Leading the way, Captain O’Connor descended the little track.  It extended but a short distance.  Beyond that a chaos of fallen rocks—­the remains of a landslip many years previously—­stretched away to the shore.

“There is no working along these sideways, Desmond,” Captain O’Connor said after they had climbed along for some little distance.  “We had better make straight down to the shore, follow that for a bit, and then mount again to the spot where you saw the man.”

It was difficult work, but at last the party reached the shore.  Lieutenant Adcock, who was himself in command of the boat, had watched the party making their way down the rocks, and now rowed in to within a few yards.

“Good-morning, lieutenant,” Captain O’Connor said.  “I think we have got them fairly trapped; but doubtless they would have made off if they hadn’t seen you on the watch outside.  It’s that notorious scoundrel the Red Captain of Galway who is, I hear, hiding here with his gang.”

“Indeed!” the revenue officer said; “that will be a capture worth making.  Shall I come ashore with four of my men?  I expect they are more accustomed to climbing about among the rocks than yours are, and I should like to lend a hand.”

“Do, by all means,” Captain O’Connor replied.  “I see you have got ten, and six will be quite enough in the boat, even if they do manage to get down and embark, which I don’t think they will.  Your men are all armed, I suppose?”

“Yes; they have all carbines and cutlasses.  Now, coxswain, I leave you in charge.  Row out a quarter of a mile, and if any boat pushes off you are to stop it and arrest all on board.  They will almost certainly resist, and in that case you must use your arms.  Now, the four bow oars get out and step ashore.”

When the lieutenant and his four men had landed, the boat again pushed off, and the party on shore made their way along over the rocks at the edge of the water until they were opposite the rock where Lieutenant Desmond had seen the man appear.  Then the ascent was commenced.  The four officers went first, the men following in a line.

“Bear a little to the left,” Captain O’Connor said; “it is likely to lie somewhere in that direction.  The man we saw would have been making toward the path and not from it.  Keep a sharp lookout between these great rocks; there is no saying where the entrance to their hiding-place may be.”

Almost as he spoke there was a sharp crack of a rifle, and the bullet struck the rock on which he was standing.

“Come on, lads!” he shouted, “the sooner we are there the less time they have got to fire;” and with a cheer the men hurried forward, scrambling recklessly over the rocks.  Again and again puffs of smoke darted out from the rocks in front; and one of the soldiers fell, shot through the heart.

“Don’t stop to fire!” Captain O’Connor shouted as a yell of rage broke from the men; “you will do no good, and it will only give them more time.”