The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-06-09

~'AA ma appear NAAAN A4AA fAlnlEs Uui
that Duncan McGregor achieved il. and
for distance of IS miles, is q fact that
can be vouched for by several persons
still living. To a giant like our young
Scotchman the mere weight was moth
ing; it was the shape of the package
which rendered the novel task so diff
ficult. The shopkeeper had advised him
to put the flour in sack. but with true
Scottish grit he declined to buy one,
and quietly observing that the barrel
would be "unco usefu' to have i the
hoose," he calmly shouldered it and
walked away
Long before daybreak on the morn
ing of the 3Oth he was on the road. ex-
pecting Notwithstanding his singular
burden, to reach home before night,
having told his people that he would
certainly do so, if alive. Indeed, the
family, knowing that to one like Duncan
a tramp of II miles over any kind Of
road was trifing matter, and .aving
no idea Of the herculean labor he had
taken on himself, looked for his re-
I TURN early in the AFTERNOON.
But the cold, bitter, cloudless night
fell and he had not come. Hour after
hour passed away, and Mrs. McGregor
had just said: "Weel, nae doot the
BARN has met wi some delay aboot his
trade, and is biding i the town a
night" when Jennie McGill, pointing
10 large staghound they had brought
with them from Scotland, exclaimed:
For guide sake. what's ailin' wi the
dog? He's snuiiin' an tearin' ahint the
doore. seekin to win oot!"
Startled by the girls question. all
now looked curiously at the hound, ~
ing with his nose pressed close to the
crack at the bottom of the door. and
whining impatiently, as if in anger or
fear. Upon seeing that he was at last
noticed, the sagacious brute rose, and,
with bristling back and pricked ears,
trotted back and forth from door to
hearth and from hearth to door, al
most articulately asking some one to
follow him.
Father, mitherl" cried Jennie,
"Duncan's surely T. some trouble; ole
Bose gi'es ma fause warnin'. There's
wild beasties o. some kim aboot. Wen
better gang ava till his help"
The old folks were rather inclined to
ridicule Jennie's fears, but she strenu-
ously insisted that something was
wrong. and seemed so deeply distressed
that finally the whole party became
somewhat alarmed and when she pro-
posed that John McGregor should go
out with her to meet Duncan no objec-
tions were offered. The elder men
wished to go along but Jennie said:
"Na. ma, bide We here and TAX care O.
mither and Mistress McGregor; Jack
and nell brawly oor lane. My puir
ladde sail ma perish while ha' han
TO lift"
'Eh, JEANNE, woman. what's that?"
queried Mrs. McGil. "Your laddie, say
YEP"
aye, mither," replied the row blush /
ing girl; 81 may as weel confess tilFt |
Duncan and mes to be welded i the /
next year"
And then, not waiting to hear the
shower of surprised and pleased excla-
nations. the brave lass snatched down /
her loaded musket, powder horn and
bullet pouch, and. accompanied by
John. who carried his rife and led
the great hound in leash, went out at
once into the cold, moonlit night
After passing through the small log
and brush-encumbered clearing" the
anxious pair struck the "blazed" forest
trail and followed it along the track
made by Duncan the day before.
Old Bose tugged and strained at his
leash. and the further they advanced
the more eager and furious became his
demonstrations, but he never once gave
tongue.
For two miles the girl and her com
panion held their way, seeing nothing
but thick, bare trees, and hearing no
sound except the crunching Of the crisp
snow beneath their own feet; but then,
on turning a slight angle around a
frozen swamp hole. they came upon a
sight which caused John to recoil in
horror and Jennie to scream aloud in
an agony Of fright.
Directly in their path, resting up
right on its end, stood barrel of flour;
while for many feet around on either
'ide the snow was trampled down hard
md scattered over with patches of
blood. broken bones and bunches Of
iair and fur. A little to one side lay
tout hickory, blood-stained staff, rec
,gnized as Duncan's OF a glance, and
With a heart-rending cry poor Jennie
ank to the earth and sobbed out: "Oh,
ny puir laddiel he's killed an torn to
pieces by the wild beasts!"
Meantime the dog had became abso-
utely frantic with rage, and could
rarely be restrained by John, who was
arefully looking the ground over. Now
le spoke in a tone which instantly ST.
enced the weeping girl:
JEANNE, my lass, I'm no that sure
hat ony misfortin' has befa'n my
,rither. There's no wrack O. clothin'
.or a human bane aboot here; an I'm
hinkin' that Duncan has got ava and
a'en till a tree no far off. Gin he's no
erished wi cauld we'll fin him safe
nd soond.'
Jennie sprang up with renewed hope,
nd both followed the hound as he led
fl into the wood at right angles to the
ath. For hundred yards or so they
ushed through the dense underbrush,
hen they came to a small, compara-
Ivelv omen snare in the midst OF which |