The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-04-28
M'LELSH OF CAOLCHAIRN.

A pitch-dark night, rain falling in tor.
rents, wind blowing gustiiy from every
point of the compass at once. Two or
three oil lamps fickeled feebly in the
gloom on q struggling crowd of damp
passengers, chaotic mass of luggage,
Gnd--no porters.
Such were earliest impressions on
being turned out of the London down
train at Westwood, the station for Cinq-
haven, whittier / and some half dozen
other officers were bound, to complete
our education by course of musketry
instruction,
Where's Cinqhaven ?" was my first
very natural inquiry. "And how am I
80 get taero 2"
&Ehqhaven was f'Across there acivil
official replied, pointing over an ex-
panse OF plOwed field in the direction of
the south pole The one omnibus had,
st appeared, departed with small Sc
le"ton from the inpatient crowd of be-
lated travellers, but would be back again
directly.
I" How soon?" I asked.
y swell, in about I'm hour or So"
thanked him, committed my belong
tngs to his care, and, with benediction
on my luck and the Colonel who had
sent me there plunged into the night.
Outside the station found an officer
with his party, a sergeant and some pri-
Yates, about to march to Cnqhaven and
gladly joined them.
took for granted some one knew the
way. ! didn't. Such night! Rain
pelting us viciously, wind blowing our
fragmentary attempts at conversation
away into space. Finally, at point
whore five roads met, and the wind and
rain did their wicl1edest, we halted,
Fire and candle-light streamed invit-
ingy out Of the unshuttered window of
= low white house sign creaked over
our heads in the darkness, and, after
brief debate, in we all turned to the coy
kitchen of the Green Lion.
We were not unwilling to accept the
landlady's assurances that the storm
would "blow itself out in half an hour
or less. She invited us into her own
snug parlor, and here, for the first time.
/ got good look at my companion.
He was tall, handsome fellow, with
dark complexion and curiously light,
eager eyes-by name, I discovered,
Capt. Angus MacLeish, of the Thirty
fourth (Royal Cromarty) Highlanders.
(Here / may introduce myself to my
readers: Lieut.. Jones, Royal North
Wales militia.) Capt. MacLeish was
rather stiff and high and mighty at first,
( thought-very much the Highland
chieftain, Caolchairn," or some such
pretty name, was, found, his correct
designation. Still, let him see that
considered Jones, of Prybwllych, the
equal of any man in her Maiesty's SER
vice, and we gradually warmed into So
ciability over the landlady's blazing fire
and such refreshment as the Green Lion
afforded.
The landlady's prediction was verified
in less than the time mentioned. The
storm blew over, the clouds parted, and
clear white moon shone out
Half an hours quick walking brought
as to the top of the hill under which lay
the little town of Cinqhaven. It's red
roofs looked pretty and picturesque in
the moonlight beyond, and to westward
the sea and marshes stretching away
gray and mysterious; below Us a row of
lighted windows showed where the bar
racks stood.
"That's welcome sight" said Mac
Leish.
We're you ever here before?" asked.
"Never, l only heard of the place
last week -ah /" he stopped short.
[ looked round in amazement. H,
was standing upright and rigid, his eyes
fixed on some point in the road before
us, his forefuger extended.
"Why, what's the matter?" asked.
looking down the road-white and lone.
ly--aud seeing only milestone stand
ing out distinctly from the dark hedge.
"There " His eyes dilated with
fixed stare of horror, his breath came
short and quick, and at last, with
sharp cry, he swayed forward and fell
insensible on the path. l thought he
tried to say something, but failed to I'M
derstand him. The soldiers had halted,
and two came rushing up, vociferating
wildly IN some unknown tongue. They
knelt beside him and raised him. all
stark and white in the moonshine. I
gave a few directions, to which they
vouchsafed not the smallest attention:
but somehow they contrived to support
him between them. aud we proceeded
to the barracks, no great distance fortu-
nately.
L questioned the sergeant, who had
looked on meanwhile with undisturbed
composure. He declined to commit
himself to any opinion whatever. The
priyates we're "Caolchairn's own peo-
pie, puir ignorant Hieland bodies, who
could hardly speak English. Could he
understand Gaelic? Weel, word, or
maybe twa, What had Capt MacLeish
said as he fell? 1t sounded like "into
my grave, but he couldna be positeev.
And here Sergt Tulloch's communion
tlons came to an abrupt stop, and I
could only extract in addition that the
Highlanders knew best what to do with
their chief, and that she's be a. right
the morn"
So he was. He appeared on parade
right enough. l found that he and /
were in the same section also, that of
all the sixty officers that composed the
"course," he was the only one with
whom | had the slightest acquaintance.
He was in the same position, | fancy,
so we fratelnized to a certain extent
walked over 70 poatstown tnoathar-the
popular amusement of the period, and
worked at the red-book in company. He
was an odd young fellow, as starchly re-
pellent as Spanish Don one moment,
and the next boyishly expansive and
communicative. I think he was really
desperately shy-the result of home
breeding. he gave me description OF
his Highland home one day, with its
mountain and moor, loch and forest.
where the MacLeishs lived in feudal
state, naught appertaining to the dig
nifty of real Highland chieftain being
lacking, from the pipers to the deadly
feud. The MacLeishs, Of Caolchairn,
and the MacLeishs, Of Tuchoran, had
killed, burned, betrayed, massacred aud