Then he went into the deserted village and took up his place in one of
the ruined cottages, from which he could obtain a view of the road from
Dublin.

Half an hour later, he saw Larry coming along it. Although there was no
one else in sight, someone might be going the other way, and Walter
therefore remained in his hiding place till Larry was abreast of him,
when he showed his head in the doorway, and called him by name.

Larry gave a cry of joy and, rushing in, threw his arms round him and
burst into tears.

"It's a terrible fright you have given me!" he exclaimed, when he could
find words. "I have been breaking my heart all night. Sure I thought you
were at the bottom of the river."

"Not this time, Larry, though it was a pretty close thing. Did you see it
all?"

"Sure and I did," Larry said. "I was sitting on a doorstep, watching the
house, when I saw the sodgers coming along. They turned up from a side
street, and were so close that I saw I could not get across and get the
door opened in time to give you the alarm. Then they began to knock at
the door, and for a bit I felt so wake that I could not move. Then the
crowd began to gather, and then I said to myself, The master will try to
shlip out at the back of the house. So I went round, but I found the
thieves of the world waiting for ye there. But I was sure ye weren't the
one to let them take ye widout a struggle for it. So I moved a bit away,
and jist waited.