The sergeant brought in the woman and then retired.  As soon as the door closed behind him the woman threw back the shawl which had hitherto almost covered her face.  She was about twenty-five years old, and strikingly pretty.

“What can I do for you?” Captain O’Connor asked.  “The sergeant says you wish to speak to me on some particular business.”

“Yes, sir; sure, and it is very particular business.”

“You don’t wish to speak to me quite alone, I suppose?” O’Connor asked, seeing that she hesitated.

“No, your honor; seeing that these gentlemen are all officers there is no reason in life why they should not hear what I have to say.  But, sure, sir, it’s little my life would be worth if it were known outside these walls that I had been here.  My name is Bridget Moore, sir, and I belong to County Galway.  Well, your honor, there was a desperate villain, they call the Red Captain, there.  He was hiding in the hills for some time near the little farm my husband holds.  We did not know who he was—­how should we? but thought he was hiding because the revenue officers were after him on account of a bit of a still or something of that kind; but we found out one day, when he had been taking too much of the cratur and was talking big like, that he was the Red Captain.

“My Denis was troubled in his mind over it.  Av coorse he was not one to inform, but he had heard so much of the Red Captain and his doings that he was onaisy at the thought of having him as a neighbor.  He wasn’t one to pretind to be frindly when he wasn’t, and the captain noticed it and took offince, and there were mighty high words between them.  One night, your honor, he and his gang came down and broke in the door, and tould Denis he was a black-hearted informer, Denis said it was a lie, and they were nigh shooting him, but at last they said he should have the choice either of joining them or of being shot; and Denis, being druv to it, and seeing no other way to save his life, was forced to agree.  Then the villains made him kneel down and take a great oath to be faithful and secret.

“I was away off; for I had caught up the child and run out by the back door when they came in, but I crept round to a broken window there was, so that I could hear what was said.  When they took him away wid them and went off, I followed at a distance, for I wasn’t sure whether after all they didn’t mean to murther him.  But they went up to the hut where they lived at the edge of the bog, and as they seemed more friendly like I went back to see after the child, who was left all alone.  The next morning I took it over to a neighbor and asked her to keep it till I came back.  Then I went up to the hut again and found it was empty.