The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-09-28
ALASTAIR'S CROSS
BY NORA HOPPER.
I'D Use up and come out now, it's

N a bonny night for us, indeed
and for the work that's afoot, Ian
Ban Thus a voice cried aloud from
the midmost of the silent group of
cragsmen and fishermen hat stood
waiting dourly round the fast-shut
door of Ian MacAlastair's cottage,
perched, like a CULTS nest, on the
ridge of the steep and shining beach
at Ronaldshay. "Make haste, man,
make haste! and come along with
yourself; it's tired waiting here we
are"
SAY, ay! it's ready and coming I
am, Macdonald; but hasty work is aye
i'll work, and l was saying a bit prayer
in an ORA minute here, hat was ALL"
The door swung open now, and the
speaker came out into the half-light
hat a sullen moor gave as she slipped
titfully from cloud to cloud in the
windy sky. A handsome man, this fair
Ian, with eyes as blue as ~cornf1owers,
and a yellow beard that the wind was
tossing all ways at once; but just now
his eyes were darkened and his face
set with the same stern purpose that
made dumb the crowd of kinsfolk and
neighbors around him. "Come out,
Alastair!" he called, and a tall slip of
a lad came out and stood waiting by
his side. His father had given him a
strain of Danish blood as well as Celtic,
and his mother had been kindly Irish
of the Irish. But Alastair MacAlastair
favoured neither fair Ian nor dark
Aileen, for his eyes were of the seas
shifting color, and the soft hair under
his fsherman's cap was a dusky red;
his eyebrows were of the darkest, and
against the sunburn of cheek and chin
his lips showed c~uriously colorless, and
in odd contrast to the sturdy men and
strapping lads around him was his ex-
treme slenderness of build, in spite of
the rough blue clothes which seemed
almost to hide him.
81 am here" he said, speaking in
Gaelic, as he stepped to his fathers
side, "and the time is here, Ian Mac
Alastair says. And what do you want
of me, neighbors?"
$50 down to the beach, Alastair," his
father said, CURLY. And the boy
obeyed silently. When their feet were
ankle-deep in water Ian MacAlastair
spoke again. "Did you pray before
you slept tonight, Alastair? Yes?
That's good. Strip now" His son
lifted wondering eyes to Ian's gloomy
face, but obeyed silently, and presently
some one muttered a verse of an old
spell-song that changed the wonder in
Alastair's eyes to comprehension.
Naked hands and naked feet are all that
the sea has need of,
Naked o! the soul must go that the Ninth
Wave has greed Of;
Naked heart for the stars to sift, naked
limbs for the tide to drift
Out from the shore, to come no more to
the hearths that the spirit has heed
Of"
When the murmur died Alastair
raised his head and looked round on
the darkened faces with a Pickering
smile on his pale mouth. "It is to
drown myself you've brought me here,
or will you do it, Ian MacAlastair?
I'll lift no finger to stop you, for long
nave 1 been knowing l was the need
less mouth and the useless hand
amongst you; and my red head bring
ing bad luck to your nets all the sum
mer. Only I'd take it kindly if you
would do it quickly, friends-because
it's bitter cold it is waiting here"
"You shall not be waiting long,
Alastair," Ian said, heavily, land
neither will you drown yourself nor we
you; we will be giving you a chance,
though not in Ronaldshay."
"~Ronaldshay l know" Alastair said,
quietly, land it's glad l would be if
you would kill me here with your own
hand, father-No-?" His hand
slipped from his fathers shoulder.
''Then have your will and your way,
Ian MacAlastair; I'll not g~ainsay you"
'"There's the moon," Ian said at last,
''now make ready" He stopped and
dragged some dark object at his feet
a little higher up the beach, SO that
it's lower end lay in the sea. Alastair
glanced at it, and saw that it was a
tree-trunk, weed-covered and barnacle-
grown with washing about in heavy
seas. Upon it a spar was dashed cross
wise. Alastair looked at it a moment
longer, hen in obedience to a gesture
from his father laid himself down upon
it with his arms outstretched. Then
Macdonald and another mar stopped
over him, flashing his feet together,
and then securing his arms to the
crosspiece just above the elbows. Two
stout ropes held him by the shoulders
and went over his body, crossing on the
breast, and these were drawn so tight
ly hat Alastair, after enduring with
clenched teeth for a minute, was forced
to cry out. Loosen it," Ian Mac
Alastair said. hoarsely, and the others
obeyed.
II I'M safe now" Alastair said, smil-
ing, as they drew back from him for
q minute. Your knots are fast, Mac
donald, and SO are-ah!" They had