Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-09-07

q gentleman, 1t WOulu not UC Ill LILY OWA
country, to bring trouble on my clan;
and / would not go wanting sword and
gun, and with a long hshing-rod upon
my back: >,
''And now. continued Alan. taking
out his dirk and laying his hand upon it
in a certain manner, Il swear upon the
Holy Iron l had neither art nor part, act
nor thought in it"
81 thank God for that" cried |, and
offered him my hand.
He did not appear to see 1t.
And here is a great deal Of work
about Campbell said he. "They are
not so scarce, that I ken.'
''At least" said [, ''you cannot justly
blame me, for you know very well what
you told me in the brig. But the temp
tation and the act are different, [ thank
God again for that. We may all be
tempted; but to take a life in cold blood,
Alanv' And | could say no more for
the moment. "And do you know who
did it?'' / added do you know that
man in the black coat?'
81 have nae clear mind about his coat.
said Alan, cunningly; ''but it sticks i'll
my head that it was blue
''Blue or black, did We know him =
' 4 couldnae just conscientiously swear
to him." said Alan. "He gaed very close
by me. to be sure, but it's a strange
thing that / should just have been tying
my brogues."
''Can you swear that you don't know
him, Alan? | cried, half angered, half
in mind to laugh at his evasions.
'Not yet says he; "but I've a grand
memory for forgetting, David"
''And yet there was one thing saw
clearly" said I; ''and that was, that you
exposed yourself and me to draw the
soldiers
Its very likely" said Alan; "and so
would any gentleman. You and me were
innocent of that transaction
''The better reason, since we. were
falsely suspected, that we should get
clear" 1 cried ''The innocent should
surely come before the guilty"
'Why, David" said he, "the innocent
have aye a chance to get assoiled in
court; but for the lad that shot the bull
let, / think the best place for him will
dipped their hands in any little difficulty.
should be very mindful of the case of
them that have And that is the good
Christianity For it was the other way
round about, and the lad whom / could
nae just clearly see had been in our
shoes. and we in his Gas might very we'll
have been), think we would be good
deal obliged to him ourseFs if he would
draw the soldiers"
When it came to this, / gave Alan up.
But he looked so innocent all the time,
and was in such clear good faith in what
he said, and SO ready to sacrifice himself
for what he deemed his duty, that my
mouth was closed. Mr.. Netherlands
words came back to me: that we our
Highlanders. Well. here | had taken
mine. Allan's morals were all tail-frst;
but he was ready to give his life for
them. such as they were.
ALAN" said l, ''I'll not say it's the
good Christianity as | understand it, but
it's good enough. And here | offer We
my hand for the second time"
Whereupon he gave me both of his,
saying surely | had cast spell upon
him, for he could forgive me anything.
Then he grew very grave and said we
had not much time to throw away, but
must both flee that country; he,
because he was a deserter, and the
searched like a chamber, and every
one obliged to give a good account of
himself; and /, because / was certainly
involved in the murder
COP says /. willing to give him a
little lesson, Il have. no fear of the
justice of my country
CAS- if this was your country!' said he.
"Or as if We would be tried here, in
country of Stewartsv'
cts all Scotland" said I.
''Man [ whites wonder at ye'' said
Alan. ''This is Campbell that's been
killed Well, it'll be tried in Inverara,
the Campbells' head place; with fifteen
gest Campbell Of all land that's the
duke sitting cooking on the bench.
Justice, David? The same justice, by
all the world, as Glenure found a while
ago at the roadside"
This frightened me a little, [ confess,
and would have frightened me more if
/ had known how nearly exact were
one point that he exaggerated, there be-
ing but eleven Campbells on the jury:
though as the other four were equally
in the dukes dependence, it mattered
less than might appear. STILL cried
out that he was unjust to the Duke of
Argyle, who (for all he was Whig)
was yet a wise and honest nobleman.
'.Hoot!'' said Alan, ''the mans a Wing,
nae doubt; but / would never deny he
was a good chieftain to his clan And
what would the clan think if there was
a Campbell shot, and naebody hanged.
and their own chief the justice general?
But | have often Observed says Alan,
clear idea of what's right and wrong"
AT this [ did at last laugh out aloud:
when to my surprise, Alan Joined in and
laughed as merrily as myself.
INA, ma said he, we're in the HE
lands, David; and when | tell We to run,
take my word and run. Nae doubt it's
a hard thing to slulk and starve in the
heather, but it's harder vet to lie shack
led in a red-coat prison."
asked him whittier we should fee:
and as he told me ''to the Lowlands.'
I was a little better inclined to go with
him; for indeed / was growing impatient
to get back and have the upper hand Of
my uncle. Besides Alan made so sure
there would be no question of justice u
the matter. that [ began to be afraid
he might be right. Of all deaths, [
would truly like least to die by the gal
lows; and the picture of that uncanny
instrument came into my head with eX-
traordinary clearness las / had once seen
it engraved at the top of peddler's
BALLAD and took away my appetite for
courts of justice.
"I'll chance it, Alan" said I. ell
go with you"
"But mind you" said Alan, cts no
small thing. Ye maun lie bare and hard.
and brook many an empty belly. Your
bed shall be the moorcock's, and your
life shall be like the hunted deer's, and
va shall S1nan with yOTT hand 11nOn vO11r