Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-06-07
food Words
THE TWO PIPERS OF DUNTROON.
SroRIrs OF ScorcH DEyorroN.

Lonely on lis rocks, washed by the
sea waves, which on a stormy day dashed
up against the windows of the upper
story. stands the castle Of Duntroon.
The traveller from Oban TO Cgiuan has
a good view Of il as the steamer turn,
the point and crosses into Crinan Bay
and it is view which, if he has any
love for the wild and beautiful-any
sympathy with that strange Highland
past, when men fought and raved al
their lives, never resting till they died
he will not easily turn from and forget
Perhaps he may feel interested to inquire,
OF one OF the sailors, who built it 3: who
chose TO perch his nest out there on the
headland and defy the sea. And the
man answers, probably that it was "Jus'
one Of the Campbells", for from here il
no "far cry 10 Loeb Awe, the heart o
the Campbell country, if the Campbell
country could ever had heart. A
grasping, treacherous set, we are told
they were, those Campbells who sold
their king to his enemies, massacred the
MacDonalds at Glencoe, got possession
unwor,hily of the lordship Of Lorne, anC
quariered the galley with their own gy'
rous.
We may talk abou; them freely now
for their own land knows them no more
through the length and the breadth Of it,
where once no other name was heard,
scarcely one OF them bears rule today
and remembering that, it is pleasant also
to remember some of the noble deeds
they did while they were yet stroGg
How Sir Neil oompanied with the Bruce
and shared his wanderings and priyations
how Archibald of the Sour Countenauce,
the grim old Puritan, ended his life on
the scaffold for the cause of Scottish
Professionalism, and his son followed him
by the same rough road and how in
later days, John OF Argyll and Green.
wieh gave ear to the prayer Of Jeanil
Deans.
For many a century time has beer
working away at those gray old walls o.
Duntroon, and sunshine and shade mel
softly into each other as we look up a
them this morning, resting, after a Ions
row, upon our oars in the bay.
They were rough enough doubles.
two hundred years ago, when Col. Nc.
Donald, the fierce left-landed warrior
came over from Ireland to claim his in
heritance in Kintyre, taken from hi,
father on account of rebellion, and gifteC
to the Campbells by James l. Deter
mined to be revenged, he passed OF
through Argyllshire. sparing nothing be-
longing to the hated name. After burn
ing the Earl of Argylps Castle of Sweer
in Knapdale, Coll sailed down Loeb Cri
nan, intending to do the same at Dun
troon; but being uncertain as TO thC
strength of its garrison, he first despatch
ed his piper across the mountains to Cri
nan with orders to gain admission int
Duntroon Castle and bring him informa
ton regarding it. When the piper ar
rived, he was Hospitality received anC
lodged as a stranger within the cas-
tie: yet, treachery being for some reason
suspected, he was not allowed to leav
again in the morning, but detained as
prisoner in one of the turrets. Thence
after long waiting, he saw his master
ships entering the loch. What chanc
for him now: The poor piperl Tn
suspicious of Duntroon are confirmed be
yond doubt, and his fate is not Difficult
to foresee but he does not think of him
self. The Campbells are on the alert
He must save his master. And over tn
waters of the bay sound out the notes c
warning, composed on the spur of tn
moment, yet not to be mistaken in it
meaning. Tradition has joined to tn