what I said? Just look at the top of that young mountain yonder, and you
will see two ugly looking two legged bastes, headed by a third, who
looks for all the world like the horrid baste with 'sivin heads and ten
horns,' that Father McGrave used to tell us was stabled in purgatory,
and ridden by the very ould divil himself.'

Turning his eyes in the direction intimated, Henry immediately
discovered the three strong men to whom Patrick had alluded, and they
seemed at the same time to have seen him, for soon afterwards he
observed that they were descending the hill, and walking swiftly towards
the place where he and his servant were standing.

'By the boys of Bulskerry, them divils are all armed, every mother's son
of them,' exclaimed O'Leary, as the strangers gained a near approach to
them.

'So they are, sure enough,' answered Henry. 'But what shall we do, Pat,
run away, or stop and see what they want of us?'

'It would surely be the asiest and most agreeable for both of us, to
show them a light pair of heels, or, in yer honor's own words, to run
away, that is, if so be that we had any where to run to,--but as we
haven't, why, the best thing we can be after doing, is to--to do the
best we can,--by staying where we am.'

Having arrived at this very logical, and important conclusion, our
honest Hibernian flourished his shillalah above his head, but the next
moment it was snatched from his grasp by Blackbeard, who cast it away to
a considerable distance.