The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-04-14
Ole Mark Of Cain.


pitiably weak Only the beautiful lass
who sat constantly at his side, and
poor, palsied old woman, who paced the
courtroom, moaning and wringing her
hands had believed that.
Sternly, and without a trace of
mercy in his voice, the judge had SEN
fenced the accused to a long impris-
onment at hard labor. When the term
was half served the king pardoned the
prisoner, and he returned to Muir
lothian. BY chance, the very first one to
fall beneath his gaze, as he landed
from the boat, was the woman who had
long since given him her love and con-
fidence. She was talking with tall,
handsome stranger, and appeared
greatly confused as the convict drew
near. Suddenly she turned away and
directed her companions attention to
something in the distance. Then the
convict had wheeled sharply, and, with
a muttered cnurse, gone on his way.
III.
The village of Muirlothan was agog
with excitement. King Robert Bruce
was a coming. On every hand could
be heard the wailing of bagpipes, be-
tokening the arrival of clans from
many brae and burn to join the lion
hearted Scot, who dared fiaunt defiance
in the teeth of England. The Muir
lothian folk welcomed the great day
with flags and bunting and general
merriment.
But the hut of the outcast, George
Brodie, f1oated no flag; flung forth no
sound of music Black and solemn it
crouched, as If, like a cornered tiger,
it would spring into the sea.
The morning had dawned glowering-
ly. The wind, gathering from all quar-
ters, leaped upon the sea with the fury
of a wolf-pack, tearing it into a my
Rad ragged waves. White-caps chased
each other like sheeted demons toward
the Reef O. the Damned" Sea-birds
flocked landward in screaming circles
the mariners sign Of squat.
Day swept wildly on into night. Still
the kings ship had not come. Part Of
his force, it was true, had arrived by
land, but he was to join them by
water
The wind rose higher and higher
Murky clouds, lowering low moment,
were hustled onward by the furious
gale.
Suddenly gun doomed out of the
inky blackness; then streaming lights
leaped skyward Boom! boom!" went
the signals again and again-plainly
the signals of sinking ship.
The villagers, gathering on the crag,
into clamoring, gesticulating
groups. But they only clamored and
gesticulated. Strange cowardice held
even the soldiers of Robert Bruce
"Geordie! Geordie!" called a voice
from the door of the hut, which an
old woman was vainly striving to hold
against the driving gust, "licht the bea-
con frae Skeighan's Held. IT'S an eery
NIGHT, laddie; an l thocht heard the
voices O. puir drownin souls i the
mouth O. the gale"
The mans heart was touched, as this
old woman had always touched it, and
soon the great red light was flashing
out upon the black water, broad, blaz-
ing signals to keep off"
Meantime knot of hardy fishermen
had gathered, and were discussing
plan to rescue the distressed crew.
1--WE Gamma bide the sea the NIGHT;
It's wild as the Devil" concluded the
leader, and the others gave ready ac-
quiescence.
The words were scarcely spoken
when the outcast was among the group.
They scowled and shrank from him as
If he were leprous. He was to them
a man without the mantle of the kirk
the wearer of the Red Mark.
"'Tis nae time to 1.-THE the mint an
the cummin' we drivelin' hypocrites,"
he cried fiercely, Selling the leader in
a grip Of iron.
Eye shall hear me the NIGHT! Will We