It is not often that I feel frightened, for I am pretty well able to
take care of myself, but I once had a little adventure in the train,
coming from Galway to Dublin, that gave me one or two cold shivers. It
was at a time when Ireland was much disturbed by agrarian outrages,
and I knew that amongst some of the lower classes there was a feeling
of hatred against myself on account of my occupation. Of this I had
an example when going down _to_ Galway, and as it led up to, and
somewhat prepared me for the other incident, I may as well mention it.
My journey to Galway was undertaken for the purpose of hanging four
men who were condemned to death for moonlighting. It was an exciting
journey altogether, for four men who were in the same compartment as
myself from Dublin to Mullingar got into an excited discussion upon
some political subject, and just as we left Killucan they began to
fight most violently, using their sticks and fists to such an extent
that all their faces were soon covered with blood. As the train drew
into Mullingar the fury cooled as quickly as it had begun, they all
began to apologise to each other and wipe the blood from one another's
faces. At Mullingar I got out for a drink, to steady my nerves, for the
fight at such close quarters had somewhat upset me, although I took no
part in it. On the platform two villainously rough-looking characters
spoke a few words to the men who had got out of my compartment and
then followed me into the refreshment room, where they seemed anxious
to make my acquaintance, and so forcibly insisted that I should have a
drink with them, that I had to consent for fear of causing a row. They
asked me where I was going, said that they were going to Galway, and
in what seemed to me a peculiarly significant tone, asked me if I knew
whether Mr. Barry, the hangsman, was really in the train or not. They
followed me on to the platform like two shadows, and got into the same
compartment of the train. All this made me feel rather uncomfortable,
for though I was well armed, there is nothing in life that I dread so
much as the possibility of having to kill a man in self-defence and
of being tried, and possibly convicted, for murder. I was, therefore,
very pleased when two plain-clothes men whom I knew belonged to the
Royal Irish Constabulary, got into the other half of the carriage,
which was one of those in which there are two compartments divided by
a low partition. I do not know whether my two rough companions even
noticed that there was anyone in the other half of the carriage, to
which their backs were turned. Their conduct, indeed, seemed to show
that they thought we were alone, but I could see that the R. I. C. men
were regarding them with interest and taking note of every word they
said. All the way from Mullingar to Athenry the two fellows plied me
with questions, and tried by all means in their power to draw me into
discussion, and the expression of opinion. I answered them as briefly
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