364 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



" When the tidings of the melancholy fate of poor 

 Kathleein were carried to the Lodge, I got the hooker 

 under weigh and stood over to the island. My unhappy 

 foster-brother appeared paralysed with sorrow, and 

 incapable of any exertion. We brought him, with the 

 bodies of the young mother and the dead babe, to the 

 house ; and the latter were, in due season, interred 

 with every mark of sympathy and respect. 



" For a time I dreaded that the unfortunate homicide 

 would have sunk into hopeless idiocy ; but he suddenly 

 appeared to rouse his torpid faculties ; he became 

 gloomy and morose — and, deaf to all my remonstrances, 

 to the least of which formerly he would have paid the 

 most marked regard, he wandered over the country 

 and seemed to court an arrest, or rather an attempt 

 at it ; for, from his desperation, I am inclined to think 

 he would have done some new deed of blood had his 

 enemies ventured to assail him. All I could do to pre- 

 vent mischief I did. I had the bullets drawn from his 

 fire-arms when he slept ; I kept him under constant 

 espionage, and retained him as much about my person 

 as I could possibly contrive. Whether none would 

 grapple with a desperate and well-armed man, or that 

 some feeling for his sufferings softened the rancour 

 of his enemies for a time, I know not, but he passed 

 unmolested through the country ; and the most daring 

 of the Sweenies and Malleys left the road when they 

 accidentally met my unhappy foster-brother. Time 

 has gradually softened his distress, and the asperity 

 of his temper has subsided ; he has lost the fierce and 

 savage look that lately no stranger could meet without 

 being terror-stricken ; and I shall endeavour to get the 

 death of his miserable rival, which decidedly was un- 



