The herald., 1897-12-12

mauna come here. The master has
gotten the possession by evil spirits.
He swears that II a minister come
near him he will brain him, and he has
taken his sword and pistols up into
the garret under the roof, and he cries
out constantly that If any man. stir
him. he will surely die the DEATH"
But" 1 answered, "he will not kill
me, who have had no hand in the mat
ter-me who have also been perse-
cuted by the Presbytery and by them
deposed."
"Ah, laddie." said the old man, shak-
ing his palsied hand warningly at me,
| we little ken the laird II ye think that
when the power O. evil comes over
him, he bides to think. He let's drive
| RIGHT and left and a. that remains Is
to sinder the dead frae the leevin-or
to gather up the fragments that re-
main in baskets and corn bags and sic
| like.
For instance there was Gleg Toshie,
the carrier, that was counted a great
man O. his neives, and at the Carlin's
Cairn Sandy-the laird, mean-cam'
on Toshie spyin' on him, or so he
thocht. And oor maister near ended
him when he laid hand on him.
"'Haud aff.' cried Peter Pearson the
curate. 'Wad We kill the man, Earls-
toun?'
81 wad kill him and eat him too!'
cries the laird, as he ged him aye the
ither drive WI his fist o, he's far
frae canny when he's raised"
Nevertheless, will see him." said
I; Il have my message to deliver"
Then hope and trust ye hae made
your peace WI your maker, for ye will
come doom frae that laft a dead stiff
corp, and that ye'el see."
| By the gate the lady of Earlstoun
was walking to and fro wringing her
hands and praying aloud.
Wrath, wrath, and dismay have
fallen on this house!" she cried. "The
five walls are poured out. And there
yet remains the sixth vial. Sandy,
my man, that 1t should come to this!
That he should take the roofs like a
pelican in the desert and six charges
O. pooder in yon flask, forbye swords
and pistols. And then the swearin'-
nae minced oaths but as braid as the
back O. Cairnsmuir. Waes me for
Sandy, the man O. my choice. A car
nal man was Sandy a. the days O.
him-a man no to be ruled nor yet
spoken to, but rather like q lion to
be withstood. But then a little while
and his spirit would come on him like
the spirit Of little child"
| We could hear as we walked and
communed growing somewhere far
| above like the growing OF a Gagged
wild beast
1T is the spirit of the demoniac
that is come to rend him." she said.
Hear to him; he is hard at it, cursing
the Presbytery and a. ministers. He
Is sorest upon those that he has liked
best, as indeed the possessed ever are.
He says that he knows not why he is
restrained from Draining me, that have
been his wife these many sOrrowful
years. But thus far he hath been
kept from doing any great injury.
Even the servant man that brought
the message from his master, Boyd,
summoning Alexander to appear before
the Presbytery, he cast by main force
into the well. and If the man had not
caught the rope, and so gone down
more slowly to the bottom, he would
surely have been dashed to pieces"
"But how long has he been thus?"
I said, for as we listened quaking, the
noise waxed and grew louder. Then
anon 1t would diminish almost like the
bowling of a dog, most horrid and un-
canny to hear.
Ever since yesterday at the hour
when he gat the summons from the
Presbytery," said the lady Of Earls-
| toun.
And have none been near him since
that timer"
"Only Mary" she said. "she took up
to him a bowl Of broth. For he has
never lifted his hand to her in his life.
He bade her begone quickly, because
he was no fit company for human kind