10
THE" " SCR ANTON THtBTINTB SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 1. 1895.
M'fifi if lirtoA
V:, , ' By HAROLD FREDERIC.
r"r rfffiM short MriM stories are copyrighted by Bacheller. Johnson & Bftoh
(Hlsr.analre printed InTheTrlbune by special arrangement, simultaneous wltn
tfttll PBMWaca In the leading dally journals ot the large cities).
A curse Is laid on one ions narrow strip
at the sea down In front of Punloghor.
i. nfiiip hmi nrnleaa the sunlit ulr may
hang above, no matter how silken smooth
the face of tho waters nearest by. lifting
hAiriBBlves without a nppio in tne musi
uiimmnf itvnll fin flllirrV ChllDl'
lllUUIVUh ., ...... . " - '
lng goes always forward here. lisordered
currents will never tire of their colling
.lti1nfr anmMU'horn lltlllttmeath I the
surface is streaked with sinister markings
like black shadows, wmen yet are no
shadows at all, and tlieso glide without
ceasing out and In among the twisted linos
of gray-whlto scum, and everything moves
and nothing enanges, im juukhiciu fau
lt hns' the namo or tne sngne omunc
fceartalgh (spoken Shlue Vurharthee), o
.u tJ..(li rr Mnt-tnt-h
Though 'tis well known that the grand
ect ling and turbot and wonderful other
hi ttuh iib nwnvlnir themselves In the
depths of this wicked water, with stunt
"Are M'e to the Brink Itself ?" llo Asked
.vfl.h ana crabs to bear them company
th fishermen of Dunmanus and Uoleen
and Crookhaven, and even the strangers
from Cape Clear, would not ouy a sum
from purgatory at the price of drawing a
net through It. They have a great wish
to please the buyers In the English ships,
nnd the Scotch and Manx. Oh. yes; but a
creel of gold would not tempt them to
meddle In "Murty's Path." They steer
their boats far to one side, and bless them
selves as they pass la the manner of their
fathers and grandfathers betoro tnem.
Thai nnnr men. having not much of the
Irish now, and not rightly understanding
what their elders may have heard the
truth of. say thl9 snake-like forbidding
stretch bears Its name from -uurty us
O'Sulltvan. Their thought is that the un
canny boiling began In the- wako of the
English Speedwell, as the corpse of the
vanquished privateer spun and twirled at
her keel through the foam on Its savage
last Journey from Castletown to Cork.
But it Is enough to look down at this evil
place to see that tho malediction upon It
must be. older than Murty Oge's time,
which. In the sight of Dunlogher, was as
yesterday. Why, men are living tnis year
who talked with men who saw his head
spiked over South Gate. There were no
great curses left unused in Ireland at so
late a day as his. And again, would it be
the waters of Dunlogher that would tear
themselves for an O Sullivan?
No, the curse threads back a dozen lives
behind poor Murty Oge. The strange cur
rents weave and twine, and the greasy
foam spreads and gathers, gatners anu
spreads. In the path of another, whose
birthright It was that they should baptize
vim Tii. tru tale is of Murty, the
Proud, or. If you will have his style from
the book of Schull-Murtogh Mordha
O'ilahony, chief In Dunlogher. And his
time is not so distant In one way. as men
take account of years. But in another lt
Is too remote for any clear vision, because
the "little people" of the old, fearful kind
have left every other part of Ireland, and
they were Just halting together for a
farewell pause In Dunlogher, by reason of
it being the last end of the land, and their
enchantment fanned up a vapor about
Slurty Mordha to his undoing. And It is
as if the mist still rose Detween us unu ma
story.
When the sun began to sink out of sight,
flown behind the sea, two men stood on
the edge of the great cliff of Dunlogher,
their faces turned to the west.
The yellow flame from the sky shone full
In the eyes of Murtogh, and he held his
huge, bear Bead erect with boldness, and
tared back: at It without blinking. His
companion, a little, shriveled old man,
whom he held by the arm, had the glowing
light on his countenance as well, but his
eyelids were shut. He bent himself against
his chief's thick shoulder and trembled.
"Are we to the brink Itself V he asked;
his aged voloe shook when he spoke.
"Here, where I stand, when I would grip
you, nd hold you forth at the length of
my arm, and open my hand, you would
fall a hundred fathoms In the air." Mur
togh's free arm and hand made the terri
ble gesture to fit his words, but he tight
ened his protecting clasp upon the other
smd led him back a few paces. The old
man groaned his sigh of relief.
"It is you who are the brave nobleman,
Murty," he whispered, admiringly. "There
Is none to equal your strength, or your
irrand courage. In all the land. And the
heart of pure gold along with It!"
Murtogh tossed his big head, to shake
the twisted forelock of his hair to one
side. "I looked straight into the sun at
noon on St. John's day," he said, quietly,
with the pride of a child. '.'If it were a
hundred times as bright I would look at it,
and never fear for my eyes. I would hold
my own son out here, stretched over the
abyss, and ho would be no safer In his
bed. Whatever I wished to do, I would
do It."
"You would O, you would!" assented
the old man, In tones of entire sincerity.
