The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-12-10
A SCOTCH TRADITION.
MERclLESs WARFARE OF ONE OF
THE OLD SCOTTISH CLANS.

| hERCILESS WARFARE OF ONE OF
THE OLD SCOTTISH CLANS.
A Terrible story Of The frishtSui pestiuc-
tlon Of whole Race. the Inhabithnts
Of One Isiand-Ever To-day The spot Is
said to Re Haunted.
A friend Of mine made prolonged
tour Of Scotland last year TO indulge in
his fsvorite pastime fishing of which
there is none better in the whole world
than among tbe highlands and coDtgu-
GUS islands Of that country. He brought
back with him q vast stOrahouse Of tho
strange tales Of tie primitive people
among whom he soiOurnen. for he avoid
ed the usual lines Of travel, eOaRning
his wanderings to the remote villages
and ont Of the way places which the or
dinaTy tourist never visits. He lived for
months with the peasant aud fisherman
class, with whom, ingratiatng himself
into their good graces, he learned much
Of the traditions current in the region,
which have only been kept alive by
UtAuR uauueu OONu lTDIN IhIlef IN SOu
through the generations,
At one time residing with a simple
fishermen on one Of the Hetrides, that
group made famous by the celebrated
tour Of DR.. johnson and Boswell he was
told a strange story pertaining tn u care
on one Of the islands, which he after
ward visited with his host. making the
weird tradition douhly interesting. 1t
was this:
More than thres centuries ago there
existed two clans between which there
had wsged the most bitter and relent-
less warfare for generations. Of course
the people Of both factions were hut lit
tie more civilized than the North Amer
lean Indians when Columbus gave a
new world to Spain. Both clans lived
by stealing from their neighbors. de-
cidediy preferring this mode Of life 10 an
honest endeavor Of raising anything for
themselves. Their tenure of the dark
glens which they claimed was held by
the prowsss Of their primitive bows and
arrows, their rude claymores and ruder
diTks. Ignorant, cruel and vindictive,
the several clans hated each other with
a hatred unknown but to dense igno-
rance; they hated simply because their
names differed, because they had been
taught that differences between names
meant feuds between races.
One of these two contending clans
lived on one of the little islands of the
Hebridean group, barren, rocky, desc
late spot. surrounded only'by the eternal
surf. One mild winter day came the
boats Of their hated enemy. The inten-
ton Of the invaders was/uf course to
kill, plumber and destroy They did
plumber and burn the hints they found
on the shore. but not human being
was found that they conld massacre.
The whole island appeared to have been
abandoned. The invaders ransaeked il
well; traversed every glen and every
rsvine AMI wondered where their invet.
crate enemies had gone. Failing in the
principal part of their bloody mission,
they prepared to leave. They took up
their oars, but hardly had they cleared
the little creek by which they Lad en-.
| tered from the sea when man. with an
apparently extraordinary vision, spied a
figure in the uncertain light Of win.
ter's dawn cautiously moving over the
rocks.
A shout announced the discovery, and
the islander disappeared. But the secret
had beeu betrayed. The inhahitsuti
had hidden themselves, not deserted
In half an hour their assailants had re
landed and set themselves with awak
ened hope to the search. Snow had
fallen during the night, and tho foot
steps OF the imprudent islander hat1nyei
the whereabouts of his clan. The high
landers e1ultingly followed he trail oi
the enemy. and they soon tracked hin
to the hiding place of his people. a cnr
Gus cavern, its entrance through th'
mazes of rock, over9rawn with thicl
shrubs, II place easily missed by any On,
not familiar with the locality. In TIM
cave were gathered all tho families o
the tribe, the women and little childrei
and few Of the old men, the main por
ton of the Young warriors haying{gon
off on an eScursiOn--a maiaudingSne y
eOurse--to the neighboriug islsuiis.
! With shouts Of triumph aud exultin,
wrath comparable TO ths cruel nature o
invaders they collected seaweed, drift
wood and the dried heath, in which tn
rocks abounded, and piled aronnd til
one entrance 10 theHsaVern, its inmates
/ now cognizant Of what their enenlie
were doing, maintaining the silence Q
| despair. A few words Of Inutteresl GRt
l lie alone passed-and in q short tim
the material which the savages ha
! gathered was sat on IRE, the scorchin
l heat from which snd the dense smok
rolled in upon tue unfortunate occT
4 pants Of the cavern, when suddenl
there arOSe a wall OF agony. Over th
cracking ara roaring Of the huge fin
the dying wreteles attempted To get on
only to he killed At the mouth Of III
fierce he'll or thrust back with pike
into the scorcling flames. AT last a
sounds cesised--tha blaze sunk and die
away completely; the fiends had dor
their work; not living creature r
mained within the almost red hot ca
, ern. The clan had been extinguished-
a clan lass in the highlands ot Scott
The triumphant murdersrs took to the
5 boats and sailed away again, leayiu
4 4 their dead UnburieSs As they lay.
4 They never were buried through a
the long wears. TIE httle island whe
4 such atrocities were committed was a
! cursed-hauuted by spirits Of those wi
}, had met their horrible fate there.
!. Was aiao claimed by the fishermen
y the other islands that whenever tn,
: happened 10 pass that way IN the nigl
}. low waiIings were distinctly hear
t sharp, piercing shrteks, and that ghast
= skeletons weTs seen walking on Il
d beach, aud the place WAS avoided as
Il pest hole. After many generations the
supersdtious notions died ont. Now d
i island is inhabited again. but the drea
It ful legend sticks 70 IL, and Il Is said th
p many a human bone Is dug up by 4
X small gardeners.-St. Louis Post-D
n patch.
It Peculiar TabIe Cnstons.
a Ia hook entitled Domestic Mannt
it OF the Middle A ,es" we are told that
e those days dinner tables were cover
by "A ''nappe' ~ tableclcth. Upon
IT were placed large saltcellar, brs
le and cups for wine, but no knives
Is plates The reason FOR the absence
the knives arose from the common p;
a tice IN vogue Of people carrying Ia
10 Own knives IN sheath attached 10 IN
le girdle
VI Ia an early work, written by Lydg'
RULES for Behavior at Table
10 guests are todd 10 bring 10 knives I
III secured to the table, which oan OF