Loading...
The Seaforth News, 1939-04-20, Page 6PAGE SIX THE SEAFORTH NEWS THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1939 By this time he was unshelled, and stood before the fire musing with a face of drunken wisdom on the events of the evening. What seemed chiefly to 'him, was the character of Allan M'Aulay. "To come over the Eng- lishman so 'cleverly With his High- land torch -bearers eight bare - 'breeched Rories for six silver candle- sticks! it was a master -piece — a tour -de -passe -4t was perfect legerde- main—and tboe a madman after 011— doubt greatly, my lord" (shaking his head), that I must allow him, notwithstanding his relationship to your lordship, the privileges of a ra- tional person. and either batoon him sufficiently to expiate the violence offered to my person, or else bring it to a matter of mortal arbitrament, as becometh an insulted cavalier." "If you care to hear a ,Jong story," said Lord Menteith, "at this time of night, I can tell you 'how the circum- stances of Allan's birth account so well for his singular character, as to put such satisfaction entirely out of the question." "A long story, my lord," said Cap- tain Dalgetty, "is, next to a good ev- ening draught and a warm nightcap, the best shoeing -horn for drawing on a sound sleep. And since your lord- ship is .pleased to take the trouble to tell it, I shall rest your patient and obliged auditor," 'Anderson," said Lord Menteith, "and you. Sibbald, are dying to hear, I suppose, of this strange man too; and I believe I must indulge your curiosity, that you may know how to behave to him in time of need. You had better step to the fire then." Having thus assembled an audi- ence about him, Lord Menteith sat down upon the edge of the four -post bed, while Captain Dalgetty, wiping the relics of the posset from his beard and mustaches, and repeating the first verse of the German psalm, Alle Buten geister !ober den Herrn, etc., rolled himself into one of the places of repose, and thrusting his shock pate from between the blank- ets, listened to Lord Menteith's rela- tion in a most luxurious state, be- tween sleeping and waking. "The father," said Lord Men- teith, "of the two brothers, Angus and Allan M'Aelay, was a gentleman of consideration and family, being the chief of a Highland clan, of good ac- count, though not numerous; his lady, the mother of these young men, was a gentlewoman of good family, if I may he permitted to say so of one nearly connected .with my own. Her brother, an honorable and spirited young man, obtained from James the Sixth a grant 'of forestry, and other privileges, over a royal chase, adjac- ent to this castle; ante in exercising and defending these rights, he was so unfortunate to involve himself in a quarrel with some of our Highland freebooters, or caterans, of whom, I think, Captain Dalgetty, you must have 'heard." "And that I have," said the Cap- tain, exerting himself to answer the appeal. "Before T left the Mareschal College of Aberdeen, Dugald Garr was :playing the devil in the Garioch, and the F'arquharsons on Deeside, and the Clan Chattan on the Gordon's lands, and the Grants and Camerons in Morayland. And since tha't, I have seen the Cravats and Pandours in Pannonia and Transylvania, and the Cossacks from tine Polish frontier, and robbers, banditti, and ;barbarians of all countries' besides, so that I have a distinct idea of your broken H,igh- landnten," "The clan," said Lord Menteith, °with whore the maternal uncle of ;the M'Aulays had been placed in feud, was a small sept of banditti, called; from their houseiess state, and their incessantly wandering annong the mountains and glens, 'the Children of the Mist. They are a fierce and Maddy people, with the irritability, and Wild and vengeful passions, proper to men who have never ;known the re- straint of civilized society. A party of them day in wait for the ,unfortunate \Varden of the Forest, ,surprised 'him while hunting alone and unattended and slew hint with every .circum- stance of .inventive cruelty. They cut ;off his head, and resolved, in a brav- ado, to exhibit it at the scasile of his brother-in-law. The laird was absent, and 'the lady reluctantly received as guests, sten against whom, perhaps, she was afraid to shut her gates, 