George Manville Fenn

“ All this was momentary; and there the rope kept on vibrating and the anchor jarred as Scoodrach descended; while, as Max pressed the stock down, and it rose and fell like a spring beneath his foot, he kept his eyes fixed upon the edge of the cliff, where the rope seemed to end, when there was a dull twang, as if the string of some gigantic instrument had snapped, and, to his horror, the rope rose from the top of the cliff as if alive, and struck and coiled round him with a stinging pain. ”

“ Sneeshing’s first act was to run forward and give himself a tremendous shake to get rid of the water, and then he performed a sort of triumphant dance, and ended by placing his forepaws over the side, and barking at his fellows on the rock.
Bruce seemed to frown at him, showed his teeth, and then uttered a deep baying bark; but Dirk answered the challenge of his little companion by barking furiously, then running up and down upon the rocks for a few moments, watching the boat, as if calculating whether he could leap in; and ending by plunging into the sea with a tremendous splash. ”

“ There was a wild cry close at hand, and a curlew rose, and then a flock of lapwings, to flit round and round, uttering their peevish calls; but Max saw nothing but the scene at the castle, heard nothing but The Mackhai’s bitter words, and he tramped onward and onward into the wilderness of mountain and moss, onward into the night.
There are people who would laugh at the idea of an active lad being lost in the mountains. To them it seems, as they travel comfortably along by rail or coach, impossible that any one could go perilously astray among “those little hills.” ”

“ For a few moments Max dared not let go. He felt that if he did he should fall headlong seventy or eighty feet into the rock-strewn sea; but, as he hesitated, Kenneth gave him a jerk, his hold gave way, and the next moment, in an agony of horror, he fell full twenty inches—on his feet, and found himself upon the broad shelf, with the crag projecting above his head and the glittering sea below.
“You’ll come down here like a grasshopper next time,” cried Kenneth. “Now then, after me. There’s nothing to mind so long as you don’t slip. ”

“ Max entered into the spirit of the thing with the most intense enjoyment, following Kenneth through the mouldering old gate tower, and up a crumbling staircase to the broken battlements, of which there was still enough round to allow of any one walking to and fro behind the broken crenelation, between whose teeth they could look down on any one coming up the rocky path from the edge of the bay. ”

“ Max said nothing, but kept on cautiously descending till he stood upon a broad patch of barnacle-crusted rock, beside what looked like a great rough Gothic archway, forming the entrance to a cave whose floor was the sea, but alongside which there was a rugged continuation of the great stone upon which the lads stood.
“There, isn’t this something like a bath?” cried Kenneth. “It’s splendid, only you can’t bathe when there’s any sea.”
“Why?” asked Max, so as to gain time.
“Why? Because every wave that comes in swells over where we’re standing, and rushes right into the cave. ”

“ Scood nodded, and began to climb rapidly over the buttress of rock which ran down into the sea, the height to which the tide rose being marked by an encrustation of myriads of acorn barnacles, among which every now and then a limpet stood out like a boss, while below, in the clear water, a thick growth of weed turned the rock to a golden brown, and changed the tint of the transparent water. ”

“ You are Mr Mackhai’s son, are you not?”
“I am The Mackhai’s son,” cried Kenneth, drawing himself up stiffly.
“Yes; there’s no Mr Mackhai here,” cried Scoodrach fiercely. “She’s the Chief.”
“She isn’t, Scood. Oh, what an old dummy you are!”
“Well, so she is the chief.”
“So she is! Ah, you! Look here, you, Max Blande: my father’s the Chief of the Clan Mackhai.”
“Is he? Is it much further, to the grey mare’s stable?” faltered the passenger. ”

