Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-08-03

| thought we were lost. and catching up
| my cutlass, fell on them in flank.
| But | had no time to be of help. The
wrestler dropped at last: and Alan, leap
| ing back to get his distance, ran upon
| the others like bull roaring as he went.
They broke before him like water turn
ing, and running, and falling one against
another in their haste. The sword
in his hands flashed like quicksilver
into the huddle of our fleeing enc
mics; and at every flash there came
the scream of a man hurt. | was
still thinking we were lost. when
10! they were all gone, and Alan was
driving them along the deck as sheep
dog chases sheep.
Yet he was no sooner out than he was
back again, being as cautious as he was
brave; and meanwhile the Seamen con-
tinued running and crying out as if he
was still behind them; and we heard
them tumble one upon another into the
| forecastle, and clap to the hatch upon
the top.
three We're dead inside, another lay in
his death agony across the threshold;
and there was Alan and | victorious and
unhurt a
He came up to me with open arms.
''Come to my arms!'' he cried, and en-
cheeks. David, said he, Il love you
like brother. And O, man, he cried
in a kind of ecstacy, lam l not = bonny
fghterY'
Thereupon he turned to the four enc
mics, passed his sword clean through each
of them, and tumbled them out of doors.
AS he did so, he kept humming and sing
ing and whistling to himself, like a man
trying to recall an air; only what he was
trying. was to make one. All the while,
the flush was in his face, and his eyes
were as bright as a 5-year7old child's
with a new toy. And presently he sat
| down upon the table, sword in hand; the
air that he was making all the time be-
gan to run little clearer, and then
clearer still; and then out he burst with
! a great voice into Gaelic song.
l have translated it here, not in verse
! (of which I have no skilD but at least
| in the kings English. He sang it often
afterward, and the thing became popu-
lar; so that I have heard it, and had it
explained 20 me. many's the time:
This is the song of the sword of Alan:
! The smith made it,
| The fire set it;
Now it shines in the hand of Alan Breck.
| Their eyes were many and bright,
| Swift were they to behold,
/ Many the hands they guided,
/ The sword was alone.
The dun deer troop over the hill,
They are many, the hill is one;
! The dun deer vanish,
! The hill remains.
Come to me from the hills of heather
| Come from the isles of the sea.
| o far-beholding eagles,
/ Here is your meat.
Now this song which he made (both
words and music in the hour of our vic
tory, is something less than just to me,
| who stood beside him in the tussle. Mr..
| Shuan and five more were either Killed
outright or thoroughly disabled; but OF
these, two fell by my hand, the two that
came by the skylight. -Four more were
hurt. and of that number, one land he
not the least important) got his hurt
from me- So that, altogether, did my
fair share both Of the killing and the
wounding, and might have claimed
place in Alan's verses. But poets las
very wise man once told me) have to
think upon their rhymes; and IN good
prose talk, Alan always did me more
than justice.
In the meanwhile, / was innocent of
any wrong being done me. For not only
[ knew no word of the Gaelic; but what
with the long suspense OF the waiting,
| and the scurry and strain of our two
spirits of fighting, and more than all,
the horror / had of some of my own
share in it, the thing was no sooner over
than | was glad to stagger to seat.
that ! could hardly breathe; the thought
of the two mon ! had shot sat upon me
like Nightmares; and all upon sudden,
| and before | had a guess OF what was
coming. ! began to sob and cry IKE any
child.
Alan clapped my shoulder, and said
was a brave lad and wanted nothing but
a sleep.
'I'll take the first watch" said he.
'Ye'ye done well by me, David, first and
last; and I wouldn't lose you for all
Appin-no, nor for Breadalbane."
So he, made up my bed on the floor,
and took the first spell, pistol in hand
and sword on knee; three hours by the
captains watch upon the wall. Then
he reused me up, and [ took my turn Of
three hours; before the end of which
it was broad day, and very quiet morn
ing, with a smooth, rolling sea that
tossed the ship and made the blood run
to and fro on the roundhouse floor, and
! a heavy rain that drummed upon the
roof. All my watch there was nothing
stirring; and by the banging of the helm,
| knew they had even no one at the
tiller. Indeed Gas [ learned afterward)
they were SO many of them hurt or
dead, and the rest in so i'll temper that
Mr. Riach and the captain had to take
turn and turn Qike Alan and mel, or the
brig might have gone ashore and nobody
the wiser It was a mercy the night
udu IdlleH 81 sui, Luz InC VIM HetA
gone down as soon as the rain began.
Even as it was, l. judged by the waihng
of great number Of gulls that went
crying and fishing round the ship, that
she must have drifted pretty near the
! coast or one of the islands of the Hebri-
des; and at last, looking out of the door
of the roundhouse, l saw the great stone
hills of Skye on the right hand, and, a
little more astern, the strange Isle OF
Rum.
CHAPTER XII
THE CAPTAIN KNUCKLES UNDER.
Alan and [ sat down to breakfast
| Il IL, IL NIo Zoo