The times., 1897-12-05


DuCI Lad come at such costto DO m,
duty.
80 l tegan TO mount tie last stairs
| Winch Were oi hooa anu eACeeuIngI9 mar
row and precipitious.
linen ior the az lme, / could hear tn,
words or the possessed:
CasU into deepest nell, Lord, il an
power is left IN Inee, the wnoie T. faesi,y
terry OF KiTkcudDrlght! set thy dogs upo
/ them, o Satan, prince OF evil for tney hay
! worked III VIII and niscnieT upon earth
! Specially and particularly gle a Anureys anne
ron ms palasl kuDlhe Ilery uriuiston iafnt
into his bones, like salt into new killet
SWINE. ScoWuer MIN wIeu rons heated
white hot. Tear his inward parts witt
Twice barDed hooks. Gle Niuiaal Boyo
! his bellyfGi Of curses. Turn him as oiJel
on Thy roasting-spit as ne has turned hii
! coat on the earth. Brighten Wee Telrail
| va his uncanniesU o. a thy aeils iups
And as for tue rest OF them, may tney burr
| back and front, Ingate and Outgate, hide
halr ana harrlgais, tiil there is nocnt left o
THEM but wee pluff o ash, that could
hold like snuff between my fingers and
thumb ana biaw away like the wiite head
o a dandelion."
He came TO an end for lack OF breath
and Gould he arhin stirres st.essly, thinking
perhaps, that he had omitted Some O
y
fuller and more decorated cursing.
'AieXander Uoruon, L have cCme to
speak with you!',
who are you that dares give gaff with
Alexander Gordon this day"
II am Quintin Mac Ciellan, minister
OF the gospel III Balmaghle, friend u
Alexander Gordon
"Get you gone, Quintin Mac Clellan.
while ye may. / have no desire for fellow.
ship with You. You are also Of the crew of
Heil-the black corbies that cry 'Glonk
Glonki over the carcass Of puir perishIne
Scotland
Harken, Alexander Gordon" said +
from the LADDERS foot, II have been your
friend. have sat at your table. a word
is given me TO speak 70 you, and speak il
/ Will"
And also have gun here that has
message rammed down its thrappIe
III ye trouble me at all with any oi
your elayers, ye shlaI get that message
lrae from the black Jaws OF beii-mCut t.eC
Mirren."
And as / looked up the wooden ladder
which led into the dim garret above me,
saw peeping through the angle OF the
square trap-door above me the wicked
snout OF the musket, while behind, mar
rowed TO slit, glinted through Iuist Of
beard and hair the eye of Sandy Gordon.
e may shoot me II ye will, Alexander, =
said /; II am a man unarmed, and stand
within your danger. But listen first to
that which have to say.
Lou are great man, laird OF Earls-
toun. e have come through much and
seen many peoples and heardmany tongues
\ e have been harTled by the Malignants,
prisoned by the Kings men, and now the
Presbytery have taken turn at you, even
as they did Ut lie, and for the same reason.
tit Int rseua. Iai .sgDun aifi
William Boyd mine enemy. Therefore he
was glad to Ia Ike up lying eport against
you that are my comrade. For such is hi:
nature. Can the SOW help her foulnesS
the crow his color? Forbye, we have given
some room for the enemy to speak re-
proachfully. You, an elder OF the Hill
Folk, have colo gued in the place or drink
ing with the enemies OF our cause. They
laid snare for your feet, and, like a
simple fool, ye fell therein
The deep voice interrupted me.
WHO are you that have entered into
mine house of EaTlStoun To Teproach me-
Is Alexander Gordon BARN TO be hanieC
by BARNS that We're kicking in swaddling
ciouts and buttock hippens when lie was
at the head of the Seven Thousand? AND
who may you be? a deposed minister, a
college jackdaw, whom the other DAVIS
have warned from the steeple. l win
not kill you, Quintin Mac Clellan, but L
bid YOU eYade anu depart, TOT the spirit
has hidden me fire shot at the place where
ye standp'
''Ye may fire your piece and slay your
friend on the threshold of your house,
laird of EaIIstoun," cried /, but ye shall
never say that he was man unfaithful,
a man afraid Of the face of .aenl"
stand from under, say9"
Nevertheless I did not move, for there
grew stubbornness within me as there
had done when the Presbytery set them
selves to veX me.
Then there befeIl what seemed to be
a mighty clap of thunder. A blast OF
windy heat spat in nay face. Something
tore at the roots OF my hair. Fire singed
my brow, and the reek of sulphur rose
Sitting in my nostrils.
The denon-poSsesSed had fired upon me.
For a moment / knew not whether was
stricken or no. For there grew a pain hot
as fireat my head. But stood where was
till, in a little, the smoke began lazily to
clear through the trap door into the garrett.
| put my hand TO my head and felt that
my brow was wet and gluey. Then |
thought that l was surely sped, for knew
that men stricken in the brain by musket
shot ofttines scarce feel their wound. l
understood not till later how that the reason
OF my escape-which was that the balls of
Earlstoun's S fusil had no time to spread, but
passed as one through my thick hair.
snatching a il and tearing the scalpas they
passed,