The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-05-26
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! Comedy Of the MOOrS ;
y BY William Buchan.
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HHE afternoon sun had dipped be-
hind the broad shoulder of the
Ruchill, and the strath below was
plunged in shadow. 1t had been one
of the halcyon days which sometimes
fall on the borderland of autumn and
winter, when the sun shines with
summer brilliancc from n cloudless
sky, when the now somber landscape
takes n younger and brighter aspect
and to the worn-out heritage there
comes n touch of fresh life. But now,
as the cold line of shadow mounted
the hillside and the suns heat died
from the earth, the harsher feeling
of the late season asserted itself, and
there was a SILVER in the air betolxen-
ing a night OF frost. The stream i'm
the valley had lost its sparkle; cold
and colorless its waters looked as they
flowed full Tipped between their banks
Of dry gray bent; and even the hills
were scarce relieved from monotonous
grayncss by the bright patches Of
withcred bracken, the soft green turf
of the burnside, and the clumps Of
dark pine which dotted their slopes.
The shepherd of Kingsmuir arose
lazily from the messy bank where he
had been reclining. lie was returning
from one OF his rare visits to the near
est market town, and, as the way was
long and the heat had been oppres-
sive, he had sat him down by the
stream side to rest. But now sun
down and the chill OF the evening re-
minded him that he must be getting
on his way; so, wrapping his plaid
more tightly around his broad shout
ders, he prepared to resume his jour
ney. Before him in a struggling line
the flock of sheep he had that day
bought at the market solemnly
cropped the roadside turf, flanled by
two shaggy collies, who watched in
jealous rivalry to prevent their stray
ing; and the shepherd, as he surveyed
their broad, well flceced backs, was
filed with much content.
"Mcg-Don-aw by wide," he
cried, in the mysterious language of
herding. But as, at the order, the
obedient dogs scampered Off in a
hairy whirlwind to recall stragglers
and trim the flock for the march
something in the stream at his feet
caught the shepherds eye and made
him bend cautiously lower. For the
shepherd, though in many ways an
exemplary subject and strict observer
of the laws of the realm, made one
exception. The salmon laws, he held,
were ubiquitous; and there being few
- IL. L..
than salmon, he saw no reason why
he should not capture them when and
by what means he chose The close
season had begun; and on the lower
streams the bailiffs would be keeping
strict watch for the unwary poacher.
But here it was different. One such
gentleman, / have heard, did, in n TT
of overzealousness for duty, penetrate
these Businesses; but from his fate
his successors took warning, and OF
late years these moorlnnd streams
had been little overlooked.
So il was with small fear OF inter
ruption from that quarter that the
shepherd took out his hooks for the
capture of goodly salmon which Law
invitingly In q convenient part of the
stream. He was nm old, experienced
hand, and advanced confidently ex-
pecting an easy capture. Warily he
approached the stream and arranged
his tackle; and very sSillfully he
worked his hooks upward. But the
salmon was a cunning fish, and re-
sisted tho efforts 10 land him. With
each failure the shepherd grew the
more determined, till at last, in the
heat OF the chase. nc became oblivious
70 oil else. So cngrosscd was he that
he did not notice a short. thiclSset
man approach and stand watching
him with grim smile.
The newcomer seemed strangely
out OF place in bis surroundings. In
lis sppcarapce there were none OF