Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-11-10
THE SECRET OF THE HEATHER
ALE.
by Neil Munro.

Down long GIrnarH, with its brag
4arf rive. SWtGgcIin@ jduntiiy, noisiiy
and nj barge, past the young impetuou!
peat Drowned hilI-burns, four score an'
en Of Diarmid's red fellows clamored
By God look at us, Are we not Tia,
splendid men ;DltogctherE It's flea,
We'll put this day in the hose Of tn,
GIenshira folk" Gilcsbeg Gluamacl
had cried gracefully, rs bis follower,
struggled >iecpiiy over to the brac il
the dun morning ana AliStcr piObairp'!
Hodd.ng droncS llnnS the defiant Cath
ring Of the Clan far along the valley
rom Carni$ 10 Cdilumohr. soaring tho
EerS eagles from the sombrc sleeps Of
I.ecEnanban The coarse green phil
abct3s nappci against braWny limbs
lie br01dcd feet were rs light on the
I.tths II the Stag-S!Ot. They flung them
selves with rapid strides down Tighna
:cal hrac, testing, singing, shouting
their clayln3re ScabbardS rafting hOI
ioWiy Oh wooden pike handles and hos
&r targes, for they started double arm
ed The Mackcllars were stark men
out order, in knots of half Il score, Oh
III quictcr quartctteS, they poured down
the path between the hills that had
seen the same tumultuou4. passionate
urge over and over again INTO far back
years. On the height # the Hill OF
Parting, the women, i w risen from the
hot sides Of their JairnS, looked after
them with pride that for Il moment
stranSlcd the sorrow and miSgiying,
and the dogs parked ENORMOUSLY as
they tuggcd u their ropes. OF all the
band there was none so eager for the
fray rs John Nithvtlt-A>kin lie made
short, hot SpurtS on his broguo-tipS
along the path, or UP the bracfacc., OK
ubcrant, tossing his target into the air,
and graSping il deXterouSly rs it Whirl-
Cd back, Whistling, baWljng snatches
Of Gaelic cultural.
'Diaouli but the lads fain, mighty
tain" said Gilesbcg Grimfaced to
Shamus- Dol Nairi, the oldest of the
party, whose head was bald under his
Totaldyed broad bonnet with the
bog-myrtle badge III it, and whose
beard spread white on his chest, like
the frothy mist Of Lhnnegluiten's Fail.
The old man looked under his bushy
eyebrows, ana shook his head.
DUNE fImanach-fooliSh mani he
said "A bad, bad sign it is to see one
begin the day So terrible light-hcaded.
Ii ii was old Janet that was her, She
,sGuid IL. saying that he WAS f2V. and
that ii he was supple now, it would be
stiff enough he might be before the
grows went home. But | am not saying
God Forbid
"Droch bas ort! It's only old wives
hlethers that you have, Shamus. Put
Bale lnncraora on your pipes, Ais
ter The march Went swinging down
the glen. The hours passed, the sun
brought cartridges clucking from the
dark pine woods, the salt loch was
belts We're frightened, when the band
had quenched the thirst Of their hot
march ut Alt-aI-Ailein.
The shock came ut the gap of the
Grey Foal, beyond the Crooked Dyke.
A score Of the Mackellars ran forward
in line. and rebounded from the Sohd
weight of the DiarmidS in mass. Some
fell. hacked OH the head with the heavy
downward slash of the sword; some
shrieked and clntched madly at the
pixies that had deadly impact One
!var-of- the OarS-in the bourach stumb-
led on Il tangled root of dry heather
and fell forward with his stomach on
the point Of niarmid's dirk. The
score lacking half a 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 With the short black
knife. The breath Kissed through the
clenchcd teeth. and the salt smell OF
blood was over the scent of the Shud
1ering birch-leayeS
BIAS, has. piarmid!' gaSped Calun
Dhu. coming on the rear With the beS
Of his force. There was but little room
for the whirl Of the basket hit. "NiinG
Cregan Caorichr' yelled Gilesbeg. anC
the iron guard Of his weapon driver
out from the shoulder in the face of
Mackellar fellel him like L steer Their
Gaelic imprecativn ceased in the vii,
painting encounter, the shortened hal
bertS hammered on the target hides. III,
tartan ripped as the struck one role,
on his side ere the dagger was with
drawn. the short grass felt greasy TN
derfoot, but no one asked himself VIII.
it was SO. 4 solitary nayiS, undulat
ing in the crimson Of 4 slender rowan
1T the head of the gap, stopped shor
in the full abandon of his song t
glance curiously down the path wher
there was the diSsonance of battle.
There came 4 moment that scenes
the very last for Calum Dhu. GileSbe
changed the claymore TO the othe
hand, and parrying the blow OF thi
old enemy, plucked the skene-dhu iron
his garter. and with a sinister snap &
his teeth. lunged like a lightning for
under the guard Of his opponent
pierce his side. A sons eyes saw til
intent ere it had become the act, an
Cluny, at the left hand of his fathe
without Il CULVER of hesitat ton three
himself between them. The little knit
glanced off the buckle of his belt an
sunk into his belly with a moist plung
and the gore spurted out on the dee
horn haft.
Malloch ort, Yon's for my brothe