also promised to do all in his power to promote the capture of the castles held by his brother Murrough, the tanist of Thomond. O'Brien's Bridge was once more demolished, Connor led the army through the tanist's district, and everything was destroyed as far as Clare Castle. Here Grey and Desmond had a quarrel about the custody of O'Mulryan's hostages, and there was very near being a pitched battle; but Sir Thomas Butler of Cahir, Ormonde's son-in-law, managed to patch up a truce. Grey was, in fact, quite at O'Brien's mercy, but the family politics saved him. The chief had lately married a second wife, Lady Alice Fitzgerald of Desmond, and Tirlogh, the child of the marriage, was pledged to Grey; but Murrough the tanist and Donough, the chief's eldest son, were both afraid that the issue of the second marriage would be preferred before them. O'Connor, in whom Grey now placed implicit confidence, 'and all sage men of his band, both English and Irish,' begged him not to venture among the O'Briens, and Edmund Sexton, a noted royalist of Limerick, even conjured him on his allegiance not to cast away the citizens' company, on whom all depended. Grey refused to take advice, and escaped all dangers, chiefly through Donough O'Brien's influence. Donough's loyalty might not have been enough by itself, but he dreaded the aggrandisement of Murrough more than possible dangers from a half-brother who was still in his infancy. Guided by a single gallowglass, who bore a silver axe adorned with silken tassels, the army marched safely into Clanricarde. Ulick de Burgh blamed Grey for his rashness, but he pointed to the guide and said, 'Lo! seest thou not yonder standing before me O'Brien's axe for my protection?' A modern traveller among Arabs must often be content with some such outward sign of invisible allies, but his trust in O'Brien's axe was made an article in Grey's impeachment.[208] [Sidenote: And into Connaught, 1538.]