FOR HIS TOWN'S SAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 6 July 1907, Page 4

FOR HIS TOWN'S SAKE.

Xaos O'Oorman, the young blacksmith, was a silent but kindly-hearted giant. An ardent sportsman, he had the surest eye that ever glanced along a gun-bar-rel. A stranger might easily have named him unsociable. Not so, however, his comrades, the young men of Carnmouey. They thought him the most sociable of the world's good fellows; for always, when their day's work was over, and on winter days when they could not work, hit smithy never lacked for a band of "the hoys." who, with the ltd firelight dancing on their comely countenances, stool around in earnest converse about that which was nearest their hearts, and, in those days, Highest their lips —their country's cause; close watching, the while, the sledge blows that Kaos beat alternately with his assistant Hugh upon the glowing iron. They treated Naos—big, broad-shoul-dered, slow-spoken, taciturn Naos —wl'h admiring awe. 'Though he hearkened to all, ho sci lorn spoke in turn. Still, in their minds, he. was most sociable. Nowhere could they, with such ease to themselves and satisfaction, discuss great things, as in the presence of the blacksmith. His hammer, constantly loud-ringing on the anvil, eloquently filled to them his part in the smithy discourse. As homeward they wended their ways on a night on which one sentence had not fallen form the lips of the grave ■ young smith, any of the boys would have been very much surprised—momentarily incredulous—if informed that Naos had not entirely directed the discourse. Hugh MacAuley, Naos' assist- ' ant. had probably said more than any- (

ant, had probably said more tlian any- ' 0110 there; yet it was liardly remembered that poor Hugh had spoken. 1 With the women, too, it was as with ' the men: for Hugh, attractive-looking ' young fellow though lie was—with the ' attractiveness that is ever begotten of ' a sincere heart, and ardent nature—fail- c ed. after five years' wooing, to make the 1 desired impression npor Mary MacEl- ( hatton, whose heart Naos O'Gormon lmd [ completely captivated, without effort as 1 it seemed. Yet was Mary's heart worth I winning, daring all dangers on the globe ' round. n Tn their country's checkered career, a crisis was approaching. Everyone felt ' it. Tlie boys knew it. They looked forward eagerly, hopefully and joyfully, A because, alas! they looked forward not e far enough. These boys' hearts, in lore 0 with the ideal, beat high, even for heart 1 of youth; and of desire begot conviction. s Hope, beautiful Hope, glowed in the. at- ' mosphere of the forge these days, and lit " the young men's faces with a light that shamed that of the bellows-blown flame. T When, while Antrim was still unpre- c pared, the secret, glad tidings of tlie coming rising arrived at Carnmoney, :l lightening the eyes and loosening the tongues of the ardent, uncalculating c boys of the forge. Naos, who was far- ' seeing, suddenly paused from beating a '■ half-finiahed shoe, leaned upon his sleclge. looked eagerly, earnestly at" the lads ' and said to them: ' "Boys, for God's sake, don't talk foolish. They that hold us down were never in better fettle for givin' us another crushiii' than they arc the day. Boys, ' 'tis the wrong time. Let us not throw * away our lives. For Cod's sake, boys, ' let us not!" ' The boys luid never before heard the blacksmith's voice weaken to appeal. They were at first surprised and then as- ' founded. They spoke up in remon- ' strance. Xaos, who had gone on with ' his work, only shook bis head in reply. At length, when they had, to their own complete satisfaction, shown the absur- 1 dity of the argument, they laughed at ' the matter, and turned again to castle- ' building. Those were the days wlien came the mysterious stranger flitting from house to house, and from village to village under friendly cover of night, and the bolated singer who .gave not all his songs to tlie dubious wind of the day, and tlie pedlar who bore in his boots news long looked for, and orders eagerly awaited, and in his pack of goods better than ever Webster wove, and which were fingered now with immeasurably more delight. In tlie hearts of the hills hidden forges were in full blast through dead of night, . and a thousand anvils made merry music as Death and Life in mutual despite there met and heat their lightened carols on them. The eyes of the young men , shone and glistened in those days, their • hail was jubilant, and their step buoyant as they trod to their secret trystings. t At length, after some weeks, which r to the boys -seemed years, the glad final | word came. ' , "To-morrow!" They stood their pikes by tlieir bed- ' sides that night. And the first ray that , the morning sun shot over Slleve Crunch kissed a hundred of these bright treasures, borne by tall fellows who, with much impatient bustle and many a ' cheery cry to a comrade, met, hurried to and fro on the village street of Cam-

