Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-09
THE SECRET OF THE HEATHER
ALE.
By Neil Munro.

y
and at large, past the young, impetuous
peat-broWned hill-bul. ;, four score and
en- of Diarmid's red fellows clamOred
BY God, look at us! Are we not the
splendid men altogether? It's fleaS
wen put this day in the hose Of the
Glenshira folk" Gilcsbeg Gruamach
had cried gracefully, rs his followers
struggled sleepily over to the brae in
the dun morning, and AiiSter piObaire's
nodding droneS flung the defiant Cath
ering of the Clan far along the valley
from Carnis to Cairnmohr, soaring the
very eagles from the S0mbre sleeps of
LccknambaD. The coarse green phil
abcgs tapped against braWny limbs,
The brogued feet were rs light on the
paths at the stag-SlOt. They flung them
selves with rapid strides down Tighna-
fead brac, testing, singing, shouting,
their CIaymore ScabbardS rafting hOl-
lowly on wooden pike handles and bos-
Sy targes, for they started double arm
ed The Mackellars were stark men,
and fought like badgers. EIratic, with
out order, in knots Of half 4 score, or
in quieter quartettes, they poured down
The path between the hills that had
seen the same tumultuOuS, passionate
surge over and over again into far back
years. On the height Of the Hill of
Parting, the women, now risen from the
hot sides of their BARNS, looked after
them with pride that for moment
strangled the sorrow and misgiving,
and the dogs parked ENORMOUSLY us
flarxv II ~ IL,
band there was none so eager for the
fray rs John Without-Asking. He made
short, hot spurtS on his brOgue-tipS
along the path, or up the braeface,, eX-
uberant, tossing his target into the air,
and grasping it deXterously as it whirl-
ed back, Whistling, baWliug Snatches
Of Gaelic cultural.
"Diaorll! but the lads fain, mighty
tain!' said GileSbeg Grimtaced to
Shamus-DOl AIairi, the oldest of the
party, whose head was bald under his
rotaldyed broad bonnet with the
bogmyrtle badge in it, and whose
beard spread white on his chest, like
the frothy mist of Lhinnegluitens Fail.
The old man looked under his buShy
eyebrows, and shook his head.
DUNE famanach-fOoliSh man. he
said. "A bad, bad sign it is to see one
begin the day so terrible light-headed.
Ii it was old Janet that was her, she
would nc saying that he WIS feJ. and
that if he was supple now, it would be
stiff enough he might be before the
crows went home. But | am not saying
God forbid.'
Droch baS ort! It's only old wives
bletherS that you have, Shamus. Put
Bale lnneraora' on your pipes, Ais
teri! The march went swinging down
the glen. The hours passed, the sun
brought cartridges clucking from the
dark pine woods, the salt loch was
skirted, the Garron was crossed and
belts We're frightened, when the band
had Quenched the thirst OF their hot
march at Alt-an-Ailein.
The shock came at the gap of the
Grey FOal, beyond the Crooked Dyke.
A score of the NlackellarS ran forward
III line, and rebounded from the SOhd
weight Of the DiarmidS in mass Some
fell, hacked on the head with the heavy
downward slash of the sword; some
Shrieked and clutched madly at the
pixies that had deadly impact. One
lyar-of- the OarS-in the bourach stumb-
led on Il tangled root Of dry heather
and tell forward with his stomach on
the point of n Diarmid's dirk. The
score, lacking half Il dozen, leaped
again on the advancing enemy, and for
a time kept them at bay where the
brogues slid uncertain on the slope of
the knoll. 1t was rapid cut and drive
fierce plunge Of dirk with the palm up
and long reach VAIN the short black
knife. The breath Missed through the
clenched teeth, and the salt smell of
blood was over the scent of the shud-
dering birch-leaves.
BaS baS, Diarmid!" gaSped Calum
Dhu, coming ON the rear with the best
IF his force. There was but little room
for the whirl of the basket hllt. Mind
Cregan Caorich.' yelled Gilesbeg, and
the iron guard of his weapon driven
out from the shoulder in the face of a
Mackellar felled him like a steer Then
Gaelic imprecati1n ceased in the wild
painting encounter, the shortened hal
berts hammered on the target hides. the
I1ppSd DIS lllc SlIu Ch one
on his side ere the dagger was with
drawn, the short grass felt greasy un-
derfoot, but no one asked himself why
it was so. A solitary mavis, undulat-
ing in the crimson of a slender rowan
at the head of the gap, stopped short
In the full abandon Of his song to
glance curiously down the path where
there was the diSSonance of battle.
There came q moment that seemed
the very last for Calum Dhu. Gilesbeg
changed the claymore to the other
hand, and parrying the blow of this
old enemy, plucked the skene-dhu from
his garter, and, with sinister snap OF
his teeth, lunged like a lightning fork
under the guard of his opponent to
pierce his side. A sons eyes saw the
intent ere it had become the act. and
Cluny, at the left hand of his father.
without a culver of hesitation threw
himself between them. The little knife
glanced off the buckle of his belt and
sunk into his belly with a moist plunge
and the gore spurted out on the deer
horn haft.
''Malloch ort! Yon's for my brother