n' scramm' an' groanin', that it's frightful to
listen to him. An' his dhrames, sir, is worse. God, sir, if you'd hear
him asleep, the hair would stand on your head; indeed, one of us is
ordered to be still with him."

"It is right," replied the sheriff, who, after recommending him to get
a clergyman, left him, and, with his usual promptness and decision,
immediately wrote to the Secretary of State, acquainting him with
Flanagan's confession of his own guilt, and of Connor O'Donovan's
innocence of the burning of O'Brien's haggard; hoping, at the same time,
that government would take instant steps to restore O'Donovan to his
country and his friends.

Soon after the sheriff left him, a Roman Catholic clergyman arrived, for
it appeared that against the priest who was chaplain of the jail he
had taken an insurmountable prejudice, in consequence of some fancied
resemblance he supposed him to bear to the miser's son. The former
gentleman spent that night with him, and, after a vast deal of exertion
and difficulty, got him so far composed, as that he attempted to confess
to him, which, however, he did only in a hurried and distracted manner.

But how shall we describe the scene, and we have it from more than one
or two witnesses, which presented itself, when the hour of his
execution drew nigh. His cries and shrieks were distinctly heard from a
considerable distance along the dense multitudes which were assembled
to witness his death; thus giving to that dreadful event a character of
horror so deep and gloomy, that many persons, finding themselves unable
to bear it, withdrew from the crowd, and actually fainted on hearing the
almost supernatural tones of his yells and howlings within.

In the mean time, the proceedings in the press-room were of a still
more terrific description He now resembled the stag at bay; his strength
became more than human. On attempting to tie his hands, five men were
found insufficient for the woeful task. He yelled, and flung them aside
like children, but made no attempt at escape, for, in truth, he knew not
what he did. The sheriff, one of the most powerful and athletic men to
be found in the province, was turned about and bent like an osier in his
hands. His words, when the fury of despair permitted his wild and broken
cries to become intelligible, were now for life--only life upon any
terms; and again did he howl out his horrors of death, hell, and
judgment. Never was such a scene, perhaps, wit