The times., 1893-02-17


me; it seemed dark and dangerous and
secret, and presently, as we began to go
ON alongdde, saw the steel butt of
pistol sticking from under the flap of
his coat pocket To carry such a thing
meant fine of fifteen pounds sterling
upon first offense and transportation
to the colonies upon second. Nor
could quite see why religious teacher
should go armed, or what blind man
could be doing with pistol.
told him about my guide, for was
proud of what had done and my vanity
for once got the heels of my prudence.
At the mention of the five shillings he
cried out so loud that | made up my
mind l should say nothing of the other,
two, and was glad he could not see my
bushes.
"Was it too muchy' asked, little
faltering.
"Too much!' cries he. "Why, will
guide you to Torosay myself for dram
of brandy, and give you the great
pleasure of my company (me th;w is a
man of some learning) in the bargain"
/ said did not see how blind man
could be guide, but at that he laughed
aloud and said his stick was eyes enough
for an eagle.
"where l knew every stone and heather
bush by mark of head. "See now," he
said, striking right and left as if to make
sure, 'down there o burn is running,
and at the head of it there stands bit
of small hill with stone cooked upon
the top of that, and it's hard at the foot
of the hill that the way runs by to Toro-
say, and the way here being for droves
is plainly trodden and will show grassy
through the heather"
had to own he was right in every
feature, and told my wonder.
"Ha," says he, ''that's nothing. Would
We believe me now, that before the act
came out and when there were weapons
in this country l could shoot? Aye,
could II" cries he, and then with leer,
eff ye had such thing as a pistol here
to try with, would show you how it's
DONE"
l told hir, d nothing of the sort,
and gave hi ~ wider berth. If he had
known, his pistol stuck at that time
quite plainly out of his pocket, and ]
could see the sun twinkle on the steel of
the butt. But by the better luck for
me he knew nothing; thought all was
covered and lied on in the dark.
He then began to question me Gun.
ningly-where l came from, whether /
was rich, whether l could change five
shilling piece for him (Which he declared
he had at that moment in his sporran),
and all the time he kept edging up to
me and l avoiding him. We were now
upon sort of green cattle track which
crossed the hills toward Torosay, and
we kept changing sides upon that like
/ dancers in reel. had so plainly the
upper hand that my spirits arose, and
indeed took pleasure in this game of
blind mans buff: but the catechist grew
angrier and angrier, and at last began
to swear in Gaelic and to strike for my
legs with his staff.
Then | told him that, sure enough, /
had pistol in my pocket as well as he,
and if he did not strike across the hill
due south would even blow his brains
out.
He became at once very polite, and
after trying to soften me for some time,
but quite in vain, lie cursed me once
more in Gaelic and took himself off.
Then L struck on again for Torosay.
At Torosay, on the Sound of Null and
looking over to the mainland of Morven.
there was an inn with an innkeeper, whc
was a Maclean it appeared of very
high family, for to keep an inn is thought
even more genteel in the highlands than
it is with us, perhaps as partaking Of
hospitality, or perhaps because the trade
is idle and drunken. He spoke good
English, and finding me to be something
of a scholar, tried me first in French,
where he easily beat me, and then in
Latin, in which l don't know which OF
us did best. This pleasant rivalry put
us at once on friendly terms, and sat
up and drank punch with him Tor, to be
more correct sat up and watched him
drink it) until he was so tipsy that he
wept upon my shoulder.
tried him, as if by accident, with Il
sight of Alan's button, but it was plain
he had never seen or heard of it. In.
deed he bore some grudge against the
family and friends of Ardshiel, and be
fore he was drunk he read me lam
poon in very good Latin, but with a.
very i'll meaning, which he had made in
elegiac verses upon person of that
house.
When told him of my catechist he
shook his head and said that l was
lucky to have got clear off. "That is a
very dangerous man" he said; Duncan
Mackiegh is his name; he can shoot by
the ear at several yards, and has been
often accused of highway robberies and
once of murder"
"The cream of tits" says 1, "that he
called himself catechist."
"And why should he not?" says he.
"when that is what he is? 1t was Mac
lean, of Quart, gave it to him because
he was blind. But perhaps it was a
peety," says my host, "for he is always
on the road, going from one place to an
other to hear the young folk say their
ya1iorin,,. or1 1oulNf1oco fLof io N o,,oaL