'Re- freshments were placed before the Children of the Mist, who took an opportunity to take the head of their victim from the plaid in which it was wrapt, placed it on the table, put a 'p'iece of ;brea'd 'between the lifeless jaws, bidding thein do their office non-, since many a ,good steal they had eaten at that table. The lady, who had been absent for some household purpose, entered at this moment, and, upon beholding her brother's head, died like an arrow out of the house into the woods, uttering shreik upon shriek. The ruffians, satisfied with this savage triumph, withdrew. The terrified menials, after overcoming the alarm to which they had been subjected, sought their unfortunate mistress in every direction, 'but she was nowhere to be found, The miser- able husband returned next day, and, with the assistance of his people, undertook a more anxious and 'distant search, but to equally little purpose. It was believed universally, that, .in the ecstasy of her terror, she must either have thrown herself over one of the numerous precipices which overhang the river, or into a deep lake about a mile front the castle. Her loss was the more lam'en'ted, as she was six months advanced in her pregnancy; Angus es Aulay, 'her eld- est son, having been born about eighteen months before.—But I tire you, Captain Dalgetty, and you seem inclined to sleep." "By no means," answered the sold- ier; "I ant no whit somnolent; I al- ways hear best with my eyes slnit. It is a fashion I learned when 1 stood sentinel." "And`I dare say," said Lord Men- teith, aside to Anderson, "the weight of the halberd of the sergeantof -the round often made hint open them." . Being apparently, however, in the humor of story -telling, the young nobleman went on, addressing him- self chiefly to his servants, without minding the slumbering veteran. "Every baron in the country," said he, '"now swore revenge for this dreadful crime. They took arms with the relations and brother-in-law of the murdered person, and the Child- ren of the Mist were hunted down, I 'believe, with as little mercy as they had themselves manifested. Seventeen heads, the bloody trophies of their vengeance, were distributed among the allies, and ,fed the crows upon the gates of their castles. The survivors sought out more distant w•.ilderneeaes, to which they retreated." "To your right !nand, counter- march, and retreat to your former ground," said Captain Dalgetty; the military phrase having ;produced the corresponding word of command; and then starting up, professed he had been profoundly attentive .to every word that 'had been ,spoken. "It is the custom in sumnnter," said Lord Monteith, without attending to his apology, "to send ,the 'cows to the upland pastures to have the benefit of the grass; and the maids of the vill- age, and of the family, go there to milk theist in the morning and even- ing. While thus employed, the fee males of this family, to their great terror, perceived that their motions were watched al' a distance by a pale. thin, meagre figure, 'bearing a strong resemblance to their deceased mis- tress, and passing, of course, for her apparition:When smite of the ;boldest resolved to approach this faded form, it fled from them into the woods with e wild shreik, The 'husband, informed of this circumstance, 'tante up to tile' glen with some attendants, and took his measures so well as to intercept the retreat of the •unhap,py fugitive, and to. secure the person of his un- fortunate lady,' though her intellect proved to be totally d'eranged. How`` she supported herself during ther wandering in the woods, could not be known—some supposed she lived upon roots and wild !berries, with which the woods . at drat season abounded; but the 'greater part of the vulgar were satisfied that she must have,subsisted upon the milk ,of 'lite wild does, ar 'been nourished 'by the fairies, ar sup,ported in some manner equally, marvellous, Her re-ap'pear- ance was more easily accounted for. She 'had seen from the thicket, the nrflkfn.g of the cows, to superin'ten'd which had been her sfavorite 'domestic ,employment, and the habit had ipre-'. vail'ed even in her 'deranged state of mind. "In due season the unfortunate ,lady was delivered of a 'bo'y, who not only showed no 'appearance of 'having suffered from his mother's calamities, but appeared to he an infant of stn .common health 'and s'trengt'h, The unhappy mother, after her confine- ment, recovered her reason—at •least in a great measure, abut never her health and spirits. Arlan was her only joy. Her attention to him was un- remitting; an'd unquestionably she must' have impressed upon his emery mind many ,of those su'pers'titious ideas to which his moody and enthus- iastic temper gave so ready a recep- ticee, She died when he was about 'ten' years old. 