The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-10-11

The tune the drummers play,
1t amt so very gay,
But rather slow selection from piece that's |
known as 'Saul."
Edgar Wallace in London Chronicle.
ALASTAIR'S CROSS.
"Rise up and come out now; it's 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 fisher
men that stood waiting dourly round
the fast shut door of Ian MaoAlastair' |
cottage, perched, like CULTS nest, on
the ridge of the steep and shining beach |
at Ronaldshay. make haste, man,
make haste, and come along with your
self. It's tired waiting here we are.
faye, aye, it's ready and coming l
am, Macdonald, but hasty work is aye i'll
work, and was saying bit prayer in
an ORA minute here; that was all. "
The door swung open now, and the !
speaker came out into the half light
that sullen moon gave as she slipped
fitfully from cloud to cloud in the
windy sky. A handsome man, this fair
Ian, with eyes as blue as cornflowers,
and 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 neigh,
III tfGa,,,n ant los
tairl' he called, and tall slip of lad
came out and stood waiting by his side.
His father had given him strain of
Danish blood as we'll as Celtic, and his
mother had been kindly Irish of the
Irish But Alastair MacAlastair favored
neither fair Ian nor dark Aileen, for
his eyes were of the sea s shifting color,
and the soft hair under his fisherman S
cap was duslzy red. His eyebrows
were of the darkest, and against the
sunburn of cheek and chin his lips
showed curiously colorless, and in odd
contrast to the sturdy men and strap
ping lads around him was his extreme
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, land the time is here, Ian Mac
Alastair SAYS. And what do you want
of me, neighbors?'
''Go 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. Ibid you pray before you
slept tonight, Alastair? Yes? that's
good. Strip now" His son lifted won
dering eyes to Ian's gloomy face, but
obeyed silently, and presently some one
muttered verse of an old spell song
that changed the wonder in Alastair' s
eyes to comprehension.
Naked hands and naked feet are all that tine
sea has need of;
Naked, oh, 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 Pickering smile
on his pale mouth. sis it to drown my
self you've brought me here or will you
do it, Ian MacAlastair? I'll lift no fin
ger to stop you, for long have l been
knowing was the needless mouth and
the useless hand among you. and my
red head bringing bad luck to your nets
all the summer Only I'd take it kindly
if you would do it quickly, friends-be
cause it's bitter cold it is waiting here. "
"You shall not be waiting long, Alas
tair," Ian said heavily, "and neither
will you drown yourself nor we you.
We will be giving you chance, though
not in Ronaldshay.
"RonaIshay 1 know" Alastair said
quietly, "and it's glad would be if
! you would kill me here with your own
| hand, father Mo- His hand slipped
from his fathers shoulder, "Then have
your will and your way, Ian MacAlas-
tair, I'll not gainsay you. +"
'tThere's the moon, Ian said at last,
"now make ready" He stopped and
dragged some dark object at his feet
little higher up the beach, so that its
lower end only lay in the sea. Alastair
glanced at it and saw that it was tree
trunk, weed covered and barnacle grown
with washing about in heavy seas.
Upon it spar was dashed crosswise.
Alastair looked at it a moment longer,
then, in obedience to gesture from his
father, laid himself down upon it with
his arms outstretched. Then Macdonald
and another man stopped over him,
lashing his feet together and then Sc
curing 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 tightly that Alastair,
after enduring with elinched teeth for a
minute, was forced to cry out. Loosen
it, F" Ian MacAlastair said hoarsely, and
the others obeyed.
81 am safe now," Alastair said, smil-
ing, as they drew back from him for
minute. your knots are fast, Macdon-
aid, and SO are-ahl" They had raised
the cross upright now, and the sudden
strain upon his overweight nerves had
forced another cry from Alastalr, but
the next rough movement he bore in ST.
Ience, and it was with shut lips and
quiet eyes that he endured the sudden
casting out from their midst and smooth
ering splash into deep water
ga boat will be picking you up may
$ be, but you will not be coming back tt
: Ronaldshay, Judas MacAlastairr' Mao
: donald shouted after him, but Alastail
r called no curse back, as those on shore
It half expected. He did not even turn hi
i head to look at the Shore but lay still
a upon his cross, taking with the SAM
u quietness the singing of the salt spra.
d in his eyes and the tingling pain in nj
Q bound limbs.
9 "Naked limbs-the sea has need Of,
;. Alastair whispered presently. docs tn
J, sea want me any more than the lam
!. does, wonder? Oh, but it's cold, coldl'
p shuddering as one wave after anothe
y drove over his naked body. II wish tn
t. wind would rise; then | would get
II chance of drowning. Is that a mutter {
Z thunder? l wish it were. Mother, al
ID YOU sorrowful somewhere for me tt
sr night?' A nearer mutter of thunde
to stopped his murmuring, and the ne1
ID hour laid another cross upon Alastair
is burdened shoulders-the cross of pc
netual tossing aho1t fvnm drowning