“ Kenneth’s merry laugh came up out of the narrow rift, sounding muffled and strange, and the two lads looked down to where he was creeping along, some fifteen feet below them, in the half-darkness of the hollow, and holding on by the pendent roots which issued from the crevices, as he picked his way along the stones, with the water often washing against his feet.
“Come down, Max. Don’t be a coward,” he cried, as he looked up over his shoulder at the two anxious faces, while the hiss, rush, and roar of the water nearly covered with sound his half-heard voice. ”

“ A shrill, piercing, cracked old voice echoed the cry from above, and the lads on the crumbling battlements over the gateway, where they stood ready with pails of water for sending down through the machicolations, stood gazing at a tall weird figure in full war-paint, with the front of his bonnet cocked up with its eagle pinion feathers, his grey hair flying in the breeze, his eyes flashing, tartan scarf buckled with his great cairngorm brooch, as old Tonal’ climbed slowly into sight, and stood on the narrow ledge of battlement at the very top of the right-hand tower. ”

“ Max drew a deep breath, and began stumbling up the spiral stairs, which had mouldered away till some of them sloped, while others were deep hollows; but he toiled on, with a half giddy, shrinking sensation increasing as he rose.
“If you feel anything rush down by you,” said Kenneth, in a hollow whisper, “don’t be afraid; it’s only an old ghost. They swarm here.” ”

“ They climbed on by patches of ragwort all golden stars, with the ladies’ mantle of vivid green, with its dentate edge, neat folds, and pearly dewdrop in the centre, and by patches of delicate moss, with the pallid butterwort peeping, and by fern and club moss, heath and heather, and great patches of whortleberry and bog-myrtle, every turn and resting-place showing some lovely rock-garden dripping with pearly drops, and possessing far more attraction for Max than the quest upon which they were engaged. ”

“ Kenneth stared wonderingly in his father’s face. “What does it all mean?” he thought, and he noted the lines of trouble and annoyance deepening as The Mackhai let his eye fall upon his letter once more.
“My father must hate his father,” thought Kenneth; “and he is too much of a gentleman to show his dislike to his son. Why does he have him here, then? A stupid, girlish muff of a fellow! One’s obliged to laugh at him, poor beggar!” ”

“ Look here, Max: now, seriously, unless a yacht comes by, there’s no chance of help, and just because we want a yacht to come by, there won’t be one for a week.”
“Then what shall I do?”
“Well, there’s only one thing you can do.”
“Yes? quick, tell me!”
“Go down to the boat and hoist the sail, and run back to Dunroe.”
“But I couldn’t manage her.”
“All right, then. Let’s all set to work and make our wills before we’re starved to death. No, I tell you what: you’ve got the gun; you’ll have to go shooting, and drop the birds over to us. You’re a good shot, aren’t you?”
Max was silent. ”

“ Then, just as the boat careened over till the bellying sail almost touched the low crags on their left, it made quite a leap, rose upright, the pressure on the sail ceased, the rush of wind seemed to be suddenly cut off, and they were gliding rapidly along in an almost waveless bay, with a deep, loud, thunderous roar booming into their ears.
“What do you think of that?” cried Kenneth, laughing in his guest’s astonished face.
“I—I don’t know. Is anything broken?”
“Broken? No. We’re under the shelter of the great point.” ”

“ For if he dared to rise he felt that he would be offering a deadly affront to the old minstrel, one which, hot-blooded Highlander as he was, he might resent with his dirk, or perhaps do him a mischief in a more simple manner, by spurning him with his foot as he retreated—in other words, kick him down-stairs.
And those were such stairs!
Northern people praise the bagpipes, and your genuine Highlander would sooner die than own it was not the “pravest” music ever made. He will tell you that to hear it to perfection you must have it on the mountain side, or away upon some glorious Scottish loch. ”

“ Half a mile farther they struck the side of a sea loch, and, after following its shore for a short distance, Kenneth plunged into the heath and began to climb a steep, rugged slope, up which Max toiled, till on the top he paused, breathless and full of wonder at the beauty of the scene. The slope they had climbed was the back-bone of a buttress of the hill which flanked the loch, the said buttress running out and forming a promontory. ”

