THE RECORDER OF BALLYTOREEN. 77 



beneath the old ash tree in Switzer' s paddock,, and still looked in the 

 face of the smiling maiden, when their conversation was abruptly put 

 an end to, by hearing a distant and joyous shout, which was echoed 

 by a loud and fierce yell from the village street. 



Evening was beginning to darken into night, when the agile Ho- 

 gan ran forward to apprize the Orangemen of their danger in attempt- 

 ing to enter the village without the protection of the police. He 

 saw, upon meeting them, that they were neither able to fight nor to 

 run away. The drummers had ceased to beat ; the fifers were mute, 

 and the trumpeters had not a puff in them ; and, while some of the 

 most sober were trying to support themselves by holding a fast grip 

 of each other's arms, the majority were reeling from one side of the 

 road to the other, and describing all sorts of problems on the high- 

 way, as they] wheeled, and turned, and stumbled forward. Hogan 

 saw that it would be vain to speak to men in the state in which all 

 the followers of Hall were, with the exception of old Switzer ; him 

 he apprized of the hostile force prepared to encounter him, should he 

 approach the town, and advised him not to make the attempt. 

 Switzer had sufficient reason to understand there was danger before 

 him ; but, with the true feeling of a drunken man, determined not to 

 avoid it. Instead of taking the advice of Hogan as kindly as it was 

 meant, the fumes of the last glass of potheen he had swallowed urged 

 him to regard the friendly suggestion as an imputation upon his cou- 

 rage a slight upon his creed, and a degradation to those who pro- 

 fessed it. He accordingly told to Hall the situation in which they 

 were placed, and called upon him, by all his love of military 'glory, 

 to meet the intended assault. The mention of a coming strife was 

 sufficient to rouse up all the energies of the old Irish soldier he 

 loaded his. gun with five or six balls wheeled round, and called out, 

 " The Papists of '93 are alive again, boys ! will we be at them ?" 

 " To be sure we will, and welcome," was the ready response of the 

 Orangemen. 



Hall, drunk as he was, said that his men were not able to stand, 

 and he desired them, therefore, to lean against the hedges, and fire 

 on the Papists as they marched by them. Having made this military 

 arrangement, and disposed his forces, Hall marched forward with 

 Switzer, to reconnoitre the disposition of the enemy. They had not 

 proceeded more than thirty paces, when they were encountered by 

 Corney O' Kelly and two or three of the most violent Papists of Bally- 

 poreen. Corney demanded, in the declatorial tones of a village 

 pedagogue, if they were " the bloody Orangemen ?" " We are no- 

 body else, you blackguards," said Hall. 



cf Then here's something for you," cried Corney, levelling his gun 

 at the Corporal. 



" And here's the same for you," said Hall, bringing his musket to 

 bear upon the schoolmaster, " and if you're a man dont fire till I bid 

 you." 



" To be sure," cried Corney, " 'an wont wink an eye-lid neither." 



The two champions advanced so close, that the muzzles of their 

 guns touched each other's breasts. " Now Corney," said Hall, ft I 

 can take aim with some comfort at you when I cry fire, let us fire 

 tog ether." 



