“How was that?” asked Ben.
“As I just said, I felt a bit down in the mouth, and so started a few bars of ‘Tatter Jack Walsh’ by way of a lilt. Never a bit of attention I was paying to anything, but looked straight between my horse’s ears as they stuck up before me, when lo! and behold you, I hears a voice almost at my ear, and suddenly sees a horseman riding on each side of me.”
“What then?” said Ben, with interest.
“My hand makes a move for the pistol in my holster, but before I could reach it one of the men says:
“‘Keep hands off that. No harm’s meant you.’ Then turning to the other he says: ‘I told you that a screech-owl like this would not be he.’
“Then says the other:
“‘No harm’s done in making sure. This is the road he’d take, and he’s somewhere ahead.’
“‘Hush!’ says the other, and he made as though to clap his hand over the mouth of the one that spoke. ‘Hush. Not another word!’”
“Ah,” said Ben Cooper, and his eyes also went back over his shoulder. “And what did you do then?”
“I put spurs to my horse,” replied Paddy, “and made away from their companionship as hard as I could. And I promised myself as I came along that I’d warn the person they were after if I came up with him.”