The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-03
"A SCOTCH LEGEND.

\ y
mountains and miles LIN any habintion
lies = small ioch, or taxn, around which
tradition has cast a legend Of the olden
time. Situated amid the Gampians, the
scenery Is wild and rugged, such SCENE
amid which the wanderer may pause and
feel that the hand of man has never dis
tllrbed nature in her solitude.
Years and years ago, when the turbulent
state Of Scotland rendered life and prop.
erty insecure, a large amount Of treasure
was supposed to have been thrown into
the loch, there to escape detection and to
await the return Of peaceful times to en-
able it to be recovered 1t had been thrown
into its hiding place in the night by those
who possessed it, and the secret had been
solsmnly sworn to on the naked blade of
dirk, an old form Of highland oath, held
to be binding and sacred. Time passed,
and quiet times or necessity induced those
who held the secret to attempt to recover
the treasure. In those primitive days sp-
pliances were limited, and the first at.
tempt failed from inability to reach the
bottom. Months were spent In the manu-
facture Of rope from hides In hopes that
tho dark water would yet give up the GOV.
eted treasllreit held within It's lnky depths
By different routes in the lone hours OF
night the holders Of the secret assembled
on the shores of this highland tarn and
vainly tried to reach the bottom. Fathom
after fathom went down, but TO no avail
Again and again, with increased lengths
of rope, did these midnight seekers after
gold prosecute their task, but to end in
disappointment. The loch yielded nothing
save now the almost certain fact thai II
was unfathomable.
Years rolled away and no further at
tempts were made, since, dispirited, they
agreed to abandon the hopeless toll Of try.
ing to fathom Lochan Kin Dhoan, or the
bottomless loch, as they then styled It,
Nor was it ever again attempted by those
who first essayed it, Subsequently, how.
ever, to their last failure an incident &C.
CURED that in that age of superstition cast
around the loch the weird belief that 1t
was haunted.
In baronial keep lived chief in all
the rude pomp of feudal pride. His lady
had died and left an only daughter, who,
now grown up to womanhood, presided
over the household. Her fathers temper
was naughty and imperious, and he ruled
every one around him with stern sway.
As was tho custom in those days, he had
long been at enmity with neighboring
chief But love laughs at highland pride
as well as at locksmiths. His neighbor
had son, who became enamored of the
maiden. But how was the fatal gulf of
feudal strife to be bridged? Time went
on. Stolen interviews, when by accident
they met, or when her father was absent,
were all that the young hearts could CLEAN
from the stern hate of both the parents,
| till, unable to bear the long, weary weeks
| that occasionally prevented their meetings,
| the young chiCftain determined to beard
| the lion in his den and demand the hand
of his daughter. Accompanied by an es.
| cort, he arrived before the drawbridge and
| demanded an interview with the chief
| The interview over, the young cheftain,
with heavy heart, recrOssed that draw.
bridge and doffed his bonnet to fair form
on the battlements.
! 1t was some time before they again met.
The chief had used harsh words and harsh
measures to his daughter, hut "love will
find out the way" and at the next meet.
ing of the lovers they had arranged to
elope The strong power of woman's love
nerved her for the deed. The heartless
home she was about to leave seemed to
palliate the act The temporary absence
Of the old chief afforded opportunity
On dark November evening about two
hours after sunset horse bearing the
young chieftain and his intended bride
was vending its way with difficulty along
the rugged mountain path amid the dark.
l tl., of ia
heard To turn was to encounter foes be.
hind us well us in front, if foes they were,
as doubtless the flight of the lady had been
discovered at the castle Besides the nature
Of the ground and darkness rendered flight
hopeless. To move Il little to the side and
quietly await the chance of being passed
in the darkness was all that now remained
to the youthful lovers. The night had
hitherto been dark but still The wind
was now sweeping over the bleak moor
and hurrying the black clouds across the
sky with increasing violence. Tbs young
chief felt the fair hand that held his girdle
tighten as the sound of tho horses hoofs
was heard, but no scream, no signs of
fear. All had as yet gone well, when a
CLEAN of moonlight lit up the scene and
revealed u party of hOrsemen scarce 80
yards distant There was no time for de-
liberation, The young chieftnin dashed
his spurs to his horse, and with a bound
the noble animal was crossing the now
moOnlit moor at full speed hotly pursued
by the chief and his party Capture but
don't fire." was the brief command.
At first the lovers outsUripped their pur.
suers. But the double burden began to
tell ON the young chitGtain's horse, and
the distance between lesscnCd The chief
was gaining on them ut every stride, and
the pale moon still shonc on the scene.
Suddenly. as If the earth had opened at
their feet over the precipicc that ovcrhangs
tho l.oChan Kin Dhoane, lcapCd the horse
and his riders. An exclamation of horror,
wild yell of agony from the chief as he
bChcld this fatal leap A dnlI, heavy splash
in the deep, dark water beneath was all
that responded. From that hour it was
Stunned AS II fatal spot
The story OF the 1reasuro had been hand
ed down from father to son, and party
Of stout hearts again resolved to brave the
dangers that surrounded the scene of the
hidden gold a night was fixed But
scarce had the task begun ere an arm and
hand, holding a naked dirk, is said to have
risen from the water and an uncarthly
voice to have calculated, "Forbear Tx.
change.