The chieftain kept his eyes on the sky
line, beneath which, as the radiance above
deepened, the waters grew ashen and
coldly dark. Musing, he held his silence
for a time. Then, with abruptness, he
asked:
"What age were you, Owny Ilea, when
the MacSwlneys put out your eyes? Were
you strong enough to remember the sun
well?"
"I was of no strength at all," the other
whimpered, the tragedy of his childhood
affecting his speech on the Instant. "I
was in my mother's arms. There were the
men breaking in through the wall, and the
klne bellowing outside, and my father cut
down; and then it was like my mother
drew her cloak tight over my head and no
one came ever to take lt off again, I for
get the sun."
Murtogh nodded his head. "I will go to
Musketry some day," ho said. In a kindly
way. "I cannot tell when, just now; but
I will go, and I will burn and desolato ev
erything for six miles around, and you
shall have a bag for your harp tnado of
eyelids of the MacSwlneys."
Old Owny lifted his sightless face toward
his master, and smiled with wistful affec
tion. "Ah, Murty dear," he expostulated,
mildly, "It Is you who have the grand na
ture but think, Murty I am a very old
man, and no kin of yours. It is fifty years
since the last man who took my eyes drew
breath. If you went now no living soul
could tell what you came for or why the
great suffering was put upon them. And,
moreover, . the O'Mahonys Carbery have
wives from the MacSwlneys these three
generations. No feud lies now." -
The Lord of Dunlogher growled sharply
between his teeth, and Owny shrank fur
ther back. - .
"How long will you he learning," Mur
togh demanded, with an arrogant note In
5
his voice, "that I have no concern In tho
O'Mahonys Carbery, or tho O'Mahonys
Fonn-Iarturach, or any other? I do not
take heed of Oonoghcr of Ardintenant, or
Tlego of Kosbrlm, or Donogh of Dunmun-
us, or Donnl of lamcon. I win mvu um
nil my bidding to do, and they will do It,
or I will kill them and spoil their castles.
You could not behold it, but you hnve
your song from the words of others how
Inst year I full upon Dlarmald llhnde nnd
crushed lilm nnd his house, and slew his
-on nn,l lirmtirht awav his herds. Ills
father's futher and mine were brothers.
n l ii.nr.r to me in blood than the rest,
vt I would not snaro him. I made his
Hullydevlln a nest for owls und bats. It
tho others observe what I did. I nm In
Dunlogher. nnd I nm the O'Miihony here,
and I look the sun in the face like an
eagle. I'ut that to your song!"
Tho sound cumo to them from tho walled
bawn and guteways beyond the 1 hroo las-
ties, a hundred yards behind, of voices In
commotion. The old bard lined nis nenci
and his brow scored Itself in lines of lis
tening attention. If Murtogh heard he
gave no sign, but gazed nguln In medita
tion out upon tho vast waste of waters,
blackened now as tho purple reflections of
tho twilight waned.
"P.llnd men have senses that others
lack." he remarked lit last. "Tell me. you
does the earth wo stand on seem ever to
vou to be turning round?
Ownv shuddered a little nt tho thought
which came to him. "When you led mo
out beyond here, nnd I felt the big round
sea pinks under my feet, ami remembered
thrv rr.'v onlv on tho very edge" he
becan.
"Not that." the chief broke In. "'tis not
my meaning. Hut at Itosbln there was a
book writ by Flneen, tho son of lMnrmald,
an uncle to my father's father, and my
father heard lt read from this uooK tnai
tho world turned round one way, llko a
duck on a spit, nnd tho sun turned round
tho other way, and thai was why we were
anart all nlglit. And onen 1 come ncir
and I swear there Is a movement under my
feet. Hut elsewhere there Is none, not in
the bawn, or In the towers, or anywhere
else but Just here."
The old man Inclined his face, as If he
could see the ground he stood upon, but
shook his head after a moment's waiting.
It would not be true. Murty," ho sug-
gested. "Old Plneen had a mighty schol
arship, as I have heard, and he made un
end to edify the angels, but but"
Murtogh did not wait for the hesitating
conclusion. "I saw his tomb when I was
a lad. In the chapel at Rosbrin. Ho was
laid at his own desire under n weight of
stone like tuy wall here. I saw even then
how foolish It was. These landsmen have
no proper Bcnse. How will they rise at
the blessed resurrection, with all that bur
den of stone to hold them down? I have a
better understanding than that. I burled
my father, as he burled his father, out
yonder In the sea. And I will be buried
there, too, and my son after me and If I
have other children" he stole a swift
glance at the old man's withered face as
he spoke "if I have others, I say, lt will
be my command that they follow me
there when their time comes. I make you
witness to that wish. Owny Hen."
The bard hung his head. "As if my time
would not come first!" he said, for the
mere sake of saying something. Then,
gathering courage, he pulled up the strong
arm which was still locked in his, and
raised his head to speak softly In O'Ma
hony's ear.
If only the desire of your heart were
given you, Murty," he murmured; "If
only once I could hold a babe of yours to
my breast and put Its pretty little hands
In my beard I'd be fit to pray for the
men who took my eyes from me. And,
Murty dear," his voice rose In tremulous
entreaty as he went on "tell me, Murty
I'm of an age to be your father's father,
and I've no eyesight to shame you is she
is your holy wife coming to see her duty
differently? Have you any hope that
that"
Murtogh turned abruptly on his heel,
swinging his companion round with him.