“ He pointed out across the wide sea-loch, and Max could see that two sharp-winged birds were skimming along in the distance, and returning, as if in a great state of excitement about their nest.
“There they are, Max, the pair of them,” said Kenneth.
“Isn’t it cruel to take their nest, supposing you can get it?” said Max.
“Oh, very,” replied Kenneth coolly. “We ought to leave it alone, and let the young hawks grow up and harry and strike down the grouse and eat the young clucks. Why, do you know how many birds those two murder a day?” ”

“ Couldn’t we, Scood?”
“Ou ay; she could run up and run town too.”
“Is it much farther to the top?” said Max, after a few minutes’ farther climb; and he seated himself upon a beautiful green cushion of moss, and then jumped up again, to the great delight of his companions, who roared with laughter as they saw a jet of water spurt out, and noted Max’s look of dismay. For it was as if he had chosen for a seat some huge well-charged sponge.
“I—I did not know it was so wet.”
“Moss generally is on the mountain,” cried Kenneth. “You should sit down on a stone or a tuft of heath if you’re tired. ”

“ Every now and then a huge roller would dash right into the bath cave, when there would be quite an explosion, and Max listened with a feeling of awe to the escape of the confined air, and wondered whether it would be possible for the place to be undermined, and the whole rock swept away.
“What!” cried Kenneth, when he broached the idea. “Nonsense! It has gone on like that for thousands of years. It’s jolly! Next time we bathe, there won’t be a scrap of weed left. The place will be regularly scoured out, and the bottom covered with soft shelly sand.” ”

“ As he spoke, Kenneth divided the bushes, and held them apart for his companion to join him, and the next moment they were standing on the brink of a narrow rift in the rock, so narrow that the bush-tips met overhead, and made the water that glided silently along many feet below look quite dark.
“But that’s not the whole of the water which goes over the fall,” said Max wonderingly.
“Every drop. It’s narrow, but it’s fine and deep, and when it spouts out it falls on to the stones and spreads round so as to look big—makes the most of itself. ”

“ The great Highlander chuckled softly, like a big turkey practising a gobble, and took off his bonnet to rub his head, while Kenneth hurried Max on, and stood on the shore, while the visitor walked out over the stones amongst which the river ran and foamed, Max looking, rod in hand, like a clumsy tight-rope dancer balancing himself with his pole. ”

“ A curious shrinking sensation came upon Max, and Kenneth noticed it.
“This isn’t the Grey Mare’s Tail,” he said, laughing; “and we’re not in a boat.”
“I can’t help feeling a little nervous,” said Max frankly. “I am not used to this sort of thing.”
“And we are. Yes, of course. It’s too bad to laugh at you. Come on.”
“Is there any danger?”
“Well, of course there is, if you go and tumble in, but you needn’t go near.”
The humming roar grew louder as they tramped on along a sheep-track in and out among the huge stones which had fallen from the sides of the great gully. ”

“ I would rather not go without Kenneth,” said Max hastily; and The Mackhai said no more, being in doubt in his own mind whether the refusal was from cowardice or from disinclination to leave the invalid, who grew more fretful and impatient every day that he approached convalescence.
“Why can’t you go and fish, or shoot, or do something, Max? You haven’t tried for the trout yet. How I do hate to see you sitting there gaping at a fellow!” ”

“ This was more to Max’s taste, and, after Grant had been summoned to help light the lamps, Kenneth shut the door, chuckling to himself about the big beating he was going to give the Londoner, who, instead of taking a cue, was gazing round the handsome billiard-room at the crossed claymores, targes, and heads of red deer, whose antlers formed rests for spears and specimens of weapons from all parts of the world.
“Are those swords sharp?” asked Max.
“Sharp? Yes, I should think they are. They’re the claymores my ancestors used to handle to cut off the heads of the Macleods and Macdougals.” ”

