THE RECORDER OF BALLYPOREEN. 



4f Never say at twice/' exclaimed the schoolmaster ; " I wont 

 shoot you, till you bid me." 



" Are you ready, Corney ?" 



" I am, Corporal Hall." 



" Then FIRE/' 



The musket-locks snapped at the moment. Hall had forgotten to 

 prime his piece ; but unfortunately for Corney he had done so with 

 his own, and in the attempt to discharge it, the old fire-lock burst, 

 breaking the hand and arm of the holder, and shattering the body of 

 the sturdy corporal. 



" I am done for," sighed forth Corney, in a feeble tone ; " Are 

 you dead too, Corporal Hall ?" 



" By the Powers ! I am, Corney, murdered clane entirely. What 

 an infernal gun that is o' mine, it never missed fire before." 



" Always mind your flints, Corporal." 



" And do you mind your barrel ; that gallows old gun has killed 

 us both, as clane as a whistle. Give us the fist, Corney, you're a 

 brave man ; what a pity you're a Papist." 



" And give us yours too, Corporal ; I never thought the Orange- 

 men had the spirit to stand fire that way before." 



While the two combatants thus lay upon the ground, the space 

 which they had occupied was filled by other individuals. The in- 

 stant that the schoolmaster was seen falling, a body of his followers 

 rushed forward to demolish Hall, and riot finding him they immedi- 

 ately attacked old Switzer, and felled him to the ground. Hogan, 

 who had hitherto been inactive, bounded into the road, and in a few 

 moments cleared with his short alpeen the assailants from the body 

 of the fallen Palatine. Hundreds called out to him to retire, or he 

 should be " exterminated like one of the Orangemen." Hogan re- 

 fused to obey the command, and a rush was about being made upon 

 him, when a tramp .of feet was heard, and, in a few seconds after- 

 wards, twenty policemen drew up in a line across the road. Orders 

 to prime and load were given, and at once obeyed. " The first man 

 who attempts to push forward on either side/' called out the young 

 commander, " is my prisoner, and those who remain here for five 

 minutes will be fired upon." The adherents of O' Kelly, seeing that 

 they would have to encounter such a body of armed police, aided by 

 the Orangemen, immediately retreated into the village, carrying with 

 them the body of their leaders. The poor Coporal was in the mean- 

 while borne off by the police, and his drunken companions escorted 

 to their different homes. 



In a few days subsequent to the encounter, the Corporal had 

 ceased to breathe he and his antagonist were interred tn the same 

 churchyard. Hogan soon had conferred upon him by the Magis- 

 trates the pen, the ink-horn, the printed Summonses, and the awful 

 Decrees, with the other insignia of his office. Thus ended the 

 Election of Ballyporeen while old Switzer in gratitude for the ser- 

 vice-rendered on the 12th July, bestowed upon the fortunate candi- 

 date the hand of the lovely maiden, the announcement of whose 

 marriage excited a curiosity, which I have thus attempted to gratify. 