They walked a dozen paces toward tho
sea gate of the castles before he spoke.
"You have never seen her, Owny!" ho
said gravely. "You do not know at all
how beautiful she Is. It is not In the
power of your mind to Imagine lt. She Is
not Just flesh and blood like you, Owny,
or even like me. I nm a great lord among
men, Owny, and I am not afraid of any
man. I would put the MacCarthy, or even
the Earl of Desmond, over my cliff like a
rat. If he came to mo here, and would not
do me honor. But whenever I come where
she sits I am like a little dirty boy, fright
ened before a great shrine of Our BlesHed
Lady, all with jewels and lights and In
cense. I take shame to myself when she
looks at me that thcro are such things in
my heart for her to see."
Owny Blghed deeply. "The grandest
princess In the world might be proud to be
mated to you, Murty," he urged.
True enough," responded Murtogh,
with candor. "But she Is not a princess
or any mere woman at all. She Is a
saint. Perhaps she Is more still. Listen,
Owny, Do you remember how I took her
Throe Mon with Torches Tame t'p.
how I swam for her through the break
ers and snapped tho bono of my arm to
keep the mast of tho wreck from crushing
her when the wavo flung K upon us, and
still made land with her head on my neck,
and hung to the bear rock against all tho
devils of the sea sucking to pull me down
Is lt not all In my song?" said Owny,
with gentle reproach.
Owny, man, listen!" said Murtogh,
halting and giving new impresslvencss to
his tone. VI took, her from -the .water.
Her companions were gone; their vessel
was gone. Did we ever see sign or tnem
afterward? . And her family the fllgersons
of that Island beyond Tlobrad when men
of mine sailed thither and asked for Hugh,
son of Art, were they not told that the
O'Flahnrty had passed over the Island and
left nothing alive on It the size of a mus
sel shell? Draw nearer to mo, Owny.
Tou will be thinking the more without
your eyes.- Have you . thought .that It
may be Bhe-whlsper now t-that she may
bolong In the water?'' ? T " H. :-:
:.' ; ... CHAPTER It. ;. , V ' -They
stood motionless In the gathering
dusk, and the bard turned the problem
over deliberately. At last he seemed to
shake his head. "They would not be dis
playing such piety, as the. old stories, of
them go," he suggested, "or I mean -it
well to you, Murty or breaking husbands'
hearts with vows of celibacy."
The O'Mahony pushed the old man from
him. "Then If she be a saint," he cried,
"why, then, ft were better for me to make
ten thousund more blind men like you
and tear my own eyes out, and lead you all
headlong over the cliff there than , risk
the littlest offense to her pure soul." -The
old bard held out a warning hand,
"People are coming!" he said. Then glid
ing toward his chief, he seized the protect
ing arm again, and patted It and fnwned
against It. "Whore you go, Murty," he
said eagerly, "I follow. What you say, I
say."
Some dancing lights had suddonly re.
vcaled themselves at the corner of the
nearest entitle wall. Murtogh had not re
alized before that It was dusk. "They will
be looking for mo," ho said, nnd moved
forward, guiding his companion's stops,
The thought that with Owny It was always
dark rose In him and drove other things
away.
Threo men with torches cumo up rough
men with bare legs and a single shirt-like
tunic of yellow woolen cloth, and uncov
ered heads with tangled and matted shocks
of black linlr. Tho lights they boro
gleamed nguln In the tierce eyes which
looked out from under their foreloc ks
"O Mahony," ono of them said, "the
llathnn priest Is nt the gate young Don
ogh, son of Donogh llhnde, who tied to
Spain. Ho Is called Father Donatus now,"
"What will ho want hero?" growled
Murtogh. "1 have beaten his father; If
I have the mind, his tonsure will not hold
me from beating him also."
"He has brought a foreign Spaniard, a
young mnn with breeches und a sword,
who comes to you from the king of Spain."
Murtogh straightened himself and disen
gaged the nrm of the blind mnn. "Hun
forward you two," ho ordered, sharply,
"and call all the men from the bnwns and
the cnttle and tho boats, nnd I will have
them light torches, nnd stand In line from
tho second towr 'to the postern and show
their spears well In front nnd be silent.
I will not have any man talk but myself.
or thrust himself Into notice. Wo were
kings of Itutlilln, nnd wo hnve our own
matters to discuss with tho kings of
Spain."
Threo score fighting men, some bearing
lights nnd nil showing shields and sHars
or Javelins or long hooked axes, crowded
In the semblance of a line along tho nar-
row way to the large keep and behind
them packed four times their number of
women nna children watched Murtogh
when ho brought his guests past from tho
gate.
He moved proudly up the boreen, with a
slow step aJid the gleam of a high nature
in his eyes. His own people saw afresh
how great was his right to be qroud, The
broad hard muscles of his legs, straining
to burnt their twisted leather thongs as he
walked; the vast weight and thickness of
the breast nnd shoulders, under tho thin
summer cloak of cloth from the Low
Countries, which he held wrapped tight
about them; the corded sinews of his big
bare neck: abovo all tho lion-like head,
with Its dauntless regard and Its splendid
brown-black mane, nnd the sparkle of
gold in the bushing glib on his brow
where else In till Ireland would their
match be found? But for that strange
Inunction to silence, the lighters of tho
Sept would be splltttlng the air with yells
for their chieftnln. They struck their
weapons together nnd mnile the gaze they
bent upon him burn with meaning, and he,
without looking, rend It, and bore himself
more nobly yet, and the mothers and
A Foreign Spnnlard Who Comes to You
from the King of Spain.
wives and little ones huddled hohlnd In
the darkness, groaned aloud with the pain
of their Joy in Murty Mordha.
