Macleod of Dare

t up here in Castle Dare, on the high and rocky coast of Mull, the great hall was lit with such a blaze of candles as Castle Dare had but rarely seen. And yet there did not seem to be any grand fes

at rather blinded one to the firm lines of his face. Glad youth shone there, and the health begotten of hard exposure to wind and weather. What was life to him but a laugh: so long as there was a prow to cleave the plunging seas, and a glass to pick out the branching antlers far away amidst the mists of the corrie? To please his mother, on this the last night of his being at home, he wore the kilts; and he had hung his broad blue bonnet, with its sprig of juniper-the badge of the clan-on the top of one of many pikes and halberds that stood by the great fireplace. Opposite him, on the old lady's left hand, sat his cousin, o

your home," said the mother; and the lean hand, r

Captain --'s cabin as far as Greenock; and there will be plenty o

s trying to be very cheerful, too-"do yo

n! When I am ashamed of the tartan I will put a pigeon's feather in my cap, as the new suaicheantas of this branch of Clann Leoid. But the

nds were now clasped before her.

boys," said she, "and you

much of a holiday. You would not have me always at

er sons had not been stay-at-

dvanced and drew his arrow to the barb; the next second he uttered a yell, and rolled from his saddle to the ground, shot through the heart. Macleod seized this instant, when the savages were terror-stricken by the precision of the white man's weapons, to retreat a few yards and get behind a mesquit-tree. Here he was pretty well sheltered from the arrows that they sent in clouds about him, while he succeeded in killing other two of his enemies who had ventu

er officers are falling into ruin and decay-if the very graves have been rifled-how is England to help that? England is the poorest country in the world. There was a talk some two or three years ago of putting up a monument on Cathcart Hill to the Englishmen who died in the Crimea; and that at least would have been some token of remembrance, even if we could not collect the scattered remains of our s

coast. He was only twenty-three when he was killed: but he knew he had got the Victoria Cross. As he lay dying, he aske

o perished at Gravelotte-Er ruht saft in wiedererkampfter deutscher Erde-but the young Highland officer was well beloved by his comrades, and when the dead were being pitched into the great holes dug for them, and when rude hands were preparing the simple record, painted on a wooden cross--"Hier liegen-tapfere Krieger"-a separate memento was placed over the grave of

n the letting of it to a rich Englishman would greatly have helped the failing fortunes of the family; it was not enough that the poor people about, knowing Lady Macleod's wishes, had no thought of keeping a salmon

en a young lad, with the pipes proudly perched on his shoulder, marched in with a stately step, and joyous and shrill arose the S

ned out a better pupil. And will you take a glass of whiskey now, or a glass of claret? And it is a great pity your hair is

editary pipers of the Macleods-the young stripling blushed hot; but he did not forget his professi

of the claret wine,

and having the triple-towered castle of the Macleods engra

d I drink your health, Miss Macleod; and I drink your health, Sir Keith; and I

a bold

have got out of the way of taking their piper wit

king Oscar with

sure of having one frien

ed the lad to himself, as he moved off in a proud and

h the famous and pathetic "Cumhadh na Cloinne," the Lament for the Children, that Patrick Mor, one of the pipers of Macleod of Skye, had composed to the memory of his seven sons, who had all died within one year? And now the doors were opened, and the piper boy once more entered. The wild, sad wail arose: and slow and solemn was the step with which he walked up the hall. Lady Macleod sat calm and ere

ss the table, "that it is said no piper in the West Hi

Laments to-night. Let him take to strathspeys if any of the lads come up after bringing back the boat. It will be

erself again, though her

ome back with you

go. Do you think he could lie for an hour in a wet bog? It was up at Fort William I saw him last year,

have, Keith," his cousin sa

ce flushing, "and if I had

east his hands were not white. And yet, when young Ogilvie and he studied under the same tutor-the poor man had to travel eighteen miles between the two houses, many a time in hard weather-all the talk and aspirations of the boys were about a soldier's life; and Ma

n where I am to get my clothes, and boots, and a hat; and by the time I have done that, he will be up fr

should be dressed. But it is no matter, one after the other has gone; the house is left empty at last. And they all went away like yo

mish c

at now, Sir Keith, and the

low, and took his broad, blue b

t going to send me away in this sad fashion? What am I to bring you bac

r stars were shining over Castle Dare, and over the black shadows of the mountains, and the s

n were really saddened by his going to the south for awhile; he was not given to forebodings. And he had nearly reached the shore, when he was overtak

y proud, you know, and I hope you won't be. You know we are all very poor, Keith; and yet you must not want money in London, if only for the sak

envelope i

usin Janet; but I am not so selfish as that. What would all the p

much that is needed. It is ￡2000 I would like you

, that is nearly all

now

not think of squandering your little fortune. No, no; but I thank you all

d you would be too proud to ask any one-perhaps you would not even ask me; and here is a letter that you can k

ly. "I am to play the prodigal son, then. But I will take the letter. And g

ran out among some rocks, and by the side of it lay a small sailing launch, with four men in her, and Donald the piper b

o Hamish who stood waiting on the pier, ha

," said Hamish. And then the old man added, "It is a dar

come back," answered the young man, for he c

t, and you will take care of your footing, for the night

ting into the broad-beamed boat. The men put out their oars and pushed her off. And now, in the dark night, the skirl of the pipes rose again; and it was no

out to the steamer, it is the 'Seventy-ninth's Farewell to Chubralt

orry to leave Gibraltar when their pipe

s proud and joyous march that Donald was playing to herald the approach of his master. They listened to it as it grew fainter and fainter, and as the small

is a long way off yet," said Janet M

slowly drawing near the open boat; and as she came up, the vas

l take the dog-here is the string; and you

himself. "Oh yes, I will take the dog; but it is bet

k of the large vessel. Then Oscar was hauled up too, and the rope flung loose, and the boat drifted away into the darkness. But the las

aid to himself. "Now he will go back to C

upper, Sir Keith," said the ma

said he; and he made his way

he looked down, and found a woman crouched under the

at is the matter w

Gaelic, "and my children are cold; an

her in her

you, anyway;" and with that he took the plaid from round hi

d a royal manner with them. Perhaps that was the

e dark sea beneath. They waited until they heard the plashing of oars in the small bay below, and the message was brought them that Sir Ke

ne from me," she said, coming back to the

her simple way. "But he will came back to us, auntie;