The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-05
ut when ken the best. tina. wa. the end

we HaH y grand take, 1 uiIlOs anu the way
that the fish lay BROUGHT Us near IN ov the
Bass, whaur We forgaithered WI anither
boat tina. belanged 10 anishe- man. sandle
Fletcher in CasfleIon. He's no lang deid
NEITHER, or ye could spier at himself. Weel,
Sandie hailed.
What's yon on the Bass?"
lon the Bass" says grandfather.
Aye" says Sandie, ''on the green side
OF
"Whatten kind of t.ing?" says grand
father. There cannae be naetning on the
Bass but just The sheep"
1T looks unco ike body. quo Sandie,
who was nearer IN.
"A body." says We, and we name of Us
likit that. For there was nae boat that
could have BROUGHT man, and the key o
| the prison yet hung over my fathers held
az hame, in the press Ded.
We kept the twa boats Gloss for COM
paGy. and crap. IN nearer hand. Grand
father had gsess, for he had been q sailor
| and the captain OF q smack, and had lost
! her on the sands of Tay. And when We
took the gless TO it, sure eneueh there was
| man. He was in a crunkie o. green brae,
/ wee below the chapel, 4 oy his lee lane.
and lowed and fang and danced like daft
quean q. waddn'
Its Tod" says grandfather, and
| passed the gless TO Ssndie.
| lay, it's him." SAYS Sandie.
| ''Or ane in the likeness o. him." SAYS
| grandfather
"Sma' is the differ" quo sandie.
| ''De'il or warlock, I'll try the gun at him. :"
! quo ne, and BROUGHT up a fowllng-piece
| that be ave carried. for Sandie was a
| notable famous shot in all that country.
| ''Haud your hand, Sandie." says grand
| father; I'VE maun see clearer first" says
he. ''or this may De dear days wark 10 the
| bath of u.s."
"Houtp says Sandie. ''this is the
| Lords judgments surely, and be damned
| to itW says he.
Maybe ay. and maybe no." says my
| grandfather worthy man! 'But have
you mind of the Procurator Fiscal. that
| think ven have forgaithered wi be-
| fore" says he.
This was over true, and Sandie was a
wee thing set ajee. ''Aweel Edie." SAYS
he, land what would be your way of it?"
lou just this" says.grandfaither. .'Let
me that has the fastest boat gang back to
North Berwick, and let you bide here and
keep an eve on yon. If I cannae find Lap
raik. I'll join We and the twa of us'il have
crack wi him. But if Lapraik's at hame,
I'll rim up the flag at the narbor, and We
can try Thon Thing wi the gun"
Aweei, so it was agreed between them
two. / was just a BARN, an clum in San
dies boat, whaur l THOUGHT | would see
the best of the employ. Ny grandsire gied
Sandie siller tester to pit in his gun wi
the ieid draps, bein' mar deidly again
bogles. And then the ae boat set AFT fer
North Berwick. an the tither lay whaur il
was and watched the wanchancy thing on
the braeside
a the time we lay there il lowped and
fang and capered and span like teeto-
tnm, and whites We could hear il skelloch
as it span. | haze seen lassies, the daft
queans. that would lowp and dance a win
ter's NIGHT, and still De lowping and dane
ing when the winters day cam in. But
there would be folk there to hauld
them company. and the lads to egg them
on, and this thing was Its Leblanc.
And theye would be fiddler diddling his
elbock in the chimney side; and this
thing had nae music but the skiriing of
the soians. And the lassies were bits o.
young things VII the reid life dinnling
and stending in their members; and this
was a muckle, fat, crieshy man. and him
fan in the vale o years. Say what We
like, / maun say what | believe. 1t was
JOY was in the creatures heart; the Joy o.
hell, | daursay; joy whatever. Mony a
time l have askit mysel, why witches and
warlocks should sell their sauls fwhilk are
their maist dear possessionsb and be auid,
buddy, wrunkit wives or auid, feckiess,
doddered men: and then l mind upon Tod
Lapraik dancing a. they hours by his lane
in the black glary of his heart. Nae doubt
they burn for it IN muckle hell, but they
nave d anu Time mere T., Whatever
and the Lord forgie u.s.
Weel. at the hinder end, We saw the wee
flag yirk up to the masthead upon the har-
Dor rocks. That was a. Sandie waited fur.
He up wi the gun, took deliberate aim,
an pu'ed the trigger. There cam bang
and then ae waefu' skirl frae the Bass.
And there were we rubin our cen and
lookin' at ither like daft folk. Far VII the
bang and the skirl the thing had clean dis
appeared. The sun glintit, the wund blew.
and there was the bare Yard wham the
wonder had been lowping and tinging but
ae second sine.
The hale way hame 1 roared and graf
VII the terror of that dispensation. The
grawn folk were name sac muckle better:
there was little said in Sandie's boat but
just the name OF God: and when we won
in BY the pier the harbor rocks were fair
black wi the folk waitin' US. 1t seems
they had fund Lapralk in ane of his
dwams, cawing the shuttle and smiling.
Ae lad they sent to hoist the flag. and the
rest abode there in the wabster's house
You may be sure they liked it little: but
1t was means of grace to severats, that
stood there praying in to themsel's fur
name cared TO pray out loud) and looking
on their awesome thing as it cawed the
shuttle. Syne, upon suddenly, and wi
the ae dreidtu' skellurt, Tod sprang up
frae his hinderland and fell forrit on the
wah. bluidy corp.
When the corp was examined the leid
draps hadnae played buff upon the war
locks body; sorrow ieid drap was to be
fund, but there was grandtather's silIer
tester in the puddock's heart of him.
Andie had scarce done when there befell
mighty silly affair that had its conse-
quence. Neil, as have said, was himself
a great narrator. | have heard since that
he knew all the stories in the Highlands:
and thought much of himself, and was
Iohf Of txy nfb
strength of it. Now Andie's tale reminded
him of one he had already heard
In dealing with Highlanders il will he
found, and has been shown in history.
how well it goes with Lowland gentlefolk:
but the thing appears scarce feasible for
Lowland commons. | had already re-
marked that Andie was continually on the
point of quarreling with our three Mac.
Gregors, and now, sure enough, it was to
come.
''She would ken that story afore." he
said. 'She was the story OF Uistean More
M'Gillie Phadrig and the Gavor Vore."
1T Is no sic thing" cried Andie. 81.
is the story OF my father tnow wi God)
and Tod Lapralk. And the same in vour
beard, says he; land keep the tongue of
we inside your Hieiant chaftsi"
This will he no words to use to shentIe-
mans" says Neil.
''Shentlemans" cried Andie ''Shentle-
mans, We hieiant stoti food would give
We the grace 10 see yourself the way that
lthers see We, We would throw your denner
up"
l.