It swelled tho greatness of Murtogh when
they looked upon . those who followed him.
It Is the soggnrth llathan, they whis
pered, at view of the young priest, with
his pointed face and untimely whitened
hair. He would not turn his ferret glanco
to right or left, as he followed close In his
cousin's lordly footsteps, for thp reason
that these sea wolves of Dunlogher had
ravished and burnt his fnther'g country
within tho year, nnd slain his brother.
and gnashed their teeth now, even as lio
passed, for rage at the sight of him.
And tho messenger who came to speak
to Murty the words of the king of Spain!
They grinned na they stared upon him.
An ccl-fty, a lame, fledgeling gull, a young
crab that has lost Its shell. Thus they
murmured of him. His legs were scarce
tho blggness of a Cape woman's arms, nnd
were clad In red Bllkcn cloth stretched as
close as skin. Ho had foolish little feet.
with boots of yellow leather rising to tho
knee, and from the mld-thlgh to the wnlst
were unseemly bulging breeches, blown
out llko a buoy, and gashsd downwlse
with stripes of glowing colors, repeated
again In his flowlifg sleeves. His burnished
steel corslet find long reed-like sword
would bo toys for children In Dunlogher.
His face, under Its wlilo plumed hnt of
drub felt, was that of no soldier at all a
thin, smooth, rounded faco of a strati go
smoky darkness of hue, with tiny up
turned moustnchlos, and delicately bended
nose. And tho eyes of him! They seemed
to be tho half of his countenance In size,
what with their great dusky-white balls,
and shoe-black centres, nnd their thick
raven fringes and brows that Joined each
other. Tho armed kernrs who stood near
est took not much heed of these eyes, but
tho older women, peeping between their
shoulders, saw Utile else, and they mudo
tho sign of tho cross at the sight.
When two hours hnd passed the baser
folk of Dunlogher know roughly what
was In the wind. Two wayfaring mon of
humble station hnd como In tho train of
tho Spaniard, nnd though they had no
Irish, Iholr story somehow made Itself
told. A ship from Spain, which Indeed
Dunlogher hnd seen pass a week before,
had'put In at Dingle, on the Kerry const,
and had landed James Fltzmaurice, the
papal legate Sunders, some othor clergy,
and a score and more Spanish gentlemen
or men at arms, with a banner blessed by
the Holy Father. A great army from Spain
and Italy would follow In tholr wake. But
meantime, the first comers were building
a fort at Smerwlck, and the clan of Flts
gofald was up, and messengers were flying
through the length and breadth of Muns
tor and Connaught, passing the word to
tho Catholic chiefs that the hour of driv
ing the English Into the sea was at hand,
The lower floors of the castle and tho
pleasant grassy bawns outside, cool with
the soft sea wind of the summer night,
were stirred to a common fervor by these
tidings. The other O'Mahonys, the chiefs
of Dunmanus and Dunbeacon to the north,
of Ballydevlln, Leamcon, Ardintenant and
Kosbrln to the south, and elsewhere in
Desmond the O'Sulllvans, MacCarthys,
O'Drlscolls, and the test were clashing
their shields. Ah, when they; should, see
Murtj; striding into the field I '
In the big hall overhead, where after
three courses of Stone stairs were climbed
so narrow that a man In armour must
needs walk sideways tho abode of the
chieftain and his own blood began Mur
togh was ready to hear the message of the
king ot Spain.
The broad, rough-hewn table, with its
dishes of half-cleaned bones and broken
cheeses and bread, its drinking horns and
fiugons, and Utter of knives and spoons
had been given over to tho master's grey
hounds, who stood with forvpaws on the
board and Insinuated their long necks and
muzzles noiselessly 'here nnd thcro among
the remains of tho meal. A clump of
reeds, Immersed in a brazier of Dsn oil,
burned smoklly among the dishes for
light.
When, at the finish of the eating, Mur
togh had given tho signal for departure to
tho dozen strong mon nearest akin to him,
or In boat favor, there were left only his
"I Como On tho lliislncss of God."
son, a slow, good lad, born of a first wife
long slnco dead, the blind Owny, tho
Spaniard and tho llathan (or prematurely
gray) young priest.
Then Murtogh said to mis last man:
Donogh. son of Donogh llhude, I have
not frowned on you nor struck you, for
tho reason that you are my guest. But
becnuse my hand Is open to you, It Is no
reason that I should lie, and pretend that
I um your friend or you mine. Your
brother, Diarmald, the one I could not
get to kill, calls himself my heir, and
twice has sought to tako the life of my
son here, my Donogh baoth. Therefore,
1 will have you go now and sit below with
tho others, or reiul your prayers In your
chamber, whore you will sleep, because I
will hear now what the king of Spain says
to me, and that Is not meant for your
ira."
