Year: 1874




and "kept them in so perpetual


skirmish' as the Lord Admiral


"nevar saw the like" The little


farm-if farm it could he called-Of


Craigend. had hitherto escaped the


spoilers. 1t lay thoroughly sheltered


from notice in a nook of the hills,


where the steep braes, receeding


from a small and rapid stream, left
room for q meadow or level space of
some sixty acres in extent. At the
upper end of this tract Of fertile
land, stood the peal or tower of
Craig end, a rude building Of rough
stone, three stories in height, sur
rounded by a wall of ut-buildings,
the latter constructed chiefly OF
mud and turf, and serving as a shell
ter for the cattle at night. Not far
from the tower, the stream tumbled
over a precipice in considerable
cascade, and after winding from
side to side of the valley, it iss sued
at the lower end through pass so
narrow, intricate and precipitous,
that five resolute men might easily
hold it against a hundred. The
holder of this little fOrtalice was


Harlbert Scott,or Harlbert of Craig
end, a retainer of the laird of Fer
niehurst, who in his turn owed
feudal service to the lord of Buc-
cleugh. Harlburt was an old man,
unable to bear arms, but his two
sons, Ambrose and David, were
with there lord, helping to garrison
the stronghold of Ferniehurst,
which lay but a few miles distant
across the hills.


Duncan Scott was Elsie's cousin,
and her betrothed lover. This was
by no means their first quarrel, for
Duncan was jealous and Elsie was
proud, but never ha d matters gone
so far between them as now. Never
had Elsie shown herself so implac-
able. Her anger was not wholly un-
reasonable, for Duncan had done
her grevious wrong. He had seen
his betrothed in earnest cOnversa-
tion with the laird of Ferniehurst
for an hour together in the cleaning.
He had not been able to Overhear
their words as they paced the burn
side, but he had seen Ferniehurst
put into her hands something made
of gold which glittered brightly in
the moonlight-of that he was GER
tain-and then speed away, while
Elsie put the love-token in her
bosom and took the path to their old
trysting. place by the we'll as if moth
had happened.


"Aye, sol" thought Duncan
"she thinks to meet me there, and
to beguile me with her fine words
while she has Fernichurst's lOve-tOk-
en- resting on her very heart. But
she shall hear my mind on it ere we
part"


And so it came to pass that when
Elsie, in the innocence of her heart,
came gayly forward to meet her low
er, she was assailed by torrent of
accusation and reproaches. Elsie
him coldly and sternly,
with a face that cleaned white as
marble in the moonlight:


"Duncan Scott, We have dared to
lightly meme, Halbert of Craig
ends daughIer-on whose fair fame
no man nor woman ever breathed
before. And wherefore Because
you saw me in talk with my foster
brother, as near of kin to me as
mine own born brother. If l were
to tell my father or my brothers, or
Ferniehurst himself what you have
said, no hole in Craigburn moss
would be deep enough to hide you
from their wrath. But J. wish you
no i'll. You may go your own gate
and keep your own counsel, but
never dare, by day Or by night, to
speak to me again." With that she
drew from her finger her betrothal
ring, and throwing it OH the ground
ut his feet, she passed from him like
\ shadow and was gone.


This quarrel had taken place
week since, and not once had Dun
,an found a chance to speak to El-
sic alone. This evening, however,
believing him to be still at work in
the harvest-field, she had ventured
once more to the well for water, and
here Duncan had surprised her and
pleaded his cause, unsuccessfully as
we have heard.


The well was hidden in little re-
cess of the hills, behind a great pro-
Getting crag. AS Elsie turned round
his praU Sha nftorod a vahQmQnt |