The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-06
lASCOTCH LEGEND.


uics . small loch, or tarn, around whicl
fradition has cast a legend of the Older
htme. Situated amid the Grampians, tn
scencry Is wild and rugged, such a seen
amid which the wanderer may pause an,
1eel that the hand Of man has never dis
furbed nature In her solitude.
Years and years ago, when the turbulen
state Of Scotland rendered life and prop
erty insecure, a large amount of trcasur
was supposed to have been thrown int,
the loch, there to escape detection and Z.
await the return of peaceful times to en-
able 1t to be recovered 1t had been thrown
dnto it's hiding place in the night by thos,
who possessed 1t, and the secret had beer
solemnly sworn to on the naked blade OF a
dirk, an old form Of highland oath, held
10 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 ap-
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
the dark water would yet give up the COW.
BY different routes in the lone hours sof
night the holders of the secret assembled
on the shores of this highland tarn and
vainly tried TO reach the bottonI. Eathom
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 that 1t
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 IL.
Nor was it ever again attempted by those
who first essayed 1t. Subsequently, how.
ever, TO their last failure an incident oc-
CURED that in that age of superstition cast
around the loch the weird belief that ID
was haunted.
In "A baronial keep lived a 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 the custom in those days, he had
long been at enmity with q neighboring
chief. But love laughs at highland pride
rs well as at locksmiths. His neighbor
had a 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, |
I'LL, unable TO bear the long, weary weeks |
that occasionally prevented their meetings, |
The young chieftain determined to bearu |
.he lion in his den and demand the hand |
,f his daughter. Accompanied by an cs- |
,ort, he arrived before the drawbridge and |
AN interview with the chief. |
The interview over. the young chicftain,
with heavy heart, recrossed that draw. |
ridge and doffed his bonnet to a fair form |
IN the battlements.
II was some time before they again met.
The chief had used harsh words and harsh |
measures to his daughter, but ''love will |
ind out the way" and at the next meet
ing Of the lovers they had arranged to
elope. The strong power Of woman's love |
ncrycd 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 "a dark November evening about twt
hours after sunset horse bearing tn.
young chicftain and his intended bride
was vending its way with difficulty along
the rugged mountain path amid the dark
ness when the sound OF horses hoofs was
heard. To turn was to encounter foes be
hind as well as 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 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 hao
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 The young
chief felt the fair hand that held his girdlt
tighten as the sound of the horses hoofs
was. heard, but 10 SCREAM, no signs of
fear. All had as yet gone well, when
glcam of moonlight lit up the scene and
revealed "a party of horsemen scarce 30
yards distant. There was no time for dc
liberation. The young chieftain dasheo
his spurs TO his horse, and with 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 firc!' w. the brief command.
AT first the lovers outstrippcd their pur
sucrs. But the double burden began tc
tell ON the young chieftain's horse, and
the distance between lcsscned The CHIEF
was gaining on them at every stride, and
the pale moon still shone ON the scene
Suddenly, as If the earth had opened at
their feet, over the prccipicc that overhaugs
the Lochan Kin Dhoane, lcapcd che hor~
and his riders. An exclamation of horror.
avid yell of agony from the chief as h. |
behcld this fatal leap. A duh, heavy splash |
In the deep, dark water beneath was all |
that responded From that hour IL wa !
as fatal spot.
INC storyof the treasure had been hand. !
ed down from father to son, and "a 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 naked dirk, IL said to have
risen from the water and an uncarthly
voice to have calculated, "Forbear!"-Ex
change.