The priest's niece - 1855 Author:Barbara Hemphill Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. The next few days were full of excitement in Cashel and its neighbourhood. Siward received no less than two anonymous threats, written on soiled ... more »pieces of coarse paper, on which were sketched coffins, and kind orders to prepare for death; also one or two magistrates received friendly hints that Cornet Siward Barnulph's life was in danger; the coward Searchall having reported that it was the Cornet who had fired at Teague. The wretched man had been tracked to his cabin by drops of blood, where he died in consequence of excitement, and grief for the loss VOL. III. K of his still, and weakness from the loss of blood. Some of the gentlemen strenuously advised Siward to remove to Templemore, the head quarters of the depot; but he scoffed at the idea of fear, and so the matter ended for the time being. It was on a "Wednesday evening that the still had been seized; and the Friday after, Siward, and a large party, dined with a gentleman in the neighbourhood. The wine was excellent, and circulated freely, so, though not his custom, Siward, won on by the reigning conviviality, became intoxicated; not quite so much as most of the company, who must have lost all consciousness of what they were about; for upon Siward boasting that neither by day nor by night would he be afraid to venture out unarmed, for the threats of a few drunken peasants, they madly laid a wager that he would not walk that fine moonlight night as far as the Abbey of Athassal, nearly three miles off, by himself. Siward wagered that he would, he neither feared the living nor the dead; so off he went, staggering and stumbling. However, the champagne he had drank too freely, soon evaporated in the soft night summer air, and he became conscious of his indiscretion. By this the moon had sunk behind...« less