Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1910-01-06
A SCOTTISH LEGEND,
The Story Of the Knight With the
White Feather.
TWO COURAGEOUS WARRIORS.

More Heroic Fellow Soldier and Pro-
tsetor-Ths Sad Sequel to the Battle
That Was Lost. .,l.
The heraldic arms Of the Scotch
town of Selkirk show a woman seated
on a tomb, on which Is also placed the
, Scottish lion The legend told about
the arms Is this; King James w, Of
Scotland. who was about to invade
England, needed recruits for his enter
prise. The town clerk of Selkirk, VIII
liam Brydone, tried his best to aid his
king by persuading his fellow country
men to enlist in the royal cause. SO
earnest was he that he Is said to have
moved over a hundred lusty Scots to
join his standard. Among these was
one Of the name Of Alexander Hume.
This man was a shoemaker OF the
town Of Selkirk. He was strong, stall
wart. bold and an excellent workman.
Brydone was very glad to welconns
him, as he reckoned him quite the best
man OF the hundred, and his comrades.
who were also brave men and true
cheered him as be appeared among
them, such confidence had they in. his
wisdom, prudence. valor and strength
Hume's wife. Margaret. was a fine
young woman and very fond and proud
Of her brave, strong husband. Now,
Margaret did not at all like this pro-
posed invasion Of England She felt
that it would mean great trouble to the
Scotch people. who would certainly be
vanQuished by their strong euemy, and
the thought came TO her that her own
brave husband might perhaps lose his
life in the struggle She therefore used
all her best efforts TO keep him at
home. She pleaded fB vain. Alexan-
der WAS firm. At last she held up to
his face their little five-months-old
daughter and asked who would look
after the child if he should die and
who would keep her FROM misery and
misfortune Il
Hume loved his wife and child, and
these appeals brought the tears to his
eyes. but TREY did not break down his
resolution, which he had girt about him
as armOr. Nothing could move him
to become untrue to his king and coun-
try.
Finding that no entreattes could
move him., Margaret at last gave way
to anger and. told him that his eager |
desire to be thought the bravest man |
Of Selkirk would not supply the child
lie was bound to work for with bite |
of bread. She said even more than |
this. Her tones grew higher, and one |
word led 70 another. as you know II
will, until the couple parted IN anger. /
ne to the field Of battle aud she 70 |
remain at home. ftI
Alexander bud not gone faE- before |
it flashed ACROSS the mind Of bis wife |
that perhaps she might never see him |
alive again. Unable to control herself, |
she flung the child into it's crib and |
rushed out of the house, She must |
see her husband again and get from |
him one parting glance or word OF |
reconciliation. She hurried through
the town, she sought everywhere for /
him. but be was nowhere to. be seen |
He had gone Off with his. comrades. |
The poor wife wept bitterly. Her
grief was deep.
Hume and his fellows weze soon en-
gagged in battle. He displayed the
greatest bravery. Wherever he went
numbers Of the enemy fell In every
direction upon the field Of battle he
was seen. His companions. kept we'll
up to him, and in particular one man
who had lately joined the party. This
man fought with a courage equal to
that Of Hume himself keeping eontin-
ually beside him and defending him
in many perils. Once when an Eng
| lishman from behind drew very near
TO the Scot this soldier struck the cow
ardly fellow to the earth Just as he
was inserting his spear between the
clasps of Hume's armor. Hume called
to the brave fellow and demanded his
name, even in the midst of the fight,
but the stranger said that that was no
matter.
This generous soldier wore a leath-
er jacket and an iron helmet, in which
there was placed a small white feath-
er. Wherever Hume fought on the
battlefield there might be seen beside
him the iron helmet and the white
feather.
At last the battle ended in defeat for
the Scotch, who scattered in all direc-
! tions. Hume. who, with other sol
diers, was obliged to lie concealed in
the forest for some time took the drst
opportunity Of inquiring after his faith
ful attendant But all his inquiries
were without avail He could not trace
him. Nothing could he learn Of him
but that he had disappeared when the
fight was over
Alexander Hume hurried to his cot
tage. He was anxious to see again his
beloved wife and bestow upon her the
4 kiss Of reconciliation, When he reach
: ed it he listened at the door, and his
! heart beat fast, He had kind words to
, say to her from whom he had parted
in anger, and his deep wounds needed