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"Michael O'Hearn," called the serjeant from the court, in his most authoritative military manner, and that on a key that would not brook denial. Mike did not dare delay; in half a minute Maud found herself standing alone, in the centre of the library, holding the well-known snuff-box of Robert Willoughby in her little hand.
"If that be true, ye must be in a mighty throubled state, most of the live-long day, ye must!" "I tell you, Michael O'Hearn, religion is no respecter of persons. The Lord cares jist as much for me, as he does for captain Willoughby, or his wife, or his son, or his darters, or anything that is his." "Divil burn me, now, Joel, if I believe that!" again cried Mike, in his dogmatic manner.
Joyce glanced at the captain, expecting orders to seize the returned run-away; but his superior read at once good faith in the expression of his old retainer's countenance. "You have occasioned us a good deal of surprise, O'Hearn, on more accounts than one," observed the captain, who thought it prudent to assume more sternness of manner than his feelings might have actually warranted.
"And you, too, old man," said Robert Willoughby, dashing the tears from his eyes, and turning to the elder black, holding out a hand "this is not the first time, by many, old Pliny, that you have had me between heaven and earth. Your son was my old play-fellow, and we must shake hands also. As for O'Hearn, steel is not truer, and we are friends for life."
Divil burn me if I thinks the likes of him is to be found in all Ameriky, full as it is of Injins and saucy fellies! Well, now, I suppose, sarjeant, ye've set me down as sin riding off with Misther Joel and his likes, if ye was to open yer heart, and spake yer thrue mind?" "You have been marked for a deserter, O'Hearn, and one, too, that deserted from post." "Post!
Now, Michael O'Hearn was not left-handed, and, as usually happens with such men, the inequality between the two limbs was quite marked. By a sinister accident, too, it happened that the longest oar got into the strongest hand, and there it would have staid to the end of time; before Mike would think of changing it, on that account.
"He'll niver brag of his campaigns ag'in to the likes of me, seeing that I've outdone him, ten ay, forty times, and boot. Och! that Nick's a divil, and no har-r-m said!" "In the first place, O'Hearn," resumed the captain, as soon as the three were alone in the library "you must explain your own desertion." "Me! Desart!
"We have Michael O'Hearn, Jamie Allen, the two carpenters, the three niggers, Joel, and the three Dutchmen that last came into the settlement, and the two lads that Strides engaged at the beginning of the year, left," was the answer.
"Will yer honour be wishful that we shoulther our fire-arms, and go out and fight one of them sides, or t'other?" demanded Mike. "I wish nothing of the sort, O'Hearn. It will be time enough for us to take a decided part, when we get better ideas of what is really going on."
Mike and the blacks may be trusted with our lives I will call them." This was done, and the county Leitrim-man and the two Plinys were soon in the room. "O'Hearn," said Maud, inquiringly "I think you are my friend?" "Am I my own! Is it yees, is the question? Well, jist wish for a tooth, and ye may take all in my head for the asking. Och, I 'd be a baste, else!
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