'Her last words were spoken to -him in 'private; but there is little doubt that they 'conveyed an injunc- tion of vengeance upon the Children of the .Mist, with which he has since amply complied. "From this moment the habits of Allan ll Aa lay were totally 'changed. He had hitherto been his mother's constant compan'i'on, listening to her dreams, and 'repeating his own, and feeding his imagination, which, prob- ably front the circumstances p.reeed- ing his birth, was constitutionally de- ranged, with all the will and terrible superstitions so common to the mountaineers, to which his unfortun- ate mother had 'become notch ad'dict- ed since her brother's death. By diving in this manner, the boy lead gotten a tintiil, wild, startled Took, loved to seek out solitary places in the won -Is, and teas never so much terrified as by the approach of children of the same age. I remember, although some years younger, being brought up here iby my .father upon a visit, nor can I forget the astonishment with which I saw this infant hermit shun every attempt I made to engage him iii the sports natural to our age. I can re- member his father bewailing 'his dis- position to urine, and alleging, at the same time, tha't it was impossible for hint to take from his wife 'the comp- any of the boy, as he seemed to be the only consolation that remained to her in this world, and as the amuse- ment which Allan's society afforded her seemed to prevent the recurrence, at ,least in its full force, of that fear- ful malady by which she had been visited. But, after the death of ,his smother, the habits and manners of the boy seemed at once to change. It is true he remained as thoughtful and serious as 'before; and long fits of sil- ence and abstraction showed plainly that his disposition, in this respect, was in no degree altered. But at other times, he sought out the rendezvous of the youth of the clan, which he had hitherto seemed anxious to avoid. He took share in all their exercises; and, from his very extraordinary per- sonal strength, ,soon excelled his 'bro- ther and other youths, whose age considerably exceeded his own. They who had hitherto held hint in con- tempt, now feared, if they did nbt love hint; and, instead of Allan's be- ing esteemed a dreaming, womanish, and feeble-minded boy, those who en- countered hint in sports or military exercise, now complained that, when heated 'by the strife, he was too apt to turn .game into earnest, and to for- get that he was only engaged in a friendly trial of ,strength.—But I speak to regardless ears," said Lord hfenteith, interrupting 'himself, for the Captain's nose now gave the most indisputable signs that he was fast locked in the arms of oblivion, "If you mean the ears of that snorting, swine, my lord," self! And- erson, "they are, indeed, shut to any- thing that you can say, nevertheless, this place being unfit for more priv- ate conference, I hope yott will have the goodness to 'proceed, far Srbhald's benefit and for mine. The history of this poor young fellow has a deep anad wild interest in it," "You must know, then," proceeded Lord Menteith, "that Allan continued to increase in strength and activity till his fifteenth year, about . which time he-assunsed a total independence of character, and impatience of con- trol, which much alarmed his surviv- .fng parent. T -Ie was absent in the woods for whole days and nights, wi- der pretence o.f shunting, though he did not a'l'ways bring home game. His father was the more alarmed becausel several ,of 'the C'hild'ren of the Mist,. encouraged 'by the increasing trou'bles of the state, had ventured bank to their old 'haun'ts, nor 'did he think it altogether safe to rette'w any attack upon then. The risk of Allan,in his wanderings, sustaininginjury from t'hes'e vindictive freebooters, was a perpetual source of apprehension. "I was myself upon a visit to the castle .when' this matter. was 'brough't to a 'crisis: iAllan had been absent since daybreak in the woods, .where f- had sought 'for hint in vain; it was a `clack starry night, and he did not return.' His Blather. 