lonoy. I '■To Antrim! to Antrim town!" rang hi the lips ot all. And when, all ready, hey lined up under tlieir captain, the uliniring eyes of the girls upon them, md the envious eyes of the too-yotfttg roiiihs, and youths too old, Xaos O'Gorlinn was missed. (It was Mary MaeElla'tou, indeed, who first missed him). >(T to find him scurried a couple of the wivs; the ranks of the host delayed for his wining. To their surprise he was found in his smithy even at this early hour, Imsily beating out horse shoes. ''Xaos," they asked, "what do you moan l\v this, and the hoys standing on the street with their pikes on llioir shoulders?" Naos, who had nodded greeting to them, only replied, "I mean, boys, that T have a very long day's work hefoi-e me." ' 1#:^? His friends started. "Do you wean that you don't take gun or pike to Antrim with the hoys?" They were not forgetful of the wonders he eould work [with tlie gun.

"I mean that." Naos was hammering away at the -fornicil shoe as lie spoke. The messengers, confounded, turned and went disconsolately to their fellows with the news. The bovs believed that Naos had taken leave of his senses. Mary MacKUiatton, when she heard it, dropped oil tin', steps of her rot lam', Hugh MaeAuley sprang from the ranks to bring her solace. ''My Cml,'' said Nans' poor old fathor, •'wait till T see him!'' lie hobbled tn the forge, and with the (ears in his eyes, cried: "N'ilos! Naos! Aren't you taking your pike and goin' with the boys?" "Father."' said Naos, without raising his head, "I've got work to do." "For Hod's sake, Naos, the bovs'll think they'll think " "Father," said Naos, now resting his hammer, and raising his head, and speaking almost sternly, "father, do T care what they think? I do the work that calls me, and fear what 110 mail thinks." His father staggered backwards a few steps, anil leaned his shoulder against the wall, covering his face with Ilia hands. At that moment, Mary MafTClhatton, '> wild-eyed, burst into the room, follovt ed bv several of Naos' comrades. Naos " hastily lifted his head, and then took a step forward, meeting Mavy, \vho,puttiug

