The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-27
Attic foot or Bon NovIs.

The hotel at Banavie has veranda
facing old Ben Nevis. It is true that
the yeranda is very small one. but as
most hotels In Britain havo none at ali.
small veranda, like small mercies'
should be thankfully received. On this
small veranda is one small slat seat-a
garden seat [ think they call them
with room for two persons. sat down
there alone intending to.watch tho
clouds racing past the upp"r half of Ben
Nevis, expecting, if luck was with me,
to see the top through sonlv rift. The
mountain rose somewhat abruptly from
the long, level plain, stretching for Sc
veral miles to the front and its sides
wero dark and rugged looking, with
mere and there q gray seam that was
perhaps a foaming stream coming down
the mountain. Up towards tho TOP it
was hard to tell which was the snow
and which the white clouds, although
the latter went racing by and the former
was still enough. My attention was
called from this sublime scene by what
It. L. Il. James would style two solitary
horsemen, who slowly approached, and
whose jaded animals came clamp. clamp
over the canal bridge just ahead. Che
fact that one rode some distance behind
the other would have indicated to James
that the furthermost was beneath the
other in rank, but to me it only indi-
Gated different stages Of drunkenness.
AS they came along that graveled road
up to tho porch Of the hotel, L saw that
the forward man wanted to 20 on and
the other to stop.
"Hoot, Tonald," SAID the first, "yell
hae mare than eneuch already. Whut
tir wun ye pc takin' more CARGO than
there's room pelow ia pit it. Cot, YER
etfer."
| The other to show that he was per-
fectly capable of managing his mare
gave savage tugs on the bride now on
this side and now on that. CRYING.
| "Huts, Wumman, what ails ye,0 Til
the bewildered brute ldinn'L- know i'm
which direction it was wanted to turn.
at each tug it seemed q miracle that
the horseman did not instantly become
pedestrian. However, in spite of
Wobbling about, he kept his position.
and shouted at the hotel.
The porter who had met us at the
boat came out and said, Ieferentially:
| what Is your wish, sirln
Bring me q CLASH O. whushky."
yes, sir. viii you step into the
house, sir?n
| "Wuu All step into the hoose? No.
ANU no step into the ehoose. Bring me
a CLASH o. whushky."
The other horseman, seeinr that II
was impossible to moderate his friend
made a remark about it being the one
going and coming, and so ordered a
glass for himself, with an air of rrsig.
nation. He drank off his glass without
any trouble, but the other had hard
work keeping himself on the back Of the
patient mare that stood with head hang
ing almost at the road. The porter
stood with the glass in his hand wait
ing for the rider t" acquire q sufficient
amount Of stability to enable him to toss
OH the liquor. Grasping tile man with
his left hand he reached out the other
lor the glass, murmuring all the while
Hald own Ia that whusky; hand own
Ia That Whushky; hand own ta that
"husKy," ana 50 on " dozen times, re-
peatlng the same phrase, while beth
porter and rider held on to the glass.
suddenly the Lorseman shouted at the
top OF his hoarse voice: "Gie mo that
whushky." And getting 1t to his lips
without spilling drop, quickly upset
ting the mountain dew to the place 1t
Was due tor, handed back the glass and
then hung on with both hands into the
gray maue until his equilibrium sort Of
| settled Itself after the unusual exortion.
AS he rested thus he loudly smacked
his lips, and seemed to relish the draught
exceedingly. Tnen with a spiteful tuu
ut the reIns he urged his mare down
the road, looking as he disappeard like
shaky pole balanced upright on the
palm or a conjurer's hand.
sat on the bench until darkness sat,
In, but could not get a glimpse at tho
top OF Ben Nevis. The procession of
clouds that kept hurrying by complete.
ly batlled all curiosity.
| Next morning, however, all WAS clear.
ana the Old mountain showed q white
head to the rising sun. The top il flat.
and after all the mountain looked better
with the clouds hiding its bald head
for the imagination Is sure to picture
Ben News higher than it is.
| AT 3 IN tho morning the steamer on
the Caledonlan Canal starts for Inver-
ness, and before that hour .'busses with
passengers from Fort William can be
seen coming up the long, straight road
that appears to come from the foot OF
Ben Nevis TO tho canal.
The Caledonian Canal, which cost q
million pounds, stretches In almost q
straight line from BanaYie to Inyer.
ness. 1t Is slxty-two miles long, and OF
This distance thirty eight miles are lakes.
The trip ~ one that rivals the Rhine in
beauty. 1t excels the Rhine in the
height OF the Ben Nevis group Of noun.
tains, i'll the width of tile lakes, in the
narrowness Of the waterway in some
places, in the clearness and depth of the
oclls, and in It's waterfalls. There are
not 30 many ruins as the Rhine has tc
snow. but those that are there are full
OF historical interest and are as pictur.
} esque AZ can be found In any country.
Passengers who go over this delightful
route, sail In what Is practically roya
yacht, for the Queen and her party en-
Joyed the scenery from the deck Of the
oOildolier years ago, and believe he,
Majesty chronicled her admiration O.
the trip " tho book on tue Highlands