Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-30
THE WRATH OF MCCOY.

Wneu was SlAOctu years Ol age
paid visit to an uncle and an aunt of
my fathers. who lived on the family es-
tate in Scotland. My granduncle was
wen to do in this worlds goods, and had
had leisure to devote his life to scientific
pursuits and to write about his ideas and
discoveries. He had an exceedingly well
arranged laboratory, and dabbled in
everything. He was, perhaps, Of more
practical turn of mind than most scien-
lists, for he not only theorized and ex-
perimented, but turned his knowledge to
account, and thereby made his home
rather alarming to ignoramuses. Doors
opened and shut, and bells rang, seem
ingly as he willed them. He had made
of electricity sort of servant of all
work.
The Scotch domestics gave warning in
q body the first evening that the hall
lamp lighted itself. They considered the
proceeding ''uncanny," and my aunt
confded to me that it was most expen-
sive illumination.
However" she added, ga man should
be master in his own house, and has
right to spend his money as he pleases,
so / say nothing"
For her part she liked going about
'samong the poor'-not to give aims
Scottish poor folk seldom want that
She helped them to work for themselves;
started poor widows in little penny
shops; put boys to trades; found places
for young housemaids and lent small
sums of money to be paid back in drib-
lets when the honest folk could do it.
She worked in the right way, and left
them their self respect. Mere charity
never does that
The house was well furnished with ar
ticles that would enrapture those who
are bitten with the present madness for
''old things" Square rugs lay on the
polished oaken floors, and great orange
trees grew in tubs in each of the six
windows of the drawing room. Outside
in summer, was gay little flower gar
den.
1t was, however, not a pretty part of
the country. It was grand and solemn.
Beyond lay mountains apt to be covered
with dim, gray mist. Nearby loch,
the waters of which seldom sparkled,
and in dull weather seemed perfectly
black, and from the heights on which
my uncle's dwelling stood, road de-
scended into valley, deep and lonely,
walled about with great rocks, its vege-
tation sparse and coarse, and lying here
and there SO many mighty powders
that one could fancy giants had hurled
them at each other in the course of some
tremendous fight. Far away, above all,
arose a tall, curious shaftlike object,
which one could scarcely believe the
work of nature. It's local name was
Daffy's Darning Needle, and on its sum-
NIT was an eagles nest. The eagles
swooped down upon the sheepfolds to
their owners cost at lambing time, but
were perfectly safe, as the needle was
inaccessible even to the Scottish boys,
who can climb anything climbable.
1t was my delight to mount my pony,
Jackanapes, and go galloping off over
the country. No one objected to my go
ing alone Twas quite safe. There was
nothing improper in it. Every one saw
knew me, and l gained health and
strength by it.
What with oatmeal for breakfast and
these rides, my cheeks grew round and
rosy and spirits high. forgot at last
even that it might be possible for me to
lose myself, until one day actually did
it-at o'clock in the afternoon too,
with the autumn day suddenly drawing
to close under cloudy sky, which
threatened one of those furious noun
tain rain storms which only those who
have experienced can appreciate.
Lost laughed to myself-but all
have to do is to trust to the pony. Jacka-
napes certainly could not lose himself SO
near home.
However, Jackanapes had either done
that very thing, or was obstinate and de-
termined to make me find my own way.
The storm came on. The way grew per-
fectly dark, and / fancied that l heard
torrent roaring somewhere near me,
dashing over a precipice. There was
such thing in the neighborhood,
knew. Life was as sweet to me then as
to any human being who ever lived, and
Isuccumbed to terror, soaked to the skin,
shivering from head to foot, daring to
move neither to the right nor to the left,
and expecting death every moment.
threw my plaiddie over my face and
burst into tears. In fact, cried like
baby.
'Oh, mel Oh, mel" l moaned. 81
shall never see any of them againl What
death to diel What death to diel"
At this i1sSant felt my pony tremble
beneath me- He trembIed as a human
being does in mortal terror, quivered all
over, and seemed about to fall to the
ground. uncovered my face. All had
been dark when yelled it in the great
horror of seing nothing, but now saw
something-a light which resembled
very cold moonlight, SO white that one
might almost call it blue. 1t shone,
strangely enough, at about the height of
q mans head.
What was it2 My blood curdled.
was conscious of that curious condition
of skin which either cold or terror will
produce, which children call "goose
flesh" could not have spoken word
to save my soul, for the object before
me appeared to be human figure,
formed of some transparent, luminous
substance, and was more perfect ghost
than is pleasant to contemplate in lone
ly spot at nightfall.
Almost INSTANTLY however TsaW with