Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-06-06
NI.w sERIEs. voI. 11YIII. No. 2a.

heaven. When the psalm ceased, an
echo Ike q spirit s voice was heard dying
away high up among the magnificent
architecture of the cliffs, and once moro
might be noticed in the silence tho re-
yiyiiug voice OF the waterfall.
just then q large stone fell from the
top of the cliff into the pool, loud
voice was heard, and plaid hung over
ON the point of shepherds staff. Their
.watchfu1 sentinel had deserted danger,
and this was warning. Forthwith the
congregation rose. There We're paths
dangerous to impractical feet along the
lodges of the rocks leading up to several
caves and places OF concealment. The
more active and young assisted the elder
more especially the old pastor and the
women with tho infants and many min
utes had not elapsed till not a living
creature was visible in the channel OF
the stream. but all of them hidden, or
nearly so in the clefts and caverns.
| The shepherd who had given the alarm
had lain down again in his plaid instant
ly ON the greensward upon the summit
of these precipices, a party of soldiers
We're Immediately upon him and de
manded what signals he had been MAX
ing and to whom, when one of them,
looking over the edge of tho cliff, eS-
claimed: t'See, see! Humphrey, we have
caught tho whole tabernacle of tho Lord
in net at last. There they aro prais-
ing God among the stones of the river
Mouss. These are the Garland craigs
By my souls salvation, noble cathe-
drall'
Filing the lying sentinel over the.
l
| you, deceiving honest soldiers on the
very Sabbath day. Over with him-out
of the gallery into the pit" But the
shepherd had vanished like shadow,
and mixing with tho tall green broom
and bushes was making his unseen way
toward wood 'tSStan has saved his
servant, but come, my lads-5ollow me-
I know the way down into the bed of
the stream and the steps up to Wallace's
cave. They are called tho fKittle Nine
Stanes.' The hunts up. Well be all
in at the death. Halloo-my boys
halloor'
The soldiers dashed down less pre-
cipitous part of the wooded banks lit
tie below the ''craigs" and hurried up
the channel. But when they reached
the altar where the old gray haired min
lister had been seen standing, and the
rocks that had been covered with people,
all was silent and solitary-not a crea-
ture was to be seen.
Here's Bible dropped by some of
them" cried soldier, and with his foot
he spun it away into the pool. "a bon
meta bonnet cried another, ''now for
the pretty sanctifed face that rolled its
demure eyes below it," But after few
jests and oaths the soldiers stood still,
eying with kind of mysterious dread
the black and silent walls of the rock
that hemmed them in, and hearing only
the small voice of the stream that sent
profounder stiffness through the heart of
that majestic solitude.
Course these cowar1ly Covenantersi
What if they tumble down upon our
heads pieces of rock from their hiding
placer Advance? Or retreatg' There
was no reply, for a slight fear was upon
every man. MuslSet or bayonet could be
of little use to men obliged to Chamber
up rocks along slender paths, leading
they knew not where, and they were
aware that armed men nowadays wor-
shipped God-men of iron hearts, who
feared not the glitter of the soldiers
arms, neither barrel nor bayonet-men
of long stride, firm step and broad chest,
who on the open field would have over
thrown tho marshaled limo and gone
first and foremost if city had to be
taken by storm.
AS the soldiers were standing together
irresolute, noise came upon their ears
like distant thunder, but even more APP
palling, and light current OF air, as If
propelled by it, passed whispering along
the sweetbriers, and the broom, and tine
tresses of the birch trees. 1t came deep
ening and rolling and roaring on, and
the very Garland craigs shook to their
foundation as if in an earthquake.
1.-THE Lord have mercy upon us-what
is thisF' And down fell many of the
miserable wretches on their knees and
some on their faces upon the sharp point
ed rocks. Now, it was like the sound of
many myriads of chariots rolling on
their iron axles down the stony channel
of the torrent. The old gray haired
minister issued from the mouth of Wal
lace's cave and said, with loud voice.
1.-THE Lord God terrible reignetll"
A waterspout had burst up among the
moorlands, and the river in its power
was at hand. There it came-tumbling
along into that long reach of cliffs, and
in moment filed it with one mass of
waves Huge, agitated clouds of foam
rode on the surface of blood red tor
rent. An army must have been swept
off by that flood. The soldiers perished
in moment-but high up in the cliffs.
above the sweep of destruction, were
the Covenanters-men, women and chill
. dren uttering prayers to God, unheard
by themselves, in that raging thunder
From Lights and Shadows Of Scottish
i. ! Life"