The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

6io The Ui^hland Monthly.
through the doorway, and it was some minutes before we
could distinguish anything clearly. When at last the
smoke had partly cleared away, we saw one woman on the
roof throwing down the divots we had placed on the smokeholes,
and about half-a-dozen others standing below and
giving the most improbable explanations of what had
occurred. Some maintained that it was the work of super-
natural agency, and one old maid, the owner of the house^
asserted in a manner that was not to be gainsayed that
she knew very well who had done it. It was Widow
M'Kelvie, with whom she had had a quarrel that morning
regarding her speckled hen that she—the speaker—had
discovered laying in Widow M'Kelvie's henhouse, and she
would make the widow smart for this. Poor Widow
M'Kelvie was a frail, old body, who could no more have
walked in the dark, not to speak of climbing to the roof of
a house, than she could have flown.
When Galium Mor had finished his description of his
novel and extraordinary method of catching herring, there
was silence for a {^"^ minutes, for though even the most
credulous of Callum's hearers knew that facts were at least
exaggerated, no one ventured to express an opinion on the
matter, for any one who hinted by word or sign that he
discredited any part of the story would have made an
enemy of Galium Mor for life. The silence was at last
broken by Galium again suddenly saying "that was the day
we saw bodach na currachda deirge."
'•What was that?" enquired a young man who had but
recently arrived in the district, and was ignorant of much
of the superstition of the place.
" It's a man wearing a red cap who is sometimes seen
during great storms," replied Aonghas Ban in explanation,
"and if he swims round a ship three times in succession
she is sure to go to the bottom with all hands."
" Good gracious !" ejaculated the stranger, " and did he
swim round your boat, Galium ?"