CRIME AND MYSTERY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12615, 27 November 1926, Page 11

CRIME AND MYSTERY

THE VASSAL’S REVENGE Tragedy of The Isle of Mull. —Boomerang Punishment of the Maclaine - ■ % By DAVID GREWER

(JACLAINE of Lochbuie held high 14 revelry in his ancestral abode in

Mull. Ou such occasions some untoward incident or fancied insult uUcti turned ninth ami revelry into strife and LdoiuUhed, hut tins evening passed in the greatest harmony, tho ciiieLs retiring in expeeiumy of the *4001! sport promised on the morrow. Tins anticipated sport was a great deer hunt. It was a bright sunny morning in the latter half of September when .Mat Lame and his guests issued forth to enjoy the hunt. To grace the sport his lady also came out with tier inlant sou in the arms of an attendant nurse. Tho whole arrangements had been carefully planned the day before, ami the hunters now proceeded to lake up their variously allotted ambushes. Lor those, MacLaine had selected a place where lie thought the deer would break in a manner that would alford sport in a greater or less degree to all his guests. THE VASSAL'S POST Success seemed assured, for there was only one other alternative route tho hunted animals could take This was a steep, reeky gorge at the very edge of the sea. To ensure success, MacLaine deputed a staunch unci trusty vassal to guard this pus*. All were in their appointed places, and the lady with her child in a position of safety where she could see tho sport without being seen, ere the tteer began to appear. First, a few alarmed animals appeared here and there. Gradually their numbers were augmented, herd after herd, hundred upon hundred came into view and halted. In one vast phalanx the terrified animals headed straight for the ambush, and already the hunters congratulated themselves upon their prospects of immediate slaughter. One big stag with horns like the branches of a pine tree, led the horde. Already with unfaltering step lie was within two bow-shots of the ambush. Suddenly he stopped, threw his head in the air, sniffed for a few seconds, wheeled, and at a mad gallop headed straight for the pass at the coast. Every single deer —stag, hind, and calf—followed in his wake. The guardian of the pass now realised only too well that he had his ■work cut out to turn the wild stampede. An expert forester, he tried every dodge known to the art of woodcraft. ’Xwas useless, tho vast horde heeded him not. A few yards above him a cliff shot itself boldly forward, and behind its protective cover he scrambled. There he lay until the deer poured through the gorge and gained the heights beyond, where for the present at least they were immune from disturbance and danger. The hunt was over without a single shot having been discharged. MacLaine was furious. To the great gathering of friendly chiefs he had held forth prospects of fine sport, and had supplied none. At worst the misfortune was only one of the uncertainties of the came, but he did not pause to consider that. Someone must suffer for it, and who more appropriately than the guardian of the pass? AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS Proceeding to the shore, followed by the disappointed hunters, and also by the clansmen who formed the tinkhell as they came up, MacLaine accused his unfortunate vassal. “Villain,” he hoarsely exclaimed, “why did you neglect your duty, and allow the deer to pass?” *T did not neglect my duty,” firmly but respectfully replied the man. “No one could have done more, and I barely escaped, being trodden to death under their feet.” ••You were too much of. a coward for that.” “I am no coward,” replied the vassal. “I fear not death if it is met in striving to attain some apparent purpose, but just now it would have