Tho priest stood on tils feet. "Your
pride does not become you, Murty Mor
dha," ho said, "when I am como te you
for your soul's sake and the glory of re
ligion." His voice was thin and Jiign
pltched, but there was no fear In It.
"1 will not bo taking trouble for my soul
Just now," replied Murt.v; "that will be for
another time, when I am like to die. And
then I will have my own confessors, and
not you, nor any one like you. So you
will go now, ns I bid you."
Father Donatus, standing still, cunea
his lip in a broad smile. "You are a great
man. Murty! You could dishonor my
father and slay my brother like tho head
strong bullock that you are; but there are
things you cannot do. You cannot lay
your linger to me because I come on the
business of God.
"It Is the business of the king of Spnln
that I will bo thinking of," said Murty,
with curtness.
"They are tho same," rejoined the young
priest. "And you are wrong to say what
you will be thinking of, because you havo
not a mind to think at all. If you could
think, you would know that you would not
have tho words of the king of Spain ex
cept when I Interpret them to you. This
noble gentleman, who comes with me,
speaks more tongues than one, but he hns
no Irish, and you lt Is well known that
you have nothing else. Don Tello has sat
at your sldo for two hours, nnd you have
not observed that each word between him
and you came and went through me. Oh,
yes; you are a great man, Murty, but
your mind is not of a high order."
The chieftain rose also. The blood came
Into his face, and he laid a strong hand on
the hilt of his broad sword. But the foot
that he lifted he set down again; and he
looked nt his kinsman, tho llathan priest,
and did not move toward him. "You are
In the right to wear a gown," he said
slowly, "because you have the tongue and
the evil temper of on ugly girl. Yc'j
speak foolish things In your heat, and they
disgrace you. I have the best mind that
any mnn in my family ever hnd. I havo
more thoughts In my mind than there are
words In your Latin book, I would speak
whatever I chose to this gentleman, and I
would understand his speech, when I
troubled myself to do so. But I will not
do that for some time at least; I will have
my wife come, nnd she will sit here, and
she will tell mo his words, and I will bo
taking my ease."
Murtogh Mordha called his son to his
sldo and gave him a messnge to deliver.
Tho priest, smiling In his cold way, leant
over nnd spoke for tho space of n minute
In a tonguo strange to Dunlogher Into the
Spaniard's ear. Then he stood erect, and
gazed at Murtogh with an Ill-omened look,
and so turned and strode after tho lud
out of the door.
CHAPTER III.
A young woman of the rarest beauty,
tall and slender, and with tho carriage of
a great lndy, camo Into tho chamber and
moved across to tho high, carved chair
which Murtogh tnado ready for her, and
seated herself upon lt as upon a throne.
She hnd a pale, fair skin, nnd her hnlr,
colled henvlly In plaits upon her shoulders,
was of tho huo of a red harvest sun.
Thoro were Jewels In her hair, and upon
A Young Woman of tho Rarest Beauty.
her throat ami hands, and her long robes
wore of rich shining stuffs. A chnln of
wooden beads, with a cross of gold at the
end, hung. from her girdle, nnd sho gath
ered this In her fingers as sho Bat.
The boy, Donogh baoth, came with hor,
and crouched In humility on the floor at
her sldo. His thick form nnd dnrk hair,
and his over-large head, which was not
to bo noticed before, spoke a likeness now
to his father. Whon, as If under the spell
of hor attraction, he nestled near the
lady's chair, and touched her garment
with his hand, sho draw It away.
Murtogh Mordha, before he took his scat
again, and leant back to half lie upon tho
skins thrown upon lt.told hor tho Span
lard's name, end explained to her his er
rand. The Spaniard, bowing himself low,
sank upon one knee, and reverently klssod
her hand, as Murty had soon his father
kiss the ring of the bishop of Ross. Ho
was proud to observe this, because his
wife was holler and more saintly than any
bishop, 1
- The lady smiled upon the Spaniard, and
all that she said to him, and he to her,
was In his tongue. "I cannot speak It
well," she said. Her voice had the sweet
ness of a perfume in the air. "I lived at
Seville, In the old convent there, for only
two years, I have no Joy, ot remembrance
m
now save In the peace and charm of thoso
years there; but I fear my memory of the
dear speech Is dimmed. But I will listen
wtth all my ears und oh. so gladly!"
She fastened her regard upon his eyes
tne great, rolling, midnight eyes and held
It there, that sho might the better follow
his speech.
"Beautiful lady," the Spaniard said, "I
loarn only now the power our language.
spoken by such lips, may have to enthrall
the hearing. Condone my error, I pray
you, but I caught from Father Donatus
that you were thin strong chieftain's wife,
and I see that you are his daughter; and
oven that Is strunge, to look upon bim and
you."
"I am his wife, but only In name, naught
else," she answered. The wave of com
prehension sweeping over tho surface of
tho Spaniard's eyes made Instant confi
dence between them. "I am In captivity
here. He Is a plrato, a Ooth, a murderous
barbarian. He, and his savages here but
of this more a little nonce. I beg you now
to speak something of your . mission
your errand here. Ho Is as helpless to
follow our words as one of thoso hound.-i;
but no dog Is keener to suspicion."