“ Every chief used to have a place of that sort, and most of ’em built their castles on rocks like that sticking out into the sea.”
Max gazed eagerly at the ruined towers, the homes of jackdaws, bats, and owls, and he was beginning to dream about the old times when men in armour and courtly ladies used to dwell in these sea-girt fortalices, but his reverie was broken in upon by a sharp snapping bark from Sneeshing, and an exclamation from Scood.
“Oh, you beauty!” exclaimed Kenneth, as he gazed up at a great strong-winged, hawk-like bird, which went sailing by. “See, Max. Blue hawk.” ”

“ Tavish bent down as if he were going to crawl as he came out of the door.
“Why, you stoop like an old goose coming out of a barn, Tavvy,” cried Kenneth, laughing. “How particular you are over that old figurehead of yours.”
“Well, she’s only got one head, Master Kenneth; and plows on the top are not coot for a man.”
“Never mind, come along. Here, Scood, get two rods and the basket. You’ll find the fly-book and the gaff on the shelf.”
“I have a fishing-rod—a new one,” said Max excitedly.
“Oh! ah! so you have,” replied Kenneth. “Never mind, we’ll try that another day. Can you throw a fly?” ”

“ To sit and hold the rudder and go right away with the wind dead astern is not so difficult, but to try and sail a boat with the wind almost in your teeth, is, at the first time of asking, rather a strain upon the unaccustomed mind. The first thing which Max discovered was that, as soon as the sail was up, the boat seemed to try to take, so to speak, the bit in its teeth and run off to the north; the next, that he held in the tiller whip, spur, reins, everything for governing this strangely-mobile creature, and at the hint from Kenneth he had changed its course. ”

“ Max did not seem reassured, even though the barking dwindled into low growls, and then into a series of snufflings, as the dogs followed behind, sniffing at the visitor’s heels.
“Do you really live here?” said Max, glancing up at the roofless buildings.
“Live here? of course,” replied Kenneth; “but we don’t eat and sleep in this part. We do that sort of thing out here.” ”

“ Now get some food, and go and lie down for a few hours to have some rest. We can do nothing till daylight.”
“Very well, father. And—and I will try not to mind leaving the old place, and to be a man.”
“God bless you, my boy!” cried The Mackhai, laying his hands upon his son’s shoulders and gazing into his eyes. “Come, Ken, trouble has its good sides after all; it has taught me something more about the nature of my son. Now, go and get some rest; I shall not be happy till I have taken that boy again by the hand.”
“Why, father!” cried Kenneth excitedly. “Oh, what an old donkey I am!” ”

“ You’re always pretending to be old, and yet you can walk me down stalking, and Long Shon says you can make him sore-footed any day.”
“Nonsense! nonsense!” said The Mackhai, smiling.
“Oh, but you can, father!” said Kenneth, with his mouth full. “And see how you ran with that salmon yesterday, all among the stones.”
“Ah, yes! I manage to hold my own; but I hope you’ll husband your strength better than I did, my boy,” said The Mackhai, with a sigh.
“I only hope I shall grow into such a fine man!” cried Kenneth, with his face lighting up, as he gazed proudly at his father. ”

“ And then a momentous day came, when, after spending the morning in having a glorious sail, during which, as there was a splendid breeze, Max had felt quite comfortable, as he sat well to windward, holding on by the gunwale and helping to act as ballast to keep the boat from going over under the great press of sail Kenneth insisted upon carrying, they ran softly in under shelter of the rocks, and were approaching the castle landing-place, when Tavish came rushing up breathlessly. ”

“ Then he blew up the bag again, and there came forth a tremendous wail, wild and piercing, and making a curious shudder run up and down Max’s backbone, while directly after, as he was debating within himself whether he might not make some excuse about Kenneth waiting, so as to get away, the old man marched up and down, playing as proudly as if he were at the head of a clan of fighting men. ”