THE BAN DHU

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1935, Page 11

THE BAN DHU

(By

Desmond Lough)

CHAPTER 26. .7 As "in a play, the characters in our story are drawing together for the last scene. Old Cauth MacMorrough felt restless after Kathleen had left her. She was more confident of her own wisdom than Uiai of the Fairy Child, and she dreaded lest Kathleen should negotiate for a mote ■ generous sharing of any possible treasure, than she, would have done. For all her pride, she felt that she, and not a stranger, should benefit, if luck came thrir way. Who can blame her? And "so she set out for Knockarra Hoiise, walking hurriedly, lest matters should be clinched- before her arrival. the maid jould only tell her that Mr. O’Hara had not been there all the afternoon, and that- Miss Prestwich and Kathleen had taken some candles and gone off together. The old woman easily guessed their destination. They must nbl be allowed to explore without her, even though she greatly dreaded such an adventure after her former meeting with the Ban Dhu.

■ “Give me a candle and some matches, and God bless ye,” she said. “I know Where they’re gone, ahd ’tis myself that can help them better than another.” “Sure I Will, an’ welcome, Mrs. MacMorrough,” replied the girl, who would haVe denied nothing to the Wise Woman. ■ “I thdnk ye for that, if ye’re ever in trouble come to me, and I’ll do my best to help ye.” She hastened to the rock. Then she came upon Donal Burke before she was aware of it, as he sat waiting for a chance to meet Johanna. Enmity leaped from her eyes as he turned at the sound of her footsteps. They were alone together for the first time for many a year, and Cauth knew that every moment the searchers were going further into the cave; only she did hot know that it was Lionel they sought and not her treasure.

Neither was versed in the “cut” that Society could use on such an occasion, and, face to face, they could not but speak. Long years had. mellowed Donal Burke. Then, too, he had been thinking of Johahna, ■ and his love for her had softened his mood, even in the presence of his Old love—and enemy.

“’Tis many a day since we met, CaUth MacMorrough.” “And if I had my Way it would be many a day longer before we did meet, Donal Burke.”

“I see you’re the hard woman after all these years. Well, I’ll not be troubling you to talk to rite.” He turned his back on her, for he would not give her the satisfaction of driving him away. Cauth MacMorrough Was furnihg. , She wanted, above all things, to follow the explorers, but she could not do so without betraying hef plans to Donal—Donal of all people! Making a pretence of plucking leaves from the she edged tdWards the hidden cleft jn the rock. Donal watched her keenly. He knew, that she had not come there by chance, and he sensed hex* wish to be alone, therefore he determined not to gratify her. As she rounded a bush and dbdged out of sight, he rose and followed her. On reaching the rock she faced round quickly. “I see. you, Donal Burke, spyin’ on me, .like the hound ye are.” “I haVe as much right -here as you.”

He strode up to hef, “I’ve known you many. a year, Cauth MacMorrough, and ’twas to my sorrow I did.” “Your ‘ sbrfriw indeed!” she sneered, “An’ what abdut me? ’Tis glad I am that ye had sorrow, an’ that your Wife is dead an’ gone frofri you. An’ there’s them- that think, arid always thought, that you knew more about her death that; ever .you told!” “Yotf sata" that "lie on me before, but I sWSar befbfe Gdd I never knew liow she died.”

At that moment a terrible cry came from the cavern. A hollow-hooting cry, Then shouts followed, dull and rumbling from the blurring" riehpes. "of "the tunnel;

