The following day, the troop was mustered in front of the castle, and,
after a tender farewell to his wife and mother, Captain Davenant placed
himself at their head and rode off. A quarter of an hour later Walter,
with Larry Doolan on a rough little pony by his side, rode after the
troop.

Dublin was reached in the afternoon. The town presented a festive
appearance. The principal streets were still draped with the flags which
had been hung out at the king's entry, five days before. The streets were
thronged with people, for loyalists had come in from all parts of the
country to welcome the king.

Large numbers of men, belonging to the newly raised regiments, wandered
among the crowd, and with these were mingled the French uniforms of the
Irish troops who had come over with James. The troop was loudly cheered
by the crowd, as it passed through the town to the spot assigned to it in
the camp of the force gathered near the city. Walter and Larry rode a
short distance behind the troop, and joined it as soon as it reached the
ground allotted to it.

"It was a brave sight, father, was it not, to see the city decked out,
and all the people cheering for the king? Dublin is setting a fine
example--isn't it?"

"You must not set much weight upon the cheering of a crowd, Walter. I do
not say that the people of Dublin may not, at the present moment, be
loyal to the king; but if he were defeated, and William were to march in,
you would see that they would cheer him just as heartily. The mob of
London cheered King James, as he passed through it, a week before he was