Part 3 (1/2)

I never believed that Maas a witch, though others did She was said to creep about on ' aathered herbs to concoct strange mixtures withal Certainly Maas no beauty; she walked 'two-fold,' leaning on a crutch; she was gray-bearded, wrinkled beyond conception; her head athed winter and suether she looked uncanny Nevertheless, the peasant people never hesitated to visit her to beg for herb-tea and oil to rub their joints But they always chose the daylight in which to o round' Then so whispered toto fear!'

That decided me, and I went boldly on For the life ofthose weird and awful lines in Burns' 'Tam o' Shanter,' descriptive of the hero's journey hoathered with the witches:

'By this time he was 'cross the ford Whare in the snaw the chapman smo'red;[2]

And past the birks[3] and meikle stane Whare drunken Charlie brak's neck-bane; And through the furze and by the cairn Where hunters found the o'strees, Kirk Alloway seemed in a bleeze'

I alli from the frameless s of the ruined chapel? or what if old Mawsie's s be ”in a bleeze”?'

Tall, ghostly-looking elder-trees grew round the old , even when no breath of as blowing

If I had shuddered before, h, from both the 'butt' and the 'ben' of the so-called witch's cottage lights were glancing

What could it mean? She was too old to have coe alone and its attendant infirmities--so, at least, people said

But it had also been rus which were far fro about the old churchyard and ruin, and that so was sure to happen nobody in the parish could have been found hardy enough to cross the glen-foot where Mawsie lived long after dark Well, had I thought of all this before, it is possible that I iven her house a wide berth It was now too late I felt like one in a dreae I seeet to the s, however, I raveyard yard and the ruin This last was partly covered with tall rank ivy, and, hearing sounds inside, and seeing the glimreenery

From my concealment I could notice that men were at work in a vault or pit on the floor of the old chapel, froed, while another figure--not that of a worklish It was evident, therefore, those people beloere not Highlanders, for in the face of the uish the hard-set lineaments of the villain Duncan M'Rae Thisin his time--soldier, school-teacher, poacher, thief He was abhorred by his own clan, and feared by every one Even the school children, if they met him on the road, would run back to avoid hilen after an absence of years, and every one said his presence boded no good I shuddered as I gazed, ally in the uncertain light of the lantern Suppose he should find me! I crept closer into my corner now, and tried to draw the ivy round ht was very bright indeed, and M'Rae held a gun in his hand

After a time, which appeared to be interminable, I heard Duncan invite the men into supper, and slowly they claether

All ht have been well now, for they passed lance in my direction; but presently I heard one of the men stumble

'Hullo!' he said; 'is this basket of fish yours, Mr Mac?'

'No,' was the ansith an imprecation that made ged froht was held up to my face

'A M'Crister, you've come to watch? You know the family feud, don't you? Well, prepare to meet your dooun at me as he spoke

'Hold!' cried one of the men 'We came from town to do a bit of honest work, but ill not witness hten hiun 'Look you, sir,' he continued, addressing e, even on a M'Crimman of Coila I'm a poacher; perhaps I'm a distiller in a quiet way No matter, you knohat an oath is You'll swear ere you leave here, not to breathe a word of what you've seen You hear?'

'I pro-piece threateningly once again Verily, he had just then a terribly evil look

'I swear,' I said, with treain lowered He seemed to breatheacross the ame or his private still, what odds is it to a M'Criot ho in our front drawing-room hat seemed a sea of anxious faces roundblank, interspersed with fearful dreams