The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Ceilidh. 6 1
cut out to prevent their crowing at dawn, and to keep
daylight out by drawing heavy black curtains over the
windows,"
A low growl from C.xsar interrupted the speaker, who
bade the dog be quiet, and then continued.
" The Chief was afraid if it were known by his guests
that it was Sunday morning they would stop the dancing,
and so he wished to keep them in ignorance as to the time
of night, for they had no watches or clocks in those days.
Then the Chief went up to the best looking lady in the
hall, ordered the pipers to play his favourite tune, and
danced like a madman till the sun was shining on the
hill-tops on Sunday morning.''
Another growl from Caesar, which, with blinking eyes,
had been gazing intently towards the door. His master
touched him kindly on the head and proceeded.
" Early on the Sunday morning a dispute arose between
two of the young gentlemen present, and from hot words
they came to blows. I never heard what the cause of the
quarrel was, but it was of such a kind that it could not be
decided without the evidence of a third party, and none
such could be found, for the young gentlemen themselves
alone knew anything of the matter in dispute. As I said,
from words they came to blows, and they were on the point
of deciding the quarrel with their daggers when the Chief
interfered, and ordered them to desist from further
quarrelling, and let the matter rest. But the friends of both
combatants took up the dispute in behalf of their respective
favourites. Thus all present ranged themselves on one side
or the other, and matters had come to a critical crisis when
the Chief said that, to prevent bloodshed in his Castle, he
would resort to an expedient by which he would be able to
prove which of the two young men, who had begun the
quarrel, was in the right. And then he explained to them
all what he was going to do."
The old man paused, lifted one leg over the other, and
for a few seconds gazed abstractedly into the fire.
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