264 A WELL-SPENT SUNDAY. 



being set free, the police had hurried down 

 to Mr. Hector's nets, and had found every- 

 thing destroyed ; that, in consequence, they 

 had pushed on to Ballyshannon, where they 

 arrived about four o'clock in the morning, 

 when finding the prisoners up at that un- 

 usual hour, and seeing their clothes wet and 

 covered with mud and sand, they had con- 

 sidered it their duty to apprehend them. 



The Chairman thought that nothing could 

 be more satisfactory and conclusive, and 

 turning short upon the prisoners, asked 

 whether any of them had aught to say 

 against their being forthwith committed to 

 take their trials for the outrage. 



Upon this Michael Rowan, assuming the 

 look of conscious innocence, and calling up 

 a countenance half-shrewd, half-silly, that 

 might have baffled a regular Old Bailey 

 lawyer, took upon himself the office of 

 spokesman. 



" May it plase your worships/' said he, 

 " the divel a word but thruth has the honest 

 jintleman spoke — bedad, it is no less. 

 And, be me sowl ! saving your honour's pre- 

 sence, it will be them boys of Mayo who did 

 the job ; bad luck to them, the blackguards ! 



