Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-01

defiant song and bitter denuuclation
were rising higher and sIril!er from the
roadway beneath the cliff.
II.
Jhs road here ;urns from The c,i.f.sile
Highway, crossing the river Glass, by
the bridge Of Fasnskyle, and thence
w.aGs to The west 10 GUesachaE Lodge,
aaG to tho east, through the mounta.a
pass Of KerTow Wood l3rae, 10 bonnie
Glen Urquhart beyond. When the
lordly sportsmen Of the North made
their p;tiless highland clearances that
game preserves might take the place Of
crofter homes, the two cottages at the
fork of the road were all, except the
little church, that were left standing of
the ancient clachan or church-hamlet Of
Fasnakyle.
To the eye of the passer these cottages
are sweet, old rose-embowered nests
with snug paddocks and sunny kali
yards behind but they housed this
September day, at least in one, the fires
of rancorous hate, so often characteristic
of the folk of these hidden highland
hooks, and frequently as strangely
mingled with Scriptural self classification
and zeal; that sort of hatred, often in.
applicable in origin, but endless and
fierce in intensity, and lacking only
reckless daring to give it tragic end.
Internal diablerie, heritage still Of
these superstitious children of the mist,
and ever fortified by ignorant applica.
ton of the stern and awful texts
CLEANED by hate-lit eyes from the "aiu
Guild Book is their sole remaining
means of wrealSing curse or ayenging
real or fancied wrong.
And 50 for 20 years old Sandy
Nichols, the stone-mason of FasnAkyle,
had glared from his cottage windows
across at old Davy Saunders, the road
side seller Of ancient sweets and meal,
who in turn had glazed back and
tainted from his. No one knew the
nature of the feud, or cared. Sandy
could not, or would not, disclose i. to
the "meenister," and Dayy's most OK
quisite delight, when Joan was absent
and time hung heavy on his hands, was
TO sound the tocsin of battle across the
way to Sandy, by piping loud and clear,
in tones of unmistakable disdain and
challenge, the notes of some highland
Gaelic song; usually the wild and i'm
petuous "Coire Cheathaich." OF "Misty
Dell.n
Sandy, Bible in hand, was now as
always hot for the fray. Davy, leaning
calmly over his messy garden wall, as
if oblivious of the wrathful Sandy 40
feet away, lifted his roaring voice with,
$50 Coire-cheathaich. nan aigh can suiblach, -
my own misty Corrie by deer ever haunted,(
"Wi' DOT are dogsw sneered Sandy,
referring to the book in his withered
hand, .-l.
IAN Coire rumach is urar sonn,-"
my beauIeous valley, my own verdent dolly
9TH deceitfu' i weights wi get TIL
swift arroww returned Sandy with tri
umphant scorn.
GU lurach nlad-theurach, min heal sughar'
NSoit, rich anu grassy with sweets ever scentedl
LET ma mon think O. himself mair
highly than he ought ~ was flung back
saVagely from the opposite garden wall
"Gu lusan fiuar bu chubpraidh LEAN"
(tron every lair fioW'r | love dear and well1
"Pharo's heart was hardened by the
Laird !" came from Sandy with u
prophetic skirl of delight.
"Gu 'rolach, dub-ghorm,t orracs luisreagach-
SIhickly all growing, brightly all blOwing)
eth Laird shall add tat We TIL plagu es
o this Bulk, we auld-mOu'dv yelled
Sandy, shaking the Bible at Davy
menacingly.
''Corrach. pluranach, dlu.ghlon GRIM"
tover its shaggy and groen-darkened lawn0
"Badiyng that We are, yell get rain O.
fire and brimstanep'
"caoin, ballach, dltheanach, canach, mislean-
ach-
tMoss, canach and daisies adjoining its inazes.
"Ye shall be slain, a tn sort o. We ~
fairly howled the old stone mason
twirling the blessed Book above his
head and, like all his great or humble
kind for nearly 1900 years, through il
consigning the enemy he himself had
made TO its awful terrors and dooms.
"Glonnn mhilltchs an lionmhor manC,"
(Ihrough. whish lightly gambols the 1.-the
graceful fawng
"Hootl Ye auld cake.fumler uootl
Like as wax melteth ut the fire, SO shall
ye perishw shrieked Sandy, dancing
about his garden and shaking his fist
and his Bible at the until now placid
Davy in very dellrium of imbecilo
hate and rage.
That last threat with its Scriptural
hint of the most grewsome curse
known to the superstitious high.
landcrs, was too much for Davy Saun.
ders. Ills retort was quick, needless and
thunderous. Old Sandy for his gibes
and taunts gave back renewed and
doadlier objurgations. Raising theil
embittered voices with their increas
ing rage, they ut last broke into furiou.
Gaelic threats and imprecations, lean
ing far over their garden walls ant
Tuning ana clawing like beasts in leash
painting for each others lives, and sick
ening the very valley echos with theiI
dreadful maledictions.
The unusual turmoil below ha(
brought Hugh Richie and his compan
ION to the edge of the cliff. They bat
both listened intently, aud now Joar
suddenly started back with her hand,
before her eyes.
"What were those Gaelic words" ii,
asked sharply, noticing the girls action
"Ih' corp creadh tn corp creadh =
she answered shudderingly, but witt
never another word as ii shame woul,
come TO her in Hugh's eyes at even lie
innocent possession Of such balefu
knowledge.
but hugh Kltchie had gathered NOR
Of the dread secrets of the North THAI
Joan had thought. This internal ours,
Of the corp creadh was at least not new
to him; and he knew that one of blacl
and cowardly heart seeking his enemy
life by stealth, secretly wrought q corr
creadh, or body of clay, placed it in tn
bed of some near running stream, AM
then, as he superstitiously believed an,
murderously prayed, while the cor
creadh wasted away by the action of til
water, the victim Of the curse woul
| pine and die.
"Speak TO me fairly like Scotch
woman, Joan!" he demanded. II d
not know Gaelic words, like you
| Which madn this fhrnnt2 Dir ,nhirh Ia