Page:Minnie's Bishop and Other Stories (1915).djvu/122

 the police as their inferiors. The police stood as far as possible apart from Matty Hynes, who wore no uniform of any kind. Matty Hynes, on his part, asserted his dignity by refusing to speak to the two bailiffs whom he had brought with him.

Inishbee, when the gunboat reached it, presented a curiously. deserted appearance. There was not a man, woman, or child to be seen. No smoke issued from the chimneys of the three cottages. Neither the cow nor a single one of the four bullocks was visible in the fields. Lieutenant Eckersley was so far moved by the unusual appearance of desolation that he crossed the deck and spoke to Mr. Benson.

"Do you want to land?" he asked. "There doesn't appear to be man or beast on the island."

Mr. Benson told the sergeant to summon Matty Hynes. Matty, putting his pipe in his pocket, joined the two officers.

"Do you want to land?" asked Mr. Benson. "There doesn't seem to be anything for you to seize."

"Unless you propose to carry off the island itself," said Lieutenant Eckersley.

"They have them hid on me," said Matty Hynes. "Hell to their souls! but they have them hid in some hole or other. I'll land, of course. Them Geraghtys is beyond anything for their tricks. They'd steal the coat off your back and you looking at them."

Lieutenant Eckersley gave an order, and two