Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-18
CHAPTER xxXvII.
A Strange Meeting.

1t was approaching the evening OF the
third day after riding forth upon his mis-
sion when Sholto, sleepless, yet quite I'M
conscious OF WEAKNESS, approached the loch
OF Carlinwark and the cottage Of Brawny
Kim. West and south he had raised the
Douglas country as 1t had never been raised
before. And now behind him every armiger
and squire. every spearman and lightfoot
archer was fastening Edinburghward, eager
to be first to succor the young and head
strong chief Of this great house.
Sholto had ridden and cried the slogan
as was his duty, without allowing his mind
to dwell too much upon whether all might
not come too late. And ever as he rode out
of village or across the desolate moors from
castle or fortified farmhouse 1t seemed that
not he but some other was upon this quest.
Something sterner and harder stirred in
his breast. Light-heart Sholto MacKim, the
careless lad Of the jousting day. the proud
young captain Of the earl's guard, was dead
with all his vanity, and In his place a man
rode southwark grim and determined. with
vengeful myers a-emoulder in his bosom
hunger. thirst, love, the Joy Of living and the
fear OF death all being swallowed up by
deadly hatred of those who had betrayed his
master.
Maud Lindsay was doubtless within a few
miles Of Shorto, yet he scarcely gave even his
sweetheart a thought as he urged his weary
gray over the purple Parton moors toward
the loch Of Carlinwark and the little hamlet
nesting along its western side under the
great ancient thorn trees Of the Carlin's
hill.
He rode down over the green Crossmichael
braes, on which the broom pods were crack
ling in the afternoon sunshine. through hol-
lows where the corn fingered as though un-
willing to have done with such a scene of
beauty and fand itself mewed in dusty
barns, ground in mills. or close pressed in
matched rick. He breasted the long smooth
rise and entered the woods which encircled
the bright lake OF Carlinwark. the pearl Of
all the southland Scottish lochs.
With a strange sense OF detachment he
looked down upon the greensward between him
and his mothers gable end. upon which as q
child he had wandered. Then 1t was nearly
as large as the world. and the grass was
most comfortable to small bare feet. There
were children playing upon II now. oven as
there had been Of old-among them his own
little sister. Magdalen. whose hair was spun
gold. and whose eyes blue as the forget-me-
not In the marshes Of the Isle Wood. The
were dressed In white, FIVE little
girls In all. as for a festal day, and their
voices came upward to Sholto's ear through
the arches Of the great beeches which
studded the turf. even a. thsy had done to
OF William Douglas In the ~sprtpgtime Of
the year.
The minor note. the dying fall Of the In
nocent voices, tugsed at his heart strings.
could hear little Magdalen leading the
Margaret Douglas. fresh and fair.
4 bunch Of roses she shall wear;
Gold and silver by her side,
i know who's her bride.
1t was at Fair Maid they were playing.
The mystic dance Of southland maidenhood, |
1t whose vestal rites no male Of any age
ever permitted to be present. The
words broke in upon the gloom which op-