Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-10-05
rnEHF1a CHAPTER XIII.
CLUNY'S CAGE.

CLUNY'S CAGE.
We came at last to the foot of an cx-
ceedingly steep wood, which scrambled
up scraggy hillside, and was crowned
by a naked precipice.
Its here said one of the guides,
and we struck uphill.
The trees chung upon the slope, like
sailors on the shrouds of ship; and
their trunks were like the rounds of q
ladder, by which we mounted.
Quite at the top, and just before the
rocky face Of the cliff sprang above the
foliage, we found that strange house
which was known in the country as
''Cluny's Cage" The trunks of several
trees had been wattled across, the inter
walls strengthened with stakes, and the
ground behind this barricade leveled up
with earth to make the floor. A tree,
which grew out from the hillside, was
the living center-beam of the roof. The
walls were of waffle and covered with
moss The whole house had something
of an egg-shape; and it half hung, half
stood in that steep, hillside thicket, like
a wasp's nest in a green hawthorn.
Within, it was large enough to shelter
Eve or six persons with some comfort.
A projection of the cliff had been cum
ningly employed to be the fireplace: and
the smoke rising against the face Of the
rock, and being not disimilar in color,
readily escaped notice from below.
This wa but one of Cluny's hiding
places he had caves, besides, and I'M
derground chambers in several parts of
his country; and following the reports
of his scouts, he moved from one to
another as the soldiers drew near or
moved away. By this manner of living,
and thanks to the affection of his clan,
he had not only stayed all this time in
safety, while so many others had fed
or been taken and slain, but stayed
four or five years longer, and only went
to France at last by the express COM
mand of his master. There he soon
died; and it's strange to reflect that he
may have regretted his Cage upon Ben
Alder.
When we came to the door, he was
seated by his rock chimney, watching
gillie about some cookery. He was
mighty plainly habited, with a knitted
nightcap drawn over his ears. and
smoked foul Guilty pipe. For all that
he had the manners of king, and it
was quite a sight to see him rise out of
his place to welcome us
Well, Mr.. Stewart, come AVA sir!"
said he land bring in your friend that
as yet | dinna ken the name of.
And how is yourself, Cluny?" said
Alan. II hope We do brawly, sir. And
am proud to see We, and to present to
We my friend the Laird Of Shaws, Mr..
David Balfour."
Alan never referred to my estate
without touch of sheer, when We
were alone; but with strangers, he rang
the words out like herald.
'Step in by, both of We, gentlemen"
says Cluny. make ye welcome to my
mousse, which is queer rude place for
certain, but one where | have enter
tanned royal parsonage, Mr.. Stewart
We doubtless ken the parsonage | have in
my eve. Well take a dram for luck,
and as soon as this handess man of
mine has the collops ready, we'll dine
and take hand at the cartes as gentle
men should. My life is a bit driagh. ;"
says he, pouring out the brandy; 81 see
little company, and sit and twirl my
thumbs and mind upon great
day that is gone by, and
weary for another great day that we all
hope will be upon the road And so
here's toast to We: The Restora-
toni
Thereupon we ali touched glasses and
drank. | am sure [ wished no i'll to
King George; and if he had been there
himself IN proper person, it's like he
would have done as l did. No sooner
had | taken out the dram than | felt
hugely better, and could look on and
listen, still a little mistily perhaps, but
no longer with the same groundless hor-
ror and distress of mind.
1t was certainly a strange place. and
we had strange host In his long hid
ing, Cluny had grown to have all man
ner of precise habits, like those of an
cid maid He had a particular place,
where no one else must sit the Cage
was arranged in particular way, which
none must disturb cookery was one of
his chief fancies, and even while he
was greeting us in, he kept an eye to the
collops.
1t appears he sometimes visited or re-
eeived visits from his wife and one or
two of his nearest friends, under the
cover of night; but for the most part
lived quite alone, and communicated
only with his sentines and the gillies
that waited on him in the Cage. The
first thing in the morning, one of them.
who was q barber. came and shaved
him, and gave him the news of the coun-
try. of which he was immediately
greedy There was no end to his ques-
tons; he put them as earnestly as a
child. and at some of the answers,
laughed out of all bounds of reason,
and would break out again laughing
at the mere memory after the barber
was gone
To be sure, there might have been a
purpose in his questions for though he
was thus sequestered, and like the 9TH
er landed gentlemen of Scotland.
stripped by the late act OF Parliament
of legal powers, he still exercised a
patriarchal Justice in his clan Disputes