I her hands upon his shoulder, looked into his face with pathetic appeal. Shu only said, "Njosi' but the word rang from her heart. Naos laid a hand gently un Mary's shoulder, saying, "Mary, you don't understand." "Naos," tho girl said, "won't you go to Antrim!" "Mary, aren't you well? You must go home." "Xaos, Naos, aren't you going to Antrim ?" "Dear Mary," he said tenderly, "you don't understand. I couldn't make you understand just now. Go home, Alary dear, mid rest. lam not going to Antrim. lam staying at my anvil.' . He let liis hand drop from Mary's arm I upon which it had rested. Mary turn- \ ed, in silence making hei- way through the group of perplexed ones who thronged the door. Naos kept his eyes on her. Ere she bad passed from the doorway wherein for a moment she bad paused, gazing at her feet, be suddenly started forward, recoiled again, seized an almost completed horseshoe, thrust it deep into the coals, and leaned upon ' the bellows shaft, blowing the fire into the fiercest flame. Tho boys, gathered I within the door, had remained motionless—even, it might well be, speechless— ! for the space of nearly a minute. Tlieii ! one of them sprang forward. It was Hugh MacAuley. With clenched fist and Hashing eyes he was standing by Naos' side. The latter lazily turned bis head and observed him. "Well, Hugh?" was all he asked. "Naos O'Gormon, I want to tell you —I want to tell you—here before your comrades and mine, that you arc—a coward—-not a man!" The color swept- out of Xaos' face and, visible to all, a tremor ran through his frame. His arm forgot to release the bellows-shift which was held at its lowest point when Hugh MacAuley spoke his words. Hugh, every nerve and mus- , cle in his body at terrible tension, remained looking defiant contempt in the , eyes of his master, who had leaned his body backward from him as one would instinctively recoil from a crouching panther. The astounded boys at the door threw swift glances, one to the ither. "Hugh!" ejaculated the man at the i bellows. "A coward, and not a man!" Tnto Naos' face the blood Swept again with a swift rush. He drew himself , ?reet; and in the eyes of the marvelling Dnlookers his immense proportions in an instant seemed to grow greater; and they sympathetically trembled as he looked | :lown upon little Hugh—little, but not mdaunted—defiant still. He towered terrible—so it seemed to those who tvatched—over Hugh, who bravely budg- , :d not. "A coward!" rang out Hugh's voice igain, "and not a man!" Hugh's fellows gasped. Out of Naos' countenance the. tense expression it bad taken slowly disappeared, his arms fell by his side. "Well, Hugh," he said, "maybe, may- . be." lie turned slowly, took hold of the bellows-shaft again, and began to blow. "No Irishman!" said Hugh, "no man!" Then he let; his muscles relax, dropped his arms, turned on his heel and strode through tlie door. After him went his comrades, only pausing on the threshold to cast one. pitiful glance over their shoulders at. Naos. The eaptaii of the little band of rebels gave the order to march; and just as they started off, out behind their ranks stepped Naos' old father, a gun on his shoulder, find bravely began to trudge with them. Several old men instantly ran to hold him—women, too. He angrily resented the interference, struck off with his elbows those who caught hold of him, and glared fiercely at them. The company of pikeincn was halted, and the old man with his gun, by force, returned to his home. As they passed the forge, the quick ring of hammer and anvil sounded loudly in their ears. Each man then fixed his eyes afar, and took on a grimmer look. Some of Naos' closest, most lov-

ing comrades bit their lips till the blood came. None glanced through the forge door. Naos lifted not his head to look out. The; boys had long been anticipating the joy that would be theirs on the morning of going out to battle for their country. But now it was come, they knew no joy. Their tramp, tramp, tramp, made melancholy music, indeed, on the morning air as they went cheerless, silent. When they were a mile from the village they observed ahead a girl with gun in hand, waiting by the roadside. They looked at her in wordless wonder. She cast down her eyes under the ga;:e of the. company. She said, "Boys, lam waiting to fill one gap in your ranks." "Mary, a stor," the captain said, are you mad?" "Not inad," calmly she replied, "but meaning to do his duty for Naos O'Gorman." Hugh MacAuley had sprung forward from his place and was at her side. "Mary a t.heagair," he said, "go home. Gome home with me; I'll follow up and

overtake llie men again before they get into the fight." "Xo, Hugh, I don't go home. I go to Antrim with all of ye. From when I was a child the heart within my heart lias always longed that I might do something for Ireland. This is the great day. I must go with ye." All entreaties were vain. Mary, tendor and gentle though she usually was, was now immovable. "Then walk by me," Hugh said. And accordingly by h'a side, in the very se- ' cond rank she took her place, to march on Antrim with the boys. The hearty ' cheer that greeted Mary when, shoulder- • ing her gun, she stepped into her place i magically dispersed the gloom that had f lain so weightily over them. Their step i was firm, their frees bright, and hearts • light—as should have been. Now they t heard the birds chanting songs of hope c from the hillisdcs as they went.

