The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-10-05
ALASTAIR'S CROSS.

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 oragsmen and fisher.
men that stood waiting dourly round
the fast shut door of Ian Alastair's
cottage. perohed, like gull's 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. u
faye, aye, it's ready and coming |
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 tho half light
that u 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 cornhowers,
and yellow beard that the wind was
tossing all ways at once but just now
his eyes were darkened and hia face set
with the same stern purpose that made
dumb the crowd Of kinsfolk and neigh
bors around him. Como out, Alas.
tair" no called, and a tall slip of lad
came out and stood waiting by his side.
His father had given him strain of
Slaninh blood ap swoii no e'pitic, ana his
mother had been kindly Irish of the
Irish But Alastair Mac Alastair favored
neither fair Ian nor dark Aileen, for
his eyes were of the sea . shifting color.
and the soft hair under his fisherman s.
cap was dusky red His eyebrows
were OF tho darkest. and against the
sunburn Of check and chin his lips
showed ouriously colorless. and in odd
contrast to tho sturdy mon and strap
ping lads around him WAS his extreme
slenderness Of build, in spite of tho
rough blue clothes which seemed almost
to hide him.
Il am here, :" no said, speaking in
Gaelic, AS no stepped to his father s
side, land the time il here, Ian Mac
Alastair says. And what do you want
of me- neighbours"
600 down TO the beach, Alastair, !"
his father said curtly, and tho 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 ono
muttered verso of an old spell song
that changed the wonder in Alastair q
eyes to comprehension.
Naked hands and naked feet are ali that the
sea has need of
Naked oh, this 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 murInur died, Alastair
raised his head and looked round on tho
darkenod faces with Pickering smile
on his pale mouth. "Is it to drown my
self you've brought me here or will you
do IL, Ian Mac Alastair? I'll lift no fin
ger to stop you, for long have | 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 IL waiting here. "
You shall not be waiting long. Alas
tair." Ian said heavily, land neither
will you drown yourself nor we you.
We will be giving you a chance. though
not in Ronaldshay "
Ronalshay | know " Alastair said
quietly, land it's glad | would DO 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 gaingay you.
There's the moon, :" Ian said at last,
"now make ready" Ho stopped and
dragged some dark object at his feet u
little higher up the beach, 80 that its
lower end only lay in the sea. Alastar
glanced at it and saw that il was "a tree
trunk weed covered and barnaele grown
with washing about in heavy seas.
Upon it spar was dashed crosswise.
Alastair looked at it moment longer,
then, in obedience to a gesture from his
father, laid himself down upon IL with
his arms outstretched. Then Macdonald
and another man stopped over him,
flashing his feet together and then So
curing his arms to the crosspiece just