The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-12-05

the hilt. Yes, there was cottage; not
much more than q hoyel; but from the
hole in the thatch there issued peat.
smoke; and high up in the wall, in the
aperture that served for window, ]
could see Pickering light as of fire on
the hearth. My heart sprang out to-
wards it joyfully. I believe | shouted
in my mirth.
knocked loudly at the door, feeling
sure that on such a night as this nc
apology was needed for summary de-
mand for admission. There was NO
reply. ! knocked again more urgently
than before, bringing my heavy oak
stick to play on the panel. Still no
answer. Could they have gone to bed
so early? Then l remembered that
shepherds and others who rise with the
dawn retire at sunset; SO my staff once
again woke the echoes.
A low growl rose from the interior,
and then / heard a stern querulous
voice say: Whisht, Jock, We dell,
| whishtl'
waited with what patience 1 could
door. Then / tried the latch; but the
door was fastened from the inside. ]
shouted; but the wind seemed to carry
| my voice round the corner Of the house
and away idly down the glen; the only
answer was another half-suppressed
growl from the seam under the door al
my feet. Rendered savage as well as
desperate, l stopped to the seam and
cried: "Won't you let me in? I'm
perishing from cold. For mercy's sake
open the doorl''
Then the querulous voice of an old
man replied in snarl that had not
much mere softness in it than the sound
of the dog evidently by his side: /" No;
Pll no open the toor; the house iss my
own mirofer, an yell no come in. Sc
make off wi ye.'
"But 1 mast get in. Pm starving
I'm"
My teeth chartered so that I could
hardly speak farther.
eye must get inl" whined the
same voice. 1t wass a Draw joke too
whatefer that he must get in! No;
yell no get in one inch farther. We
like to know oor company here pefore
we let any man in. Go on to Knock
finn. If you're an honest man, they'll
may be take ye in there"
"Open the the door, whoever you
are," 1 cried, losing patience in my
misery and stamping my feet outside.
I" l tell you / must get in
"Stand there one minute longer an
Pll pit the togue on ye."
What did I care for his dog. l
gripped my stick tightly, and thunder
ing against the door, in desperation,
shouted: ~ shall get in! Open your
door, or l shall break it openP'
Then in the dimness above me, at the
window in the wall, l saw the head of
an old man, whose glaring eyes deep
under heavy eyebrows, and mouth firm
set, showed me that might expect little
hospitality at his hands. In his hand
he held gun, the barrel pointing~to-
wards me.
" For the love of mercy, don't fire on
mel'' / cried, seeing from his expression
that he was in terrible earnest.
i " will fire." he said, in the same
savage tone; " aoiH fire if We are there
after l count ten.''
And tho wretch began slowly to count
the figure he had mentioned. Seeing
that it was hopeless to expect anything
at the hands of this misanthrope,
stepped back reluctantly, and faced the
snow and wind on the moor, which had
now risen to terrific storm, hiding
alike star and cloud, and leaving the
earth one vast expanse of dreary black
and white. had now not the faintest
idea of my way, and looked about to
see, as turned the gable of the bothy,
whether there was any clubhouse, or
even pig-sty or peat-stack, where l
might shelter. But all about the house
was bare and inhospitable; so /, having
nothing better before me, faced the hill
and began to trudge upward as best 1
could.
1 had walked a few hundred yards,
when sudden idea occurred to me. |
turned back to the bothy where l had
received such rebuff, and quietly seat
ing myself under the window, and
pulled my flute, the companion of my
journey, from my pocket. Having
pieced it together, and rubbed and
breathed upon my benumbed fingers to
promote circulation. / began to play in
my very best manner the stirring mel
ody, at that time in the mouth of every
loyal Highlander, "Wha'll be King but
Charlie I" and waited TREMENDOUSLY for
the effect. ! had played through the
first verse, and was beginning to think
as began the second that the notes
were carried away on the wind, when 1
heard the querulous and detested voice
of the old man say from the inside
Eh, far does that come frae?'
Then another voice-a man's-re-
piled: "Eh it is rale ponnyl 1t is the
kings own tune mirofer-a rale loyal
tune if it wass only on the pipes"
Then the door slowly opened, and
the old man spoke, apparently ad-
dressing the dog: " Pack, Jock, ye dell,
packr'
can who may ye beT he asked, shew-
ing his head and row of yellow broken
teeth, at the door.
"Pm a stranger lost on the moor, and
sadly in want of shelter" 1 said in my
most persuasive tones.
WAS ye the lad that made you fine
music? ?"
l held up my flute.
Wass ye the lad that wass at the door
Just nooT'
1 had to admit the fact, and hall
ashamed, expected to see the door slam
in my face.
"What for then did ye max sic &
noise if ye cam wi an honest purpose
Are ye true? Yell no pc in the English
service-one O General Blakeney's crew
when ye can pc playing loyal tunes or
your pipe like that?'
l assured him was not in King
Georges service, and that my flute hae
many loyal Jacobite tunes in it tina
would gladden. his old heart, if he woulc
only let me creep near his fire.
Very reluctantly and suspiciously HI
allowed me to pass in, holding the nap'
of his collie's neck tightly as l passed
The brute's temper seemed OF the same
metal as his masters.
The kitchen was very dark. Their
was only one chair, an old-fashioneC
high backed armchair. in which the olc
man sat when he had closed and barret
| the door carefu1Iv On the onnosite sid