'expressed the ut- most ;anxie'ty, and spoke of detaching a ,pa'r'ty at the dawn ,of the morning in quest 'of hint; ,w'h'en, as we were sitting at tem supper -table, the door. suddenly ,opened, end A'l'lan 'entered the room with a proud, firm, and confident air. His ietractab'ility :of temper, as well as the uns'e'ttled state of this mind, had such an influence •over his ,father, that he suppressed ail other tokens of 'disp'leasu'r'e, excepting the Observation that I had 'killed a fat hock, and lead returned before :sunset, While he supposed 'Al'lan, who had 'b'een on the hill 'ti'll midnight, had re- turned with empty 'h'ands. 'Are you sure of that?' said 'Allan fiercely;' 'here is something will tell you alt other tale.' ' "We now observed itis 1tan'cfs were bloody, and that there were spots of blood on his :face, and 'waited 'the is- tiue with impatience; when sud'd,eniy, undoing the corner of his plaid, 'he rolled down on the table a human head 'bloody .and new ,severed, saying at the same tine, 'Lie thou where the head of a better man lay 'before ye.' From the haggard fea'fures, and mat- ted red hair and 'beard; partly grizzled with age, his ;father and ethers pres- ent 'recognized the head of Hector of the Mist, a well-known leader .among the outlaws, redou'bted for strength and ferocity, who had been active in the murder of the unfortunate Forest- er, uncle to Allan, and had escaped by a desperate defence and extraord- isary agility, when so many of his com'panion's were destroyed. We were all, it may be believed', struck with surprise, but Allan refused to gratify our curiosity; and we only conjectur- ed that he must have overcome 'the outlaw after a 'desperate struggle, 'be- cause we discovered that he .had sus- tained' several wounds front• the con- test. All mea's'ures were now taken to ensure him against the vengeance of freebooters; but neither wounds, nor the 'positive command of his father, nor even the locking of the .gates of the castle and the doors of 'his apart- ment were precautions adequate to prevent Allan from seeking out the very .person's to .whom he was pecul- iarly. obnoxious. He made ,his escape at night from the window of the apartment, and 'laughing at his fath- er's vain care, produced on one oc- casion the head 'of one, and upon an- other those of two, of the Children of the Mist. 'At length these men, fierce as they were, became appalled by the inveterate animosity and audacity with which Aflan sought out their recesses. As he never hesitated to encounter any odds, they concluded that he 'must bear a charmed life, or fight under the guardianship of some supernatural influence. Neither gun, 'dirk, nor doulach '(quiver o arrows), they said, availed aught against hint. They ,imputed this to the remarkable circumstances under Which he was born; and at length five or six no.f the stoutest caterans of the . Highland; would have fled at Aliens halloo, or the 'blast of .his horn. "In the meanwhile, 'however, the Children of the Mist carried on their old trade, and did the 'M'Aulays, as well as their kinsmen and allies, as touch mischief as they could. This provoked another expedition against the tribe, in which I had my share;. we surprised then effectually, by be- setting at once the upper and under passes of the country, and made such clean work as is usual on these oc- casions, burning and slaying right be- fore us. In this terrible species of war, even the females and the heep- less do not always 'escape. One little maiden . alone, who smiled upon Al- lan's drawn dirk, escaped his verge• ance u,pcm .try earnest entreaty. She was 'brought to the castle, and here bred up under the name-' of Annot Lyle, the most beautiful little fairy certainly—`that ever danced ,upon a heath by moonlight. It was long ere Allan could endure the presence of the child, until it occurred to his jnt- agination, from her features .perhaps, that she slid not 'belong to the ,hated bloodof his enemies, but had 'be- come their captive in some of their incursions: a circumstance not in it- self impossible, bu't in which he 'be- lieves as firmly as in 'holy writ. He is p'arti'cularly 'delighte'cl by her skill in music, which is' ,so exquisite that she far exceeds the hest ,pereormters in this country in playing on the .clairs- bath, or harp. It was discovered that this produced upon the disturbed spirits o f Allan, in his gloomiest moods, 'b'eneficial effects, similar to those experienced - 'by the Jewish monarch of old; and so ,engaging is the temper of Arnot Lyle, so fascin ating the innocence and gayety of ter disposition, that she is considered and treated in the castle 'rather ,as 'the,sis- ter of -the proprietor, than as a depen- dant upon his charity. Indeed, it is impossible for any 'one to see her without ibeing 'deeply interested by the ingenuity, '1'i,veliness, "en'd sweet- ness. of ;her ,disposition." "Take scare, my Lord," said Ander- son, smiling; 'there is 'danger ,in s'tt'clr violent commendations. A1.'lan M'Au4-ti ay, as your lordship ,d'eeeri'bes. hini,.' Would 'pro've no 'very .safe ",Poo'ltl paohl" said ,Lora Men-' Leith; laughing, yet 'blushing at - the same 'tinge "Allan is not accessible, to the passion of 'l'ove; and :far my- self," said he more 'gravely, '5A,nno't's unknown 'birth is a sufficient reason against serious designs, ,an'd her one ;protected state precludes every other." "I•t is spoken tike yourself, my lord," said IAnd'ersonr.—'But I trust you will 'pro'ceed with your in'terest- in'g story," "It 'is well-nigh 'finish'e'd," said Lord 'Menteitlt; "I have ,only to add, that from the .great strength an'd courage of Allan M'Aulay, from his energetic and 'uncontrollable 'disposition, and 'fro'm an opinion 'generally entertained and encouraged 'by. himself, 'tha't he hold communion with supernatural beings, end can .predict future events, the clan pay 'a nrn'clt greater degree of deference to him Than seven to his brother, who is a bold -hearted rattl- ing 'Highlander, but with nothing which can possibly rival the extra- ordinary character of his younger 'brother." "Such a Character," said Anderson, "cannot 'hut have the deepest effect 041 'tire minds of a Highland .host. We must secure Allan, my Nord, at all events. 'What 'b'etween his bravery and 'his .se'cond' •sight"— "H'ushl" said Lord Menteith, "that owl is awaking." 'Do you talk of the second sight, or deuteros'copia?" said the soldier; "1 remember memorable '.Major Mun- ro telling me how 'Murdoch Mack- 'enzie, !born in Assiut, a private gen- tleman in a company, and a pretty soldier, foretold the death of Donald Tough, a Lo'haber man, and certain other persons, as well as the hurt of the Major himself at a sudden on:fall at the seige of Trailsund." "I have often heard 'of this faculty," observed Anderson, "but have always thought those pretending to it were either enthusiasts or impostors." "I should be loath," said Lord Men- teith, "to apply either character to my kinsman Allan 'M'Aulay, He has shown ;on many occasions too much acuteness and sense, of which you this night lead an instance, for the character of an enthusiast; and his high sense of honor, and manliness of disposition, free him ,from the ,charge of imposture." "Your lordship, then," said Ander- son, "is a 'believer in his supernatural attributes?" "By no means," said the young nobleman; "I think that he .persuades that the 'predictions, which are, in reality, the result of judgment and reflection, are supernatural impres- sions on his mind, just as fanatics conceive the workings of their own imagination to be divine inspiration— at least, if this will not serve you, Anderson, 1 have no better explana- tion to give; and it is time we were all asleep after the toilsome journey of the day." CHAPTER VI Coming events cast their shadows before. Campbell. At an early hour in the morning the guests of the castle sprang from their repose; and, after a moment's private conversation with his attend- ants, Lord Menteith addressed the soldier,, who Was seated in a corner burnishing his ,corselet with rot - stone and chamois leather, awhile he bummed the old song in .honor of the victorious Gustavus Adolphus,— "When cannons are roaring, and 