“Barry, it’s you after all?” she cried.
And the light on her face glowed brighter with the blush that covered it and the tears that sparkled in her eyes.
At the sound of her voice his honour looked round sharply, and after staring blankly for a moment, recognised me too.
“How came you here?” he exclaimed, as I thought, with as much disappointment as pleasure in his voice.
“I’ll tell you that by-and-by, when I’ve tied up these two scoundrels.—Come, stand up you two, and hands up, if you don’t want a taste of cold lead in your heads.”
They obeyed in a half-stupid way. One of them I recognised at once as the man who had acted as secretary at last night’s meeting. No doubt he and his fellow had had their misgivings as to Paddy Corkill’s ability, and had come here to second him in case of failure.
“So, Mr Larry Flanagan,” said I, “there’ll be grand news for the meeting to-night!”
“Who are you? I don’t know you. Who’s told you my name?”
“Never mind. The same as told me that Paddy Corkill borrowed your gun for this vile deed. Come, back to back now.”
I had already got the tether cord from the boot of the gig, and in a few minutes had the two fastened up back to back as neatly as a sailor can tie knots.