Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-07-05
A~LASTAIR'S CROSS.

ftlSe up and come out now; it's q
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 cragsmen and fisher
men that stood waiting dourly round
the fast shut door Of Ian MacAlastair's
cottage, perched, like a CULTS nest, on
the ridge Of the steep and shining beach
at Ronaldshay. "Make haste, man.
make haste, and come along with o
self. It's tired waiting here we are"
AYE, aye, it's ready and coming l
am, Macdonald, but hasty work is aye ill
work, and I was saying a bit prayer in
an ORA minute here; that was all"
The door swung open now, and the
speaker came out into the half light
that a sullen moon gave as she slipped
ftfully from cloud to cloud in the
windy sky. A handsome man, this fair
Ian, with eyes as blue as ~corniowers,
and a yellow beard that the wind was
tossing all ways at once, but just now
his eyes were darkened and his face set
with the same stern purpose that made
dumb the crowd of kinsfolk and neigh
bors around him. "Come out, Alas
tairg' he called, and a tall slip Of a lad
came out and stood waiting by his side,
His father had given him a strain of
Danish blood as we'll as Celtic, and his
mother had been kindly Irish of the
Irish. But Alastair MacAlastair 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 a dusky red. His eyebrows
were of the darkest, and against the
sunburn of cheek and chin his lips
showed curiously ~colorless, and in odd
contrast to the sturdy men and strap
ping lads around him was his extreme
slenderness Of build, in spite Of the
rough blue clothes which seemed almost
to hide him.
II am here, " he said, speaking in
Gaelic, as he stepped to his fathers
side, land the time is here, Ian Mac
Alastair says. And what do you want
Of me, neighbors?"
$50 down to the beach, Alastair,"
his father said CURLY, and the 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 SOU lifted won.
dering eyes to Ian's gloomy face, but
obeyed silently, and presently some one
muttered a verse Of an old spell song
that changed the wonder in Alastair's
eyes to comprehension.
Naked hands and naked feet are all that the |
sea has need of;
Naked, oh, the soul must 20 that the ninth
wave has greed OIL
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 murmur died, Alastair
raised his head and looked round on the
darkened faces with a Pickering smile
on his pale mouth. SIS it to drown my.
self you've brought me here or will you
do it, Ian MacAlastair? I'll lift no fin
ger to stop you, for long have / been
knowing I was tbs needless mouth and
useless hand among you, and my
red head bringing bad luck to your nets
all the summer. Only I'd take it kindly
II you would do it quickly, friends-be.
cause it's bitter cold it IL waiting here"
"You shall not be waiting long, Alas
Ian said heavily, "and neither
will you drown yourself nor we you.
We will be giving you a chance, though
not in Ronaldshay."
"Ronalshay ] kuow," Alastair said
land it's glad I would be il
you would kill me Lere with your own
1and, father No. His hand slipped
rom his fathers shoulder, "Thsn have
your will and your way, Ian MacAlas.
air, I'll not gainsay you."
"There's the moon" Ian said at last,
now make ready" He stopped and
some dark object at mis- feet q
title higher up the beach, 60 that ito
over end only lay in tho sea. Alastair
at it and saw that it was q tree
runk, weed covered and barnacle grown
With washing about In heavy seas
Upon it a spar was dashed crosswise.
Alastair looked at it a moment longer,
hen, in obedience to a gesture from his
ather, laid himself down upon il with
is arms outstretched. Then Macdonald
nd another man stopped over him,
his feet together and then ~
urina bis arms to the o~r0gspieoe ivnD