The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-05
ALONG A SCOTTISH ROAD.
Musings Of a Wanderers Tour on
Foot Through That Interest
ing Country.
A Land Where the Fog, the Mist
and the Rain Pre-
vail
WHARF Once the Roman Warrior Rode and
Slaughtered Now All IL Psace
and Quiet

Where Once the Roman WARRIOR A00e ana
Slaughtered Now All il Psace
i and Quiet
Especial Correspondence of TEE INDEPENDENT
BEAUTY, Scotland, Sept. This is the
month of silence among the birds of Scot
land. You see all manner of them here and
there flying lazily close to the earth, or
ruminatingly poised upon swayinR boughs
as if overcome with pensiveness and melan
choly. The consciousness of this autumnal
silence of the songsters comes upon You
suddenly as you tramp by hedge and field
along these grand old Scottish ways. You
turn aside with an impulse to discover in
the forest if it be seeming or reality.
Leaping a wall which separates you from
coppice already tinted with the hrst delicate
pencilings of the frost, and plunging among
the brush and brambles at its edge, you find
a ragged hollow. This can be clearly traced,
straight as an arrow, for long distance.
There is a wonderful fascination in this
bramble covered swail. You pother about
it for little, and find it paved with huge
stones. More digging discloses solid walls
set beneath the rubbish at it's sides. You
have discovered an old Roman road. The
old artery, along which once surged tho iron
blood of Rome. Stern ARrioola rode at the
head Of his leRions past the very spot on
which you are standing. Almost ceaseless
tides Of warriors swept over this road to
stark Caledonian barbarians might form an
impossible wall to the mist -wreathed noun
tains beyond. Eighteen hundred years
have passed since Jealous Domitian recalled
to Rome this invincible leader Of steel
mailed slaughterers, and the glowing pan OF
skin-clad northmsn who fell beneath his
onslaughts; but as you linger upon the old
Roman road, dreaming until the sun is al
most level with the far mountain
tops, flaming their blue heather mar
velously countless aa , x1aiths pass r and
that it 10 the nineteenth and not the first
century upon which the sun is shining is
recalled to you by the face Of keenly OBJ
servant but solemn collie dog breaking be-
tween some clumps of golden broom above
your head. he has been minding flock
and he has stepped aside for a moment to
interrupt your vagarous fancies about Ag-
rioola and all the other grim old fellows
of his blood-letting time, and to study
your intentions and possibly examine your
credentials. You beg his pardon for the
again; gaze back down the valley upon
score Of red-roofed hamlets; push forward
to the wayside inn where you are to tarry;
and, between the walls Of its huge cham
Der, you march in dreams from the Seven
Hills to the Grampians. with mailed hosts
road throughout the livelong night.
Nature wears other aspects than those Of
sunshine and gladness in Scotland. The
rain falls as though tumbled upon you by
mischievous elves who have watched for
your qnwary coming; and the fog and mist
Of the glens and valleys like q ships UNI
stayed sails pounding it's deck in storm.
But You find q sovereignty of elation and
exaltatiou IN wandering alone among the
scenic Rlories of any land. even in SCOT
porridRe. A good staff or stick, stout pair
Of legs, receptive mind, and above all
CHEEKY and sympathetic heart, whatever
your luck, are the regal companions for
such loiterings. Nature never fails to ap-
pear to single devotees at her myriad doors
and windows, ever shut to noisy crowds,
with radiant welcomings. How witching
the morning is, half disclosing the won
drous charms of valley, hauRh, loeb, river,
glen and mountain! At times scarcely can
your hand be seen before you for the
strange eddies, curlings and fantastic con-
centuries old, and as hard as Scotch wit,
beneath your feet. You cannot mistake
that, What is to the right or left, or be-
fore. only your fancy, quickened by the
morning's awakening life, intensified by
near and far mysterious sounds, can locate
and divine. Tramp, tramp. tramp. bravely
as you may these grow into conscious
ness SO imperative Of recognition, that, de-
spite yourself, ever and again you stop to
listen, listen. Drip. drip, drip, from the
leaves of the hedges into water-basins of
rock. the great drops striking like silver
chimes Of the fairies are rung in your ears
beside the road. Not rod away, but in
visible, rivulets of the nights making vim
pie from rocks to pools, from the staccato
Of tenor trills to the barytone minors of
stately psalms: just at your side q goose
long neck from the door puddle beside
some invisible sheeling to snap at you
from behind the curtaining mist. Beyond
or behind, some chained dog, making a
dismal hewgag of kennel door and chain,
leaps in and out baying to his peasant
head the restless abrasion Of boughs whis-
pers that the leaves from their very weight
OF fog-cups, sigh and moan as if impatient
OF their sunless prisoning. Hedge-branches
crackie from the water weight as in the
11oso-patt1es o! approaching winter. Here
and there, as the heavy breezes move tri-
fle, comes the hesitant pipe Of stirring
bird, the patter of wild hare's feet upon the
slippery leaves. the half caught, hoarse reso-
nance Of hidden waterfall; while faint and
far and strangely muffied the notes Of
school bells, by little clachans in the dis
lance, steal along the folds of the clinpinp
mist. Making your way ID sometimes like
pushing through impalpable banks Of
snow. But before the crackle and fame of
the old inn fireplace, in the presence Of
scenes white as doves wing, bacon crisp
and brown, an omelet az yellow as FROST
painted beech-leaf, a jug Of cream sweet as
nut kernel, fragrant brewing of tea in
the DELPHI pot under the ''oosey," and a
guidwife bustlinR about in sort of CHEEKY
frenzy to make you welcome, you have rea-
son 20 be glad of the blood tingle to be
found in doing q half-dozen miles before
breakfast, through q genuine Scotch fog.
If You tramp in Scotland You cannot
avoid the humidity, nor can you fail to OBJ
serve one of the curious etecta.upon Scotch