feet of the little party, and the clear glare illuminated the whole gorge, playing upon the swarthy features and bright arms of the clansmen, and bringing out the rocky pass above them in strong relief, and rendering the whole ravine, in truth, as the old huntsman had said, as bright as at noonday.

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'Bravely done, Torlogh! Bravely done in faith!" cried the "Now we may, indeed, cross over safely; and by my faith, the torrent has shrunk in its bed a foot since we reached it. A little higher up, O'Neil!—a little higher up, I say!" he added, riding a little way up the bank toward the cataract, before entering the water. "So shall you have space to allow for the drift of the brook, which is still strong and deep. Keep your nag's head well to the current, and steer for the gravel shoal there-ten feet or so on this side the beacon."

Then, without farther words, the brave young lord spurred his strong charger down into the channel; and though the horse was reluctant to face the whirl and rush of the eddy, he managed him with such consummate skill and power, that after a floundering plunge and a few violent bounds, half-galloping, half-swimming, he took ground on the farther bank, and carried his rider gallantly across-the foremost man of all his train-in less than ten seconds after he had entered the ford.

Convinced that there was now no real danger more, and stit mulated by the energy and example of their chief, the whole band plunged in together in a compact body, and stemming the stream, and breaking its current by the opposition of so large and powerful a mass, easily struggled through it, and gained the other side without accident-even to the miserable garron of O'Neil, which was rather pushed across by the impetus of the stronger chargers than by any efforts of its own; and which had scarcely ascended the gravelly ascent before it stood stock still, now utterly exhausted, and positively refused to move a pace under any application of the spur or thong.

This difficulty was, however, speedily remedied-one of the vassals being dismounted, and O'Neil installed in his saddle;

and without farther delay, by the light of Torlogh's brands, on which a reinforcement had been heaped before starting, they climbed onward up a long scarped pass, traverse above traverse, like those on the other side, toward the castle of the great earl-the lights of which were now seen glistening above their heads, among the foliage of the great trees which surrounded it. The length of the pass, however, and the steep. ness of the ascent, prevented them making very rapid progress; and the keen eyes of Hugh O'Neil soon assured him that the length and steepness of the way would be the least of the impediments to be encountered by an assailing force in an attempt on that stronghold; for he could see that every traverse was now commanded by a breastwork constructed on the top, as well as by crenelles worked in the face of the rocks, the latter communicating probably with caverned galleries quarried in the hill, whence the whole road could be swept by a direct, plunging fire. In addition to this, they passed three fortalices, constructed at the re-entering angles of three distinct traverses, whose massive arches of masonry, battlemented and flanked by round towers, each provided with a double portcullis of hammered iron, crossed the gorge from side to side, and must necessarily be stormed one by one, under a terrible cross-fire, before the castle itself could be approached.

These formidable outworks were now, however, all undefended the watch-towers untenanted, the portcullises drawn up, and the great iron-studded portals standing unbarred and wide open. There were no signs of decay, however, or neglect; on the contrary, the masonry was all sharp and clean, and seemed to have been pointed recently; the iron-work was free from rust, and over the two upper arches some pieces of ordnance of heavy calibre appeared to have been mounted newly, and were provided each with its pyramid of shot piled beside it.

After passing the last of these gates, they landed on a small level esplanade of rocky soil, studded by a few enormous pine

trees, which stood, however, so far apart as to afford no shelter to an enemy from the guns of the main fortalice.

This rose on an abrupt knoll of rock above the tops of the highest of these trees, divided from the esplanade by a vast dry ditch, hewn in the rock to a depth of fifty feet, and an equal width-a veritable work of giants-isolating the castle altogether from the main hill. For it was situated on a small, craggy peninsula, the isthmus of which was cut across by this ditch, jutting out from a lower spur of Slievh-Buy, and facing the main mountain, from which it was severed by the same torrent which they had passed below, flowing at the foot of precipices inaccessible even to the foot of the wild goat.

