Breezes creep and halt,
Touched with steady gold
Burning through the lawny vapours
Where they float and fold.
—DUNCAN CAMPBELL SCOTT.
The sound of a tinkling7 bell, crossing the pasture in tuneful harmony with the music of the summer evening, had come to a pause in the barnyard, and the boys had gone out with their pails to the milking.
Scotty came capering8 up the path from the barn, making mischievous9 snatches at Granny's rosebushes, which surrounded the house all abloom in their June dresses. He seldom returned from his evening task of bringing home the cows in such good time. Generally he lingered in the woods until he had almost worn out even Granny's patience, and caused Callum to threaten all kinds of dire10 punishments, which were never inflicted11. But to-night he had been very expeditious12, and with good reason; for hadn't Granny warned him that Isabel might arrive at any moment? She had come to Kirsty's a few days before, and Weaver13 Jimmie had promised that, if the lady who ruled his heart was in a sufficiently14 propitious15 mood to admit of his leaving her door intact, he would, without fail, bring the little visitor over that evening.
She and Scotty had become quite intimate since the first summer of their acquaintance. Miss Isabel was possessed16 of a vitality17 and high spirits that sometimes became unbearable18 to her invalid19 aunt; so every summer, to her own delight and Miss Herbert's relief, she was packed off to the home of her old nurse. For Kirsty John's mother had been a servant in the Herbert family in her youth; and when the little Isabel had been left an orphan20 in the Captain's family, Kirsty herself had been nurse-maid to both her and Captain Herbert's little son. Sometimes, too, during the winter, when her cousin was away at school, the child came for a lengthy21 visit to her Highland22 home, for Miss Herbert had often to go to the city for medical attendance, and her brother always accompanied her, glad of an opportunity to be with his son. Indeed, the family at Lake Oro had what Kirsty called a bad habit of "stravogin'." She declared they were always "jist here-away there-away," and never settled down like decent folk in one place. But then there was no accounting23 for the ways of the gentry24, and these people were half English and half Irish, anyway, and what could a body expect? She was thankful herself that the wee bit lassock had some good Scotch25 blood in her, anyway. Kirsty often shook her head over her little charge, declaring that if the father or mother had lived, or even the Captain's wife, who was a smart, tidy body, even if she was a lady, the wee one would have had better care. Not but that the Captain's folk were fond of the lamb; Kirsty declared it was clean impossible not to love her; but what with a poor girnin', sick body for an aunt, and an uncle who was such a gentleman he didn't know whether the roof was falling in on him or not, was it any wonder the bit thing was wild?
Whatever neglect Miss Isabel may have suffered troubled her not a whit26. For neglect spelled liberty and always contributed to the general joyousness28 of her existence. Her poor aunt's illnesses, even, were associated in her childish mind with the keenest delight, for they brought her what she enjoyed most in the world, many days spent in the Oa. Nominally29 her home was with her old nurse, but she really spent the greater part of her time at Scotty's home. And here Weaver Jimmie became indirectly30 a partaker in the joy of the little one's presence; for Kirsty entrusted31 her girl to him in her journeys between the clearings; an honour of which Jimmie boasted from one end of the Oa to the other, and fulfilled his commission with a vigilance that kept his lively young charge in a state of indignant rebellion.
In the meantime Scotty had grown to like this new comrade and to respect her. Of course she was only a girl, but she was immeasurably superior to Betty, for she rarely cried, was always merry, had a marvellous inventive genius and never failed of some new and wonderful scheme for enjoying life and escaping work. His big, generous heart experienced no jealousy32, but only a great pride in her, when she usurped33 his place and became the centre of interest and admiration34 in his home. One visit had been sufficient to establish her as the ruler of Big Malcolm's household. Everyone came at her beck and call; Rory fiddled36, Callum danced, Old Farquhar sang, and Hamish spun37 impossible yarns38 at her command. And Granny, who was the most abject39 subject of all, would fondle her golden curls, calling her Margaret, the name of her own little girl whom she had lost, and would let her help make the johnny cake for supper, apparently40 not a whit disturbed by the fact that everything in the room was strewn with flour. Big Malcolm himself seemed to forget that she belonged to the man against whom he had sworn lifelong enmity, and like the rest, opened his heart to her unreservedly. And she returned his affection with all the might of her warm happy nature. She called him "Grandaddy," as Scotty did, and would climb upon his knee and coax41 and tease him into doing things that even his grandson would not have dared to ask.
The little visitor always came at a time that Scotty found very convenient, just when the closing of school had deprived him of Danny Murphy's companionship; and to-night he looked forward to her coming with more than usual pleasure, for he needed her help and advice. Of late the boy's tender heart had been worried by signs of discord43 at home. Something he could not fathom44 was wrong with Callum. That old trouble that had arisen between him and Grandaddy the first winter of the prayer meetings had been suddenly aggravated45. Scotty had heard rumours46 at school, and was vaguely47 conscious of the cause of the dissension. Isabel was so quick, perhaps she could help him to find out just what was wrong and suggest a remedy.
"Yon's a queer-lookin' thing comin' over the bars, Scotty," said his grandfather, smilingly, from his place at the doorway48.
Scotty turned eagerly; yes, there was a little blue figure scrambling49 hastily over the fence into the pasture-field, followed by Weaver Jimmie, as anxious and flustered50 as a hen with a wayward duckling. A joyous27 scream announced that she had really come.
"It's her!" shouted the boy. "It's wee Isabel!"
