128 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



children. One night he and his wife were awakened 

 between two and three o'clock in the morning by loud 

 talking outside. The voices then called him by name, 

 after which several shots were fired through the window 

 of the bedroom, the inmates being most lucky to escape 

 unhurt, as the bed in which they lay was directly opposite 

 the muzzles of the guns. The window was then forced in 

 and more shots were fired, while at the same time an 

 attempt was made to burst in the kitchen door. This 

 succeeded at last, and a large party rushed in, and then 

 calling out for " the ould pensioner," proceeded to break 

 open the bedroom door. 



Keefe had been prevented by his wife from getting 

 out of bed, and having hidden him under the clothes, she 

 and her little child then sat down upon him. When the 

 men rushed into the room they inquired where her husband 

 was, and she told them " he had gone to Cork." One of 

 them seized her by the hand, and was on the point of pulling 

 her off the bed, when another pointed a gun at her, 

 whereupon the one who had seized her hand dropped it 

 to make his companion put down the gun. In all pro- 

 bability this circumstance prevented the discovery of Keefe, 

 as the attention of the men was distracted from the bed to 

 the altercation about the gun. After saying " that it was 

 well for him that he was away, as they had come to pay 

 him off for allowing his daughter to work for Hanlon," the 

 party proceeded to break all the crockery and furniture in 

 the kitchen, and after remaining about half an hour in the 

 house, they took their departure, warning Mrs. Keefe not 

 to report their visit to the Constabulary. As soon as it 

 was daylight the family fled, for protection to the Con- 

 stabulary barracks, Keefe taking with him three bullets 



