Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-26
WORLD-FAMOUs STORIES
THE HAUNTED SHIPS.
BY ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.

ALLAN Cunningham. 17s4-1S42. was a
Scottlsh poet aud miscellaneous writer. best
known, perhaps. for his Songs of Scotland.
iates several legends Of a the place and time
n Solway. an inlet of the Irish Sea between
England and Scotland, at spot where there
was guicksaEd. two hunks of wrecked vessels
could be seen. About these old wrecks many
strange tales were told--it seemed they had
many a ship and sailor to destruction and
death. Demons controlled them. and mortals
h had 70 beware when near near the bay and its
that part told about the Haunted ships
by barbara beautiful daughter of an old
seaman.l
Alexander Macharg was the hus-
band Of one of the handsomest WON
en- In seven parishes. Many a lad
sighed the day he was bridled: some
moor land farmers drank themselves
to their last linen, as well as their last
shilling, through sorrow for her loss.
But married was the dame, and home
she was carried. to bear rule over her
home and her husband as an honest
woman should. Now you must know
that, though the fiesh-and- blood lovers
of Alexander's bonnie wife all ceased
to love and to sue her after she be-
came anOther's. there were certain adj
mirers who did not consider their
claim at all abated, or their hopes
lessened by the church's famous OBJ
stacle of matrimony. Certain water
elves and sea fairies, who sometimes
kept festival and Summer mirth IN
these old haunted hulks, fell in love
with the we'll favored wife of Ma
charg, and to their plots and con
trivances they went how they might
accomplish to sunder man and wife
and sundering such a man and such
wife was like sundering the green
leaf from the Summer, or the fra
GRANGE from the flower.
So it fell on a time that Alexander
took his half-net on his back and his
steel spear in his hand, and went
down to the two haunted hulks &c
place his net and await the tide. The
night was dark and the wind quiet
All at once lights began to glance
and twinkle on board the two haunt
ed ships from every hole and seam
and presently the sound as of a
Ratchet employed in squaring timber
echoed far and wide. But if the toll
of these unearthly workmen amazed
Alexander, how much more was his
amaZement increased when a sharp
shrill voice called out, "HO. brother
NIldL are NOu uOlIIb IlON "A NOA1N
still shriller responded from the other
haunted ship, I'm making a wife to
Alexander Macharg" and loud quav.
ering laugh, running from ship to
ship and from bank to bank told the
joy they expected from their labor
Now, Alexa nder, besides being a de
Yout and God-fearing man. was
shrewd and bold. and in plot and con
trivance and skill in conducting his
design was fairly an overmatch fol-
any dozen land elves. But the water
elves are far more subtle. Besides
their haunts and their dwellings,, being
in the great deep, pursuit and detec
ton are hopeless if they succeed in
carrying their prey to the waves.
Home flew Alexander, collected his
family around the hearth, spoke OF
the signs and the sins of the time, and
talked of modification and prayer for
averting calamity. And, finally, TAX
ing his fathers Bible. brass clasps
black print and covered with calfskin
from the shelf, he proceeded without
let or stint to perform domestic serv
ice. He bolted and locked the door
shut up all inlet to the house, threw
salt into the fire and proceeded in
every way like a man skillful in guard
lHS against tue piOlS Oh ldlFleS dnO
fiends. His wife looked on all this
with wonder, but she saw something
in her husbands looks that hindered
her from intruding either question or
advice, and wise woman was she.
At midnight came a rush Of hor SEES
feet and the sound of rider leaping
from it's back. He Knocked. and said
that the Lauries expected a baby that
night, and Macharg's wife should