'bullet's are 'flying; The lad that would have honor," PROFESSIONAL CARDS Medical SEAFORTH CLINIC Dr: E. A. McMaster, M.B„ Gradu- ate of University of Toronto. , J. D. Coiquhoun, M.D., C.M., 'Grad- uate of 'Dalhousie University, Halifax.. The Clinic is fully equipped with complete and modern x-ray and other u¢ -'to -date diagnostic an'd thereuptic: equipment. Dr. Margaret K. Campbell, M.D., L.A.B.P., Specialist in Diseases int Infants and Children, will be at the. Clinic last Thursday. in •every month, from 3 to '6 p.m. Dr. F. J. R. Forster, Specialist in. Diseases of the Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat, will be at the Clinic the first Tuesday in every month from 4 to. 6 .p.m. Free well -baby clinic will ;be 'held: on the second and last Thursday in• every month from 1 to fl p.m. W. C. SPROAT, M.D., F.A.C.S. Surgery Phone 90-W. Offiae'John St., Seafort'lr' DR. H. HUGH. ROSS, Physician and Surgeon Late of London 'Hos- pital, London, England. Special at- tention to diseases .of the eye,ear,. nose and throat. Office and residence behind D'om'inion •Bam'k. Office Phone No. 5; Residence Phone 1(111. DR. F. J. BURROWS, Office Main St., Seaforth, over Dominion Bank. Hours 2e5 and 7 to 8 p.m. and by ap- pointment. Residence, Goderich St.,. two doors west of United Church. Phone 416. DR. F. J. R. FORSTER— Eye Ear, Nose and Throat. Graduate in. Medicine, University of Toronto 11597., Late Assistant New York Ophthal- mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's. Eye, and 'Golden Square throat hospi- tals, London, At Commercial 'Hotel„ Seaforth, third Wednesday in cacti., month from 1.30 p.m. to .5 p.m. Auctioneer. GRARGE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron. Arrangements can be made for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auctioe eer for Perth and Huron Counties. Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stock, chattels and real estate property, R. R. No, 4, Mitchell. Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office. WATSON & REID REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Successors to James Watson) MAIN ST., SEAFORTH, ONT. All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at lowest rates in First -Class Companies. THE McKILL(JE Mutual fire insurance C HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont.. 'OFFICERS President, Thomas Moylan, Sea - forth; Vice President, William Knox, Londesboro; Secretary ' Treasurer, M A. Reid, Seaforth. AGENTS boys, must never fear dying," F. McKercher, R,R.il, Dublin;, John "Captain Dalgetty," said Lord E. Pepper, R.R.1, Brucefiekl; E. R. G. Menteith, "the 'time is come that we J'arinouth, Brodhagen; James Watt, must part, or become comrades in Blyth; C. F. Hewitt, Kincardine, Wm. Yeo, Holntesville. e "Not 'before breakfast, I -hope?" said Captain Dalgetty. "I should have thought," replied his lordship, "that your garrison was vic- tualed for three clays at .least." "I have still some stowage left for beef and 'bannocks,' said the Captain; "an'd 'I never miss a favorable oppar tunny of renewing my supplies." "But," said Lord M'eeteith, "no j'u- clicdous commander allows either flags.o.f 'truce or neutrals to .remain in his camp longer than is :prudent; and therefore we must know your Trend exactly, according to which you shall either have a safe-conciuct to 'clop art in•peace, or be welcome to remain with us." "Truly," said the Captain, "that be- ing 'the ease, '1: will not 'attempt .to protract the capitulation by a coun- terfeit .pae1535 '(a thing excellently. practised by Sir James Ramsay at the s'eige of Hannatt, in the year of God 1111316), but I will .frankly own, that if DI•R'ECTORS Alex. Broadfo'ot, Seaforth No. 3; James S'holdice, Walton; Wm. Knox, Londesboro; George Leonhardt,. Bornholm No. 1; Frank McGregor,. Clinton No. 5; James Connolly, God- erich; Alex • Mc) wing, Blyth No. 1; Thomas Moylan, Seaforth No. 5; Wm, R. Archibald, Seaforth No. 4. Parties desirous to effect insurance - or transact other business, will he Promptly attended to by applications . to any of the above named officers addressed to their respective post- affices, 1 like your pay as well as y'otnr •prov- ant and your contipany, I care not how soon T take the oath to yam colors." (To be continued)