"I'm ready--here I am, ready now," shouted Owen wildly; "tell me what you want me to do, and see whether I will or no."

A cheer broke from the crowd at these words, and all within his reach stretched out their hands to grasp Owen's; and commendations were poured on him from every side.

Meanwhile Heffernan and his companion had cleared the little crypt of its former occupants, and having heaped fresh wood upon the fire, sat down before the blaze, and called out for Owen to join them. Owen took another draught from one of the many bottles offered by the bystanders, and hastened to obey the summons.

"Stand back now, and don't speak a word," cried the leader, keeping off the anxious crowd that pressed eagerly forward to witness the game; the hushed murmuring of the voices shewing how deeply interested they felt.

The three players bent their heads forward as they sat, while Heffernan spoke some words in a low whisper, to which the others responded by a muttered a.s.sent. "Well, here's success to the undhertakin' anyhow,"

cried he aloud, and filling out a gla.s.s of whisky, drank it off; then pa.s.sing the liquor to the two others, they followed his example.

"Will ye like to deal, Owen?" said M'Guire; "you're the new-comer, and we'll give ye the choice."

"No, thank ye, boys," said Owen; "do it yerselves, one of ye; I'm sure of fair play."

Heffernan then took the cards, and wetting his thumb for the convenience of better distributing them, slowly laid five cards before each player; he paused for a second before he turned the trump, and in a low voice said: "If any man's faint-hearted, let him say it now--"

"Turn the card round, and don't be bothering us," cried M'Guire; "one 'ud think we never played a game before."

"Come, be alive," said Owen, in whom the liquor had stimulated the pa.s.sion for play.

"What's the thrump--is it a diamond? look over and tell us," murmured the crowd nearest the entrance.

"'Tis a spade!--I lay fourpence 'tis a spade!"

"Why wouldn't it be?" said another; "it's the same spade will dig Lucas's grave this night!"

"Look! see!" whispered another, "Owen Connor's won the first thrick!

Watch him now! Mind the way he lays the card down, with a stroke of his fist!"

"I wish he wouldn't be drinking so fast!" said another.

"Who won that? who took that thrick?" "Ould Heffernan, divil fear him! I never see him lose yet."

"There's another; that's Owen's!" "No; by Jonas! 'tis Luke again has it." "That's Sam M'Quire's! See how aizy he takes them up."

"Now for it, boys! whisht! here's the last round!" and at this moment, a breathless silence prevailed among the crowd; for while such as were nearest were eagerly bent on observing the progress of the game, the more distant bent their heads to catch every sound that might indicate its fortune.

"See how Luke grins! watch his face!" whispered a low voice. "He doesn't care how it goes, now, he's out of it!" and so it was. Heffernan had already won two of the five tricks, and was safe whatever the result of the last one. The trial lay between M'Guire and Owen.

"Come, Owen, my hearty!" said M'Guire, as he held a card ready to play, "you or I for it now; we'll soon see which the devil's fondest of.

There's the two of clubs for ye!"

"There's the three, then!" said Owen, with a crash of his hand, as he placed the card over the other.

"And there's the four!" said Heffernan, "and the thrick is Sam M'Guire's."

"Owen Connor's lost!" "Owen's lost!" murmured the crowd; and, whether in half-compa.s.sion for his defeat, or grief that so hazardous a deed should be entrusted to a doubtful hand, the sensation created was evidently of gloom and dissatisfaction.

"You've a right to take either of us wid ye, Owen," said M'Guire, slapping him on the shoulder. "Luke or myself must go, if ye want us."

"No; I'll do it myself," said Owen, in a low hollow voice.

"There's the tool, then!" said Heffernan, producing from the breast of his frieze coat a long horse-pistol, the stock of which was mended by a clasp of iron belted round it; "and if it doesn't do its work, 'tis the first time it ever failed. Ould Miles Cregan, of Gurtane, was the last that heard it spake."

Owen took the weapon, and examined it leisurely, opening the pan and settling the priming, with a finger that never trembled. As he drew forth the ramrod to try the barrel, Heffernan said, with a half-grin, "There's two bullets in it, avich!--enough's as good as a feast."

Owen sat still and spoke not, while the leader and Heffernan explained to him the circ.u.mstances of the plot against the life of Mr. Lucas.

