The evening times., 1895-08-21
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THE PIT OF ALLACHY.
Out of the Hollow of Warning Came,
After Many Years, a Lame ntstion.

Out of the Hollow of Warning Came,
After Many Years, a Lanientstion.
Adam Ogilvie lay basking in the mid
summer sun on the lee side of the Witch's
HiIlock- 1t is n mound of blown sand,
rising little above the level of a beach of
naked shingie and water rolled stones,
held together by the tough roots and the
sage-Green blades OF the bent. The sea
is close by, but the din OF its perpetual war
fare with the shore is family heard in the
hollow behind the mound. 1t scarcely
reached the ears of Adam Ogilvie as he
leaned his back aga inst the warm sand, and,
half sunk in a day-dream, looked into
the book whose pages he had almost ceased
to turn.
The wind must have shifted or risen, for
the spears of the windlestrae shook and
rustled overhead. The leaves OF the
book fluttered and pinch Of sand was cast
on the page Adam was reading, as IL by
some impish hand. Rising, he climbed the
dune and glanced seaward. The waves
curied and broke on the beach IN regular
files, shooting out long tongues of foam
which slid smoothly over the sand and
gravel; and. at the moment of being with
drawn. returned into claws that ciutched
and tore at the ground. Outside the calm
surface OF the Northern Sea had crisped
into infinite wrinkles, with here and there
a broadening point of white. Never in
after years did Adam know salt water SO
clear, SO deep blue, as this, within stones
throw of his fathers door To-day to look
forth upon it was like gazing into the pure
depths of space fretted with the stars.
On the western horizon were family pen
ciled the shapes OF far-away hills. The
sail of fishing boat, heading for home,
was disappearing around the Scar Head
On the verge of the sea line was a burr of
some-some steamer making for Thule
of old There was nothing else in that direc-
ton between the Witch's Hilock and the ice
about the North Pole.
As Adam looked, the voice of the sea
seemed TO gather volume and meaning.
The freshening breeze plucked the froth
from the lip of the waves and chased it
along the beach and shook the dry wisps
of seaweed and the long swathes of wreck
age that marked the high level OF tide
and storm Ogilvie turned his face to the
land. 1t rose and fell in succession of
indeed. had made it, and shaped 1t after its
own image. The swift river near by was
restlessly at work dragging down the sand
and pebbles, and the waves piled them
upon the shore and then tore and ragged at
their own handiwork. 1t was labor worse
than that of Sisyphus, this endless rolling
of stones that slowly, but surely, eircuni-
scribed the province of the sea and enlarged
that OF the land The stain of the earth
was already on tue landward side OF these
sea breaches before they were half raised.
In the troUghs between, punches OF hardy
sea pinks stood brilliant amid green-gray
patches OF wiry grass. The yellow stalks
OF the blackberry struggled up between The
loose stones; the crowberry and the creep
ing juniper clasped them and enfolded
them as in a green mantle. Further back,
a few wind-planted frs and birches, which
heather and close-croppcd whiDs covered
completely, and here and there were
the sheep and the salt breezes kept iron,
rising above the estate OF shrubs.
Behind these were the green patches OF
croft land rescued from the links by the
salmon fishers in those intervals of leisure
from working the water" which they
gave to toiling the earth; then large and
well n-groomed farms; and, further back,
two or three miles away, the woods around
the Great House, all now in null leaf. As
a background to the scene. the darker from
contrast with the light iuts of the trees and
meadows below. rose the somber screen of
pine forests crowned on the sky line by bare
and brown moors.
In that Northern cline spring fingers on
to the longest day; the celors of the earth
seemed as fresh and pure as those OF the
sea- with infinitely more warmth and vari-
ETY.. Ogivie turned once more TO face the
salt breath OF the Firth. A quarter of a mile
to the westward q crew of fishermen were
beachine their cable and preparing to draw
in their salmon net. Between him and
them his eye caught dark object, bob
bing now on the crest and now in the hollow
of the waves. His first thought was that
1t was a seal; he regretted that he had not
his fathers gun beside him, and then remem-
bered that TO shoot q seal in the water is
bad sport. But this particular specimen
of the phocae was ma king fast for the
shore; there was a twinkle of bare feet on
the sand, the CLEAN of a white shoulder,
and before the onlooker could gather his
wits about him, the sea-maid had emerged
from the foam. and had disappeared in the
deserted bathing house on the beach.
The young man stepped down from the
Witch's Hillock. But il was some minutes
before he could resume his book; the sea-
nympb had turned aside the current of his
dream.
BY and by a sweet voice at his elbow,
with little note of condescension in it,
reused him from his reverie.
what are you readng?''
Adam Ogilvie spraDg to his feet. A
maid who had just entered upon wom-
anhood stood within a yard or two OF
him. She was simply dressed. but there
was about her the air of gentle birth,
and the aspect of one by nature little
Shy and proud. Her hair, still moist
from the sea bath, hung in n fleece of
FURNISHED brown upon her shoulders. OF
her features 0gilvie was at first only
aware OF n pair of startled eyes, of a
blue like that of the sea, She had faDcied
that the form, clad in rough and weii-won
tweed, curled up in the hollow OF sand
hill, was that of some studious herd-boy
or fisher-lad, and was surprised when
a tall young man suddenly stood erect end
looked at her with dark eyes, shining
under bent brows.
Adam lifted his cap and handed the
x-olrp,o to hcr hout vyord