Maurice Tiernay, Soldier of Fortune

by Charles James Lever

  CHAPTER XXVII. THE CRANAGH

  I will not weary my reader with a narrative of my mountain walk, northe dangers and difficulties which beset me on that day of stormand hurricane. Few as were the miles to travel, what with accidents,mistakes of the path, and the halts to take shelter, I only reachedMurrah as the day was declining.

  The little village, which consisted of some twenty cabins, occupied anarrow gorge between two mountains, and presented an aspect of greatermisery than I had ever witnessed before, not affording even the humblestspecimen of a house of entertainment. From some peasants that werelounging in the street I learned that 'Father Doogan' had passed throughtwo days before in company with a naval officer, whom they believed tobe French. At least 'he came from one of the ships in the lough, andcould speak no English.' Since that the priest had not returned, andmany thought that he had gone away for ever. This story varied in a fewunimportant particulars. I also learned that a squadron of several sailhad, for three or four days, been lying at the entrance of Lough Swilly,with, it was said, large reinforcements for the 'army of independence.'There was then no time to be lost; here was the very force which I hadbeen sent to communicate with; there were the troops that should at thatmoment be disembarking. The success of my mission might all depend nowon a little extra exertion, and so I at once engaged a guide to conductme to the coast; and having fortified myself with a glass of mountainwhisky I felt ready for the road.

  My guide could only speak a very little English, so that our way waspassed in almost unbroken silence; and as, for security, he followed theleast frequented paths, we scarcely met a living creature as we went.It was with a strange sense of half pride, half despondency, that Ibethought me of my own position there--a Frenchman alone, and separatedfrom his countrymen--in a wild mountain region of Ireland, carryingabout him documents that, if detected, might peril his life; involved ina cause that had for its object the independence of a nation, and thatagainst the power of the mightiest kingdom in Europe. An hour earlier orlater, an accident by the way, a swollen torrent, a chance impediment ofany kind that should delay me--and what a change might that produce inthe whole destiny of the world!

  The despatches I carried conveyed instructions the most precise andaccurate: the places for combined action of the two armies--informationas to the actual state of parties, and the condition of the nativeforces, was contained in them. All that could instruct the newly-comegenerals, or encourage them to decisive measures, were there; and yet,on what narrow contingencies did their safe arrival depend! It was thus,in exaggerating to myself the part I played--in elevating my humbleposition into all the importance of a high trust--that I sustained mydrooping spirits, and acquired energy to carry me through fatigue andexhaustion. During that night, and the greater part of the followingday, we walked on, almost without halt, scarcely eating, and, except byan occasional glass of whisky, totally unrefreshed; and, I am free toown, that my poor guide--a barelegged youth of about seventeen,without any of those high-sustaining illusions which stirred within myheart--suffered far less either from hunger or weariness than I did.So much for motives. A shilling or two were sufficient to equalisethe balance against all the weight of my heroism and patriotic ardourtogether.

  A bright sun, and a sharp wind from the north, had succeeded to thelowering sky and heavy atmosphere of the morning, and we travelled alongwith light hearts and brisk steps, breasting the side of a steep ascent,from the summit of which, my guide told me, I should behold the sea--thesea! not only the great plain on which I expected to see our armament,but the link which bound me to my country! Suddenly, just as I turnedthe angle of a cliff, it burst upon my sight--one vast mirror of goldensplendour--appearing almost at my feet! In the yellow gleams of asetting sun, long columns of azure-coloured light streaked its calmsurface, and tinged the atmosphere with a warm and rosy hue. While Iwas lost in admiration of the picture, I heard the sound of voices closebeneath me, and, on looking down, saw two figures who, with telescopein hand, were steadily gazing on a little bay that extended towards thewest.

  At first, my attention was more occupied by the strangers than by theobject of their curiosity, and I remarked that they were dressed andequipped like sportsmen, their guns and game-bags lying against the rockbehind them.

  'Do you still think that they are hovering about the coast, Tom?' saidthe elder of the two, 'or are you not convinced, at last, that I amright?'

  'I believe you are,' replied the other; 'but it certainly did notlook like it yesterday evening, with their boats rowing ashore everyhalf-hour, signals flying, and blue lights burning; all seemed tothreaten a landing.'

  'If they ever thought of it they soon changed their minds,' said theformer. 'The defeat of their comrades in the west, and the apathy of thepeasantry here, would have cooled down warmer ardour than theirs. Therethey go, Tom. I only hope that they'll fall in with Warren's squadron,and French insolence receive at sea the lesson we failed to give them onland.'

  'Not so,' rejoined the younger; 'Humbert's capitulation, and the totalbreak up of the expedition, ought to satisfy-even your patriotism.'

  'It fell far short of it, then!' cried the other. 'I'd never havetreated those fellows other than as bandits and freebooters. I'd havehanged them as highwaymen. Theirs was less war than rapine; but whatcould you expect? I have been assured that Humbert's force consisted oflittle other than liberated felons and galley-slaves--the refuse of theworst population of Europe!'

  Distracted with the terrible tidings I had overheard--overwhelmed withthe sight of the ships, now glistening like bright specks on the vergeof the horizon, I forgot my own position--my safety--everything but theinsult thus cast upon my gallant comrades.

  'Whoever said so was a liar, and a base coward, to boot!' cried I,springing down from the height and confronting them both where theystood. They started back, and, seizing their guns, assumed an attitudeof defence, and then, quickly perceiving that I was alone--for the boyhad taken to flight as fast as he could--they stood regarding me withfaces of intense astonishment.

