Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-04-30
l3opuIac Eales.
CALu MDaU.
A HIGHLAND TALx

"iSoisn s. aud in relating Il the auihev hs,
sohsteo 70 tue narrative, and as far "a n,
could to the simpb7, but aervou. phr..eoIo.,v
OF the Old plaidrd shepherd who told !, -
h'm 90 the side Of healthy hill near Invs
reuEhiass, On The banks Of Loeb L,moc5-
H.S.
Csium DIN was the braves, warrior thu, ca
lowed the banOers ct the Chief Of Colo,,har
with which clan the powerful and wsrlke NJ,
GreSors were ar inVeierste feud. Calum lived
ins sequesteTed CLEO in the y,cipiu Of Ben
beonssd. His cottage stood az the base oe q
steep ternv bIH; raured from the res, Of The
clan, he lived atone. Tais solitary being wss
the dsadllest foe Of the M'Gregors, whrs The
tlans wete ~ the red lnyieidinc battle of their
mountsln chiefs His weapon wss bow in
'he use ct which he was 80 sktuI. aat he
could oi4ag down the so,sllest birrl when on
the wing NO msn bu' hms. t. had ever brut
! his bow sad his arrows were driven With such
tssls'iess force, then festherJ wings were a.
Ways dreDchad with his fneman's hes, blood
In The use of the sword, also, be had few p
qua's; but The bow was The weapon o, his heart
The son of the chief Of the M'sresots. Win
two OF his elansmen having gone 20 hunt, and
their game being vide they wondered far, and
tound themselves little after mid dav. on the
top OF the hull a, the feot of which stood C.lun
Dhn's cottage Come, said the young chief
let as so down and try to band Calum Dhu's
bow. Even you and | have got the name ar
being the best bOwmen OF our clan; it IL said
no man but Cslum himself can band his bow.
DAT il will 20 hard with as If we cannot show
han that the M'Gregors are men OF thews and
sinews equal 20 the bending of his Ion. bow.
with which he has often sent his arrows thru
ana through our best warriors; ass it they had
been men OF straw set up TO practice on
Come, he viii not kaow us-and | owe him
something added he, touching the hilt OF his
dirk, since the last conf ct, where he sent an
arrow thro' my uncles gallant b0some. Come
follow me down" he continued, his eve CLEAN.
ing With determined vengeance, and his voice
qaivering with suppressed PASSION. The vii
OF b gbland eh ettsin was law y, the time Of
Which We speak. 'We will 20 down, II a score
OF as best clan,men were With him said e.
van. aye, bnt be CAUTIOUS we shall bend
his bow, then break IT, replied the young
M'Gregoy; and tben-iben for NV uncis's
blood, lie Is good At the sword So the third
VI 6regor; but this (showiUg his Dirk will
stretch aim on The swafd.' strike him not
behind said the young chief: 'hew him down
~ front; he deserves honorable wounds, for he
is brave tho' an enemy.
They had been concealed by a rising knoll
from beng seen from The cottage which they
now reached, Knocking loudly at the door;
after some delay they were answered by The
appearance ct little, tuck set, gray eyed Old
ish looking man, wiih long arms and black
boshy beard hung with gray threads & hruns,
as & he had been employed IN weaving tbe
coarse linen of the country aud the time. But
as he had none of the muscular symptoms of
prodiglous strength which alum Dhu was re
ported to possess, and which bad often proved
So tstal to their clan, they could not suppose
this To be their redoubed foemau; and to the
querulous question OF what they wanted, utter.
ed ia the impatient tone of one who has been
interrupted ms some necessary worthy employ.
men', they replied by lnqniring it Ca'um Dbu
was AZ h1me. 'Na, he's game to the fishing;
bat am ye he ony message frae our chief,
tHeaven guarded himD about the coming Of the
red G'6ragors and viii trust me with il. Ca
Ian will get it irae me. Ye may as we'll tell
me as him, he stays lang when he goes out, tor
he is keen fsner.
'We were only wanting to try the bending
OF his bow said tho disappointed Chief, which
We have heard no man can do save himself
'Hoi 2 in thst Is a, you might have to'l'd il a,
frs, az no keep II me sa lang frse my loom,'
said he old man: bus stop'--and giving bis
shoulders an impatient shrug. which to keen
observer, would have passed for one of salts
faction, triumph, and determination, he went
into the house and quickly returned, bringing
out strong bow and sheafof arrows, and
flung them earelsssly on the ground, saving,
'Ye'il be for trying your strength at fighp
pointing to the arrow; I hae seen Calum send
an arrow over the highest point o that hill,
likes glance o lghtniog; and when The NJ
Gregors were coming ragl9e mp The glen, like
red deevels as they are, mOny o. Their best
warriors fell az the isrtkes, entry o. the pass,
every man O. them vi . hole in his breast and
his fellow at his back
file had taken long srrow ont OF. the shesf,
and stood playing wilh il in his hand While
speaking, seemingly ready 10 give il TO the frs,
man who should bend the bow The M'Cre-
gors were TAD muscular men. in the prime of
youth and manhood. The young chisftook mp
the bow, and after examining It's unloading
strength. 'sying all his might tot, strained tili
the blood rushed to his face. and his temples
thr0bbed almost 10 bursiing-but in vaini the
string remained slack as ever. Evan and The
olhsr M'Gregor we're alike unsuccessful; hey
might as we'll have tried 10 root up the guar
land CATS OF their native mountains.
There Is not man. cried the young chief
OF M'GFsgor greatly chsgfasd at the absence
Of Caium Dhu, and his own c'snsmen's vain at
iempts to bend the how,--'Thsre is rot man
in your clan, can bend that bow, and If Ca!um
Dhu were here, hs could not bsnd ilp--tlsrs
he bit his lip, add suppressed the rest OF the
sentence, fer the third M'Gregor gave him "a
glance OF caution.-'Hap said the cid man,
sill playing with the long arrow 10 bis hand,
and without seeming TO observe the latier part
oftbe M'Gregorts speseh-'if Cslum was here
he would bend II Is easily as ye wsd bend thai
rush; and gin ouy o. the MtGregors were ~