Page:Selection of amusing and entertaining Irish stories.pdf/4

4 jumped in, without staying for our captain, who was fool enough to be minding the passengers; cut the rope, and pushed away just time enough to he clear of the ship as she went down : and here we are, all alive and merry.” An oath concluded his speech. The solitary was shocked, and could not help secretly wishing that it had pleased Providence to have saved some of the innocent passengers, rather than the reprobates.

The sailors having got what they could, departed, scarcely thanking their benefactor, and marched up the country. Night came on. They descried a light at some distance, and made up to it. It proceeded from the window of a good-looking house, surrounded with a farm-yard and garden. They knocked at the door, and in a supplicating tone made known their distress, and begged relief. They were admitted, and treated with compassion and hospitality. In the house were the mistress, her children and women-servants, an old man and a boy: the master was abroad. The sailors, sitting round the kitchen fire, whispered to each other that there was an opportunity of making a booty that would amply compensate for the loss of clothes and wages. They settled their plan; and on the old man’s coming with logs to the fire, one of them broke his skull with the poker, and laid him dead. Another took up a knife which had been brought with the loaf and cheese, and, running after the boy, who was making his escape out of the house, stabbed him to the heart. The rest locked the doors, and, after tying all the women and children, began to ransack the house. One of the children continuing to make loud exclamations, a fellow went and strangled it. They had nearly finished packing up such of the most valuable things as they could carry off, when the master of the house came home. He was a smuggler as well as a farmer, and had just returned from an expedition, leaving his companions with their goods at a neighbouring public-house. Surprised at finding the doors locked, and at seeing lights moving about in the chambers, he suspected somewhat amiss; and, upon listening, he heard strange voices,and saw some of the sailors through the windows. He hastened back to his companions, and brought them with him just as the robbers opened the door and were coming out with their pillage, having first set fire to the house in order to conceal what they had done. The smuggler and his friends let fly their blunderbusses in the midst of them, and then rushing forwards, seized the survivors, and secured them. Perceiving flames in the house, they ran and extinguished them. The villains were next day led to prison, amidst the curses of the neighbourhood.