The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-10-05

7
/ body, crossing on tho breast, and these
were drawn so tightly that Alastair,
after enduring with clinched teeth for u
minute, was forced to cry out. Loosen
! It,, Ian MaoAlastair said hoarsely, and
The others oheyed
81 am safe now, Alnstair said, smil-
| ing, as they drew back from him for
minute "Your knots are fast, Maedon-
aid, and so are--ah y They had raised
the cross upright now, and tho sudden
strain upon his overwrought nerves had
forced another cry from Alastair, but
tho next rough movement he bore in 81
lenee. and it was with shut lips and
quiet eyes that he endured tho sudden
casting out from their midst and smoth-
ering splash into deep water.
= boat will be picking you up may
be, but you will not be coming back to
Ronaldshay. Judas Mac Alastairt" Mae.
donald shouted after him. but Alastair
called no CURSE back, as those ON shore
half expected He did not even turn his
head TO look at the shore, but lay still
upon his cross, taking with the same
quietness the singing of tho salt spray
III his eyes and the tingling pain in his
bound limbs.
Naked limbs--the sea has need of, 3"
Alastair whispered presently Does tho
sea want mo any more than the land
does Iwonder? Oh, but it's cold cold |"
shuddermg rs one wave after another
drove over his naked body. II wish tho
wind would rise; then | would get a
chance of drowning IL that mutter Of
thunder | wish 1t were Mother, arc
you sorrowful somewhere for mo to.
night" A nearer mutter of thunder
stopped his murmuring and tho next
hour laid another Cross upon Alastair's
burdened shoulders-the cross of per
petual tossing about from drowning To
life as the big seas lifted him now and
now broke over him In CHATTER of vel.
low foam When tho stress of tho storm
went by. Alastair had tainted, but pres
emily the splash of some tossing wraolS
upon his naked breast brought him to n
knowledge o. hunger and cold and pain.
Tho fish will be plenty noxt cast.
I'm thinking, Alastair gasped as no
tried to shake the drenehed hair from
his eyes. ''lf only the sea won't cast
me up at their very doors---or then they
will he thinking I'd be coming back
again To haunt them. Is 1t coming loose
amf' The ropo had slipped from his
right arm, leaving ii free and tho next
wnve flung him against "a sharp edged
rock, bruising his free arm ON the small
sharp shells that covered it. But Alas
IN 4i..p., agNf -, L..
in his face that would not fade for all
tho pain of torn flesh and nerves, and
presently he found what no was seeking
Ia creyioe through which no could
thrust his fingers. When his hand was
fixed fast in the Jagged hole. tho light
deepened and eoftened in Alastair face.
This IL good this Is better" he
Whispered, Ethan tho open sen and still
this will not hurt my own folk for this
rock Is not Ronaldshny. Kind,
kind after all, AFRO You, sen O mo, kind
or thlal dM9d hopo YOU 4 DO. " And
tiuw L big WsruHn ns.sl I'm Kartiy and
turned him over ON his face, still an
chured to the rock by his night hand
Tho weight of the GROSS on his bacf
pressed him down an arms length, no
more, and then the sea that no had
loved very gently took the soul of Alns-
tair MuoAlastair to itself
At long last fishermen from tho liz
land of Ebay found him. still bound to
his cross.
Though they We're afraid To tal;o the
drowned lad aboard their boat, lest they
should suffer in their horring harvests,
them and buried cross and all in their
windy hill graveyard where lie those
few men Of Ebay that tho sea has not
drowned.
And the story Of Cross Alastair Is IA
woeful story III the North isles to this
day-BlaGk and White