Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-04-17
THE HAUNTED BRIDGE.

THE HAUNTED BRIDGE.
Superstition in the Highlands of
Scotland.
There are probably few readers who
are not familiar, to a greater or lesser
extent, with the well-ventilated subject
of superstition in the Highlands OF Scot
land. There are few mountain coun-
tries throughout the world that are not
rich in lore and legend relating to the
supernatural; their very confguration
suggests that agencies more than ordi-
nary have been employed in shaping
ont 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 knowe
there are dozen devils mills, bridges,
caldrons or punch bowls; in fact, it is
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. This
certainly seems a little incongruous;
but as this is not treatise on demon
ology, we are content to leave it so.
Superstition is part of the being OF
the mountaineer.- Brave even to rash
ness. he will 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 yet this
man, who can tread the dizzy lodges on
lthe face of precipice, who can hurt
himself on leveled steel, is more timid
and frightened than child when he
conceives that forces other than earthly
are being brought to bear on him. 1t 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 echoes, appeal to him; and poet
iical imagination begotten of such an
existence finishes the process. Thus,
the roar of waterfall in its dark chasm
becomes to him the howlings of some
demon prisoned among the rocks; the
signing 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 dsembodied
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. l fancy
that most of my readers are acquainted
more or less with the scenery of the
Highlands; but in the case of by far the
larger number of them l venture to say
that such acquaintance extends only to
the Highlands in their summer or their
autumn dress. If so, they only hall
know them. Brave is the tourist who
ventures amid the bens and glens wher
rude King Boreas lords it over them
when winters wind roars adown the
gorges of the hill, staggering the stal
wart pines, mingling the withered
leaves and the snow-fakes 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; wher
the river roars through the plain
brown and swollen-and its parent tor
rents are leaping and raving among th'
powders; when the mountain hare ant
the ptarmigan are white as the snow
that harbors them, and the deer, driver
from the hills by stress of weather
roam in herds through the low-lyin.
woods; and the mountain fox leaves hi
cairn and prowls around the farm ant
the sheepfold-then, if you would ente
into the spirit of loneliness and solitude
take your way to the Highlands. D.
not imagine, however, that such is thei
condition during the whole of winter
on the contrary, [ have painte,
particularly black picture, and it wa
in very much better weather that, tw
or three years ago, went north in De
oember, on visit to some friends in In
verness-shire. The particular part Q
the county stayed in does not mate
rally affect my adventure, so | shal
not disclose it
My time sped by very pleasantly, al
though the district did not afford man
neighbors at short distances; but thi
was a circumstance that always pre-
cured me an extra hearty welcom
when ventured far enough from hom
to call upon any people. On one G
these expeditions | had ridden to
house about eight miles away, and th
late hour of my arrival brought abor
an invitation to stay for dinner an
spend the evening. My friends pushe
their hospitality to such an extent ths
they had almost prevailed upon me
stay the night as well, when a gooC
natured challenge changed my wavel
ing plans into a firm determination
be off. Our conversation after Dime
had not unnaturally turned upon gho'
stories, as the district was an out {
the way one, and the country folk wei
fully persuaded of the existence of ke
pies and warlocks of various kind
What now happened was that some I
the young people fancied they ha
found the reason why was willing
stay all night. and boldly told me that
was frightened to cross certain brids
on my way home that had the reput'
ton of being haunted. knew tt
| spot well, though had never found o.
| its exact story, and when had assure
! the country people that ! had no fea
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