The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-13
CHAPTER VIII.
A GREAT sIfRppIsE

A GREAT SURPRISE,
Ten days must have passed thus in the
utter solitude OF an unfrequented ocean,
days, however, not of depression and des-
pair, but of tranquil joy and gratitude,
soothing alike to mind and body after the
shocks and perlls Of the tempest A little
while before could have dreaded nothing
more than this desolation; it would have
seemed hopeless md maddening. But de-
liver man from the grave, and the desert
will be to him as fruitful and umbra-
geous garden. Now indeed, except for the
loneliness, my situation was one that might
have provoked the envy of men who hunt
happiness or struggle for bread in dusty,
noisome cities.
After the thunderstorm the air was cool
er, and when there CHANGED to be breeze
Its pervasiye and delicious balm was like a
foretaste of heaven. Morning and even
ing, too, the orient spread its flaming pic
lures along the sky for my sole delight,
and the glistening, iridescent sea, lately so
terrible in its fury, caressed the ships side
with liquid murmur of endearment
Slowly and softly the brig heaved on the
long foamless swell without 30 much as A
suggestion of the reeling agonies she had
just passed through.
On deck had my improvised awning of
sails and tangled rigging under which l
dozed aEd dreamed when was not cook
ing or eating or watching the flying fish.
Company would have been grateful, but /
had my life, and that was more than com.
pany. Moreover, lacked nothing for the
ship'sstores were practically untouched, so
sudden had been the crews departure
With plenty of meat and drink in a world
where so many people have to go on short
commons, one should not complain, and
as for society, II 1t was wanting, there was
none to thwart my humors.
chief part OF my pleasure was in The
books left by Mr.. Watson. Rob Row
was there and truly 1t would have seemed
a ridiculous thing could any one have sean
a miserable ocean waif holding his sides at
the humors of Bailie Nicol Jarvie. / fear
the gallant Rob himself was not a pattern
of morality but his daring highland spirit
was captivating, and If he lifted cattle
when he should have been saying his pray
ers he did well when his back was to the
wall. Others also of Sir Walters books l
read, among them being 'Ivanhoe,' which
Is surely the best romance ever written.
Robinson Crusoe, too, fell to me then,
and, dare say, the resource and ingenuity
of that immortal castaway somewhat in
Euenced my own mode of life.
Besides these had some numbers of old
reviews, which were good reading for the
wigging they gave unlucky authors, some
of whom have since, however, unaccounta-
bly, achieved fame. l had also pnblica-
tion called 1.-THE Posthumous Papers of the
Pickwick Club" which, understand is
more familiar to the present generation
than It's Bible. There was likewise an al
manac, which thought might be valuable
for its weather forecasts, but whether it
had been written for some other quarter of
the globe or was merely a humorous effort
its predictions never had the least bearing
on the weather In the Indian ocean.
Then, when books palled, forth would
come Duncan's silver mounted pipes from
the green bag-which was guarded as II it
were gold-and would blow myself into
species Of intoxication. Now it was an old
air my mother or my nurse had crooned to
me In the dim faroff dawn of memory;
then, being a little sentimental, a wall OF
lament, may be Rob Roy's pathetic .Ha til
mi tulidhn Il return no more), again a
pibroch, opening with the wierd, dirRelike
measure of a coronach, but every moment
Quickening In time till the excitement and
ecstacy of it carried me clean out Of myself
and away from all thought of forsaken seas
and derelict ships. By a natural transition
this would lead to q quickstep, a reel,
strathspey or highland fling.
All the while / was back in the highlands
In the glee of harvest home or a gathering
on the green of summers evening, cheer
ing and urging the dancers whose whirlinR
tails and cleaning knees showed the energy
of their response. l could hear the resound-
ing "hoochs" and sharp thumb crackings Of
the men, as well as the painting, joyful, half
frightened soughs of the lasses as they
WTffs sl,.a.a fzHf I. a
fun Or again it might be plumed and
killed company marching with springy
step to the strains of "The Highland Iad-
die" or "The Pibroch of Donuil Dhu,n or
"fhe Campbells Are Coming" or blue
Bonnets Over the Border" And In the
wild exultation Of the thing up would
get to strut about the deck with as proud
stomach as If / We're playing clansmen
into the heart of their enemies
Nor was the strutting always enough,
for oblivious of physical weakness, often
caught myself skipping about in the mazes
of country dance, or leaping in the high
land fling, or prancing in the delirinm of
the sword dance, the fingers mconsciously
going on the chanter. 1t would be hard to
tell how many times | went over Reel
Thulachan, y and the Reel of Tullock ,sand
"Ghillie Challum," and the High Road
to Linton and "The Aud Wife Ayont the
Fire" and "Dsinty Davie,p and 1.-THE Mar
quis of Huntley's Farewell" and Sleepy
Maggy," ana such like tunes, trying not
always successfully to keep time between
the dancer and the piper.
The exercise usually continued till had
to give up from want Of breath and did me
more good than all the physc doctors could
have poured into me. And indeed TO this
day nothing heartens me like the drone of
the pipes hummlng in my ear, though l
fear this will be reckoned rude taste by
the refined young gentlemen who know SO
much about the pianos, which are things
of mystery to me, Yet old Duncan often
declared had notions of music and could
make the pipes utter emotion and sent-
ment in a way that sometimes stirred him,
though he owned l was no hand at the
warblers. The true piper will stake his
life on his warblers or grace notes. Any
body can play a common tune by sticking
simply to the air, but man must be q born
piper to introduce variations with skill 1t
is in the management of these that art lies
But since there WAS none on the brig to
oritieise my deficiencies did not in the least
spoil the pleasure in my own music. There
was but one drawback to the performances,
that my companions fairly abborred them.
No sooner would they hear me screwing up
the drones for bit of piping than they
rushed or squealing to hide in the darkest
recesses of the ship. Since then / have
learned that nothing Jars on the sensitive
ear Of q rat SO much as the music of the
bagpipes; he will go through fire and water
TO escape it. Indeed in the highlands
when rats get troublesome 1t Is a common
practice to call in piper to frighten them