The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-08
Enjoys the Mountains Of Which
Walter Scott Wrote.
WILD BUT BEAUTIFUL.
Nothing But ROmances Of the
Bruces and Wallaces.
Driver Of the Coach Talks of
Them as One Of the Family.

- NVERSNAID on Loeb Lomono'
Aug. 16.-The "Trossachs'' are
little stretch of mountain and
wood between lakes which nave
- their reputation principally from
Walter Scott who laid there the
Sc enc Of THE Lady of the Lake. One
of the regular stunts for tourists Is 70
20 through the Trossachs ana, rs
usual we proceeded to do what every
one else had done. IhOse VINO haNe
read the poem will remember that II
starts near Stirling with the chase OF d
stag by hounds and huntsmen- The stag
ran for the Trossachs and only one
hunter. kent near the chase until nnal-
ly his horse fell dead and the stag dis
appeared to be heard of no more Inc
hunter, Sir Fttz-James, saw tie young
lady Of the lake, Ellen. who was look
ing for her father and worked her
for an invitation to visit her home on
an island in Loeb katrines where she
and her father were stopping Win an
outlaw chief, Roderick Dhu- F1tz-
Names fell in love with Ellen, and so
did Roderick. but she fell in love with
g young chap of her own age named
Malcolm. Fitz-James left, but came
back the next day with couple OF
horses to get Ellen to eloDe with him.
She wouldn't eloDe and turned down
Frederick, and the latter chieftain de-
cided to go to war with the king. Then
the poet gets busy. The fiery cross
Is sent around and the clansmen OF
Clan Alpine are summoned to the fight
Frederick has an omen that the side
which draws first blood will lick and
he hears of Fitz-James lOafng around,
supposes he is spy and decides to
start proceedings by killing him. and
thus be sure to win. Accidentally he
meets him. finds that he is no spy,
escorts him outside the Trossac chs and
then tells him they must fight. After
some 'parley," which is poetic Ian
guage for cussing each other, they
scrap and E1tz runs his sword into Mr..
Dhu, takes him prisoner and to Stirl-
ing The clansmen. who are left with
out their chief, make a brave fight.
but have the stuhing licked out Of
them. Ellen and her father, who is a
Douglas and really the cause of the
war, go to Stirling to give themselves
up and stop the fighting. Ellen has
ring which Fitz-James gave her to use
IN cases ike this, and she asks an
audience with the king. F'itz-James
comes for her and takes her to the
palace when, 10. 1t turns out that F'itz
is the king! He forRives old man
Douglas. stops the fighting and let's on
like he IS glad Ellen and Malcolm are
to marry and does good job of it.
In the meantime Roderick Dhu has
died and the war is ended@and those
who are left live happy ever after
ward.
Such is the story of the Lady of the
Lake ana We started INTO the country
where the stag crossed the Brig of
Turk and with a good Imagination and
the help OF guide books. drivers, boat
captains and the poem itself. we played
the whole piece over again.
The Scotch mountains are not so
very high, 5000 or 1000 feet, but they
are beautiful. Except for the good
roads which have been built and for
an occasional stone shanty full Of chill
dren and sheep, the country is wild.
The duke Of MontrOse owns all the
land in this part of Scotland, keeps up
the roads and the rents and. as most
OF it is fit for nothing else. has a wild
game forest. We started at Stirling
and, after passing he battlefield of
Bannockburn and q number of other
battlefields with which those who are
familiar with Scotch history would be
Well acquainted, we took rail and
coach to the foot Of Ben An and then
2 steamboat by Euen's Isle and to the
derstand my Scotch bear in mind that
'loch" means lake, Ben" means
mountain and brig" means bridge.)
Then we coached over several "bens'
and passed several 'lochs" and crossed
a number OF "brigs," sometimes along
a precipice high above the green val
leys. with the silver streams running
down them like lace work, then along
the side OF a IOch with the branches
Of the big trees forming an arch over
our heads We were above the clouds
as we neared Ben Lomond, and coming
out of them saw the exquisite piano.
rama Of Loeb Lomond. the largest Of