Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-11-26
.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
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 MacAlastair's
COTTAGE perched, like gulls nest, on
the ridge of the steep and shining beach
at Ronaldshay. "Make haste, man,
make haste, and come along with your
self. 1t S tired waiting here we are"
"Aye, aye. it's ready and coming I
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 IA sullen moon gave as she slipped
titfully from cloud to cloud in the
windy sky. A handsome man, this fair
Ian, with eyes as blue as cornfowers,
and Il yellow beard that the wind was
tossing all ways at once, but just now
his eyes We're darkened and his face set
with the same stern purpose that made
uullib tiiS Nlo"t VI anu uSlSu-
bors around him. Come out. Alas
tairn' he called, and tall slip of lad
came out and stood waiting by his side.
His father had given him a 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
,e l,o 80 IL;
and the soft hair under his fisherman S
cap was a dusky 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?"
eco down to the beach, Alastair,"
his father said curtly, 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 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 apprehension.
Naked hands and naked feet are all that the
sea has need of;
Naked oh, the soul must go that the ninth
wave has greed ofl
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 f1ickering smile
on his pale mouth. els it to drown my
self you've brought me here or will you
do it, Ian MacAlastair? I'll lift no fin
scr to stop you, for long have l been
knowing l was the needless mouth and
the useless hand among you, and my
red head bringing bad luck to your nets
0iA UiC suhiiiiOi' Nhiy L u tahO AZ hlAuly
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."
"Ronalshay l know" Alastair said
quietly, land it's glad 1 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, III not gainsay you"
"Theres 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 i'll heavy seas.
Upon it spar was lashed crosswise.
Aiastair looked at it q moment longer.