  'Yes,' said I, still boiling with passion, 'you are two to one, on yourown soil besides, the odds you are best used to; and yet I repeat it,that he who asperses the character of General Humbert's force is aliar.'

  'He's French.'

  'No, he's Irish,' muttered the elder.

  'What signifies my country, sirs,' cried I passionately, 'if I demandretraction for a falsehood.'

  'It signifies more than you think of, young man,' said the elder calmly,and without evincing even the slightest irritation in his manner. 'Ifyou be a Frenchman born, the lenity of our Government accords you theprivilege of a prisoner of war. If you be only French by adoption, and auniform, a harsher destiny awaits you.'

  'And who says I am a prisoner yet?' asked I, drawing myself up, andstaring them steadily in the face.

  'We should be worse men, and poorer patriots than you give us creditfor, or we should be able to make you so,' said he quietly; 'but this isno time for ill-temper on either side. The expedition has failed. Well,if you will not believe me, read that. There, in that paper, you willsee the official account of General Humbert's surrender at Boyle. Thenews is already over the length and breadth of the island; even if youonly landed last night I cannot conceive how you should be ignorant ofit!' I covered my face with my hands to hide my emotion; and he went on:'If you be French you have only to claim and prove your nationality, andyou partake the fortunes of your countrymen.'

  'And if he be not,' whispered the other, in a voice which, although low,I could still detect, 'why should we give him up?'

  'Hush, Tom, be quiet,' replied the elder, 'let him plead for himself.'

  'Let me see the newspaper,' said I, endeavouring to seem calm andcollected; and, taking it at the place he pointed out, I read theheading in capitals, 'Capitulation of General Humbert and his wholeForce.' I could see no more. I could not trace the details of sohorrible a disaster, nor did I ask to know by what means it occurred.My attitude and air of appar
ent occupation, however, deceived theother; and the elder, supposing that I was engaged in considering theparagraph, said, 'You'll see the Government proclamation on the otherside--a general amnesty to all under the rank of officers in the rebelarmy, who give up their arms within six days. The French to be treatedas prisoners of war.'

  'Is he too late to regain the fleet?' whispered the younger.

  'Of course he is. They are already hull down; besides, who's to assisthis escape, Tom? You forget the position he stands in.'

  'But I do not forget it,' answered I; 'and you need not be afraid thatI will seek to compromise you, gentlemen. Tell me where to find thenearest justice of the peace, and I will go and surrender myself.'

  'It is your wisest and best policy,' said the elder. 'I am not in thecommission, but a neighbour of mine is, and lives a few miles off, and,if you like, we 'll accompany you to his house.'

  I accepted the offer, and soon found myself descending the steep pathof the mountain in perfect good-fellowship with the two strangers. Itis likely enough, if they had taken any peculiar pains to obliterate thememory of our first meeting, or if they had displayed any extraordinaryefforts of conciliation, that I should have been on my guard againstthem; but their manners, on the contrary, were easy and unaffectedin every respect. They spoke of the expedition sensibly anddispassionately, and while acknowledging that there were many thingsthey would like to see altered in the English rule of Ireland, they werevery averse from the desire of a foreign intervention to rectify them.

  I avowed to them that we had been grossly deceived. That all therepresentations made to us depicted Ireland as a nation of soldiers,wanting only arms and military stores to rise as a vast army. That thepeasantry were animated by one spirit, and the majority of the gentrywilling to hazard everything on the issue of a struggle. Our Killalaexperiences, of which I detailed some, heartily amused them, and it wasin a merry interchange of opinions that we now walked along together.

  A cluster of houses, too small to be called a village, and known as the'Cranagh,' stood in a little nook of the bay; and here they lived. Theywere brothers; and the elder held some small appointment in the revenue,which maintained them as bachelors in this cheap country. In a lowconversation that passed between them it was agreed that they woulddetain me as their guest for that evening, and on the morrow accompanyme to the magistrate's house, about five miles distant. I was not sorryto accept their hospitable offer. I longed for a few hours of rest andrespite before embarking on another sea of troubles. The failure ofthe expedition, and the departure of the fleet, had overwhelmed me withgrief, and I was in no mood to confront new perils.

  If my new acquaintances could have read my inmost thoughts, their mannertowards me could not have displayed more kindness or good-breeding.Not pressing me with questions on subjects where the greatest curiositywould have been permissible, they suffered me to tell only so much as Iwished of our late plans; and, as if purposely to withdraw my thoughtsfrom the unhappy theme of our defeat, led me to talk of France, and hercareer in Europe.

  It was not without surprise that I saw how conversant the newspapers hadmade them with European politics, nor how widely different did eventsappear when viewed from afar off, and by the lights of another anddifferent nationality. Thus all that we were doing on the Continent topropagate liberal notions, and promote the spread of freedom, seemed totheir eyes but the efforts of an ambitious power to crush abroadwhat they had annihilated at home, and extend their own influence indisseminating doctrines, all to revert, one day or other, to some granddespotism, whenever the man arose capable to exercise it. The elderwould not even concede to us that we were fit for freedom.

  'You are glorious fellows at destroying an old edifice,' said he,'but sorry architects when comes the question of rebuilding; and asto liberty, your highest notion of it is an occasional anarchy likeschoolboys, you will bear any tyranny for ten years, to have ten days ofa "barring out" afterward.'

  I was not much flattered by these opinions; and, what was worse, I couldnot get them out of my head all night afterwards. Many things I hadnever doubted about now kept puzzling and confounding me, and I began,for the first time, to know the misery of the struggle between implicitobedience and conviction.