Information had been obtained by some of the party, that the agent would leave Galway on the following evening, on his way to Westport, pa.s.sing through Oughterarde and their own village, about midnight. He usually travelled in his gig, with relays of horses ready at different stations of the way, one of which was about two miles distant from the old ruin, on the edge of the lake--a wild and dreary spot, where stood a solitary cabin, inhabited by a poor man who earned his livelihood by fishing.

No other house was within a mile of this; and here, it was determined, while in the act of changing horses, the murder should be effected.

The bleak common beside the lake was studded with furze and brambles, beneath which it was easy to obtain shelter, though pursuit was not to be apprehended--at least they judged that the servant would not venture to leave his master at such a moment; and as for the fisherman, although not a sworn member of their party, they well knew he would not dare to inform against the meanest amongst them.

Owen listened attentively to all these details, and the accurate directions by which they instructed him on every step he should take.

From the moment he should set foot within the cover to the very instant of firing, each little event had its warning.

"Mind!" repeated Heffernan, with a slow, distinct whisper, "he never goes into the house at all; but if the night's cowld--as it's sure to be this sayson--he'll be moving up and down, to keep his feet warm. Cover him as he turns round; but don't fire the first cover, but wait till he comes back to the same place again, and then blaze. Don't stir then, till ye see if he falls: if he does, be off down the common; but if he's only wounded--but sure ye'll do better than that!"

"I'll go bail he will!" said M'Guire. "Sorra fear that Owen Connor's heart would fail him! and sure if he likes me to be wid him--"

"No, no!" said Owen, in the same hollow voice as before, "I'll do it all by myself; I want n.o.body."

"'Tis the very words I said when I shot Lambert of Kilclunah!" said M'Guire. "I didn't know him by looks, and the boys wanted me to take some one to point him out. 'Sorra bit!' says I, 'leave that to me;' and so I waited in the gripe of the ditch all day, till, about four in the evening, I seen a stout man wid a white hat coming across the fields, to where the men was planting potatoes. So I ups to him wid a letter in my hand, this way, and my hat off--'Is yer honner Mr. Lambert?' says I.

'Yes,' says he; 'what do ye want with me?' ''Tis a bit of a note I've for yer honner,' says I; and I gav him the paper. He tuck it and opened it; but troth it was little matter there was no writin' in it, for he would'nt have lived to read it through. I sent the ball through his heart, as near as I stand to ye; the wadding was burning his waistcoat when I left him. 'G.o.d save you!' says the men, as I went across the potato-field. 'Save you kindly!' says I. 'Was that a shot we heard?'

says another. 'Yes,' says I; 'I was fright'ning the crows;' and sorra bit, but that's a saying they have against me ever since." These last few words were said in a simper of modesty, which, whether real or affected, was a strange sentiment at the conclusion of such a tale.

The party soon after separated, not to meet again for several nights; for the news of Lucas's death would of course be the signal for a general search through the country, and the most active measures to trace the murderer. It behoved them, then, to be more than usually careful not to be absent from their homes and their daily duties for some days at least: after which they could a.s.semble in safety as before.

Grief has been known to change the hair to grey in a single night; the announcement of a sudden misfortune has palsied the hand that held the ill-omened letter; but I question if the hours that are pa.s.sed before the commission of a great crime, planned and meditated beforehand, do not work more fearful devastation on the human heart, than all the sorrows that ever crushed humanity. Ere night came, Owen Connor seemed to have grown years older. In the tortured doublings of his hara.s.sed mind he appeared to have spent almost a lifetime since the sun last rose. He had pa.s.sed in review before him each phase of his former existence, from childhood--free, careless, and happy childhood--to days of boyish sport and revelry; then came the period of his first manhood, with its new ambitions and hopes. He thought of these, and how, amid the humble circ.u.mstances of his lowly fortune, he was happy. What would he have thought of him who should predict such a future as this for him?

How could he have believed it? And yet the worst of all remained to come. He tried to rally his courage and steel his heart, by repeating over the phrases so frequent among his companions. "Sure, aint I driven to it? is it my fault if I take to this, or theirs that compelled me?"

and such like. But these words came with no persuasive force in the still hour of conscience: they were only effectual amid the excitement and tumult of a mult.i.tude, when men's pa.s.sions were high, and their resolutions daring. "It is too late to go back," muttered he, as he arose from the spot, where, awaiting nightfall, he had lain hid for several hours; "they mustn't call me a coward, any way."

