"That's well enough," said Finn savagely; "but what's done is done, and in your name too, whether you like it or not. You should have let us know in time if your stomach wasn't strong enough for the work." "My name! The girl carried away in my name, and her father murdered. How dare you, you dirty whelp, you!" And he struck Finn across the cheek with his hand. Instantly the scene became one of wild uproar. The blow was all the men had wanted to give vent to the bitter resentment which Tim's contemptuous reproaches had called up. As long as the quarrel was one of words, they were sullen but cowed. Now it was come to blows, events befell rapidly. Ere I could push my way into the room, sword in hand-- in truth, more rapidly than I can narrate it--Tim, my brave, impulsive brother, had sent one of the rascals to his last account, and had stepped to the wall, with his back there, holding the others at sword's point. Martin--that malign spirit, fated to thwart and injure me at all points--more cunning than his comrades, had stepped back behind the other two while Tim was engaged with them, poised a long knife above his head, and at the moment when Tim was lunging at the nearest of his assailants, I saw the brute, as in a nightmare, strike with all his might. The cowardly blow struck Tim full on the forehead, and brought him down with a crash on the floor. I had sprung at Martin's raised arm, but, alas! had just missed him by a flash of time. "Take _that_ for many an old score!" I shouted, as I brought him down on the instant with a cut which laid him bleeding and prostrate at my feet. Then stepping across Tim's senseless body, I let out at the other two. My sudden appearance--for I seemed to have dropped from the clouds-- amazed and paralysed them. They were too terror-stricken to show much fight; and it was as well for them, for I was in a killing mood, and could have sent them to their last reckoning with a relish had they invited me. As it was, with white faces they backed to the door, and presently howled for mercy. "It's Barry himsilf!" exclaimed Finn. "Be aisy now Barry darlint, and don't harm a defenceless man." And he dropped his weapon on the floor. The other man laid down his knife and tried to edge through the door; but I stopped him. "Now you are here," said I, "you shall stay here till I please. Help me to lift Tim; and the first of you that stirs for anything else is a dead man."