The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

490 I 'ic Hio/iland Monthly
despoiler of his home and family. After Hstening quietly
to this outburst of impotent rage, Mark Teviot took from
his pocket a flask. Dugald would fain have refused to taste
the offered refreshment, but he was almost fainting from
exhaustion, having tasted neither food nor drink that day,
and after a struggle between the calls of nature and pride,
he yielded, and held out his hand for the flask. Glenbeltane
then shared with him further provisions he had made for
the long journey ; and with great difficulty having mounted
the patriarch of Anard upon his pony, he descended the
wide declivity of the mountain that sloped towards Keil-
angus, where he left Dugald at the house of a relative.
When parting, Dugald handed my grandfather his dirk,
saying, " Here, Mark Teviot, but not with my curse. For
months, I desired that it might taste your heart's blood,
and even as you held out the flask to me, I wished for
strength to scorn your aid, and to revenge the fate of my
children. But by saving my life you have disarmed me in
very deed. So, here, take this symbol of that mortal feud
which is powerless against you now. May our courses
never more meet or cross ; if they do, beware !" The courses
of the two old men never did meet or cross.
The people of Duncairn, anxious to be rid of the whole
tribe of Macilvaines, subscribed a sum of money which
enabled them to emigrate to America, where there were
many of their kin, and Anard was no longer a place of evil
repute in the district.
It only remains for me to add that Gillespie Macewen
and Bessie Macindrui were married the week after St
Eonan's Fair, that same year, and took up their abode at
Inverbeltane.