The record-union., 1895-06-08

IMAM II seemed TO his CRITICS, who were In
the habit of catching fifty Of such at a
time in their splash nets. and the Pro-
lessor in his trouble forgot that the added
value given it by the fact of his having
been it's captor was value which, though
Immense, was purely subjective, as one
may say, and would appeal but little to
the critics on the bridge.
AS the Professor picked I'D the trout
and came towards them, the clamor sub
sided into silent observation; and this
spectacle of Mr.. Fleg, the incarnation OF
the scientific spirit of the nineteenth
century, approaching, bareheaded and
sGppliant. trout in hand, the throng OF
Gaelic Sabbatarians. was one for the gods
to marvel at.
t'leg looked from one face to the other
of the crOfters. but found small encour-
agement therein; nor did they cast the
covetous eyes he had expected upon his
peace Offering, his trout. He addressed
himself therefore, to the Lowland woman,
whose speech he had at least partially
been able 70 understand.
Pardon me, my dear madam" he said
in his most courteous way, ''if l take the
liberty OF addressing you without intro
duction. Bus might l ask you to favor
me Ply The acceptance OF this"-he held
out his hand-''this"-he failed to lind an
adjective that would express his feelings
"this-tish?"
The Professor felt conscious of a some
thing near akin to bathoS in this oOnclu-
sion, but it is TO be recorded that not q
suspicion OF amusement was to be seen on
any crofter face. The case was far too
serious. To the Professor it seemed to
grow more serious every instant, when
the woman broke forth:
TAX it AVA! Taxi it AVA, ye sinful
mon! Dae ye think tae supperlicate me
wiz the wages o. sin? AVA | tell ye-
AVA! l wad ma touch yer wuckedness
though it were great saumon ltseP
let alone measurable wee bit trootie sic
as you"
Miserable troutie, my good woman"
the Professor began, deeply mortified by
the rejection Of his protfered peace offer
ing anu the insult heaped upon it. But
the woman gave him no chance.
"Dinna We guild woman me! Pll ha'
name o. yer guild womanv Did ma We
KEN" she said, turning on the poor man
tiercely, did ma ye ken it was T. Saw
bath day?"
My good VOL mean" he hastily cor
rected himself, my dear madam. can
very truly assure you that for the mo-
ment had forgotten the fact"
"Guid sakeS save us!"
The woman threw her hands in the air
III plOuS ddhLCuOdts 6ho AOA III w IVA
translated this appalling Intelligence into
Gaelic for the benefit OF the majority, on
which there was q simultaneous ex clama-
ton of horror, and a drawing back from
the Professor as if be had been "laidly
worm" or other uncanny object And a
new aspect was then put on the matter by
the arrival of McBain.
McBain himself. indeed, looked upon
Mr.. Eleg and the tishing-rod and the sea.
trout with grave disapproval. but more
in sorrow than in anger, as he listened
10 the account, given him with many suita-
BILE interjections OF piOus Indignation, of
the Professors enormities.
He looked good deal shocked, and he
paused while, in his Highland way, be-
lore he said anything, turning round and
round his hat, which he held before him
in his hand, as if it were the handle of a
barrel organ to grind out the words with.
Then he addressed himself to he lady
who had been Mr.. Fleg's chief inquis-
itor;
Pm not saying that 1 approve of the
fishing, Mrs. Macpherson-it is q sinful
thing upon the sabbath day. But there
has been worse things done in this town
ship and on this foreshore since this Sab
baJn's dawn, Mrs. Macpherson. See
whether all the black is washed from off
your own hands,"
This address OF McBain's had a won
dertully mitigating effect upon the right
eous wrath OF the lady. Whatever the
color of her hands, her face changed it's
hue and became several shades warmer.
Then she gathered up her kirtle. as one
who would keep herself free from be-
smirching surroundings, and swept, with
her nose alott, over the bridge.
And finding themselves abandoned by
their chief spok esw oman, the rest of the
crowd one by one followed her example,
until Professor F'leg, McBain and the
sea-trout were left alone together.
McBain then explained to the Profess
sor the hidden virtue in his words, by
which he had swept away, as q peat
smoke does a host of midges, the crowd
of Sabbatarians. He explained that the
reference To the possible blackness Of
Mrs. Macpherson's hands was not purely
metaphorIcal. For it 80 happened that
on this Sunday morning McBain had
looked out OF the door of his black house
very early. And his house stood on the
opposite side of the loch from that on
which most of the houses of the township
stood. And as he was admiring the face
of Nature he became aware OF two fig
ures moving upon the shore. and, watch
ing attentively, saw that they were en-
gagged in abstracting as many Jumps of
coal as they could conveniently carry
from q large heap which had been dis
charged Oft q ship the previous day for
the use OF Colonel Burscough's house,
hold. But while McBain put on his
boots-with which, he said. he would
like to have "kicked the thieves sorely'
they went off with their Goals, and
though they were too far off for him to
identity in the dim early light. he was
able to see that they went to Mrs. Mac
cottage.
McBain concluded his explanation by
some general observations on the wick
edness of Sabbath breaking which went
home to the Professors heart. He then
said Good day." leaving the Professor
to gather his hat and his rod and line,
and return to the house with the trout in
his hand and tumult in his heart, which
pletely chastened, in his capture, and
pain at the shock be had inflicted on the
sensiDilitles of these weaker and peat
smoky brethren.
The Professor and Colonel BurscouRh
had met singular man as they came up
by train. He had entered the train at
DingwaL and accompanied them to
Strome Ferry. He WAS a stalwart person
and wore kilt with all Its accessories
and q beard. He carried in his hand all
that he had with him by way of luggage
"a very long and thin box. He put this
under the seat OF the carriage.
He talked very volubly, especially
when he discovered MIR. tleg's interest
and ignorance in fishing. He told tales
of the fishing in Loeb rorridon, a sea-
water loch in the mainland just opposite
the Quirang. in the north OF Skye. I'm
Loeb Torridon," lie said, "the lythe grow
to such prOdigious size that the natives
when they tisn Tor them adopt the fol-
in Of