What had happened in the cave after Lionel’s escape aefoss the lake? He waited ih silerice for a long' time, but the Bari Dhu did riot return. It might have gone back unheard, or it might be lurking in the darkness waiting to spring on hirri if he came Within reach. He dared not risk exploring. Suddenly he heard voicfels from the direction of the entrance, then & flicker of candles appeared. He could not see who the newcomers were, but they brought What he needed most—light. They came ori slowly, for the candles gave but little help. They Were nearer now, just across, the lake abfeast of him. He remembered too late that they, too, were in danger. ' He Was about to shout a warning when a scream tore through the silence. He saw the Ban Dhu spring like a panther from its crouching position where it had evidently been watching for its pfey. It was by Sean before he . could wield his chopper. A dark arm. afose and fell swiftly— Lionel knew too well what that meant—there was a thin. cry, then - the Ban Dhu rushed, yelling in triumph, to the entrance. Donal. Burke and Cauth MacMorrough forgot their quarrel. Wliat had hapi pfiried? What was going to happen? ••Then came -the sound of rushing feet; and = a tall figure burst into the bpan, shrouded in black-with a draggled White robe beneath. “The Bari Dhu! The Ban Dhu!” shrieked Cauth stepping back. The apparition, with a maniacal laugh, WaVed a knife above its head, and the tip of it was red! “I’ve revenge on them! I’ve revenge on them for stealing my boy! I waited long for it. I kriew that they’d come at last if I waited long enough, they thought they’d get their gold back, did they?" Ha, ha!”. Tearing the hood from her head and shoulders, she stood revealed before therfi, a" gaunt,, black-eyed old woman, tall as Donal himself, her grey hair floating over her like a cloUd, het hawklike face distorted by a terrible grin of triumph. “My God in Heaven! Sheila!” cried Donal, clasping his hands. “Your dead wife!” Cauth MacMor- ■ rough’s voice Was almost as wild as that of the fearsome Ban Dhu herself. Not foot after her came Lionel and Johanna. - Sheila Burke, her arms akiiribb, still holding the bloodstained knife, laughed again. Lionel approached her cautiously. “Stand- • back, you,” cried the mad woman, “or I'll kill you too. Not that I had thy revenge. I've killed the fairy that stole niy child.” • A. terrible fear gripped the heart of ■Mrs. MacMorrough. Then came the sound of slow, heavy footsteps. Sean Burke came from the cave carrying Kathleen, arid they saw whose Was the blodd that stained the knife iri Sheila Burka’s hand!" • The triad Woman was neglected by all but Donal Burke. They crowded round the still form that Sean laid so tenderly on the grass. "Sheila, Sheila, don’t you know me?” said the old man, holding out his arms. There was no sign of recognition in the ffierce -black eyes that turned to him for an : instant. Only one thing possessed- her thoughts. . “I’ve killed the fairy. I’ve had revenge on them for taking my child, I tell, you-—the fairies Will rue the day, now, that they took my child,” she yelled, then darting to the opening, she

was past them, swallowed up in the cavern once more, before they realised what she was doing. Donal Burke stumbled into the passage after her. Old Cauth heeded nothing but the little form on the grass. Sean, with a face as white as Kathleen’s own, knelt beside her too, a few drops of her blood stained his shoulder. Mrs. MacMorrough looked up, her eyes wide with fear and hope. “Sean, run, run as if the Devil was after you, to my house. Go upstairs to my room, the inner room, break in the door, 'tis locked. Take a flask from the cupboard, a flat flask at the left of it, there’s like green water in it. You’ll find it soon, God’ll guide ye. Bring it here quickly, an’ run, run! We may save her yet.” Johanna was crying, her head on Lionel’s shoulder, his arm round her. She had ran to him with a smile that showed she knew all; he understood, and forgave all. Sean was out of sight in a moment. Not for nothing was he the champion runner of Knockarra. “I’ll save her. I'll save her,” he hissed through his closed teeth. “I’ll save her. I’ll save her,” muttered the old woman. “Thanks be to God, I got them leaves on the Rock the other night, an’ the flask empty an’ all. Oh, mavourneen, u.on’t go from me. Don t leave your old gran an’ she’ll never say or think a bad thing of the Burkes again.” She rubbed Kathleen’s hands tenderly and waited—there "was nothing else to do. In an' incredibly short time Sean came dashing up the slope at greyhound pace. Gasping, lie handed the flask to Mrs. MacMorrough. None but she knew what virtue was in that rare cordial,, but it won the battle!

