, 1898-11-21
knew ne was come at last she almost

knew he was come at last she almost
swooned away with joy.
"But at the sight OF his face when he
came in she caught her hand to her
heart with terror, FOR he was walking
like a man asleep, and the eyes of him
seemed to be looking through every
thing into some place far away-into
Tir-nan-Og perhaps. A dead silence fell
upon all that were in the place as he
walked slowly into the middle of the
barn. He was carrying a set Of pipes
that no one there had eve seen the like
Of. They would have served the piper Of
the prince his own self. God bless him !
:He put the chanter to his lips and
began to play the most wonderful and
| terrible piece of music that ever has
been heard in Scotland, or perhaps III
the whole earth besides. All the time
he was playing those who were listen
ing could see what the music was tell
ing about, and that was a great clan
battle that must have happened hun
dreds of years ago-in Fionn MacCum-
halls time-up there on top Of Ben
| Mhor.
First it was Just the moor, lying
very hot in the sun, with the bees hum.
ming along the heath bells. and the
young things of the moor fowl talking
to themselves among the heather stalks.
Very sleepy and quiet it was, and the
moor was making the little noises it
does make on the very hot days, and
yet east wind was creeping over the
heath from the sea, very gentle Il
lonely and tired, making a white shin
ing all over the moor, with a gray blue
clear SKY above.
"Then, from very far off down the
wind there came the notes of a clan
march. 1t came nearer and nearer. 1t
was an old, old march, forgotten. along
with the clan that had owned it, for
generations past, and the clan came
marching over the brow and took the
battle order upon the moor, and stood
waiting, while from the opposite side
another clan came up and took the bat
tie array over against them. The duinhe-
wassel and the men were waiting for
the word of onset, stamping in the
heather and snuffing the wind with the
battle madness coming upon them.
"Then there came a dead pause for
one long moment, while the hearts of
all stood still. 1t is at a time like that,
you will have been observing, that very
email things seem as great as the whole
world, and a man will be watching a
bee upon a flower, or perhaps counting
the squares of his breacan, while his
soul is gathering herself together for the
coll that Sc cp~,tnu nypp hnr nxnp tb,v
and instantly.
"Then there was II awesome scream
from the pipes, the yell of the fighting
men cleft the clouds. and with the rush
of driven stays the two lines swung to-
gether. Their meeting was the meeting
of "A wind maddened tide and q flooded
| river. The targets roared together. The
short, sharp shrieks of combat went up
amid the deadly crashing of the clay.
mores and axes upon the helmets and
shields. The heavy, dull groans of death
were heard, and the thick. dark blood
ran into the black, hot ground among
the stalks of the heather, and over the
heads of the fighters the wild people of
the glen were s%hrieking in a black cloud,
their red eyes glared from among its
blackness, and the pipes were scream-
ing like engles down IL storm wind.
changing and ringing, crying and call
ing.
"And then the pibroch suddenly ceas-
ed-just ceased and no more. leaving
the world seeming strange without il.
"For a moment there was u dead ST.
lence in the barn. Then a BARN burst
out crying in terror, and the spell was
broken. All made the holy sign upon
them, and the women draw together in
fear, while the men we've crowding
round Dougal, questioning him. To
small purpose was their questioning, for
| there he stood answering nothing, with
the strange look still in his eyes, like a
man bewitched.
"But Helen Cameron rose up very
| white and came to him and took the
Daoine SHE pipes from his shoulder.
and, crossing the room, flung them into
the great fire. 1t was Il dead, still night,
as / have said. Yet, rs she did so. a
great blast Of wind came that shook the
stone walls of the house. The fire flash
ed high, blazing and roaring for an in
slant. Then it died down, and the pipes
of magic were gone. The blast passed
on over the moor, full of shrieks and
laughter, and Doueal came back to him
self, with Helen Cameron weeping upon
his neck.
"But it was long ere he would tell
how he came by the pibroch that won
him his bride, for Duncan Cameron
stood to his word, and they were mar.
ried as soon as Dougal had made his
shrift for his dealings with the Daoine
SHE. He had the desire of his heart,
and ever throve thereafter, but never
could he play the pipes again any more
than before; but as for the pibroch of
| the cat, no one could ever remember a
note of it, which was perhaps a very
good thing whatever, for it is i'll dealing
with the like. Phillip l.. Fitzreimund
in Chapman's Magazine.