THE LOVE TOKEN. 325 



tenance the signs of fewer and more delicate years. The other four 

 were of no particular importance further than, poor fellows ! they may 

 have thought themselves, about to be committed for trial as rebels. 



The task of examination was left to Mr. Fitzgerald, as the most 

 collected of the three magistrates, and he began with Hennecy, from 

 whom, however, no direct reply could be elicited. 



" The next question you refuse to answer, said the magistrate, sternly, 

 I shall order you instantly to be shot." 



" Well, listen to me now, there's no use at all, at all, in your ques- 

 tioning of me, for the dickons an answer I'll give ye, excepting as I 

 like, and it isn't the justice I'd be expecting from you, Mr. Fitzgerald, 

 nor from you, Mr. Leslie, when you wont show it to your own boy, 

 that you can now see before with the hands of him pinioned as bad as 

 my own, and tho' Lord Mauden is a good warrent, at other times to do 

 the poor, right yet he's too much of a king's man now, not to talk of the 

 company he's in, to expect justice from him ather, and so afther jist 

 telling ye all that there's no good in ye, that ye're dafating the country 

 and throwing us on every where by your house-burnings and free 

 quathertherings, and orange murthers, and tithings, and proclamations, 

 and as I may say, making ducks and drakes of the whole land, afther 

 jist telling you this, I'll hould my tongue, for there's little use in 

 talking. And 'tis Nick Hennecy, that dosen't fear your shooting, so 

 you may do the business now jist as soon as ye like. I'm ready and 

 may ye on your dying day, be as willing to go, as them that'll die this 

 day/' 



With a calm patience, Fitzgerald heard poor Nick to the end, and 

 then quietly changing his position, he said 



" Serjeant Morris take this man to the yard, and shoot him before the 

 next five minutes are over." 



" I'm ready God help the wife and the five orphans," muttered poor 

 Hennecy as they led him away. The four other men were next brought 

 forward, but their answers being more satisfactory than those of Hen- 

 necy, they were remanded for trial at the ensuing assizes, Lord Mauden 

 and Mr. Leslie having scarcely looked up at the prisoners. 



Mr. Fitzgerald next called on the two youths, and remarked on their 

 boyish appearance, demanding of the widow's son " how he dared to 

 engage with the rebels ?" 



" I'll tell you," he answered, and a fierceness of suppressed rage 

 almost beyond what his years could have felt, reddened upon his cheeks. 

 " I'll tell you. I had a father ; he was a poor man ; they took his pig 

 to pay the recthor ; they soult the chairs ; they broke the bits of chany. 

 He looked on and didn't say nothing to it all ; but" (and his face grew 

 blacker) ff when they hurt my poor mother he he did what I'd do 

 myself if I had the strength he kilt him, and my father was hanged ! 

 'Twas you, Mr. Leslie 'twas you that was the mane cause of having 

 him prosecuted, and 'twas for this, Mr. Leslie, 'twas for this one thing 

 only that I joined the boys 'twas to make you repint of that, and may 

 this wither your head/' As the boy spoke, he advanced towards the 

 gentleman whom he addressed, thrust his hand into his bosom, and 

 pulling out a pistol levelled it at his head ; fortunately for Leslie 

 it missed fire. George Leslie ran towards the boy and dragged him 

 away. He for an instant looked at the deceiving weapon, then at his 



