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

blood beginning to circulate freely once
more.
II Gamma tell that ye can," he said
abruptly.
What may be in that pot?" / asked
nodding towards black pot that hung
from chain over the peats.
"Het water" he replied impassively.
Then we were silent again.
He watched me swing off my wallet
and place it against the wall; but
did not seem ready with any sugges-
tion.
"Hot water T' said, taking up his
answer after pause. "The very thing
wanted. l shall make some porridge.
Can you give me little oatmeal?'
"If yell give me anither tune-a
loyal one mirofer, an no too loud-ye'll
maype get pickle oatmeal"
So | pieced my flute together and
played to the old savage satirical song
on Johnnie Cope's disastrous march, at
that time still popular in Edinburgh.
His face was radiant as / played, and l
noticed as the music affected him that
he had only three teeth left in his upper
jaw.
"Noo, ye can make your porridge,"
he said, rising when ] had finished to
give meal from the chest.
"I hef other matters to think o." he
said with a sigh, as he arose and went
ben," leaving me alone to cook my
supper.
/ cooked, ate and enjoyed my porridge
tb hao ~; hast 70 n e4o
ing man, conscious hatoutside the wind
was bowling hurricane, and that my
hosts collie was watching my move
ments with no friendly eye from under
his masters chair. Once when / made
to occupy the armchair, as the most
comfortable quarter of the room, he flew
at me, but only snarled and showed his
teeth: yet with sufficient emphasis to
warn me that there was a well-defned
limit to the liberties l might take. The
growl brought my hosts head to the
door of the den, and he, too, I imagined,
looked black at me. But with large
steaming-basin on my knee and horn
spoon I had found in a drawer, never
theless enjoyed my supper. My host
came once or twice to the kitchen and
moved to and fro uneasily, and when I
attempted to talk to him, snarled at me
in way that showed he would much
have preferred being without my COM
pany. l became uneasy under his gaze.
As sat silent in the dark hovel, listen
ing to the wind outside, and watched my
host pacing to and fro, or saw him throw
himself uneasily in the armchair and
bury his face in his hand, occasionally
glaring at me, I began to discuss with
myself whether it was wise to remain in
such madman's company for the night.
Then my imaginings shaped themselves
into the fancy that ne was gazing not
only fercely at me, but longingly at my
wallet, in which I well knew there was
little enough to tempt any man. When
again he left me, thought, as had
futed to please him, would flute to
please myself for while, and so pro-
ceeded to play:
"oh, Alastir Macalastir, your chanter sets us a.
Sac to your pipes and bIaw wiz birr;
Wen dance the Highland fling"
When mis- door burst open, and he
CALCULATED: "Stop that noise there"
in tone that set me trembling for what
consequences might follow.
Obeying the peremptory summons to
silence, I gradually dozed off into an un-
comfortable sleep. Once or twice l
woke to find the old man in his chair
looking, I imagined, haggard and dis
tressed, gazing intently at me through
the darkness. My dread of him became
fainter as the night advanced and my
eyes grew more heavy. Yet 1 wondered
why he did not go to bed instead of
moving aimlessly to and fro. Then I
fell fast asleep.
IL must have been about daybreak
that / was suddenly awakened by an ex-
clamation issuing from the next room. l
started to my feet, hardly remembering
where l was, and imagining that must
have dreamt. Then the door of the
room opened suddenly, and the old man
tottered rather than walked to the
kitchen. He sat down in his chair, evil
IDENTIFY unsconcious of my presence, put
his face in his hands, and burst into
a food of tears, moaning to himself:
-" OIL She iss dead-she iss deadp
"Who is dead ?" asked, touching his
arm.
"Poor Maggie-ahl poor, poor Mag
gle. And Tonald-what will poor Tonald
do now?"
" Is there any one in the house be-
sides you and me? Tell me- ] may be
able to help you. Who is ill? Who is
dead%'
He was very haggard, very absent
minded and helpless. Then he reused
himself. eff yc could go for doctor
now, if ye could only go for doctorl
But that is ten miles in the snow over
the moor an the hill"
I" l am DOCTOR" I said, anticipating
my honors in the hope of being of use to
him.
"Then in there-in-goinl' he cried,
rising hurriedly. "Why did ye not say
so before?" Then suddenly stopping in
front of me he said, glaring in my eyes: !:
" But swear, are ye true? Swear yell
be true. think ye're true. But if not
-welI,' he drew an ugly-looking dirk
from a drawer; eff ye're a traitor
against my son, yell rue the night ye
darkened Mackintosh's threshold"
I pushed past him into the inner
room, where I found woman lying in
bed, pale as death, but conscious. A
powerful young fellow, an enlarged copy
of the old man hadle left in the kitchen,
was sitting by her bedside holding her
hand. Tears were raining down his
cheeks as he sat. He half rose, scowling
as l entered; but the cloud passed from
his face as l said: "Don't rise; I am
doctor come to help you"
And help them 1 did. For in an
hours time, amidst storm of wind and
snow, as the gray dawn began to peep in
at the window 1 carried in blanket to
the old man, seated by the kitchen fire,
a newborn Highlander, his grandson,
and brought him news also that all was
going well with Maggie. Never shall /
forget the grip the old man gave my
hand! And his son Tonald too came into
the kitchen relieved.
"-To think" said the old man, who
looked on me as if had plucked his
child from the grave-"To think, Tonald
1 wass going to shoot the shentleman
cass he wanted to come in and help us
last night whateferl But l thocht he
II II