A grand old Norman pile it was, built evidently by the invaders of the Isle, soon after their first landing, to curb the bellicose and fiery natives, whom their superior arms and iron discipline had but enabled them half to subdue. But more fortunate than many of its sister fortresses, which had even then fallen into ruin-some by neglect and the fallen fortunes of their owners, some by the devastating tooth of time, and some beneath the dint of Elizabeth's artillery in the great rebellion of Tyrone and O'Neil-this noble place of strength, known as the RedRock Castle of O'Brien, still towered sublime and perfect upon its earth-fast base, and overlooked leagues and leagues of the surrounding country from the proud eminence upon which it was perched like an eagle's eyry.

It had consisted, in the first instance, like all Norman holds, of one huge central keep, or dungeon, a tall square tower, with small octagonal turrets, one at every angle, buttressed and bartizaned, crenelled and machicolated, according to the utmost science of that day, for the vantage of all the weapons then invented. This keep, perched on a central knoll, and domineering all the lower defences, consisting of a strong single rampart with many flanking towers, a castellated gate-house and drawbridge over the ditch, had been originally the sole dwelling within the circuit of the walls; but with the growth of time,

the wants and luxuries of men had grown likewise, and building after building had been added in accordance with the milder tastes of the times, till the whole area within the gates was filled with noble and commodious buildings, suited rather, as they seemed, for the court of a sovereign prince than for the dwelling of any private subject, however high or mighty.

By this time it was as dark as it ever is on a summer's night in the British islands. The moon had not yet risen, and the faint glimmer of the twinkling stars was intercepted on one side by the great pine trees which I have mentioned, and on the other by the towering masses of the huge mountain chain, on a spur of which the fortalice of the great earl was situated.

It was evident, however, already, that the clank of their horses' hoofs had been heard in the castle, and that the party was both looked for and expected; for lights were appearing and disappearing in all the windows of the main building, and a bustle of footsteps and hurried voices was audible in the court-yard, hurrying toward the gate-house.

Before O'Brien had time to raise his bugle to his lips, which he did as soon as he drew up his horse near the verge of the dry ditch, upon what would be the glacis of a modern fortress, a torch was displayed above the gates, and a loud voice was heard challenging the new comers.

"It is I!" cried the earl, "I, the O'Brien! Down bridge and up gates-for if you within be not tired with waiting supper, I am without, I assure you."

A loud shout was the answer, and an eager hum of welcome; and in a moment afterwards the creaking of the hinges and the clash of the heavy chains announced the lowering of the drawbridge, which soon extended its frail and narrow length across the deep black fosse, and echoed hollowly beneath the hoofs of the horses as they entered.

The gates were thrown wide open, and a broad glare of red light was thrown far out into the bosom of the darkness, from the yawning porch, for all the interior court was blazing with

links and cressets, in the hands of a numerous assemblage of wild-looking clansmen and vassals; and beyond this the great doors of the castle stood wide apart, the focus of a clear illumination with several figures, male and female, drawn sharp and distinct in relief against the lustrous back-ground.

The earl fell back a pace or two as the company rode into the court, and spoke a word with his younger kinsmen whom he had previously addressed as Con and Ulick, in the Erse tongue, which he seemed to suppose that O'Neil had never understood, or forgotten-for it was evident from the glance of his eye and the gesture of his hand, that it was of him he was speaking. "Keep him back," he said, "or take him aside with you to the stables or the kennel-or I care not where; but I would not that or Ellinor should see him till they are preparmother my ed; and I would fain speak also with Father Daly. Do you mark me, cousins ?"

"Had I my will," answered Ulick, quickly, “I would have him aside, and that right speedily, into the castle dungeon, there to abide until we shall have learned what he is—whether rebel, spy, traitor, or renegado-and then, in any count, a short shrift and a long rope. Either way, he has earned it !"

"Hush, Ulick, hush!-and remember, if he were the devil, he has saved my life this very day." Then raising his voice, and touching his horse with the spur, he pricked on to the side of O'Neil, who had paused irresolute, when he found that his entertainer and protector was behind him, well knowing that he was like to find small favor in the eyes of the retainers. "Ride round with my cousins, O'Neil, to the stables, and bestow your steed," he said, "and then join us in the hall. It is meet that I announce your coming, ere you meet the eyes that will be upon you when you enter. You, Florence, tarry with me. I would two words with you. Away to the stables and the kennels, all of you," he added, addressing the loiterers, " and give the gentlemen light to bestow their steeds. You, Hardress, call me the seneschal, and come back with a torch."