The Spaniard, with eager swiftness of
speech, piled ono upon another the cu.-
tailed topics of his business. The lady,
moving her lingers along the beads,
gleaned the marruw pith of It, and dressed
lt forth in new phrases for tho Lord of
Dunlogher.
"Tho king of Spain will send this month,"
sho suld In tho Irish, "a mighty army to
drive tho heretic English to the last man
form this Island of saints. They have
wounded God too long! Tho last drop of
heaven's patience Is dried up by their
crimes. Their ipieen was not born In law
ful wedlock, und tho blessed sacraments
nre dally profaned hy liur and her ac
cursed people. Thoso who sustain and
honor (led now will lie sustained and
honored by Him through glorious eter
nity."
"Theso things are well known to me,"
said Murtogh. "I would not need the
king of Spain to tell them to mo. How
will ho speak concerning himself?"
The lady wua not afraid to smile Into
the eyes of tho Spaniard. "You are to
siienk after a moment or two," she told
him, with a calm voice; "but hear me this
little first. My henrt Is broken here.
do not know how I have had tho courage
to live here. Theso Jewels I wear, the
rubrics or my raiment, tho wines on the
board yonder, nre all the booty or blood
stained waves down nt the root or this
torriblo cliff. Ho and his savages burn
false lights, and allure ships to the rocks
and rob und murder their people. It was
thus unhappily I cumo here, and In rear
of my lire, while I was still half dead from
tho water, I suffered tho marriage words
to be reud over me but now you must
speak."
"I would show you tears rather than
words, dear lady," the Spaniard said:
"and blows on your behalf more preferable
than either. Fathor Donatus whispered
the tithe of this to me. The whole truth
burns like tire in my heart. As my fa
thcrs gave their llfo blood to drive tho
Infilled from Granada so I lay my own
poor lire at your dear feet. If aught but
harm could como to you from It, I would
slay him now where he lolls there on the
skins. Ho Is looking at you now.waltlng
lor you to speak.
"The king of Spain has heard much f.f
you," she began in the Irish, without
turning her head. "He Is filled with ud
miration for your strength nnd valor. He
desires deeply to know what you will be
doing. When you will take arms and Join
him with your great might In the battles,
Tho Lady Smiled I'pon tho Spaniard.
then there cannot be any doubt of his
victory."
"That It Is easy to see," replied Mur
togh. "But the king of Spain's battles are
not my battles. There would be some rea
son to be given to call me out for his wars.
Tho English will be doing me no hurt.
They cannot come here to mo by water or
by land; and If they did I would not let
nny of them depart alive. For what cause
should I go to them? Let the king of
Spain tell mo what It would be In his
mind to do In my behalf when I did this
thing for hlro."
The lndy spoke to tho Spnnlnrd. "The
last of my people are killed. They would
not have seemed different to you perhaps
to you who were bred In the gentle
graces of Spnln but they were not the
ferocious barbarians these O'Mahonys are.
My father was learned In Latin and Eng
lish, nnd It wns his dream that I should
wed In Spain."
"Oh, rapturous vision!" said Don Tello,
with new flames kindling In his eyes.
"And It It shnll be proved prophetic ns
well, beautiful lady! Something of this,
too, the priest whispered but the precious
words return to me ns your denr lips
breathed them forth "wiro only In name.'
I long to henr thein once again."
Tho lady repeated them with tender de
liberation, nnd a lnngourous gleam In her
bluo eyes began to answer his burning
gaze. "I have held the fierce beast at
arm's length," she said "because ho is also
a fool. I would give a year of my life to
be aiilo to laugh In his race and Blnp theso
beads across It. I havo told him the
blessed thought came to me even ns we
knelt nt tho altar together that I am
bound by a vow. His big empty head Is
open to nil the fnncles that fly. Ho be
lieves that nn enchanted woman drives up
her horses from the bottom of tho lake
down nt the foot of the small tower hero
every night for food; and he spreads corn
ror them, which the thieves about him
fatten on. He believes In witches rising
from the sea, and leprechauns, nnd chal
lenges, like any Ignorant herdsman out
In tho bog, but he Is frightened chureh
mnn. too. Ho believes thnt I am a saint."
"As I swear by the grave of my mother
you are!" panted Don Tollo. "But speak
now to him."
"Tho king of Spain will do very groat
things In your behalf," she recited In Mur
togh's tongue. "Ho will ninko you of the
rank of a commander In his armies, and ho
will ennoble yon."
"I am noble now,"Murtogh made com
ment. "As noblo as tho king of Spnln
himself. I nm not a MacCnrthy or an
O'Drlscoll, Hint I would be craving titles
to my name."
"Then ho wilt send largo rleh shim
hero," sho began again, with weariness
in hor tono, "to bring you costly presents.
And tho pope, ho will grant you ten venra
indulgence-or It may be twenty."
ask mm, di'oko in Murtogh. slttlno- un
with a brightened face, his hand out
stretched to sccuro silence for the thought
that stirred within him "ask If the Holy
Father would be granting Jtiitt the ono
spiritual favor I would beg. Will this
gentleman bind the king of Spain to that?"
-Ana may l wholly trust." she asked the
Spaniard, with half-closed eyes, through
which shone the Invitation or her mood
'may I trust In your knightly proffer or
help? Do not answer till I have finished.
