Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-11-13
and, SEEKING the cookes IN the same
way, called out:
'tSouad. fall mi Ouicl marchr,

Squad, fall in! Quick marchr'
In moment every man was in the
procession.
Strike up Batchees, We little angel!'
shouted Blaney, the appellation a con,
cession to the minister's presence, and
away went Baptiste in rollicking
| French song with the English chorus:
| "Then blow, ye winds. In the morning,
Blow, We winds, ay oh!
| Blow, We winds, in the morning.
| Blow, blow, blow!''
And at each elbow" every boot came
down with thump on the plank floor
that shook the solid roof. After the
second round Mr.. Craig jumped upon
the bench and called out:
"Three cheers for Billy the coolzw
In the silence following the cheers
Baptiste was heard to say:
"Bon! OATS max me feel lax hit dat
puddin' all hup meself, me-"
"Hear till the little bastew said Bla-
ney in disgust.
"Batchees," demonstrated Sandy
gravely, you've more stomach than
manners"
"Fu sure, but de more stomach dat's
more better for dis puddin'," replied
the little Frenchman cheerfully.
After time the tables were cleared
and pushed back to the wall, and pipes
were produced. In all attitudes sug-
gestive of comfort the men disposed
themselves in wide circle about the
fire, which now roared and cracked I'D
the great wooden chimney hanging
from the roof. The lumberman's hour
of bliss had arrived. Even old man
Nelson looked shade less melancholy
than usual as he sat alone, we'll away
from the fire, smoking steadily and ST.
lently. When the second pipes were
well a-gofng, one of the men took down
violin from the wall and handed it to
Lachlan Campbell There were two
brothers Campbell just out from Argyll,
typical ighlanders-Lachlan, dark, 81
lent, melancholy, with the face of a
mystic, and Angus, red haired, quick,
impulsive and devoted to his brother,
devotion he thought proper to cover
under biting, sarcastic speech.
Lachlan after much protestation. in
terspersed with gibes from his brother,
took the violin and, in response to the
call from all sides, struck up "Lord
Macdonald's Reel" In moment the
floor was filled with dancers, whoop-
Ing and cracking their fingers in the
widest manner. Then Baptiste did
the cred River Jig" most intricate
and difficult series Of steps, the men
keeping time to the music with hands
and feet.
fhn ct
called for "Lochaber No More" but
Campbell said:
mo, no; cannot play that tonight.
Mr.. Craig will play"
Craig took the violin, and at the first
note knew he was no ordinary play
er. l did not recognize the music, but
it was soft and thrilling and got in by
the heart till every one was thinking
his tenderest and saddest thoughts.
After he had played two or three ex-
quisite bits he gave Campbell his w1o.c :
lin, saying, "Now, tLochaber,' Lach-
LAM
Without word Lachlan began, not
"Lochaber"-he was not ready for that
yet-but 1.-THE Flowers O. the Forest
and from that wandered through
"Auld Robin Gray" and 1.-THE Land o.
the Leal" and so got at last to that
most soul subduing of Scottish Ia.
ments, "Lochaber No More" At the
first strain his brother. who had thrown
himself on some blankets behind the
fire, turned over on his face, feigning
sleep. Sandy McNaughton took his
pipe out of his mouth and sat up
straight and stiff, staring into vacancy,
and Graeme. beyond the fire, drew a
short sharp breath. We had often sat,
Graeme and l, in our student days, in
the drawing room at home, listening
to his father Wailing out "Lochaber''
upon the pipes, and well knew that
the awful minor strains were now eat
ing their way into his soul.
Over and over again the highlander
played his lament. He had long since
forgotten US and was seeing visions of
the hills and lochs and glens of his far
away native land and making us, too,
see strange things out of the dim past.
l glanced at old man Nelson and was
startled at the eager, almost piteous,
look in his eyes, and l wished Camp
bell would stop. Mr.. Craig caught my
eye and, stepping over to Campbell,
held out his hand for the violin. Lin
geringly and lovingly the highlander
drew out the last strain and silently
gave the minister his instrument.
Without moments Use and while
the spell Of "Lochaber" was still upon
us the minister, with exquisite skill,
fell into the refrain Of that simple and
beautiful camp meeting hymn, "The
Sweet By and By" After playing the
verse through once he sang softly the
refrain. After the first verse the men
Joined in the chorus, at first timidly,
but by the time the third verse was
reached they were shouting with
Threats full open, 1--WE shall meet on
that beautiful Shore" When looked
at Nelson, the eager light had gone out
of his eyes. and in Its place was kind
of determined hopelessness, as if in
this nayv mi1sic ha hod no part