“Begorra, how should I know ye were in this part iv the counthry? An’ av I did know why should I be afther follerin’ iv yeez? It’s goin’ crazy ye are, to be sure, an’ Mike Terry won’t have any thing more to do wid the likes iv yeez. Tell ye why I’m here? Av course I will. I’m this fur on me way to that fort—phat ye call it?—where the Moreland family is movin’ to.”
“And why are you going there?”
“I’m goin’ there to live, yer honor.”
“To live! Why don’t you stay where you have so long been living?”
“Fur this raison. Whiniver I walk out I can’t help seein’ the place where Doctor Trafford’s house stood, an’ it makes me fale as if I was his murderer, sure. Nayther can I go outside iv the stockade unliss something l’ades me straight to the grave av Masther Russell. I’m goin’ away now, so I’ll niver be throubled be these sights ag’in. Musha! musha! the payple used to say Mike Terry was a first-class b’y, but he’s a rascal an’ a spalpeen now, an’ yerself it was that made me that, an’ it’s me own cousin ye are, too.”
“Fool! will you cease your whining? Suppose you have done a rascally act by telling a lie in my defense; I have paid you well for it, and am willing to pay you more. You won’t have my money? Well, that is your fault, not mine. The fact that I killed Doctor Trafford, and caused the death of his nephew, need not trouble you, as the only thing you did was to swear that Russell was the murderer. Now that I have confided in you so far as to tell you that I am striving to get Isabel Moreland in my power, you say something to the effect that you will go over to the encampment of the whites, and disclose my whole secret.”
“Divil a bit did I say that, Jamie. I only s’id the poor craythers ought to be warned iv their danger, an’ I’ll say it ag’in av I want to. It ain’t me as’ll warn ’em, though, fur I have no boat, at all, an’ divil a sthroke can I swim. L’ave ’em alone. They’re not doin’ any harrum to anybody.”
“Bah! you talk nonsense, Mike. I shall not leave them alone, so long as my suit is rejected by the fair daughter of Mr. Moreland. Look you, boy! it is just possible that those red-skins will be defeated to-night, and if they should be, I will of course, go back home. In that case, I will live in constant fear that you will betray me. To make sure that you will not do this, I want you now to take a solemn oath that you will never breathe a word of my secret to mortal ears!”
“Oh, don’t ax me to do that?”