You are the first who has come to me
here In this awful dungeon and I have
opened my heart to you as perhaps I
should not. But you have the blood of
youth In your veins like me you are gal
lant ana ot hign lineage you are from
the land where chivalry la the law of gen
tle life-Is It true that you will be mv
.champion?"
The Spaniard rose with, solemn dignity.
though his great eyes flashed devouringly
upon her and his breast heaved under Its
cuirass. He half lifted his sword from
the sheath, and kissed the cross of Its
hilt. "Oh, my beloved, I swear!" he said,
in somore earnestness.
She translated the action and utterance
to Murtogh. "Whatever of a spiritual
nature you would crave of His Holiness he
would grant."
"But It would be a cruel time of waiting
10 senu an mo long way to Rome and
back," he objected, "and this matter Ilea
like lead upon my soul."
She looked up Into the Spaniard's eves
and let her own lashes tremble, and fed
the ravening conflagration of his gaze
with a little sigh. "It would be very
sweet to believe," she murmured, "too
sweet for sense, I fear me. Nay, Don
Tello, I need not such a world ot pcrsua-
siou-oniy-oniy urt your right hand, with
thumb and two fingers out, and swear
again. And say, 'Bora, I sweurl' "
"Is It your name?" he asked, and as
she closed hor eyes In assent, and slowly
opened inem to behold his oath, he lifted
the lingers and waved them toward her.
and passlonutcly whispered, "Hera, queen
or my heaven, stnr of my soul, I swear!"
"That Is the sign of the none himself."
she explained, with Indifference, to Mur
togh. "Whatever wish you offered up
you nnve it already granted. It Is Don
Tello who bears the holy authority from
ine pope."
The Lord of Dunlogher hurled himself
to His feet with a boisterous energy, bo
rore which the lady, wondering, drew her
self away, lie stretched his bared arm)
toward her, then Hung them upward as
In Invocation to the skies. The beuutltude
of some vust triumph illumined his glanco.
"Oh, then, indued, I um Murty Mordha
he cried. "It Is I who am prouder than
all the kings on earth! It Is I who have
won my love! Oh, glory to tho heavens
that sends me this joy! Glory and the
praise ot the saints! Glory! Olbry!"
CHAPTER IV,
Tho rhapsody was without meaning to
thu Hpunlard. He stared In astonishment
at tho big chieftain with the shining coun
tenunce, who shouted with such ve
V e w
Murtosh Sprang Like a Deer Into the Air,
hemence up at the oaken roof. Turning a
glance of Inquiry at the lady he saw that
she had grown whlte-fuced, and was cow
ering backward In her chair.
'Our Lady save us!" she gasped at him
in Spanish. "He has asked the pope to
absolve me from my vow."
Don Tello, no wiser, put his hand to his
sword. "Tell me quickly what lt Is? What
am I to do?" ho demanded of her.
Murtogh, with a smile from tho heart
moistening his eyes and transfiguring all
his face, strode to the Spaniard and
grasped his reluctant hand between his
own broad palms, and gripped it with the
fervor of a giant.
"I would have you tell him," he called
out to the Lady Bera, "Tell him that he
has no other friend in any land who will
do for him what Murty Mordha will be do
ing, iwlll ride with him Into the battle.
and take all his blows on my own back. I
wlu call him my son and my brother,
Whatever he will wish I will give lt to
him. And all his enemies I will slay and
put down for him to walk upon. Oh,
Bera, the Jewel restored to me the beau
tiful gem I saved from the waters tell
him these things for me! Why will your
Hps be so silent? Would they be waiting
for my kisses to waken them? And Don
ogh, son of mine, come hither and take
my othe:r son's hand. I will hear you
swear to keep my loyalty to him the same
as myself. And Owny Hea hither, man!
You cannot see my benefactor, the man I
will be giving my life for, but you havo
heard his voice. You will not forget it!
The absence of all other sound of a sua
den caught Murtogh's ear, and checked
his flow of Joyous words. He looked with
bewilderment at the figure of his wife In
the chair, motionless, with clenched hands
on her knees, and eyes fixed In a dazed
stare upon vacancy. He turned again,
and noted that Owny Hea had come up to
tho Spaniard, and was standing before him
so close that their faces were near touch
ing.
Tho old blind man had the smile of an
Infant on his withered face. He lifted his
left hand to the Spaniard's breast and
passed lt curiously over the corslet and
Its throat-plate and arm-holes, muttering
In Irish to himself, "I will not forget. I
will not at all forget."
A zigzag flash of light darted briefly
somewhere- iacross Murtogh's vision.
Looking with more Intentness ho saw
that both the blind man's hands were at
tho armpit of the Spaniard and pulled
upon something not visible. Don Tello's big
eyes seemed bursting from their black-
fringed sockets. His face was distorted.
and ho curled the fingers of his hand like
stiffened talons, and clawed once Into tho
nlr with them. Then Owny Hea pushed
him, nnd he pitched sprawling against
Murtogh s legs, and rolled Inert to the
floor. His hot blood washed over Mur
togh's sandaled feet.
