Evening journal., 1898-12-27
CROSS OF AIASTAIR.


that S afoot Ian Ban"
Thus a voice cried aloud from tho mid
most Of a silent group of cragsmen and fish
ermen that stood waiting hourly round the
last-shut door OF Ian MacAlstair's cottage,
rerched, like a gulPs nest on tho ridge Of
10 steep and shining beach at Ronnldshay.
irket haste, man, make hastel ari come
along with yourself; it's tired watu- hare
we are"
AYE, ayel It's ready and comins am,
Macdonald; but hasty work is aye i work,
and / was saying a bit prayer in am ORA
minute here, that was all.' The door swung
open now, and the speaker came out into the
half light that a sulen 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 a yell
low beard that the wind was tossing all ways
at once; but Just now his eyes were dark.
ened aud his face set with the same stern
purpose that made dumb the crowd of kins.
folk and neighbors around him. Come out,
! Alastairl" he called, and 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 favored neither fair Ian nor
| dark Ailecn. 5.
Il am here, he said, speaking in Gaelic, as
he stepped to his fathers side, "and the time
is here, Ian MacAlastair says And what do
you want of me, neighborsw
Go down to the beach, Alastair' his IA
ther said, curtly. And the boy obeyed silent
! ly. When their feet were ankle deep in
water Ian MacAlastair spoke again. Did
you pray before sou slept tonight, Alastairg
Aesy That's good Strip now. His son
lifted wondering eyes 10 lun's gloomy face,
but obeyed silently, and presently some one
muttered verse OF an old spell song that
changed the wonder in Alastairs eyes to
comprehension
Naked hands and naked feet are an that
tho sea has need OF,
Naked oh. the soul must so that the ninth
wave has greed Of;
Naked heart for the stars to sift naked
limbs for tho tide 40 drift
Out from the shore, TO come no more 20 the
hearths that dhe spirit has heed or
When the muimur died Alastair raised his
head and looked round on the darkened
faces with a Pickering smile on his pale
mouth. "Isait to drown myself you've
brought me here, or viii you do IT, Ian Mac
Aastairy Ihlift no finger 70 stop You, for
long have Ibeen 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 i
you would do II quickly, friends because
it's bitter cold it is waiting here
'You shall not be waiting long, Alastair,
Ian said, heavily "and neither will you
drown yourself nor we you; we viii he Civ
ing you chance, though not in Ronald
shay"
''Ronaldshay know" Alastair said
quietly, "and it's glad / would be 4 yot
would kill me here with your own hand, ia
ther-- No--H His hand slipped from hi
fathers shoulder. "rhen have your viii ans
Your way, Ian MacAlastair; III not gainsul
you"
There's the moon." Ian said, at last
"now make ready" He stopped and dragged
some dark object az his feet little highe
I'D the beach, so that it's lower end onl.
lev in the sea. Alastair glanced at 1t ant
saw that it was a tree trunk, weed-coverel
and barnacle.grown with washing about j
heavy SEAS Upon it spar was lnshed cross
wise. Alastair looked att a moment longer
then in obedience to a gesture from his "a
ther laid himself down upon 10 with Ia
arms ontstretched Then Macdonald an
enother man stopped over him, lnshing hi
feet together, and then securing his arm
tc the crosspiece just above the elbows. Tw
stout ropes held him by the shoulders an
went over his body, crossing on the breast
and these were drawn 30 tightly tina
Alastair, after enduring with clenched icet
for minute, was forced 10 cry out. Loose
IT," Ian MacAlastair said, hoarsely, and th
others obeyed.
II am safe now" Alastair said, smiling a
they drew back from him for minut,
"Your knots are fast, Macdonald, and so an
--ahl" They had raised the cross uprigh
now, and the sudden strain upon hu ovel
wrought nerves had forced another cry iroi
Alastair, but the next rough movement IA
bore in silence, and il was with shut lir
n and quiet eyes that he cnduredthe sudde
). casting out from their midst and smotherin
o splash into deep water.
v "A boat viii be picking you up, maybe
but you viii not be coming back TO Ronal,
I, shay, Judas MacAlastair,N Macdonald shou
N ed after him, but Alastair called no ours
back as those on shore half expected, II
= did not even turn his head to look at Oh
u shore. but lay still upon his cross takin
e with the same quietness the stinginc Of Oh
" salt spray in his eyes aud the tingling pai
Y in his bound limbs.
Il 'Naked limbs-the sea has need Of, a
p astair whispered presently. "Does the 50
/, want me any more than the land does,
!. wonders Oh but it's cold cold, coldl
= shuddering as one wave after another dro,
q over his naked body. Il wish the win
would rise; then ] would get a chance
e drowning. Is that a mutter of thunder?
IA wish it were. Mother, are you sorrowfi
h. somewhere for me tonight A nearer mu
m ter of thunder stopped his muimuring. an
the next hour laid another cross upon A
astair's burdened shoulders-the cross
+ perpetual tossing about from drowning
p life, as the big seas lifted him now. and no
- broke over him IN a clatter Of yellow foal
It When the stress Of the storm went by
q. astair had tainted, but presently the spla.
II of some tossing wreck upon his naked brca
n brought him knowledge Of hunger and co
! and pain.
J 'The FISH viii be plenty next cast, L
4 thinking Alastair gasped, as he tried
shake the drenched hair from his eyes. E"
only the sea won't cast me up at their vel
l- doors-or then they win be thinking I'd
1T coming back again to haunt them Is COZ
IS ing loose 1 amp The rope had slipped fro
2. his right arm, leaving it free, and the ne
m wave flung him against a sharp p-edged roc
bruising his free arm on the small sha