at the head of them it is said, and, it would seem, possesses the
power of making himself invisible; for we cannot possibly come at him,
although he has been often seen by others."

"Why, what has been Shawn's last exploit?"

"Nothing that I have heard of since Bingham's robbery; but there is none
of us safe. Have you your house and premises secured?"

"Not I," replied Lindsay, "unless by good bolts and bars, together with
plenty of arms and ammunition."

"How is it that these fellows are not taken?" asked another.

"Because the people protect them," said a third; "and because they have
strength and activity; and thirdly, because we have no adequate force to
put them down."

"All very sound reasons," replied the querist; but as to _Shawn na
Middogue_, the people are impressed with a belief that he is under the
protection of the fairies, and can't be taken on this account. Even if
they were willing to give him up, which they are not, they dare not
make the attempt, lest the vengeance of the fairies might come down on
themselves and their cattle, in a thousand shapes."

"I will tell you what the general opinion upon the subject is," replied
the other. "It seems his foster-mother was a midwife, and that she was
called upon once, about the hour of midnight, to discharge the duties
of her profession toward a fairyman's wife, and this she refused to do
unless they conferred some gift either upon herself personally, or