n. That iliiy was an anxious one in the village oi' Carnmoney. No one worked; no 0110 cooked meals; people ran from house lo house, or wandered restlessly up and down or gathered in knots lo speculate on the. chances «f the light. And, constantly. light-footed messengers wi've running from the village to the tup of the near-by height, scanning the far nidge where it was lost among (he hills, nnd running back again to tell that there was in* sign of the longed-for courier yet. it was wrong to say that no one worked. Jfaos (VCorman's anvil was heard ringing all day. Naos was working uleadiU', stolidly. He had barely lifted his hritd since Hugh MaeAulcy and his friends quilted the village in the early morning, lie turned from fire to anvil, industriously hammering out the yielding metal there; from anvil back to fire, thrust in the metal, heaped the coals, and blew the bellows, repeating this interminably. Toward evening a' youth hurst into the forge and cried out with a heal'fc- ' wrung wail: ; "They're beat! Oh, Mother of God, i they're beat!" A convulsion jerked Naos' frame and , twisted his features —only momentarily, ■ however. lie stooped immediately and i picked np in the tongs the shoe that had l been shaken from his grasp, thrust it » iu the five, and blow the bellow* with

i deliberation. The sound of women's ■ | wails breaking the holy calm of Carui money reached his ears through the open j door, and he heard the hasty voices of • 'many, and the noise of a hundred pairs 1 of feet that on the village street hurried 1 hither and thither. He was again blowing the bellows .when another breathless messenger, flying past, thrust in bis head, screamed "The Yeos are ridin' on Carnmoney!" and was gone. At the hearing of the :drea<l intelligence Naos lazily lifted his eyes again, and leisurely continued his work, seemingly taking little heed ul the terrible excitement whose sounds surged in at the forge door in frequent .fast-flowing waves. I Then came the sound of a galloping , steed upon the stony street. "The boys are beat and broken, kilt or scattered to the winds!" was cried aloud in a piercing voice. "A score of the bloody Yeos are eoniin' on Carmoney! ■ The soldiers' colonel can't keep them | till in hand. When the brutes come here, may God have mercy on you, people of Carnmoney! Unless the Glennioriian men, who didn't get in time the I word to rise, arrive. lam liurrin' to j hasten them. God guard you." 'The clatter of hoofs rang out suddenly 'and swept onward, the receding sound being quickly drowned in the awful uproar that for a moment settled and rose again without. All this time Naos was giving the nice finishing touches and laps to a horseshoe, his alternate blows on shoe and anvil making stern music. Now and again he raised the shoe, examining it with the careful eye of the true smith who diligently seeks for symmetry. "The Yeos! the Yeos! the bloody Yeos! Naos O'Gorinan! There's twenty of them just now ridin' up the Brae!" Tongs and shoe dropped from his' hand; he hurried out of the forge door and into the open door of his father's dwelling, looping the end of his apron in the waist-string as he went. He came out of his father's door again immediately, bearing a gun. His father sprang to hold him; two women ran forward and laid hands on him also; others hurried to help these. "Father," he said In a voice that was almost stern, "stand off me! Stand off, Kate! And you, Mrs MacAluinn!" "Don't, don't!" they said. "Are you mad? You'll be shot like a dog. We'll offer them civility, and claim their mercy." "Their mercy! The mercy of the yeomen!" Naos laughed a laugh that startled them. "Like a dog! With God's help I shall shoot some dogs first." With eyes bent on those who opposed him he patted bis gun with a fierce fondness. "In this is the only tongue that can beg . mercy of the Y 7 eos, with chance of success. Stand off me!" He threw back both arms, cast off the pleading ones who, now seeing the head of the first yeoman appear over the ridge beyond the village, fell further back, crouching in fear against the sidewalls of the houses. But Naos was on one knee in the centre of the street, with gun against his cheek. Along the barrel ran bis glance, taking nice aim at the rising figiirc->calm and collected as if he knelt at target practice. The distance was short, for the street descended from him abruptly to the long, narrow bridge, and the brae beyond rose steep to the horsenun. He fired, and a yeoman fell. In a short space three others. Their horses were spurred to a gallop. They had their carbines unslung. They stopped on the ridge-line, and took aim, all three, at the solitary figure in the village street. Naos was before them. He had reloaded bis gun. Another man came down. A girl, here arriving in wild haste down the street, snatched from him his empty gun and in his hands put a loaded one. Naos shot a hasty glance at the girl. Tt was Mary MacElha'tton back from Antrim. She proceeded to reload the discharged gun. Two shots whistled in the air over their heads. Xaos took very deliberate aim and fired.

