The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
CHAPTER XII.
THE WHITEHEAD GARLAND.


Meanwhile Sholto Jared onward down
| the side of the sullen water Of Dee. The
| jewellers along the bank were all on the
| alert, and cried many questions to him
| ing him a merchant traveller from Edin-
| burgh to take ship at Kirkcudbright.
| SholtO answered shortly but civilly, for
| they were mostly decent folk. we'll on
| in years, whose lads had gone to the
| levy, and who naturally desired to know
wherefore their sons had been sum-
mOned.
In return he asked everywhere for
news of any cavalcade which might
have passed that way but neither from
| the country folk nor from hOofmarks
upon the grassy banks could he CLEAN
the least information pertinent to the
purpose of his quest.
Not till he came within few miles of
the town did he meet with man or
woman who could give him any ma
terial assistance 1t was by the fords of
Tongland that he first met with one lib
Mcclellan, who, with much vOlubility
and some sagacity, retailed fresh fish to
the burghers of Kirkcudbright and the
whole countryside, giving a day to each
district so long as the supply of her
Fair good day to ye mistressp' said
Sholto. taking off his bonnet to the
sonsy outstanding fishwife
And to you, bonny lad" replied the
complimented dame, dropping a court
sey; may the corbie never cry at We
nor ill-faured pie iuik at your left elbow.
burn We. nor water scald ye.'
lib was Keeling off her catalogue of
blessings when Sholto cut her short.
Can you tell me, good lady" he
asked in his most insinuating tones, eff
there has been any vessel cleared from
the port during these last weeks?''
no my ain sister married on Jock
Wabster. whas cousin by marriage
twice removed, is the bailie officer o.
the port. So l can advise We that there
was boat frae the Isle o. Man wi her
rims for the great houses, though never
fin O. them like the bonny fish I carry
here in my ereel Wad We like to see
them, to buy a dozen for the bonny lass
! that's waiting for We? That were a
present to recommend We, indeed-far
mair than your gaudy flowers fulel bali
lads and sic like trash.'' 80
you cannot remember any other ship
of larger size than the ManX fishing
boat?" continued Sholto.
Weel no to ca cleared frae the port"
lib went on. "but there was a pair o.
uncanny looking ships that lay DOT there
/ by Manxman's lake for eight DAYS and
the NIGHT afore yestreen they gaed oOf
with the tide. They were saying ABBOTT
the foreshore that they gaed west toss6n1e
great tournayingl But kenna Eyflat wad
tax him ava to the fleet or the ferry
| toon o. Cree. and leave a. the pleasures Of
Kirkeudbright ahint him. For by sic
/ herrins as are supplied by me. lib Mac
Lellan, at less than cost price as I houp
| your uOHOT VIII not forget. when In the
| course of natur' and the providence o.
God you and her comes to hae family
| atween ye.''
shollo promised that he would not
| forget when the time alluded to ar
| rived. Then, turning his jennet off the
| direct road to Kirkcudbright town. ne
| TOOK him through the Ardendee fords, he
made all speed toward a little port upon
the water of Fleet, at the point where
| that fair moorland stream winds IaziIy
through the water meadows for a mile
Erarr rTfr-~~
! from. the hills of heather and before il
commits its crystal water to the mother
! sea.
But it was not, until he had long
cary shore, that Sholto found his first
| trace of the lost maidens. For aa he
rode across the cliffs his keen eve
noted a well-marked trail through the
heather, approaching The shore at rfgnt
/ angles to MS own line of march. Inc
tracks, stu perfectly evident in the
! twenty horses had passed that way with
| in the last two or three days. He stood
! awhile examining the marks, and then
tieaaIng ms oeast slowly by the bride,
| till they became confused and lost near
a little jetty erected by the lairds of
| OF traffic with Cumberland and the
| Isle of Man. Here on the verv ade-e
! of the foreshore, blown by some cbsnee
| wind behind stone and wonderfully
! chain of woodbine entwined with daisfas
and pheasants eyes. He took if M
and examined it; some of the autumnaI
I flowers We're not yet withered The in
terweaving was done after a fashion he
had taught the little Maid of GaIlovrav
himself one happy day when he had
walked on air with the glamor Of Maud
Lindesay's smiles uplifting his hearf
! For that tricksOme grace had aslrad
him to teach her also. and he renen-
bered the lingering touch of her fingers
ere she could compass the quaint de-
| vice of the pheasant's eye peepinar oT,t
from the midst of each festoon.
Then a deep despair settled down on
Sholto's spirit. He knew that Maud
Lindsay and the fair Mair Of Gallo
way had undoubtedly fallen into the