“The man who has just died was one of them,” Denis replied.  “None of the other three are here, so I expect they fell in the cabin.  They were in the front of the fight.  I saw one go down just as I grappled with our captain.”

“So much the better,” Ralph said.  “As to their leader, there will be no difficulty in getting evidence about him.  The regiment he belonged to is in Dublin, and they can prove the shooting of his officer; beside, they can get any amount of evidence from Galway.”

“Ay; they will be ready enough to speak out now the whole gang are down,” Denis Moore said.  “They would not have dared to open their lips otherwise.  The other prisoners all belong about here.  One of their party is the captain’s brother.  That’s how it is they came to take us in.  But I think they would have been glad to get rid of us, for the Red Captain’s lot were too bad for anything; and it isn’t because men are ready to cheat the king’s revenue that they are fond of such villains and murderers as these.”

In a short time the doctor arrived.  He had brought a case of instruments with him.

“There’s nothing for it but amputation here,” he said when he examined the wounded soldier.  “His legs are just splintered.  The sooner I do it the better.”

Sergeant Morris and three of the men held the poor fellow while the operation was performed.  As soon as it was over the doctor applied splints and bandages to Captain O’Connor’s leg and Lieutenant Desmond’s arm, and dressed the wounds of three of the other men, who had suffered more or less severely.

CHAPTER XIII.

STARTLING NEWS.

“What do you think is the best thing to be done now doctor?” Ralph asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.  “I don’t see how on earth we are going to get them over these rocks and up to the top.  A slip or a fall would cost either of your friends their limbs, and that poor fellow his life.  I don’t see how it is to be managed.  It’s hard work for a man to climb those rocks, and how a litter is to be carried I can’t see.  If it were anywhere else I should say build a hut for them; but it would be a tremendous business getting the materials down, and I don’t think it could possibly be managed by night.”

“I am sure it couldn’t,” Ralph said, shaking his head.  “I think, though, if we got two long poles and slung a piece of canvas like a hammock between them we may possibly get them down to the shore.  You see we have plenty of strength to get them over rough places.”

“We could manage that easy enough,” Lieutenant Adcock, who had some time before joined the party, said.  “There are some sixteen-feet oars in the boat and some sails.  We could easily rig up the hammock.  I suppose you mean to take them off in the boat, Mr. Conway?”

“Yes; that’s what I meant,” Ralph said.  “Then you can land them in your cove, and they might stop in the village till they are fit to be moved.”