Page:History of Redmond O'Hanlon.pdf/19

 19 four soldiers with the sheriff to guard him: and so put him in a way of forming a probable stratagem for making a rescue. Next morning the guard set out with the prisoner, and having conducted him about half way, they stopped awhile at a public house, on the road, to refresh themselves. The prisoner was left in a small room at one end of the house, under the charge of four soldiers, while the soldiers sat in a larger room, at the other end, over a sup of liquor. While they sat in this posture, Redmond appeared at the door in the dress of a gentleman, and having enquired the cause of the soldiers being there, he desired to see the prisoner, which being granted to him, he called for wine, to treat the men and paid the whole reckoning. This being over, the officer called for more wine to treat the gentleman, while the men were plied with liquor, by Redmond's private orders, to facilitate his design.

As soon as he thought convenient, he stepped out on pretence of making water, and looking round about to see whether the coast was clear, he observed eight men riding towards him, and found they were some of his own comrades, who had followed to assist him. His comrades could not meet him in a more welcome time; they consulted the manner of executing their design, and had the luck to rescue Power as follows; one of the gang held the horses at the end of the house, whilst the rest followed Redmond into it, who opening a door that was in the passage, to prevent any in the lower room from looking up into the other, stood there and made some kind of a noise, not only to drown the voice of those with the prisoner during the scuffle, but to hinder the others from coming out to see what the matter was,