640 The Ghost of Kilsheelan. [JUNE, 



cloak. He appeared to be conversing with one of the countrymen, 

 whose pale, but still handsome features, his dark and heavy eye-brows, 

 his steady manner, his crouching demeanour, and the quick glances of 

 his lively black eyes at once betrayed him to me as the notorious and 

 intelligent approver Fitzgerald the man who had first conspired to 

 murder the unfortunate Mora, who afterwards betrayed his associates in 

 guilt, and brought to justice a majority of them. While Fitzgerald was 

 speaking to the gentleman, his associate in guilt and fellow-approver, 

 Ned Ryan, was walking carelessly along, kicking at the stones on the 

 road, and watching apparently with the most intense interest the distance 

 he would be able to drive them. It could not be known that he was 

 taking any part in the conversation that was going on, except that when- 

 ever the gentleman turned towards him, he raised his hand to his hat, 

 and seemed to give a brief reply to the question put to him. The only 

 words that I could hear were these they proceeded from Fitzgerald 

 " Know Kerby, is't ? I'd know him, your honour, in a patthern I only 



saw him while we were settlin' Mora's business, and by , he has a 



curl o' the eye, that I'd never forget, borrin' I lost the recollection I 



have of my own mother, rest her sowl ! Know him ? by , he has a 



twist wid the forefinger o' the right hand, that may-be yourself 'd never 

 forget, supposin' you saw it once, counsellor." 



I could see a large full gray eye turn upon Fitzgerald as he made use 

 of this dubious expression. In a few seconds the entire party was at the 

 coach-door, and the gentleman, who was still muffled up, exclaimed, 

 " Peace-officers, you will look carefully to these two men not a word is 

 to be spoken by either of them on business detachments of the police 

 and military will protect you to Kilkenny, from thence to Dublin there 

 can be no apprehension of violence/' Fitzgerald, Ryan, and the two peace- 

 officers entered the coach, and it proceeded at a rapid rate on its journey. 

 On my looking round, I observed that the mysterious gentleman had 

 joined the police, and that they were turning through a bye-road to 

 Clonmel. 



" Musha, sweet, bad luck go with you, long Jack," said the coach- 

 man ; " but it's a pair of informing murderin' villains you 're after 

 puttin' into the dacent coach this morrin'." 



' ' Who do you call long Jack ? " said I. 



" Who do I call long Jack? who but the counsellor ?" 



" What counsellor ? " 



" The counsellor ? Oh ! the counsellor for the crown the villain o' the 



world, that 's hangin' all the boys in Tipperary long Jack D , that 



has a tongue that 'd twist a rope round a man's neck in a pair of 

 minutes that's the long Jack I mane him, that's after puttin' two 

 blackguards, and two dealers, that's greater blackguards again, into my 

 coach borrin' that my own neck 'd be broke by it, I wished it was 

 knocked to smithereens this minute." 



" I am certain you must be mistaken," I observed ; " the tones of that 

 gentleman's voice are much hoarser than Mr. D 's." 



" Hoarser ! Why then if they are, it's with roguery they're hoarser- 

 it's the fellow's voice that frets me, for he's as pleasant at hangin' as 

 another man is at a christenin' or a berrin', and he cracks a joke at the 

 very minute he's crackin' a man's neck. Old Taler was bad enough ; 

 but long Jack is ten times worse entirely. So it's poor Ned Kerby they're 

 now lookin' after ? Oh ! then one way or another somebody will hear 



