Part 34 (1/2)

”Ay, there's nae talk but marrying yonder. I am thinking the mistress would rather be having the other man,” said she, and rose to put peat on the fire.

”Whatever other man is it?” says the mother.

”Kate will be meaning Dan McBride's b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” says Dol Beag, and his hand shook a little on the hook.

”He is free with his money whatever, and a fine man they are saying.”

”Ay, ay, the father o' him was free with his gifts too,” said her father. ”They will all be thonder, I am thinking. Laird and leddies and b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, the whole clamjamfry. We will be hoping for a good day at the time o' the year.”

”John McCook would be telling me there will be a ploy that night at the Cleiteadh mor,” said the la.s.s; ”the folk will have a cargo ready.

McBride and his son will be there for the ploy,” said the la.s.s, ”but he said no' to be speaking of it.”

Her father stopped a little at his baiting.

”They were aye the great hands for a ploy,” said he, and twitched his shoulder, and the black shadow on the wall wobbled and was still.

There came a long whistle as you will hear a shepherd call.

”That will be himsel',” said Kate.

”Fetch the lad in,” said the mother, and went to the fire.

Dol Beag took down the great Bible. ”We will wors.h.i.+p the Lord,” said he, ”before you will be leaving,” and he opened the Book and read, and the voice of him rolled in relish of the Gaelic, and then they kneeled on the bare floor and Dol Beag prayed before his G.o.d, and John McCook, opening his eyes, saw his la.s.s smiling to him.

The lad and la.s.s took the hill road in the moonlight, and the mother watching them.

Dol Beag lay in his bed long, turning and turning like a man not at his ease, and then he rose and put his clothes on him.

”Where will you be going at this hour?” said his wife.

”Woman,” said he, ”I will have forgotten if the skiff is high on the sh.o.r.e-head, for the wind is away to the west'ard,” and he went out into the night.

In an hour maybe he was in again and the cruisie lighted, and again he fell on his knees by the side of the bed and prayed aloud, and his wife would be hearing in her sleep.

”Lord, look on Thy servant. Was not I the straight one before Thee, straight like a young tree, and strong before Thee. Lord, look then from that great mountain. Thy home and Thy dwelling-place, and see me, Thy servant, twisted and gnarled like the roots of a fallen tree. It will be in Thy hands to raise up or cast down, and the wicked are before Thee. Strike, G.o.d of Battle, and the raging sea, strike and spare not the wicked, for Thy servant will have waited long.”

Gilchrist, who was now the head of the gangers and preventives, turned on his pillow after Dol Beag had crept out.

”Ay, Mirren Stuart,” said he, ”Mirren Stuart that rade the Uist pony and laughed at me in my young days--maybe, Mirren, ye will come to my door yet--my _back_ door.”

And those two that took the road up through the Glen by the burnside past the very trees where Bryde and Helen sat on yon June morning when the spider-webs were floating--John and Kate that dawdled on the road, for never was a road too long for young folk in love--these two would be making but the one shadow on the road, for the la.s.s had thrown her shawl over them both, and for a long time they were in the heather, not far from Birrican, at a place they will be calling Oliver's garden--the wherefore I will not know, unless maybe some of Cromwell's men would be killed there, for I have heard the old folk say that Cromwell's garrison at the Castle would be put to the sword; but I have no sure knowledge of the garrison, or of the place of the killing, although I am hoping that the folk did bravely, for it is never in me to be forgiving the Drove at Dunbar. But it was not Dunbar that these lovers were heeding about--ye will have been in the heather with a la.s.s maybe, so you will be guessing that.

”Would you be telling the mother of you that we would be for marrying, Kate?”

”Yes,” said the la.s.s in a whisper, and put her head against the curve of his breast. ”I could be sleeping here.”

”Och, my la.s.s, it is fine to be sleeping in the heather. My father and his brother would be lying out like the kye in the summer, when they would be at the smuggling, they will be often telling me. And, Kate,”