With the first flutter of returning life, Johanna was her capable sblf again. A blanket was brought from the house, and Kathleen was earned there by the two young men, gentle as they were strong. Only when Kathleen had been put to bed, and was able to .smile faintly on the friends that crowded round her, did they think of Donal Burke and the Ban DhU.

“I must go after him,” said Sean. “’Twasn’t much I knew of him, for ’twas the strange, wild man he always was since that divil of a Wife of his went mad' and left him, and we thinkin’ that it Was dead on the mountain she Was. He Was my uhcle for all that. I may find my chopper that I dropped when I carried Kathleen, out.” Mrs. MacMorrough raised her head and held out her hand.

“Sean Burke, I thank ye for all ye did for tis this evenin’.” He smiled in reply, and then—shy fellow though he was—he went over to Kathleen arid kissed her. ”l‘ll be back as soon as I may, Miss Jbnna»”

Sheila Burke had a good lead of him when Donal started to follow her. She knew her way, he Stumbled and blun l dered in. the utter darkness. More than once he sat down to rest for his limbs seemed to have , grown old. She was beside the fire; now dying for the last time, when he reached the end of the second tunnel. He stopped. Amazement held him as he watched her. She was shouting defiance at the creatures of her poor, mad brain even yet, and her voice thundered like a trumpet in the echoing cavern. The burden of it was as before. .“I’ve killed the fairy, that took niy child, but for the long, years ye have made me suffer I'll make them pay more!” She seized the gleaming bones. The skeleton rattled arid/ fell apart- One by one, she flung them into the black .tide. Then plunging her -hand into the recess behind the fire, she drew Out a handful of'something yellow and shining. “Ye’ll not get the gold I’ve kept from ye for so lorig! 1 ' she shrieked in savage glee. “Into nlinnihg Water it goes, ah’ ye can’t cross running Water for all your power—ha! ha! .1. know that! I’ll beat ye yet!” She hurled the handful into the water, then another—then another. Satisfied at last, the maniac stood up to her full great height, a terrible figure of vehgeance, silhouetted against the dull red glow. “That’s the end of it, the erid' of it,” she cried. "I can rest now!” With a last triumphant shriek, she plunged into the- swift current and was swallowed up in its depths. Too late, Donal Burke started forward; Was he to lose her again after all the years he had mounted for her? “Sheila!” he cried, “Sheila, come back to me!” Sean came running and stumbling to the mouth of the tunnel. He seized the old mail’s arm and strove to hold him back; With fierce strength Donal shook himself free; “Let me be, I tell ye, Whoever you are; I mtist save her, Sheila, Sheila! I’m coming to save ye, mavourneen!” He, ’ tdo, plunged into the lake. The low hiss of the current told Sean that it would be useless to try to follow. “God rest him,” he whispered, ing himself. Perhaps no Christian prayer had ever before been heard in that dark cave Once tlie news of the death of Donal and Sheila Burke became known, many flocked to the Witch’s Rock, but the whispering groups of villagers hung back. Old Cauth MacMorrough, Sean Burke, Lionel and the PiestWiclis ventured within. Fortunately for the old woman there were none to tell her of the disappearance of the treasure; Sheila had missed some of it, not very much, but With it old Cauth was satisfied. She was sitting in her cdttage one evening, a day or two later, When Sean came to the door. She looked up at him with a kindly eye. After all, but for him the Fairy Child would be no longer with her. Donal was dead, "arid with him the old feud. Besides, had she not in her agony promised to let bygones be bygones? And so, when she saw the love-light in the eyes of the young people, hers grew moist, arid she smiled. Lionel and-Johanna, grown wiser after their experience, saw the cloud that had overshadowed them, drift away like a mountain mist. With something to forgive on both sides, they did not refer to it again. Mr. and Mrs. O'Hara spend much of their time at Kriockarra House, where Sean is installed in the place of the invalided Muriioe. He guards well tne rabbits whose relations h once trapped. ■ Johanna and the Fairy Child are the fastest of friends, and - their children play together on the lawn. THE END.