Willy Reilly / The Works of William Carleton, Volume One

nued-Reilly Gets a Bed in

ore him; for Sir Robert, in addition to his many other good qualities, possessed that of being a private drinker. The bottle, we say, was befo

send O'Do

, and in a few minutes t

el? Have you thrown

e called out on duty

l-it doesn't matter. What d

beauty, sir, an

I went a little too far-that I s

and an outlaw, Sir Rob

ce. However, it's all right. The government, to which I have rendered such important services, will stand by me, and fetch me out of the burning-that is, if there has been any

me a commi

all right, but ca

swear it,

you think he is in t

, sir, than that he is not.

u mean by

her, your honor, in conne

; I highly approve of your sentim

that glorious bonfire we had; but, besides, sir, I wish to drink success to you in all you

will be sure to find him. The letter is of the greatest importance, and you will take care to deliver it safely. No answer by you is required. He was out to-day, levying fines from Popish priests, and a heavy one from the Popish bishop,

ished his glass of brandy, and di

raft's residence-it being the interest of this hypocritical voluptuary to have the corrupt wretch near him. The Rapparee, having left Whitecraft to his reflections, immediately directed his steps to her house, and, with her connivance, changed the dress he had on for one which she had taken from Reilly's wardrobe. He then went to the house

I came, and that will be a very sufficient excuse. In the meantime,"

ld himself in readiness. The night was dark, and this preparation for self-defence was unknown to his assailant. On feeling the reins of his horse's bridle in the hands of the robber, he snapped the pistol at his head, but alas! it only flashed in the pan. The robber, on the other hand, did not seem anxious to take his life, for it was a principle among the Rapparees to shed, while exercising their rapacious functions, as little blood as possible. They have frequently taken life from a feeling of private vengeance, bu

which was very painful, he recommenced his journey home. After a ride of about two miles

large sum of money and my pistols; and now," he added, "may I beg to kn

to the military detachment which government has p

a little more advanced on your journey; you might have saved me fr

sir, what was the vi

uncertain glance of him. I am not quite certain that I could recognize his featur

ressed, sir?"

he had on a brown coat, of superior cloth and make, an

eatures, M

to recollect them; but indeed the dim glimpse I got was too brief to af

o robbed you must have been Reilly the Outlaw. That is the very dress he

replied the sheriff; "and I regret I

tributions on the road. For my part, I think the scoundrel can make himself invisible; but it must go hard with us

attended if the Red Rapparee had still been at his vocation, and his gan

but Reilly may step into his

ed the sheriff; "nothing the villain robbers

ay it-the life of a man who is not very well liked in the country, in consequence o

f reached his own residence, under

night was far advanced, and as the country was unsettled, he was not ignorant that the small military parties that were in the habit of scouring the country generally-unless when in the execution of some express duty-retired to their quarters at an early hour, in order to avoid the severe retaliations which were freq

uested the three infantry to precede them as an advanced guard, as quietly as possible, stating that there might still be a chance of coming across the villain who had plundered the sheriff, intimating their impression, at the same time, that Reilly was the man, and adding that if they could secure him their fortune was made. As has always been usual in executing cases, of the law attended with peculiar difficulty, these men-the infantry-like our present detectives, had gone out that night in colored clothes. On perceiving two individuals approaching them in the dim distance, they immediately threw their guns into the ditch, lest they should put our friends upon their guard and cause them to escape if they could. Reilly could have

id Reilly; "this poor fellow is in sorro

as there sich a wife, neighbors? who ever heard her harsh word, or her loud voice? And from mornin' till night ever, ever busy in keepin' every thing tight and clane and regular! Let me alone, will yez? I'll go back and sleep upon

ss, poor man; other people have these calam

ase if you are I want consolati

pecting I man, "and any thing I ca

risoner in the hands of the bereaved widower, to whom he proved an easy victim, as he was incapable of making resistance, which, indeed, he declined to attempt. If he did not possess bodily strength, however, he was not without presence of mi

knocked one of his captors down. In an instant, however, the three dragoons, aided by the other men, were upon him, and not less than three cavalry pistols were levelled at his head. Unfortunately, at this moment the moon began to rise,

been spokesman in their interview with the sh

ied Reilly, "where is the ne

name? If you be the man I susp

nd as I am conscious of no crime against society-of

rges, not the least of which is your robbery of the sheriff this night. You must come

e priest. "I have made my mind up against such a stretch at such an

asked the man, a good deal

er he is, however, he's a good man and true, but must be guided by wiser heads than his own; and I now tell h

atrous old rebel along. Come, my old cou

them, and about the same number, with similar weapons, behind them. In fact, they were completely hemmed i

re we ten to one against you; or if you don't, I swear there won't be a living man amongst you in

