126 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



" Coercion," and " listened and heard the voice of Ireland 

 calling to him," through the speeches and acts of the 

 " patriots " and their allies. 



Fancy the fear and trembling in which the unhappy 

 people were living. Picture in your own mind the lone 

 cabin on the hillside, where the poor tenant is living in 

 his one room, far removed from any human being to help 

 him in his extremity — for everyone in the country side is 

 leagued together against him. Some night a knock comes 

 at the door, and he is ordered to get up and open it. God 

 have mercy on him then, for the men who enter, with 

 blackened faces, will have none ! The terrified wife and 

 children may weep, and in agonising tones beg for forgive- 

 ness for his great crime. " Have mercy on him, your 

 honours, an' by the blessed Virgin he'll nivir pay the rint 

 again ! " But mercy is unknown to these miscreants. 

 His misdeeds are laid before him in pitiless tones. " He 

 has paid his rent ! " " He has helped a neighbour, who 

 was boycotted, with his praties ! " " He has voted against 

 a Parnellite " (as for the secrecy of the ballot, that is mere 

 nonsense, for how everyone has voted is well known to 

 everyone else, and woe betide the man who does not vote 

 as he is ordered, or who refuses to vote at all) ; and then 

 a gun is produced, and with a " One, two, three ! " the 

 tragedy is enacted, as it has been scores of times, that have 

 never been reported in the English papers at all. The 

 poor wife is left alone with her orphans, until the morning 

 light enables her to communicate with the nearest police, 

 who are alone her friends in her extremity, no one else 

 daring to come to her assistance. 



Such is a true picture of the state of anarchy that 

 Ireland had been allowed to drift into. One bright spot 



