Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-06-21

tom Of the cleft, he had fallen on q
ledge. Here Moss had followed, but il
was the fourth day before he could gel
the faithful dog to leave him, and beal
home tidings that might save him."
Such was the account Mel gave, and
such was the story that met Duncan as
he came home from Callander, whittier
he had gone early in the day.
Time passed on, and the shooting sea-
son brought many visitor to Tam's
] cottage, for NIel's story was the romance
| of the year. He was still unable to
walk, but his health was all right, and
/ the doctors said he might get strong
/ again in time. Mel never complained,
! nor could he, with such a nurse as Hell
/ en- duttering round him, prOpping him
! up with fragrant pillows stuffed with
/ fresh-gathered heather and brackeu,
! gathered, too by the little hands that
/ were so strong and ready with their Ia
/ Dor of love. It was only when pain
| kept him restless at night that the
! thought Of being a cripple for life crush
I ed him, and brought out all the train
| ing given by a good mother, and the
stanch religious feeling inherent in al
most every Scottish heart, the spirit that
gave the world what Alexander Peden
called ''the praying folk" " who carried
their religion triumphantlY through
those terrible days when a bloody scat
fold was thought good shelter.
It was nearly a month since the day
Mel had been carried home from the
Crag. Night had just come, still warm,
and almost like twilight. Tam was
smoking his pipe preparatory to his
early bedtime, the women folks were
knitting, and Mel, lying upon a couch
the laird IS sister had sent him, was read
ing ''ROb Roy" aloud, much to Tam's
perplexity, who interrupted many times
with denunciatiOns against the text.
Suddenly the open doorway darkened,
and Duncan stood in the entry
''Welcome, lad" cried Tam. ''Ye're
jist in time to hear the havers they bulk
Read that again, Mel, that whar he
SAYS"
But Duncan interrupted him.
81 didna cross the door to hear lees
read. came to speak aboOt lee, to tell
ye''-and his voice grew louder and
ye liked weel is a leer. We're a. frien's
here" he said, in different voice, look |
ing round.
7Ay, ay, man. Sit DOOM" said Tam.
taking his pipe out of his mouth, and |
turning to have a better view of Dun
can. "Why, what ails We man ?"
''Miclle ails me, Tam M'GregOr, and |
I cam on q grOusOme errand. I hae /
come to taxi ava ye're faith in man ev- /
ermair, and to shame hypOcrite wiz |
the fair truth"
Helen laid down her knitting and /
drew nearer Mel Tam glanced at him /
too. NiePs face was crimson, and his /
eyes all diIated and eager, stared up at !
the great wild-lOoking man, glOwering /
down upon him, who went on speaking. /
'Niel says he slippet doom the Crag. /
He didna slip. An enemy"
"StOp him, Helen 20 shouted Mel,
trying to get up, but falling, he pushed
the girl towards Duncan. ''StOp him,
for Gods sake The lads mad He
doesn't know what he's saving. DON'T |
listen to him, Tam. He's a fine fellow,
and you all hear me say it. Duncan, |
man, shake hands with me, and do go
quietly away, and let well alone"
DunCan's answer was to drop down
Il pom his knees by Niel's side, and COW
erining his face with his hands, sob
aloud
''Na, ma, Mel, Gamma let alaue, I
maun tell them. Let me bide, lad ; it's
the fittest place. And when 1 hae your
forgiveness, I'll gang on my knees to
5he Almighty but Gamma ask Him
till hae confessed my sim"
''WeIl, let me tell it, Duncan" said
Mel, gently laying his hand upon the
zneeling mans shoulder.
''No 20 cried the other, sternly "Iu
no get the Warst. Tam and Helen, / /
am a murderer, or as bad, for I had the
lhOcht in my heart to take his life {
Mel cut me OOt wiz you Nelly. Mad
VII jealousy, I said we'd gang to the
ReiYer's Crag, and fight, and the best
nan shall win Ye Mel wad hardly
gang till I telt him I'd ca him through Il.
he countryside for a coward, and then Il.
he went. But whan got to the top o. y
he Crag, the del got possession o me; p
and catchin' him unaware / hurled him
lwer, thinking deed men tell nae tales.
never thOcht o. the cOlley. Whan {
leerd tell he was found, was like to !
rang mad. Every fut [ thOcht was a
)Ollis but Whan the days passed, and =,
Mel never tauld, it was war than a. ,
Che hot burnin' Goals war heaped on :
ny heed, burnin' and smotherin' i the
)rain, till this cleaning the tbOcht cam | I
o max a clean breest and then gang 1
WA whar I'd never see a lC5nned face q
i'll the day o. Judgment. Oh Mel man f
re ken what loving her is but even t
'Ou Gamma tell what my heart was, and C
low neither bluid nor damnatiOn were d
My worth if I could only ha' won her VI
ere. He Gamma forgive me, Nelly lass -
or hae made him cripple but just !;
ay, Duncan, I'll ask the Lord to for !
i've ye,' and I'll gang awa' content"
Tam was the last to hold out the hand
f forgiveness but he, too, did so at
asst, and then Duncan went away.
Upon the top of the bank he turned
nd, cap in hand, stood looking at the
Ottage. 'Puir lad he's prayin', may t
e" thought Mrs. A1'GregOr, who had a
OllOWed her old TaVOrlte to the door. 1,
Two years afterwards, and a few
yeeks after Mel and Helen was mar {
led, a letter came to the fOrmer,-a let V
er written by a comraGe Of Duncan's 4.
nd then they knew for the first time =
nat he had enlisted, and, going to In .
ia with one of the gallant regiments p
forwards nicknamed "Sir Collins Il
the poor bOrken-hearted \
I'd had found the death he coveted be- "
)re the walls of Lucknow, and was ly- a
lg mOrtally wounded in the hospital, b
here he dictated his first and last let 9
r to Mel, bidding him goOd-by, and -
,lling him to let the BalQuhidder folk
now the true story of the Reiver's Q
rag. i