A woman's shriek ot horror broke Into
the air, and the hounds moaned and glided
forward. Murtogh did not know why he
stood so still. Ho could not rightly think
upon what was happening or put his mind
to It. The bones in his arms were chilled,
and would not move for him. He gazed
with round eyes at Owny, and at the red
Ho Pitched Sprawling Against Murtogh's
Legs nnd Rolled to the Ground.
dripping knife which the bard stretched
out to him. He felt the rough tongue of
a dog on his anklo. The dark corners of
the chamber seemed to bo moving from
him a long distance away. There was a
spell upon him and he could not tremble.
The voice of Own Hea came to him, and
though lt was soundless, like the speech
of Dreamland, he heard all Its words:
'Murtogh, son ot Telge, I have slain your
guest for the reason that I have the Span
ish, and I know the meaning ot his words
to this woman, and he could not live any
longer. The llathan priest, when he would
be going, told this stranger that she you
called your wife was your enemy, and
made a mockery of you, and would give
ear gladly to any means ot dishonoring
you. And the llathan priest spoke truly.
While the woman repeated lies to you of
the king of Spain and the pope, she whis
pered foul scandal ot you and wicked love
words touthat dog's meat at your feet, lt
is I, Owen, son of Aodh, who tell you
these things. And now you know what
you have to do I"
Murtogh turned slowly to the lady. She
lay, without motion. In her chair, her head
limp upon her shoulder, and the whiteness
of sea foam on her cheek. Thoughts
came again into his brain.
"I have the wisest mind of all In my
family," he said. "I know what It Is 1
will be doing."
He drew the short sword from his girdle,
and put his nail along Its edge.
"Donogh baoth," he said to his son, "go
below and seek out Conogher tauthal and
Shane buldhe, and bid them seize the
llathan priest between them and bring him
to mo hero whore I am. And you will
tako some sleep for yourself then, for it la
a late hour."
The lad looked at the pole lady with the
closed eyes, and at the sword in his fa
ther's hands. He set his teeth together,
and lifted his head.
"I am of years enough to see it all," he
said. "I have no sleep on my eyes."
Murtogh bent over the corpse at his feet,
and caressed the boy's head with his hand.
"I will not call you baoth (simple) any
more," he said, fondly. "You are my true
son, and here Is my ring for your finger,
and you may return with them when they
fetch mo my llathan cousin."
Next morning young Donogh gave his
word to the men of Dunlogher, and they
obeyed him. for in the one nlirht Iia had
thrown aside his sluggish boyhood, and
"iy saw nis father's ring on his finger,
and heard a good authority In his voice.
They came out from the western gate at
his command, three score and more, and
stood from the brink of tho cliff inward,
with their weupons in their hands, and
made a path between them. Uut the
women and children Donogh bade remain
within the bawn, and he shut the Inner
gate upon them. It was as If the smell of
blood came to them there, for the old
women put up a lamentation of death and
the others cried aloud, till the noise spread
to the men on the cliff. These looked one
to another and held their silence.
They did not clash their spears together,
when, after a long waiting, Murtogh
camo from the gate and walked toward
them. A fine rain was in the air, and the
skies and sea were gray, and the troubled
man would have no spirit for such greet
ing. He bore upon his broad back a great
shapeless bundle thrice his own bulk. Tho
weight of It bent his body and swayed his
root steps as ho came. The
or skins of wild beasts, sewn rudely with
inongs, ana through the gaps In this cover
some of the men saw stained foreign
clothes and the plume of a hat, and some
a shoe with a Driest' buckh nnd
the marble hand of a fair woman. But no
word was spoken, and Murtogh, coming
to the edge, heaved his huge shoulders uu-
ward, and the bundle leaped out of Bight.
men siurtogh turned and looked ail his
fighting men in their faces, and smiled in
gentleness upon them, and they saw that
In that same night, while the "little ueo-
ple" had changed Donogh into a man.
they had made Murtogh a child again.
"She camo up from the water." he said
to them, in a voice no man knew. 'It was
I who brought her out of the water and
fought for her with the demons under the
rocks, and beat all of them off. But one
of them I did not make the sign of the
cross before, and that one is the king of
Spain; and so he has wrought me this
mischief, and made my labor as nothing:
and she Is In the water again, and I must
be going to fetch her out rightly this time."
Murtogh sprang like a deer Into the air.
with a mighty bound which bore him far
over the edge of the cliff. Some there wss
In the throng that sprang forward agile
enough to be looking down the abyss be-
rore his descent was finished. These, to
their amazement, beheld a miracle. For
the great fall did not kill Murtogh Mordha.
but the waters boiled and rose to meet
him, and held him up on their tossing cur
rents as he swam forward, and marked
with a pallid breadth of foam his path out
to sea, farther and farther out, till the
mists hid him from human view.
The walling song of Owny Hea rose
through the wet air above the keening of
the women in the bawn. But louder still
was the voice of tbe lad who wore his
father s ring, and drew now from beneath
his mantle his father's sword.
"I am Donogh. son of Murtogh Mordha."
he shouted, "and I am lord In Dunlogher,
and when I am of my full strength I will
kill the king of Spain, and give his castles
and all his lands and herds and women to
you for your own!"
Tho three towers of Dunlogher are
broken, and the witch has fled from its
gray lake, and no man knows where the
bones or its forgotten sept are buried.
But tho evil currents will never tire of
writhing, and the shadows whl.-h are no
shadows are for ever changing, In the
Path of Murty the Proud.
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