Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-01-25
ONE PIBROCH.

"n the Black Moor that is over Glen
Roy It was after long mornings
shoot. and he and were lying upon
rho heather in the fratornal enjoyment
# usquebaugh unpolluted by the fiscal
vo and surrounded by the soothing reeb
our postprandial pipes. had won
nonald's heart by certain qualities
which / once had the felicity Of acct
c,ntally overhearing him name 70
fellow gillie who was char ging him
with undue friendship for "a bit Of
Sassenach body" He is no Sassenach
bodyr' cried my indignant champion
in excited Erse. "He is a highland gen
tloman. for his mother will have been
ID daughter Of the Clan -. which j
"a very good name whatever. He IS "a
very straight shooting gentleman. more-
over. and ne has the Gaelic as well Is
or you, Angus Macintosh" 30. when
I asked him that dav with due cerc-
mony) 70 explain his Ito name" of
"MacChat a Fraoch' lson of tie heath
or cat), and TO tell me q curious legend
which I had somehow learned in the
hamlet to be attached to the name. be
readily responded to my request
I translate his wild tale from the
Gaelic in which be told il mo. How
much it loses in the process those who
know that beautiful language will
easily understand.
lit is from the father Of my great
grandfather, said Donald. "that vii
be having the name. y very pretty man
he was Dougal Macpherson. &c stood
mere than 6 feet high. His back was
as broad rs the dooI Of bis dwelling.
and he could carry a full grown stag on
his shoulders over Ben Minor. and the
activity Of him was as great as his
strength. for ut the hattie Of Falkilk.
where he was fighting in the first rank
of Clan Mhuirach. he sprang against
the side Of a dragons horse and slash
ed off the head of the rider with one
sweep Of his claymore il the leap And
Cluny himself called him next morning
in front Of the clan and said that il was
q spring like the spring of Cuchulalnd
at the ford fight with Ferdia in Ireland
long ago, and that be should be hence
forth called the Heather Cat for his
fierce, active. heroic deeds in the battle
and as name Of honor upon him.
Nov, there were very few in the
highlands that could be matching Dou-
gal in strength or fieotness or in the
managing of the gun. or the dirk, OF
the claymoTe, hut there was one art
that he could never at all he the master
of and that is the art Of playing the
pipes, though he longed foI that one
more than for any other, and the want
of il was 4 very great loss 10 him " hat
ever, as l shall be explaining 10 you,
for tho piper Of { len Roy-aud that was
Duncan Gamer on-had a daughter, the
sight of whose fair face was dearer 10
Dougal than the sight Of moor cover
cd with deer. or Ct q river full Of
salmon, or Of battle line Of the slider
roy. and her heart was given 10 DOugal,
as his was TO her, but her father had
said that no man should have her in
marriage who could not play the pipes.
Ii is a very dOur, hard, obstinate man
he was, Duncan Cameron, and DOugal
could never at all persuade him 10 let
him have his daughter Helen 10 wife on
any other conditions, ard il was Il hope
less task for him 10 be trying to learn
the pipes. Duncan liked him very well,
and would be giving him plenty OF in
IQl IL MuS All VI III use Mudl-
ever. He might as well try 10 learn the
flying as the pipe music. 1t was not
that he was not clever lad, as / have
said before. 1t was as if some one had
been laying q spell of dIuidical en-
chantment upon him 10 prevent him
from learning. and it was not that
either, for he had gone over the noun
tain TO old Brigid, the witch of Loeb
dhu, and she had made the deasil around
him and said spells that would have
freed him from encEantment if any
there had been on him, but it did moi
at all avail him in his learning the
music, and his hopes Ct Helen Cameron
kept getting smaller every day. for hC
knew she would never marry him with
ont her fathers consent, though she
never would marry any one else-whici
was aye some consolation to Dougal.
"Now, one day he was up in the
piper's house, and Duncan was, al
usual, giving him lesson, but it il
worse he seemed TO be getting instead
of better, and Duncan kept CROWN,
angrier and angrier, till at least he wa
fairly stamping with rage upon tn,
floor of his mouse. He was "a big man
with a very red head and beard, ant
his temper was conforming, being yer,
hot whatever (Which you may hav,
yourself noticed in those that have tn
red hair. Till suddenly he rushed owe
TO Dougal and tore the pipes from hin
and dashed them on the floor. i an
thinking he was very near to stamping
on them too.
'Amadanr Cfool) he shouted
'Amadan!'
''Dougal got up very slowly, looking
him full between the eyes.
Z" Duncan Cameron. he said-anC
it was in very quiet voice he wa
speaking--' black is the insult you have
put upon my fathers son in your own
house, and you will be believing me
when l say to You that if you were an.
other man than the father of Helen
Cameron it is your blood / would be-
having for it upon this place. was
not called the Heather Cat for nothing,
said no, and now / am waiting for you
10 ask pardon for your words.
Ma chorp an dhiaoul' said Dun.