The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-12
THE HAUNTED BRIDGE
Superstition in the Highlands OF
Scotland.

extent, with the Well-yentilated subiec
of superstition in the Highlands of Scot
land. There are few mountain coun
tries throughout the world that are no
rich in lore and legend relating to tn,
supernatural; their very configuratior
suggests that agencies more than ordi
nary have been employed in shaping
out their features. 1t is curious to notice
how very largely the demoniac theory
enters into the calculations of the peas
antry. For one fairy glen or knOwt
there are dozen devils mills, bridges
caldrons or punch-bOwls; ip fact, it i
almost always the beings That are sup
posed to be baleful and inimical to the
human race that have had their person
ality perpetuated in these legends. Thi:
certainly seems q little incongruous
but as this is not treatise on demon.
Ology, we are content to leave it so.
Superstition is Lpart of the being OF
the mOuntaineer. Brave even to rash
ness, he viii face the natural dangers
that beset his life-in the torrent, on the
peak, or in the forest; he fears no odds
when he meets his foes. And vet this
man, who can tread the dizzy lodges on
the face OF a precipice, who can hurl
himself on leveled steel, is more timd
and frightened than child when he
cOnceiveS that forces other than earthly
are being brought TO bear on him. It is
partly to the style and manner of his
life that he owes all this. He is brought
more into the presence of nature than
his neighbor OF the plains; he becomes
imbued with the spirit of his surround
ings; the deep dark gloom of the woods,
the lOnesOmeness of the mountain soli-
tudeS, the voices of the storm and of
the torrent, and of their reproduction in
the echoes, appeal to him; and poet
ical imagination begotten of such an
existence finishes the process. Thus,
the roar of a waterfall in its dark chasm
becomes to him the howlings of some
demon priSoned among the rocks; the
asighing OF the winds through the forest
trees is caused by the passage of spirits;
the mistS that furl around the noun
tain peaks and are waited so silently
across crest and cOrrie are disembodied
ghosts. and the sounds that break the
stiffness of the night are the shrieks
and yells of fiendS and their victims.
This brings me to my story. | fancy
that most of my readers are acquainted
more or less with the scenery of the
Highlands; but in the case of bv far the
larger number of them | venture to say
that such acquaintance extends only to
fl,n Il Il
autumn dress. If so, they onSy half
know them. Brave is the tourist who
ventures amid the bens and glens when
rude King Boreas lords it over them;
when winters wind roars adown the
gorges of the hill, staggering the stall
wart pines, mingling the withered
leaves and the snOw-fiakeS in the desc
late woods. When icicleS hang from
the hoary rocks, and the deep drift
chOkeS up the ravineS, mantles the
slopes of the corries and bends in cor
nices over the threatening cliffs: when
the river roars through the plain
brown and Swollen-and its parent tor
rents are leaping and raving among the
powders; when the mountain hare and
the ptarmigan are white as the snow
that harbors them, and the deer. driven
from the hills by stress of weather,
roam in herds through the low-lying
woods; and the mountain fox leaves his
cairn and prowls around the farm and
the sheepfold-then, if you would enter
into the spirit of loneliness and solitude,
take your way to the Highlands. Do
not imagine, however, that such is their
condition during the whole of winter;
on the contrary, | have painted
a particularly black picture, and it was
in very much better weather that, two
or three years ago, went north in De-
cember, on a visit to some friends in In
vernesS-shire. The particular part of
the county | stayed in does not mate
rally affect my adventure, so I shall
aot disclose it
My time sped by very pleasantly, al |
though the district did not afford many |
oeighbors at short distances; but this |
was a circumstance that ALWAYS pro- |
cured me an extra hearty welcome !
when ventured far enough from home !
70 call upon any people. On one of
Shese expeditions ! had ridden to |
house about eight miles away. and the
:ate hour of my arrival brought about |
IN invitation to stay for dinner and |
spend the evening. My friends pushed
sheir hospitality to such an extent that |
shey had almost prevailed upon me to
stay the night as well, when a good
aatured challenge changed my waver-
ing plans into firm determination to
De off. Our conversation after dinner
had not unnaturally turned upon ghost
stories, as the district was an oat of
she way one, and the country folk were
fully persuaded of the existence Of kel-
pies and warlockS of various kinds.
What now happened was that some of
She young people fancied they had
found the reason why was willing to
stay all night, and boldly told me thatI
was frightened to cross a certain bridge
on my way home that had the reputa-
tion of being haunted. l knew tho
spot well, though had never found out
It's exact story, and when | had assured
the country people that had no fears
of the experiment, they solemnly shook
their heads and averred that not for
sums untold would they cross the bridge
after nightfall. On the present ocea-
sion, as had been foremost among the
s5eptics during the storytelling, 1 |
felt my reputation at stake; and |
/ would on no account re-
main. gave orders to have my pony