The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Ceilidh. 62:
seen disappearing through the door-way. This particular
night it was not quite so late as usual when he left for
home. His departure was, commonly, the signal for a
general break-up of the Ceilidh, and all were now getting
ready to follow his example, when the old man entered the
house again, and standing at the door he expressed himself
in his deepest bass voice as follows :— " There is much
bloodshed in the east to-night. Thousands of men are
lying in their gore, and rivers and valleys are red with their
blood. The very heavens reflect the colour of the earth.
Look towards the east and you will behold signs of
tribulation."
On uttering these words he again disappeared. Every
one rushed outside, wondering what strange spectacle the
old man referred to. As I have already mentioned, I was
a mere boy then, but the sight that met my eyes I shall
never forget. The sky towards the east was of a deep
crimson colour, interspersed with streaks of yellow light
that darted hither and thither, and to and fro with the
rapidity of lightning, now flashing away to the north and
south, then becoming less distinct as they blended with
other shapes similar in form, but of a blood-red hue, and
again disappearing from view altogether ; figures like
tongues of fire shot upwards towards the zenith where the
fiery red gradually faded into a pale yellow, and away to
the west was seen in strong relief the dark blue of the
heavens studded with myriads of stars. No wonder that
the superstitious and receptive mind of Seoras Glas
associated such a brilliant display of the aurora borealis
with bloodshed, for this was the fiercest period of the
Franco-German War, and it had been reported for some
weeks before that the hostile armies were on the eve of a
great, and it was believed, a decisive battle.
The weird stories I had heard that night, together with
the wild words spoken by Seoras Glas, and the unusual
appearance of the sky, filled me with such fear that I
would fain have entreated someone to accompany me