
matters, at which Dandy Duff and Ned M'Cormick attended, as was their
duty; and well was it for them the part they took in defeating Bartle
Flanagan, and serving the Bodagh and his family, was unknown to their
confederates. To detail the proceedings of their meetings, and recount
the savage and vindictive ferocity of