been a vain sacrifice.” “Yo shall not die in vain,” replied the chief. “Ye shall die to show others how MacLaine rewards neglect of orders and duty.” “rieize him, ’ he said, addressing i the clansmen, “and hang him from the top of that cliff’,” pointing to the overhanging rock at iiand. The obedient clansmen seized their comrade and were dragging him towards the place of doom when an old grey-boarded chief interposed. “Are you nut too severe,” MacLaine?” he said. “He is a stalwart knave and wields a good blade, 1 should imagine. He may yet be ot use to you, if a less severe punishment requited his offeree.” Maclaine considered* tor a few moments. “Stop,” he then said, “let the caitiff he flogecd be lore tho elan as a warning to all who are unmindful of orders.” The victim mh* now stripped ami bound by a party of the clan, while others made a lash of knotted bowstrings. Preparations were soon over, and the punishment began. The man who wielded the lash knew that if he did not apply it with sufficient vigour his own hack would soon feel its effects in no uncertain manner, so ho struck hard. At the first blow livid we;ds appeared across the vassal’s back; at the second, blood sprang. The punishment was continued until the flesh was a mass of pulp before the irate chief gave tho signal to stop. The victim never gave a groan; with hard-set teeth he bore his suffering in absolute silence. Upon being unbound tiie vassal stood for a few minutes, dazed and stupefied, but gradually a recognition of his position returned. To be publicly whipped before the clan was regarded as the greatest degradation that could be inflicted on one of its members. Ho had been unjustifiably disgraced, and his blood boiled within him. He would have sprung at the chief there and then, but lie knew that a dozen dirks would be buried in his breast before he could reach him. Revenge! Yes, revenge, but he would have to wait for another day. With bent head he was turning 1 away when his eye caught sight of the chief’s lady and the nurse and child : seated a little way up the cliff. From : the landward side ascent to the summit was not difficult, and they had gone up a little to be out of the press of clansmen. So they, too, had witnessed his degradation ; gone up there that they might the better behold his punishment, thought the vassal. A new idea seized him. He paused a moment; then, with the speed of a whirlwind, and before anyone of the astonished clan could stretch forth a hand to stop him, he dashed across the intervening few yards, scrambled j up to the lady, snatched the infant j from the nurse’s arms, and, a few i seconds later, stood on the very highest pinnacle of the cliff. | “Mv child! My chilcU” shrieked the distraught mother. not hurt my I child.” Her scream seemed to break the ; spell that had hound the astonished j spectators, and a move was made to the base of the cliff. “Back, back,” shouted the vassal on its top. “The first man that attempts to ascend dooms the infant to the sea.” All paused hut the frenzied mother, who started to rush upwards. She was seized hv tho nurse and a struggle ensued. The grey-bearded chief advanced towards them, seized the lady in his arms, and bore her to the side of her husband. All the time the man on the top stood motionless, boldly silhouetted in the sunshine, watching what took place below. Tho situation was remarkable. At the base of the cliff stood hundreds of armed men, some powerful chiefs among them. On its top stood a single individual —a veritable slave—without weapon of any kind. Yet this oM man dominated the multitude below. The weak, puling infant was his sure buck-

lor and shield. True, no doubt, ho eould he struck dead with an arrow, but in that *v.ise lie and his captive would topple headlong into the sea—tho sea from which there eould be no possible rescue. STAGGERING DEMAND “Came down with the child vour offence shall be overlooked,” c. ku MacLa ine. “What offence?” rejoined the man. “Your threat to its life.” “All. hut there is another score to j settle. What satisfaction am I to re- . eeivo for tho unjust and undeserved ; punishment I have borne?” “Anything yon can reasonably ask; only come down.” The man paused for a moment and then replied: “IJe it so. What I ask is that- you suffer the same punishment you inflicted upon mo.” Tho request staggered MacLaine. I hat liis vassal would ask for other than personal advantage never crossed liis mind. “Such a proceeding can be of no benefit to you,” he at last replied. , “Ask money, land, promotion, some- : thing that will do you real and lasting good, and it shall be granted,” ; “No, no; undergo the lash or you ; know tho alternative. Decide quickI MacLaine’s flesh shrank from iho stinging scourge, but a glance a* 1 weeping woman by his side decided ; Jam. I “Very well,” lie replied, in suh- | dued toues. “let it be as you desire.” I . Preparations were at once made for inflicting the stimulated punishment. I To the watcher on the too these seemed rather perfunctory. “Bind him,” came the master voice. This was done and the flogging com- 1 meiiced. The man who apolied the lash struck lightly. He had’probably reasons of liis own for doing so. “Harder, harder,” came the voice from above. “Make the blood spurt, else I hurl the child into the whirlpool.” “I fear you must do so.” said tho chief to his eastigator VAIN PUNSHMENTS Tho man did as directed. The knotted bowstrings hissed through the air as they descended on MacLaine’s bare back, the blood springing at every blow. Not until the vassal considered his chief had suffered to the same extent as he had done did he give tho order to stop. Friendly hands unloosed MacLaine and soothing ointments were applied to liis terrible sores. What liis thoughts were none can tell. He had subdued his proud nature to endure the greatest indignity and excruciating agony to save the life of. his infant sou and heir—the apparent future, chief of the clan. But how did lie regard the vassal that I had condemned him to this? Tho ' man had made no stipulation to en- j sure, his future immunity. What had . fate' in store for him at the hands of j his chief? It was evideut that the j other chieftains regarded MacLaine’s : punishmeut in no favourable light, j Their lowering brows and the dark I glances they east towards the ton of I the cliff boded no good to the man on its top once the child was safe and he j defenceless. ; After tho chief had somewhat regained composure the voice again ; sounded from the top of the cliff. j “MacLaine,” it said, “I was flogged | because I could not turn the deer, j ’Twas vain; no human power could* have done so. You have also been ; flogged to save the life of your child, i That also is in vain ; no human power can do so.” ! Wheeling round, the vassal for an instant poised himielf on the verge of the cliff, then sprang far out over the sea, the child clasped firmly in his arms. The clansmen rushed to the top, but were only in time to see some vague indistinguishable object disappear in the black spot at the bottom of the vortex. Alan and child had disappeared from human ken for ever.