and galloped away in pursuit: but the bird
had flown. Peter fled in earnest this time,
and was never seen again in the neighbourhood.

We had wholly failed to subdue the
contumacy of the tenants. No rent was paid;
and the writs and orders of the Court of
Chancery were disregarded, not only by the
peasantry, but by the magistrates and police
alike. Whether this was owing to the slow
and unwieldy nature of the powers of the
Court, or from sympathy with the tenants,
and dislike of such a character as Mr. Rigg,
it is not easy to determine. The Master,
however, was of opinion on a new statement
of facts, and after much discussion by counsel
for all parties in the suit that such systematic
and continued disobedience and contempt
of authority demanded unusual remedies.
He therefore directed a case to be laid
before the attorney-general, who advised that
the receiver should report the misconduct of
the constabulary to the authorities at the
Castle, and that I should bring an action
against the magistrates who had discharged
the prisoner without bail. I flatly refused to
do either the one or the other. It was my
business to collect the rents; and trouble and
danger enough did this bring me, without
thrusting my hand into another hornets'
nest. Were I to attack the police and
magistrates, as suggested, they would, of course,
become deeply interested in probing and
sifting every part of my proceedings, to
discover some flaw or irregularity which might
release them from responsibility, and
overwhelm me. However, on its being
represented to the Master that the contemplated
proceedings would be expensive, and that
there were no funds available, he authorised
me to wait until I should get in some money;
but we always so timed our statement of
facts, and so calculated the costs, that there
never was a penny in hand for so dangerous
an object.

The affair, however, began to look serious.
The creditors had not yet been paid a
fraction, the tenants were in open rebellion, and
the unprofitable contest seemed likely to last
for ages. There was much grumbling amongst
the parties to the cause; the owner and
others talked of holding the receiver accountable;
and my sureties becoming uneasy,
besought me to resign the office. This was
now neither safe nor practicable. It was
necessary that I should first signalise my
zeal by some strenuous effort, which should
disarm opposition and bring me in triumph
"through the office."

Meditating a coup-de-main, I set out once
more for the country. The tenantry were
prepared for me, and as soon as I arrived in
the neighbourhood, messengers (as I
afterwards learned) scampered off in all directions
with the news. I followed immediately with
my bailiffs. A portion of the estate covered
the slopes of two gently rising hills, which
commanded a view of the road that ran in
the bottom of the valley. No sooner were
our cars descried, though still a mile distant,
than horns began to blow, and men were
seen hastening to the spot from all sides.
We dashed on with speed, but were only in
time to see men on horses, without saddle or
bridle, riding wildly about the fields, and
driving the cattle madly before them. The
ploughman left his plough in the furrow;
the carter abandoned his vehicle in the lane;
mounting their beasts in hot haste, they all
galloped away. We found solitude and deep
stillness, where all had been life and hurry a
minute before. The houses were shut up,
and not a soul was to be seen; we withdrew,
baulked in our enterprise, and crest-fallen at
our failure.

Next day I left the town, allowing the
report to circulate that I had returned to Dublin.
Making a considerable circuit, I reached
another town about ten miles distant, where I
I remained quiet for four or five days. Setting
out on the sixth day at sunrise, I met a
strong force of bailiffs and helpers, by
appointment. It was a lovely summer's morning
when we drew near the lands, not by the
high-road, but across the fields at the bottom
of the hill, where an enemy's approach would
be least expected. All was still in the
landscape; the smoke of the lighting fires in the
houses rose high and straight in the dewy
air; the cattle thickly studded the pastures,
and a rich booty seemed at last within our
toils. Spreading my men across the meadows,
some scores of fine cows and oxen were
speedily collected together and driven along
a boreen, or by-road, which led from the
bog to the highway. In less than half-an-
hour we were within a hundred yards of the
road, and were congratulating ourselves on a
complete and easy success, when suddenly the
rude blast of a horn smote our ears, followed
by loud cries and screams; we then beheld
the houses burst open, and men and women
rushing forth, many of them half-dressed,
and scrambling down the steep hills to place
themselves in front of the herd, where they
were about to debouch on the road. Hastening
to the van, I found a mob blocking up
the path, and with voice and sticks turning
back the cattle, which, pressed both in front
and rear, became frantic with terror, and,
rushing madly to and fro, overturned some of
the drivers, and in spite of all our efforts
contrived to escape by plunging through the
hedges or leaping over the walls which lined
the lane. A huge fellow, with a face as
black as a smith's ought to be, and in his
shirt, was conspicuous as he roved about,
wielding a great club and bellowing like
a bull of Bashan. Accosting him, I said
he was committing a breach of the peace,
and menaced him with the penalties of the
law.

"To hell with you and the law," was his
sole reply, as he whirled his stick around his