I had time before they made their appearance to move my seat hurriedly from the table to the hearth,where,under the shade of the large chimney,I might observe the coming visitors with less chance of being myself remarked upon.
As my hostess had anticipated,the horsemen drew up at the door of the hut,and five dragoons entered the dark chamber where I awaited them.
Leaving their horses at the entrance,with much noise and clatter they proceeded to seat themselves and call for liquor.
Three of these fellows were Dutchmen,and,indeed,all belonged,as I afterwards found,to a Dutch regiment,which had been recruited with Irish and English,as also partly officered from the same nations.
Being supplied with pipes and drink they soon became merry;and not suffering their smoking to interfere with their conversation,they talked loud and quickly,for the most part in a sort of barbarous language,neither Dutch nor English,but compounded of both.
They were so occupied with their own jocularity that I had very great hopes of escaping observation altogether,and remained quietly seated in a corner of the chimney,leaning back upon my seat as if asleep.
My taciturnity and quiescence,however,did not avail me,for one of these fellows coming over to the hearth to light his pipe,perceived me,and looking me very hard in the face,he said:
'What countryman are you,brother,that you sit with a covered head in the room with the prince's soldiers?'
At the same time he tossed my hat off my head into the fire.I was not fool enough,though somewhat hot-blooded,to suffer the insolence of this fellow to involve me in a broil so dangerous to my person and ruinous to my schemes as a riot with these soldiers must prove.
I therefore,quietly taking up my hat and shaking the ashes out of it,observed:
'Sir,I crave your pardon if I have offended you.I am a stranger in these quarters,and a poor,ignorant,humble man,desiring only to drive my little trade in peace,so far as that may be done in these troublous times.'
'And what may your trade be?'said the same fellow.
'I am a travelling merchant,'I replied;
'and sell my wares as cheap as any trader in the country.'
'Let us see them forthwith,'said he;
'mayhap I or my comrades may want something which you can supply.Where is thy chest,friend?Thou shalt have ready money'(winking at his companions),'ready money,and good weight,and sound metal;none of your rascally pinchbeck.
Eh,my lads?Bring forth the goods,and let us see.'
Thus urged,I should have betrayed myself had I hesitated to do as required;and anxious,upon any terms,to quiet these turbulent men of war,I unbuckled my pack and exhibited its contents upon the table before them.
'A pair of lace ruffles,by the Lord!'
said one,unceremoniously seizing upon the articles he named.
'A phial of perfume,'continued another,tumbling over the farrago which I had submitted to them,'wash-balls,combs,stationery,slippers,small knives,tobacco;by --,this merchant is a prize!Mark me,honest fellow,the man who wrongs thee shall suffer--'fore Gad he shall;thou shalt be fairly dealt with'(this he said while in the act of pocketing a small silver tobacco-box,the most valuable article in the lot).'You shall come with me to head-quarters;the captain will deal with you,and never haggle about the price.
I promise thee his good will,and thou wilt consider me accordingly.You'll find him a profitable customer--he has money without end,and throws it about like a gentleman.If so be as I tell thee,I shall expect,and my comrades here,a piece or two in the way of a compliment--but of this anon.Come,then,with us;buckle on thy pack quickly,friend.'
There was no use in my declaring my willingness to deal with themselves in preference to their master;it was clear that they had resolved that I should,in the most expeditious and advantageous way,turn my goods into money,that they might excise upon me to the amount of their wishes.
The worthy who had taken a lead in these arrangements,and who by his stripes I perceived to be a corporal,having insisted on my taking a dram with him to cement our newly-formed friendship,for which,however,he requested me to pay,made me mount behind one of his comrades;and the party,of which I thus formed an unwilling member,moved at a slow trot towards the quarters of the troop.
They reined up their horses at the head of the long bridge,which at this village spans the broad waters of the Shannon connecting the opposite counties of Tipperary and Clare.
A small tower,built originally,no doubt,to protect and to defend this pass,occupied the near extremity of the bridge,and in its rear,but connected with it,stood several straggling buildings rather dilapidated.
A dismounted trooper kept guard at the door,and my conductor having,dismounted,as also the corporal,the latter inquired:
'Is the captain in his quarters?'
'He is,'replied the sentinel.
And without more ado my companion shoved me into the entrance of the small dark tower,and opening a door at the extremity of the narrow chamber into which we had passed from the street,we entered a second room in which were seated some half-dozen officers of various ranks and ages,engaged in drinking,and smoking,and play.
I glanced rapidly from man to man,and was nearly satisfied by my inspection,when one of the gentlemen whose back had been turned towards the place where I stood,suddenly changed his position and looked towards me.
As soon as I saw his face my heart sank within me,and I knew that my life or death was balanced,as it were,upon a razor's edge.