truth, and the military party saw at onc

rse-cuting and murdherin' the country out of a face. This night closes their black work;" and as the words were uttere

nd back," said he, "for, by all that's sacred, if you approach another step, William Reilly and that rebel prie

or persecuted creatures, as we are, took it into their heads or their hearts to let that man and me off, they would have been, probably, treated like dogs for neglecting their duty. I am, as you know, a minister of God, and a man of peace, whose duty it is to prevent bloodshed whenever I can, and save human life, whether it is that

nerous, or Christian act, to slaughter so poor a handful of men by the force of numbers. No: there would be neither credit nor honor in such an act. I assure you, my friends, it would disgrace your common name, your common credit, and your common country. Nay, it would seem like cowardice, and only give a handle to your enemies to tax you with it. But I know you are not cowards, but brave and generous men, whose hear

uge leader, in his terrible voi

appertained to it, to a heap of ashes-who is on my trail, night and day, and who will be on my trail, in order to glut his vengeance with my blood. Now, my friends, listen-I take God to witness, that if that man were here at this moment, I would plead for his life with

journey, the person who seemed to h

s; I may requite you for that, generous act yet;" and he pressed hi

dividuals before and around him were all strangers, from distant parts of the country; for whenever an outrage is to be committed, or a nocturnal drilling to

h, but not intractable, men had given three cheers for "bould Willy Reilly," three more for the Cooleen Bawn, not forgetting the priest, the latter, while returning thanks, had them in convulsions of laughter. "May I never do harm," proceeded his reverence humorously, "but the first Christian duty that every true Catholic ought to learn is to whistle on his fingers. The moment ever your children, boys, are able to give a squall, clap their forefinger and thumb in their mouth, and leave the rest to nature. Let them talk of their spinnet and sinnet, their fiddle and their diddle, their dancing and their prancing, but there is no genteel accomplishment able to be compared to a rousing whistle on the fingers. See what it did for us to-night. My soul to glory, but only for it, Mr. Reilly and I would have soon taken a journey with our heels foremost; and, what is worse, the villains would have fo

days successively in the same place. Having selected the locality for instruction during the day, he put his forefinger and thumb into his mouth, and emitted a whistle that went over half the country. Having thus given the signal three times, his scholars began gradually and cautiously to make their appearance, radiating towards him from all-directions, reminding one of a hen in a farm-yard, who, having fallen upon some wholesome crumbs, she utters that peculiar sound which immediately collects her eager little flock about her, in order to dispense among them the good things she has to give. Poor Father Maguire was simplicity itself, for, although cheerful, and a good deal of a humorist, yet he was pious, inoffensive, and charitable. True, it is not to be imagined that he could avoid bearing a very strong feeling of enmity against the Establishment, as, indeed, we do not see, so long as human nature is what it is, how he could have done otherwise; he hated it, however, in the aggregate, not in detail, for the truth is, that he received shelter and protection nearl

ed at least; but not until they had shaken hands most cordially with Reilly and the priest, who now

ere are we to go? and next, how did you come to know of the

of those who was engaged to be present happened to mention the fact to me a

erfectly understand you. It is no

u, not long ago, that you would have, a bed to-night: follow me, and I will lead you to a crypt of nature's own making, which, was not know

ld gully or ravine that was both deep and narrow. This they crossed, and arrived at a ledge of precipitous rocks, most of which were overhung to the very ground with long

one man at a time, and even that by his working himself in upon his knees and elbows. In this manner they advanced in utter darkness for about thirty yards, when they reached a second opening, about three feet high, which bore some resemblance to a Gothic arch. This also it was necess

have as little mercy on us as those of the troopers, had we got them. No clergyman here, or anywhere else, ever carries firearms, but there are laym

the winnow-cloth three times, when a dee

ords than the cloth was partially removed, and a voice exclaimed, "Benedicite

out of, or beyond, nature. There were about fifteen individuals present, most of them in odd and peculiar disguises, which gave them a grotesque and supernatural appearance, as they passed about with their strong torches-some bright and some flashing red; and as the light of either one or other fell upon the stalactites, giving them a hue of singular brilliancy or deep purple, Reilly could not utter a word. The costumes of the individuals about him were so strange and varied that he knew not what to think. Some were in the dress of clergymen, others in that of ill-clad peasants, and nearly one-third-of them in the garb of mendicants, who, from their careworn faces, appeared to have suffered severely from the persecution of the times. In a few minutes, however, about half a dozen diminutive beings made their appearance, busied, as far as he co

titudes and the evident rapidity of his language, had made either himself or his presence there the topic of very earnest discussion. In fact it appeared to him that the priest, from whatever cause, appeared to be rather hard set to defend him and to justify his presence among them. A tall, stern-looking man, with a lofty forehead and pale ascetic features-from which all the genial impulses of humanity, that had once characterized them, seemed almost to h