Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-03-11

small contrivance, David"
Thereupon he fell in a muse, looking
in the embers of the fire, and presently,
getting piece Of wood, he fashioned it
in cross, the four ends of which he
blackened on the Goals. Then he looked
at me little shyly.
Gould ye lend me my button?" says
he. at seems strange thing to ask a
gift again. but | own / am laith to cut
another"
gave him the button, whereupon he
strung it on a strip of his greatcoat
which he had used to bind the cross,
and tying in little sprig of birch and
another of fir he looked upon his work
with satisfaction.
Now" said he, there is a little
clachan' (what is called hamlet in the
English) mot very far from Corryna-
kiegh. and it has the name of Koalisna-
coan. There are living many friends I, f
mine whom could trust with my life,
and some that | am nae just so sure
of. Ye see, David, there will be money
set upon our heads: James himself is to
set money on them, and as for the
Campbells they would never spare siller
where there was Stewart to be hurt.
If it was otherwise would go down to
Koalisnacoan whatever, and trust my
life into these peoples hands as lightly
as | would trust another with my glove. :"
"But being so?" said |.
being So" said he, Il would as lief
they didnae see me. There's bad folk
everywhere. and what's far worse, weak
ones. So when it comes dark again
will steal down into that clachan and
set this that have been making in the
window of Il good friend of mine, John
Breck Maccoll, bouman of Appin's.
with all my heart" says |, land if
he finds it, what is he to think"
well" says Alan, II wish he was a
man of more penetration, for by my
troth | am afraid he will make little
enough of it. But this is what have
in my mind. This cross is something in
the nature of the cross tarrie, or fiery
cross, which is the signal of gathering
in our clans Yet he will know well
enough the clan is not to rise, for there
it is standing in his window and no word
with it, So he will say to himself, The
clan is not to rise, but there is some
thing Then he will see my button, and
that was Duncan Stewards. And then
he will say TO himself, The son of Dun
can is in the heather and has need of
me-"
We'll" said |, lit may be. But even
supposing SO, there is good deal of
heather between here and the Forth"
And that is very true word" says
Alan. But then John Breck will see
the sprig of birch and the sprig Of pine,
and he will say TO himself Of he is
man of any penetration at all, which |
misdoubt), Alan will be lying in wood
which is both of pines and birches.'
Then he will think to himself, That is
not so very rife hereabout,' and then he
will come and give us look up in
Corrynakiegh. And if he does not,
David, the devil may fly away with him
for what care, for he will nae be worth
the salt to his porridge."
"Eh, man" said |, drolling with him
little, you're very ingenious! But
would it not be simpler for you to write
him few words in black and white?"
"And that is an excellent observe, Mr..
Balfour, of Shaws," says Alan, drolling
with me, land it would certainly 6e
much simpler for me to write to him,
but it would be a sure job for John
Breck to read it, He would have to go
to the school for two-three years, and
it's possible we might be weary waiting
on him."
So that night Alan carried down his
fiery cross and set it in the bouman's
window. He was troubled when he
came back, for the dogs had barked and
the folk run out from their houses, and
he thought he had heard clatter of
arms and seen a redcoat come to one of
the doors. On all accounts we lay the
next day in the borders of the wood and
kept a close lookout, so that if it was
John Breck that came we might be
ready to guide him, and if it was the
redcoats we should have time to get
away.
About noon man was to be spied,
struggling up the open side of the noun
tain in the sun, and looking round him
as he came, from under his hand, No
sooner had Alan seen him than he
whistled; the man turned and came a
little toward us; then Alan would give
another "peep!" and the man would
come still nearer, and so by the sound
of whistling he was guided to the spot
where we lay.
He was a ragged, wild, bearded man
about forty, grossly disfgured with the
smallpox, and looked both dull and saw
age. Although his English was very
bad and broken, yet Alan according to
his very handsome use whenever | was
by would suffer him to speak no Gaelic.
Perhaps the strange language made him
appear more backward than he really
was; but | thought he had little good
will to serve us, and what he had was
the child of terror.
Alan would have had him carry mes
sage to James, but the bouman would
hear of no message. "She was forget
!