A SCOTCH WITCH STORY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 286, 13 December 1879, Page 5

A SCOTCH WITCH STORY.

{Cornhill Magazine ) Old McLeod of Girwao, in Rossshire, you must know, was veiy intimate with tha witchcraft of his time,

and especially with the mother of the Mhor Venn ; but ,hp^ X (f id' flot hear whateffsr. Wall : ; he was iafepn very ill. He had been a Soldier, and had had a piece of one of his ears shot off in the wars with Napoleon, He was dying befora long, and w*s so ill that one of the MeLeods was seat over to Loch Inver to tell of his approaching death. He had a fery long walk over the hills, and it wa* a, fery rough night— "That night a child might understand The dcii bad bdilness oubaud." Well, sir, at Altonoi (this is, the Long Barn), half way between loehadamph and Altnagellagaob, some 20 miles ap this fery road, he walked over the bridge and heard some one sayingr, "We'll manage ye, Donald; we'll manage ye ; we'll tak' ye." He looked up and saw two witches standing in the middle of the road before him, moaldiog an image of clay, which was all stuck over with pins ; but, someh :w or other, they could .neyer get the tip of the ear, which had been shot off, you know, to stick on to their image. Donald was a fery strong man whatever, aod rushed at them, and koocked them both over. -Then he seized their image, and. ran !*»lth -stroma to Girvio to M L^od, for, _bßWg ? witcheß, they 'could not cross tht running waters, of the bom. He took it ap to the chamber whefa hisr master lay, and gave it to "him.' Tirstthey drew oat one v^ry big pi a*, from nis heart. I mind these bier pins very well. He was at onoe much better. TThev theo took oat the smaller ones, pue f after the other, each giving him greater relief, till at length-, on the last one being removed, he was quite well. Aboat the same time, McLeod one. night' sent a servant tb Dornoch oh an errand. Tbe man rather hang back. It was a wild night, and he would have to cross the Taip, which is always a miscbaocy river, with many dangers ro»od it of ford and evil things. McLeod noticed his hesitation, and roared oat ; it him, " Tak' the grey horse, and the dcii himself wilt not stap ye !' He took it with Bair misgivings, aod rode into the darkness till he rested -ther ford over ttWAtiioV In tl&\mUlSt\of this he found his bridle; sei-ped by ,t*»,Q witches, one on each side, says he (Tor he was very bold), "I have bean waiting to see you of this long time." Said they, "And we are very welcome to see you; all you bave to do is to sign your name in blood in tbis parchment bopk io the name of the devil." Well, he did not more ado, but took a pen and pricked himself till the blood cime, and then hying the book open on the saddle before him, was about to *'Wrifj.rV when all at once, he gave the grey a slap behind witb his open band ; op he sprang, far in tiie air, and threw down both witches into tbe water, and then sprang round and sped home like the wind, while the man held the book tight under his arm. He was ao mat McL-sod's housa, as you may suppose, and gives him the book. He opens, it and believe m?, sir't-l-hare it is hopeless to express the mysterious tones and agitated manner of Rod rick as be held op hia hand, with close-set lips and staring eyes — " believe, me, sir, there were the names written therein of all the richest women. of Roasshire. Yes, he had them all down there! McLeod next proclaimed on the ensuing Sabbath, iv the kirk, thai if any harm Were done to him or his by witches, be should know who had done it; and sure enough JJQ barm was ever done bim.. He was very intimate, sure enough, with the witches. Now wben tbe yoang men who bad murdered tbe Mhor Venn we're seised add taken to prison, nothing oould save tbem. Being, however, clansmen of McLeod of Girvan, Ross-shire, tbey managed to send a man tb tell bim of tbeir plight and ask his help. MoLeod's son met them outside the window of tbe room in which bis father sat aud, after bearing the story, shakes his bead and says nothing can be done. His father inside saw thie, and hitching op hia trousers came out and said, " Yes, it can be done, and it shall be done." Accoidiugly he went to the court, and there produced the image and the book, nnd, of course, they pot off at once.