As the Bodagh and his son took the usual legal steps to forward the prosecution, it was but natural that they should calculate upon the evidence of Dandy Duffy, Ned M'Cormick, and Alick Nulty. John O'Brien accordingly informed them, on the very night of the outrage, that his father and himself would consider them as strong evidence against Bartle Flanagan, and call upon them as such. This information placed these young men in a position of incredible difficulty and danger. They knew not exactly at that moment how to proceed consistently with the duty which they owed to society at large, and that which was expected from them by the dark combination to which they were united. M'Cormick, however, begged of John O'Brien not to mention their names until the day after the next, and told him if he could understand their reason for this request, he would not hesitate to comply with it.
O'Brien, who suspected the true cause of their reluctance, did not on this occasion press them further, but consented to their wishes, and promised, not to mention their names, even as indirectly connected with the outrage, until the time they had specified had elapsed.
In the course of the following day Nogher M'Cormick presented himself to the Bodagh and his son, neither of whom felt much difficulty in divining the cause of his visit.
“Well,” said Nogher, after the first usual civilities had passed, “glory be to God, gintlemen, this is desperate fine weather for the season—barrin' the wet”
John smiled, but the plain matter-of-fact Bodagh replied,
“Why, how the devil can you call this good weather, neighbor, when it's raining for the last week, night and day?”
“I do call it good weather for all that,” returned Nogher, “for you ought to know that every weather's good that God sends.”
“Well,” said the Bodagh, taken aback a little by the Nogher's piety, “there's truth in that, too, neighbor.”
“I am right,” said Nogher, “an' it's nothin' else than a sinful world to say that this is bad weather, or that's bad weather—bekase the Scriptur says, 'wo be to thee——'”
“But, pray,” interrupted John, “what's your business with my father and me?”