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At length there came a lull, when I heard the doctor's voice shouting out, "Barry, my boy, where are you? Mr Concannan Tim, Tim, speak, and tell me if you are alive." "Shure, it's alive I am," answered Tim, "though almost kilt, by a big bough which came down just now on my back."
I feared that, as he had now come into our neighbourhood, if Kanimapo was rightly informed, he would attack Don Fernando's house, from which he would obtain a richer booty than from ours or Castle Concannan. I mentioned my fears to Tim.
We were on the point of sitting down, when the sound of horses' hoofs coming along the path from the southward reached our ears. "Grant Heaven that they are friends!" said the padre, looking grave. "Should they be Royalists, you will guide your conversation accordingly, Senor Concannan," he observed. "Here, Candela, go out and welcome the cavaliers, whoever they may be."
After leaving Castle Concannan on her way to Don Fernando's house, while she was riding on ahead a party of banditti pounced out of a wood and surrounded her and her attendants, and made them all prisoners. She before long discovered that Aqualonga was the leader of the party.
The order was now given to advance, my mother and sister, with the children, being placed in the centre, while our own servants and the villagers marched on either side; for though we hoped to reach Castle Concannan in safety, we could not tell at what moment Aqualonga and his band might arrive. My father cast a regretful look at his house, which he was thus leaving to destruction.
It was at first hoped that she might have gone to Castle Concannan; but though she called there to pay a visit to our aunts, she again left it; and after that no traces of her or her attendants could be discovered. Oh, what can have happened to her? Cannot you suggest anything to relieve the anguish of my mind?"
"I am travelling with my uncle, Senor Denis Concannan, and a servant, towards our home, not far from hence, and having no guide we have lost our way," I replied. "My father is Senor Barry Desmond perhaps he is known to your reverence?" "Of course he is; and a dear friend," answered the padre. "And you are his son! If I were not dripping wet, I would give you an embrace: receive it in imagination.
"It may be, Masther Barry; but if he pays Castle Concannan a visit first, it's my belief that we'll be after giving him such a drubbing that he'll have no stomach for attacking any other place.
Even were we to make no resistance, those ruffians would murder us; so that, however inferior in numbers we may be, we must fight. Barry, do you and Tim go into the village and beat up for recruits. Gerald must ride off to Castle Concannan and give your uncles notice, Aqualonga will certainly try to surprise them.
"Let us be wise, Mr Concannan," observed the latter; "it is useless running our noses into danger when it can be avoided. And even if we were to go back, we could not save the lives of the commandant and the garrison. Let us console ourselves with the reflection that, should they be killed, they have died doing their duty."
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