“It’s fear, then, that stops their mouths,” stated George. “They are afraid of the king’s men!”

[87]He had calculated well; the Celtic ire of the smith began to rise; his big fists doubled up; his freckled face began to flame.

[87]

“Afraid, is it!” cried he. “Afraid! If you knew them you wouldn’t say that. When you live in a lonely place, my lad, and have desperate enemies with revenge in their hearts again’ you, you must take care. And when wife and childer are depending upon the man for the bite and the sup, he thinks twice before he puts himself in danger.”

“But how is one to know that there is real danger?” said George. “It may be that it has no existence save in the mind of the person who dreads it.”

This exasperated the blacksmith. He had been holding himself in check with great effort, but now he burst out:

“Bad luck to ye, is it imagining it all that you think I’ve been doing? Is it imagination, me son, when a man sees them with his two eyes——” Here he caught sight of the apprentice, standing with his head thrust forward and his mouth agape. “And have you nothing at all to do, Peter?” he demanded,[88] sharply. “Away with you to Van Tile’s and fetch the horse that he wants shod. Stir yourself, now, or it’ll be dark again’ you get back.”

[88]

Vastly disappointed, the apprentice took off his leather apron and departed on his errand. Then the smith gave his attention to George once more.

“He’s a good, hard-working lad,” said he, “but he’s not over bright in some things, and lets his tongue run too free when he shouldn’t.”

He poked his fire and threw on more fuel; then seating himself upon the anvil, he went on:

“People do imagine a good many things,” nodding wisely. “I’ve listened to them myself many a time. But is it imagination when a man comes in the night, calls you to the door, and you wide awake, pokes a lantern in your face with one hand and a pistol with the other and bids you hold your peace?”

[89]“Did that happen to you?”

[89]

“To no one else. And why? Because I knew more than it was thought fitting I should know. Because I had seen things. Because I had heard things. Because if 

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