The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-24
The Witch of Ben-y-GIoe.

4
The most formidable. perhaps. of the IN
eartnly beings who people the deer-forests
az all events in the central districts of Scot
and, was the witch of Ben-y-Gloe, which is
| the highest peak in the forest of Athole.
| ms amiable enchantress, whose Diet con-
! sisted principally of live snakes, delighted
in every kind of evil-do;ng, but N none
| more than IN assisting mortals TO crafty
/ the passion of revenge Upon one occa-
| sion her aid was invoked by the Earl of
Athoie's cupbearer, whose son, a robber,
| had been executed by the Earl The witch
promised TO abet his schemes of vengeance
in three ways. She prevented him with
certain herbs, which. il gwen 10 his mas
ter's horse, should so madden the animal
| that it would dash out its riders brains
She further gave him deadly poison TO
put in the Earrs cup; and. lastly, she un-
dertook, failing in these devices, TO con-
ceal the cup-bearer IN the Earfs bedroom
SO that he might stab him in his sleep. She
cl.nched the matter by vow:ng the most
horrid vengeance upon any one who. hav-
ing heard her secret, should venture to
| disclose it before St. Andrews day.
The EarFs page had happened to over
hear what was passing, and was much puz-
zled how to save his master on the one
hand, and how to elude the witch's re-
sentiment on the other, II he dared 10 G.
yulge the plot. King James V. and his
court, ii should be said. were paying a
visit at the time to the Earl, who enter
tanned them with what Captain Costigan
called 'princelee hosptal:tee," and indeed
HAD built palace especially for their recep-
ton. When on the following day the cup
bearer as usual proffered the Earl his
morning" ''Hold!' exclaimed Willie the
page, and pray 10 the saints that their
blessing may attend the days sport" The
Earl accordingly fell on his knees. when,
TO his great astonishment, the goblet in
stantly broke into a thousand pieces. But,
the King being mounted, there was no
time for commentary or delay. The
Earrs fiery steed is brough round: he
makes ready to mount, but has scarcely
set fot in stirrup when the twang of a
bowstr.ng is heard, and the horse falls
dead, pierced to the heart by the pages
arrow. The natural annoyance of the
naughty noble at such an occurrence is
not sensibly diminished W:ll.e's somewhat,
lame excuse that he yhad been shooting
at an eagle and missed his mark, and It
might have gone hard with the DO but for
the timely intervention of the queen mother.
The cup-bearer was now left. so 10
speak with but one string to his bow.
That night at the banquet the King was
summoned to the south TO meet the Eng
lish foe, and set out forthwith, bidding his
host follow in the morning with his tail"
The Earl was on the point of retiring TO
his room, where the cup-bearer and his
friend, the witch, were carefully conceal
ed. when the page. at his wits end how
to avert the dreaded catastrophe, made the
brilliant. though somewhat extravagant
suggestion that the place should be set on
fire by way of providing the K:nk with
bonfire or beacon TO guide his steps
through the darkness. The Earl, like
loyal vassal jumped at the idea, which
was promptly put into execution. The
cup-bearer persisted miserably in the
flames; the witch escaped, uttering loud
excavations. in a column OF smoke; and
the page when st. Andrews day had
come and gone, told everything, and was
suitably rewarded with an estate and
bride. The last year in which the witch
of Ben-y-Gloe is known to have held con-
verse with men was 1773. the very same
in which DR.. Samuel Johnson safely ac-
complshed his celebrated tour to the Heb
rides Chamber journal.