Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-02
RAVENS cRAG
An Old Ruined Castle Overlooking IN.
Wild Lands of Scotland

ing on en- side the wi d land, of tbs g
tIsh border, and on tire other the 80
waite Of the picturesque LldleI itsC eiI
the old ruined castle OF r tven's C,o, n
had been an abbey once, bat wbsn u ~
the Eighth abolished the monasteria. ~!
abbey was given to fdvorite knipnt II.
Ralph D-yerell. whose descend ms :, ST
1t tLelr home for many years.
Ia the time ot the civil war between a..
hing and parliament, Sir Marmadn1o
Dsverell was lord of K iven's Gao m,
was he fast friend of the Inflated CnarI-,
Stuart, and died IN arms 40 inst M
Lacquer OF Cromwell, whose petronels Ia
tu"hled down many stone 10 lis strono.
walls.
or Marmadus left at only son. The h,,
was carried from his ruined c ste by n.
old seneshal and through all the wears ~
the prJtectorate lived in France. DJrin1
this time claimant stepped forward n,
the broad pc sessions of the lord nf r ,,an
Crag, IN the person of Lacy d. E yrnton
who produced a paper purporting 10 ba
the last will and testament of the Lao 81.
Marmaduke, which Consigned All tba
estates, the osstle, manor h5u ,es and t5e
family mansion in Loud IN, to f vrnto,
ana his heirs forever. As the latter wa; j.
prominent plrliamentarian, he had No
difficulty In securing the regersou of the
property to himself, Notwithstanding the
fact that the will was dated several wear.
prirr to the birth OF the young D4yereI
Reginald D5verell could never secure an
acre OF his ancestral estate, though he
fought stubbornly at the courts for manv
years. He left a son who became stew.
ard on the estate of his fathers, and The
family continued in that humble position
till near the middle of the present cen.
tury.
One bright afternoon boy of sixteen
stood on the terrace of the old castle. He
was bright, lad. 0insome with sturdy
form and brave blue eyes the Steel blpe
eyes he bad inherited from the old D ,ver.
ellis for this hoy was the heir in straight
line Of have Sir Marmaduke
Guy Devetell s'ood looking at the aucas.
trail pile with an expression of sadness on
his young face, when his sister, a little
glrl OF nine or ten years ran up to him on
the terrace.
Co, brother, see my new ostricL
PLUME! lis it not prettyP And | am to
wear 1t with IN velvet cape TO church Gu
Sunday. But do looS at tue raven. I" she
continued. There are hundreds OF them.
and see how tame they are.
Yes, they seem to have taken posses
sion Of the old castle. They have always
made the place their home. | sunpo,e
the fact suggested the name TO Sir r don
when he added that old Tudor tower to
the abbey"
The grl pulled eff Ter plumed hat,
nil
.dn on to low arch, where she stood On
uptoes to gaz out over the river. Her
brother followed her
1t is a glorious old place, and it ought
to be ours. II oulv the will could DO found
which Sir Mlrmaiuke mist have made
after that earlier one Rat It's useless, of
course, 10 think of fading it now after
two buudred J ears, and . we shalt ALWAYS
be poor. It's too bad, isu t it sis?"
Ca, Guy! cried little Magdilene,
suddenly, "a raven has carried away my
new ostrich pune. What can it want
with it2 Sc! there the bird goes into
yonapr tower.
Yes, there a rent in the wall that
can see wnere the Ironsldes shot knocked
ont a stone. The raven probably has
nest there But the ostrich feather il
mot too valuable for a ravens nest. /
think | can get it for you again"
The brother and sister ran in over the
draUbridge, through the great ball, and
up the stone stanc Use 10 a high winlo
in the tower, and looked down.
Its father than | thought; but never
mind, Magddlene, will We it YET.
Running back to tie ball, he soon re.
turned with a line Of strongly twisted
rope. This he fastened securely TO heavy
iron ring in the wall.
Now don I look down, sis, " he sail, as
he mounted lie Wird)w sill and lowered
himself by the rope. when speak you
can look out
1t was rather a daring feat, but he had
no fear. Carefully he descended. swing
ing by his frail supper in mid air, the
terrace OF the castle forty eet below him.
The ivy clamhered around the old crumb.
ling walls, He secured footing on one
OF me lendrllS OF the plant. and supp 'rt-
Ing himself with one hand reached in with
the other and explored the recess.
Something touched his fingers and he
pulled out the feather plume which be
p aced IN the pocket Of his Jacket A
sudden thought impplled him to search
the r. C 'ss again. Just as he wa. drawing
his hand aw " his fngars touched piece
OF crumpled paper. his be also drew
out. lt was old, creased an d scolored
by age bat a signature caught his eye
that OF Marmaduka Dsvtrall. b ron.
His face was so grave and serious when
he reapDeared at the window that little
Magdal-ne was awestruck for the moment,
but the fash of his eyes and the ring Of
his voice treasured her.
Here is your ostrich feather. ragdl.
lene, he said, as he lande inside the
cham her, 'aud [ have found something
else that may be worth a great deal
more: 1t is-it is Sir Marmaduke's lost
will
He held the piece of crumpled, ding7
Paper before her eyes. dancing up and
down like one p )ssessed.
Strange as it may seem, the lost will
fad indeed been discovered The ravens
probably purloined if from some for
gotten recess, and had carried it to their
nest.
Il was soon placed n a SOLICITORS hands and
proven in couIt Tie Eyrnton' made no
oil ction b the claim ot the yo1ng heir
when they found it backed by an insirl-