Page:History of Redmond O'Hanlon.pdf/4

 4 appointed a brigade to act in every province, who were always to return (barring accidents,) four times a-year to the general place of rendezvous, and give an account of their success, and as soon as the booty was regularly divided, each brigade was ordered to exchange posts, and to march out on duty again. This was their constant practice for some years, by which policy they kept themselves concealed much longer than otherwise they would have done. However, there was no robbery committed any where at all in the kingdom but was attributed to captain O'Hanlon, though it is probable le might have been an hundred miles distant at the same time. Nay so well was his character established, and so notorious his actions, that it became a common proverb; when any one had a mind to brand another with infamy and scandal, for him to say, you are as great a rogue as Redmond O'Hanlon.

As Redmond was once gliding along the road between Newry and Armagh, like a kite in the air in quest of prey, with only two or three attendants, who were at some distance behind him, he overtook a pedlar crying out and bemoaning his misfortune, in a very moving and piteous manner. Redmond taking compassion of the pedlar, came up and asked him what had, befallen him? To whom the pedlar replied: "That damned rogue of a Redmond O'Hanlon, has robbed me of above five pounds in monies, which was all I had, and that would not satisfy him neither, but he has taken my box away too, and because. I strove to hold it, he knocked me down and kicked me, and abused me like a dog.” Redmond, incensed at such language, had hardly patience to hear the fellow tell out his story, before he in