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THE CELTIC MAGAZINE. 17<br />

all weathers day and night like a very caraiseach madadli. At last, though<br />

May eve had not come, he began to despair of ever seeing her and to have<br />

but little faith in the fairy man's purse and powder but lo, and behold,<br />

he was soon convinced of their value and the truth of the old man's story.<br />

At sunrise, one morning as he was sitting on a crag opposite the Fairy<br />

Palace, he saw a beautiful rainbow spanning the glen and shining down<br />

on the palacp and on the loch in front of it. Underneath this appeared<br />

something which, at first indistinct, gradually became more clear and substantial,<br />

until it assumed the appearance of a woman of surpassing beauty<br />

clothed in robes of heavenly blue, spotted all over with silver stars. The<br />

twined round her<br />

long golden hair fell over her shoulders till the ringlets<br />

feet, and her face and eyes were such that Charlie had never seen, even<br />

in a dream, any person so beautiful. Bewildered, he sat spell-bound, only<br />

half conscious he had seen her before but the glamour of fairy wile was<br />

over him, and he could not recognise her person. The figure stood<br />

lightly on the water, as if to afford him a full view, gazing earnestly on<br />

him all the time. At length she advanced a few steps holding out her<br />

hands entreatingly, as if imploring his aid, and having remained stationary<br />

for a few moments, began to recede and gradually vanished amid the<br />

melting rays of the rainbow along with the morning vapours, but ere she<br />

finally disappeared beside the rock at the sorrowful look to her husband. In<br />

palace, casting a fond and<br />

an instant Charlie's recollection re-<br />

My wife, my wife, my darling Mary !<br />

turned, and he cried in agony<br />

'<br />

'<br />

stretching out his arms unavailingly but his beloved was gone, and he<br />

was doomed to watch and wearily wait for her return many a long night<br />

and day. But his confidence in the wise man had returned more strongly<br />

than ever, and he visited the Gairloch fiosaiche, carrying with him a good<br />

sum, and telling him if he succeeded by his aid in recovering his wife he<br />

'<br />

would double the amount. "Watch well and you will surely bring her<br />

back,' said the wise man. Charlie did watch well, and the day before<br />

May eve caught another glimpse of his wife as she stood below another<br />

rainbow over the lake, and looking far more beautiful than ever. This<br />

sight gave him more determination, and he set off in haste on another<br />

'<br />

visit to his wise adviser.<br />

to-morrow it will be<br />

Now,' said his counsellor, '<br />

impossible for you to see the fairy home without my help, but you shall<br />

have it. When you return take the path that leads to the mountains, and<br />

whatever you see or whatever occurs never show faint heart. All will<br />

come right.' As the sun went down Charlie took the path leading to the<br />

mountains. As he neared the western end of the lake he reached a<br />

boundary ditch where two lairds' lands met. He climbed the fence and<br />

jumped to reach the opposite land, but instead of alighting on the green<br />

turf he jumped on the back of an enormous black horse that seemed to<br />

rise out of the earth to meet him. He at once knew by the glaring eyes<br />

and snorting nostrils that the horse was none other than the Kelpie,. and<br />

remembering the wise man's parting advice, he banished fear, aud stooping<br />

forward fixed his hands in a firm grip of the flowing mane of his phantom<br />

steed, and thus holding prepared for the terrible ride he knew was before<br />

him. Away went the water-horse with a mighty rush like an arrow wind,<br />

now leaping and rearing and screaming and neighing wild yells floundering<br />

and splashing through bogs and quagmires rushing over fences, and<br />

B

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