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THE CELTIC MAGAZINE. 17
all weathers day and night like a very caraiseach madadli. At last, though
May eve had not come, he began to despair of ever seeing her and to have
but little faith in the fairy man's purse and powder but lo, and behold,
he was soon convinced of their value and the truth of the old man's story.
At sunrise, one morning as he was sitting on a crag opposite the Fairy
Palace, he saw a beautiful rainbow spanning the glen and shining down
on the palacp and on the loch in front of it. Underneath this appeared
something which, at first indistinct, gradually became more clear and substantial,
until it assumed the appearance of a woman of surpassing beauty
clothed in robes of heavenly blue, spotted all over with silver stars. The
twined round her
long golden hair fell over her shoulders till the ringlets
feet, and her face and eyes were such that Charlie had never seen, even
in a dream, any person so beautiful. Bewildered, he sat spell-bound, only
half conscious he had seen her before but the glamour of fairy wile was
over him, and he could not recognise her person. The figure stood
lightly on the water, as if to afford him a full view, gazing earnestly on
him all the time. At length she advanced a few steps holding out her
hands entreatingly, as if imploring his aid, and having remained stationary
for a few moments, began to recede and gradually vanished amid the
melting rays of the rainbow along with the morning vapours, but ere she
finally disappeared beside the rock at the sorrowful look to her husband. In
palace, casting a fond and
an instant Charlie's recollection re-
My wife, my wife, my darling Mary !
turned, and he cried in agony
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stretching out his arms unavailingly but his beloved was gone, and he
was doomed to watch and wearily wait for her return many a long night
and day. But his confidence in the wise man had returned more strongly
than ever, and he visited the Gairloch fiosaiche, carrying with him a good
sum, and telling him if he succeeded by his aid in recovering his wife he
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would double the amount. "Watch well and you will surely bring her
back,' said the wise man. Charlie did watch well, and the day before
May eve caught another glimpse of his wife as she stood below another
rainbow over the lake, and looking far more beautiful than ever. This
sight gave him more determination, and he set off in haste on another
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visit to his wise adviser.
to-morrow it will be
Now,' said his counsellor, '
impossible for you to see the fairy home without my help, but you shall
have it. When you return take the path that leads to the mountains, and
whatever you see or whatever occurs never show faint heart. All will
come right.' As the sun went down Charlie took the path leading to the
mountains. As he neared the western end of the lake he reached a
boundary ditch where two lairds' lands met. He climbed the fence and
jumped to reach the opposite land, but instead of alighting on the green
turf he jumped on the back of an enormous black horse that seemed to
rise out of the earth to meet him. He at once knew by the glaring eyes
and snorting nostrils that the horse was none other than the Kelpie,. and
remembering the wise man's parting advice, he banished fear, aud stooping
forward fixed his hands in a firm grip of the flowing mane of his phantom
steed, and thus holding prepared for the terrible ride he knew was before
him. Away went the water-horse with a mighty rush like an arrow wind,
now leaping and rearing and screaming and neighing wild yells floundering
and splashing through bogs and quagmires rushing over fences, and
B