As Owen reached the valley the darkness spread far and near, not a star could be seen; great ma.s.ses of cloud covered the sky, and hung down heavily, midway upon the mountains. There was no rain; but on the wind came from time to time a drifted mist, which shewed that the air was charged with moisture. The ground was still wet and plashy from recent heavy rain. It was indeed a cheerless night and a cheerless hour; but not more so than the heart of him who now, bent upon his deadly purpose, moved slowly on towards the common.

On descending towards the lake-side, he caught a pa.s.sing view of the little village, where a few lights yet twinkled, the flickering stars that shone within some humble home. What would he not have given to be but the meanest peasant there, the poorest creature that toiled and sickened on his dreary way! He turned away hurriedly, and with his hand pressed heavily on his swelling heart walked rapidly on. "It will soon be over now," said Owen; he was about to add, with the accustomed piety of his cla.s.s, "thank G.o.d for it," but the words stopped in his throat, and the dreadful thought flashed on him, "Is it when I am about to shed His creature's blood, I should say this?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: 202]

He sat down upon a large stone beside the lake, at a spot where the road came down to the water's edge, and where none could pa.s.s un.o.bserved by him. He had often fished from that very rock when a boy, and eaten his little dinner of potatoes beneath its shelter. Here he sat once more; saying to himself as he did so, "'Tis an ould friend, anyway, and I'll just spend my last night with him;", for so in his mind he already regarded his condition. The murder effected, he determined to make no effort to escape. Life was of no value to him. The snares of the conspiracy had entangled him, but his heart was not in it.

As the night wore on, the clouds lifted, and the wind, increasing to a storm, bore them hurriedly through the air; the waters of the lake, lashed into waves, beat heavily on the low sh.o.r.e; while the howling blast swept through the mountain-pa.s.ses, and over the bleak, wide plain, with a rushing sound. The thin crescent of a new moon could be seen from time to time as the clouds rolled past: too faint to shed any light upon the earth, it merely gave form to the dark ma.s.ses that moved before it.

"I will do it here," said Owen, as he stood and looked upon the dark water that beat against the foot of the rock; "here, on this spot."

He sat for some moments with his ear bent to listen, but the storm was loud enough to make all other sounds inaudible; yet, in every noise he thought he heard the sound of wheels, and the rapid tramp of a horse's feet. The motionless att.i.tude, the cold of the night, but more than either, the debility brought on by long fasting and hunger, benumbed his limbs, so that he felt almost unable to make the least exertion, should any such be called for.

He therefore descended from the rock and moved along the road; at first, only thinking of restoring lost animation to his frame, but at length, in a half unconsciousness, he had wandered upwards of two miles beyond the little hovel where the change of horses was to take place. Just as he was on the point of returning, he perceived at a little distance, in front, the walls of a now ruined cabin, once the home of the old smith.

Part of the roof had fallen in, the doors and windows were gone, the fragment of an old shutter alone remained, and this banged heavily back and forwards as the storm rushed through the wretched hut.

Almost without knowing it, Owen entered the cabin, and sat down beside the spot where once the forge-fire used to burn. He had been there, too, when a boy many a time--many a story had he listened to in that same corner; but why think of this now? The cold blast seemed to freeze his very blood--he felt his heart as if congealed within him. He sat cowering from the piercing blast for some time; and at last, unable to bear the sensation longer, determined to kindle a fire with the fragments of the old shutter. For this purpose he drew the charge of the pistol, in which there were three bullets, and not merely two, as Heffernan had told him. Laying these carefully down in his handkerchief, he kindled a light with some powder, and, with the dexterity of one not unaccustomed to such operations, soon saw the dry sticks blazing on the hearth. On looking about he discovered a few sods of turf and some dry furze, with which he replenished his fire, till it gradually became a warm and cheering blaze. Owen now reloaded the pistol, just as he had found it. There was a sense of duty in his mind to follow out every instruction he received, and deviate in nothing. This done, he held his numbed fingers over the blaze, and bared his chest to the warm glow of the fire.