68 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



that even though you may not be disloyal or wish 

 for separation from England, yet if you have any 

 cause for discontent, or think you have, or desire any 

 change political or religious, you should join and further 

 any agitation that is on foot for the chance of what 

 may be got. In this way Fenianism had a sort of 

 shadow of strength, though really without substance. 

 Throughout nearly all the country districts it was 

 without even this small pretence to strength; but 

 then another Irish device came into play the en- 

 deavour to cause fear. When an Irishman gets into 

 a dispute or quarrel, his first remedy is always to 

 boast and to threaten, and, strange to say, these boast- 

 ings and threatenings have an effect on the enemy, 

 though he knows how empty they are. 



Every kind of report was circulated to add to the 

 importance of the Fenians, their drillings and inten- 

 tions. Drilling was the favourite tale, with time 

 and place particularised. No doubt near Dublin and 

 Cork there was some drilling, though not much, 

 hut in the country neither the drillers could be found 

 nor any one who saw the drilling, or even any one who 

 could say he heard it from a man who saw it. When 

 any one came to me to tell of drilling, I always asked 

 " Did you see them drilling ? " " No." " How do you 



know they were drilling?" Jack told me!" "Did 



Jackseethem?" "No, but Pat told him." Icould 



never get nearer than that. Magistrates and police 

 were all alive for information, but none could be had. 