A horse reared, turned, collided with its comrade, which suddenly wheeled, dashing its rider to the ground, and fled wildly, followed by its mate. Half a score of Yeos now spurred up the ridge, halted and fired a volley at the man on the village street, now aiming yet again.. Naos' aim wavered not. Then his gun spoke, and a saddle was empty. \'et another time he drew trigger, and a yeoman, dropping his carbine, clasped wildly the neck, of, Iris horse—which reared, wheeled and shot madly away. Eventually the leader put spurs into his horse and dashed bravely forward, down the long brae. Three with a cheer sprang after. Ere they had come thirty yards the leader reeled, bis horse stood still; and his comrades, catching hold of their chief, rode back with biv.l over the ridge, behind which all the yeomen now disappeared. When they reappeared there again a very few minutes later, with large numbers, a shelter had been thrown up on the village street in front of the blacksmith.' He had knelt there, gun on knee, and eye fixed on the ridge-line, in-

different to, or oblivious of, its erection. Three pairs'of hands were behind the barricade busily priming and loading and passing firearms to him. More than a dozen in number, the yeomen halted in n mass 011 the hilltop, shouldered their guns, and swept the street with a volley Part of it struck 1 the barricade; part (lew high above. three of their number were put out of 1 combat ere, after firing, they dashed forward. A fourth came down before ' their horses had taken a dozen bounds. Naos handed to Alary (be, last empty gun and grasped a fresh one. I'mt this '' one dropped from his hand immediately, going off as it struel; the ground. Mary 3 MacHlhatton looked up, just in time to 3 see Naos, liis lips tight shut, his face ' pale and very, very grim, topple over. 0 At the very same instant those whose eyes were, with fearful fascination, fixed on the unrushing terror, beheld the Yens

suddenly pull their animals 011 their haunches. A deafening roar was raised in tlieir rear, at the. top of the street, and then a thundering clat.terinsr of feet. Tlie gallant men of (llenmoriian had come. In a rot in Hie mountains, several days later, Mary MaeUlhatton was sitting li.v the bedside of Naos O'dorninn. whose eve was bright, though Ids check was now colorless. She had a hand up on Naos' head. Hugh JfacAulev was standing by the bedside looking gravely down upon Naos. "The minute I heard you eould be seen," Hugh was saying, "I hurried hero, for mv conscience gave me no rest." Naos. smiling, said softly: - "How is that, Hugh, my friend?" "That," said Hugh with indignation H his voiee, "X fhould have dared even to think you—you—a coward!" Naos smiled up at him. "You arc a man," said Hugh, "a .rare man—a man worthy of Mary MaeElhat ■ ton." Hugh reached a climax. ITo added, "May the good Clod bless and prosper ye both!" Naos extended bis hand to Hugh, and he said: "X am only proud of you, Hugh, for what you did. You spoke for your country's sake." "Yes," said Mary, laying her hand upon the arm of Hugh, who cast down his eyes and blushed. ""Brave Hugh fears ■ nothing in his country's cause.." she said.

"For your country's sake, you, Naos," turning loving eyes upon him, "haw proved yourself a herq." "A hero am I, Mary?" queried Naos, lovingly, and laying a hand upon her cheek. "If lam that, Mary my heart, afcared it was for my town's sake."