He darted51 down the hill to meet her, but Callum was there first. Callum was on his way up from the barn, and the little blue figure flew to him and made the rest of the journey to the house perched triumphantly54 upon his broad shoulder, screaming with delight, and calling upon Scotty, her own dear Scotty, to come and meet her.
But for all his joy, as she approached Scotty drew back shyly behind the rosebushes. The first meeting with Isabel was something of an embarrassment55, for she always pitched herself upon him and insisted upon kissing him, more than once sometimes, if he wasn't watchful56, and it was certainly an unseemly thing for a boy of his size to be kissed by anybody. But the ordeal57 was soon over, and when they had all rejoiced over her and measured her height against the door-frame, where two niches58 showed how she and Scotty had stood last summer, and admired her growth, and warned Scotty to take care or she would soon be as tall as he was, the elder folk gave their attention to Weaver Jimmie and left the children to their own devices.
As usual the Weaver was the bearer of important tidings.
"It's a fine job Tom Caldwell thinks he's got this time!" he declared with an embarrassed hitch59 of one big foot over the other, and a rather nervous glance towards Callum.
"What's that?" inquired Rory, coming up to the door with his two pails of foaming60 milk. "We always like to know what our relations will be doing," he added with a sly chuckle61.
Weaver Jimmie looked more embarrassed than ever. He attacked his whiskers and became so absorbed in their subduing62 that his audience grew impatient.
"Out with it, man!" cried Callum, and thus adjured63, the Weaver told his story. When he had finished, it appeared that a much graver danger than a Fenian raid threatened the Glen, for what should Tom Caldwell and all those Irish louts from the Flats be up to now but an Orangemen's raid!
Big Malcolm removed his pipe and glared at the speaker.
"What is it ye will be saying, man?" he demanded harshly. Weaver Jimmie looked encouraged, and avoiding Callum's eye, he gave further details. Tom Caldwell had lately been the means of organising an Orange lodge64 in the Flats, and at their last meeting the brethren had decreed that, upon the coming 12th of July, they must have a celebration. It was to be no ordinary affair either, Pete Nash himself told him; but such a magnificent spectacle as the pioneers had never yet witnessed. Pete had received orders to prepare dinner for fifty guests and whiskey for twice as many. There was to be a grand rally early in the morning at the home of Tom Caldwell, who was to personate the great Protestant monarch65, and at high noon a triumphal march up over the hills and down into the Glen to the feast,—with fifes and drums and a greater display in crossing the Oro than King William himself had had in crossing the historic Boyne.
Big Malcolm sat silent, his fists clenched66. He was a Glencoe MacDonald, and, like all his clan67, had an abhorrence68 of the name of Orange running fiercely in his veins69. But he was saying to himself over and over that he who had repented70 of all his strife71, who had set his face firmly against the evils of the day and become a leader of the new movement that was bringing the community into a higher and better life, he certainly must not be the one to stir up dissension. And yet, to have a celebration in their own glen in honour of the MacDonalds' betrayer!
Weaver Jimmie's eyes brightened. "They would be needing to learn a lesson, whatever," he suggested tentatively.
"Malcolm," Mrs. MacDonald's voice came in gently, "we will surely not be forgetting that Tom Caldwell would be joining us at the meetings these last winters, and indeed we would jist all be praying together that the Father would be putting away all strife from our hearts."
Callum cast his mother a look of gratitude74; for, though generally the first to scent75 the battle from afar and hasten its approach, for very good reasons of his own he was on this occasion strongly inclined for peace. Big Malcolm looked at the gentle face of his wife and the fire died out of his eyes.
"Hoh!" he exclaimed disdainfully, "I will not be caring; let them have their childish foolishness if it will be doing them any good, whatever!"
Weaver Jimmie looked disappointed, but, seeing no encouragement in the faces about him, he reluctantly dropped the subject. The conversation soon turned from war to a topic even nearer Jimmie's heart, for Rory had brought out his fiddle35 and now struck up gaily76 the song of the cruel Jinny and the hapless weaver.
Before the departure of the guests Scotty found an opportunity to confide77 his troubles to Isabel. He could not tell her exactly what was wrong, for that meant confessing that Callum and Grandaddy were capable of mistakes. But he vaguely hinted that he was worried over their hero. Callum was going to do something, something strange and new, but just what he could not discover. Isabel was equally perturbed78. Why not ask Granny? she suggested. She would tell them. But no, Scotty explained, that was just what they must not do, for it was something that made Granny sad. But Peter Lauchie knew; Peter had told him that the shanty79 at the north clearing was to be fixed80 up for Callum to live there, after harvest; and then he laughed and would tell him no more.
As usual Isabel was quick to suggest a way out of the difficulty. Why should they not go over to Peter's place some day and make him tell all about it? She wanted to see Betty again, anyway, and perhaps Hughie would put up a swing for them in the barn again.
This was a fine plan, and the next week they proceeded to put it into execution, and with Kirsty's permission set off early one morning for a day's visit at Long Lauchie's. Isabel was almost as well known there as Scotty himself, so he soon managed to leave her in Betty's company and go off to the fields to seek Peter.
By judicious81 and persistent82 questioning he learned the confirmation83 of his fears. Yes, Peter and all the boys knew what the trouble was. Callum was to be married, and to an Irish girl at that, and of course all the MacDonalds were highly disgusted.
Scotty listened in dismay. Callum to be married! That itself was bad enough, people were always laughed at and chaffed when they got married, and he writhed84 at the thought of his hero being in such an ignominious85 position. But to be married to an Irish girl! Surely the MacDonalds would be disgraced forever.
And yet Scotty's heart forbade his taking sides against Nancy. She was Irish, certainly a deplorable fact, but still she was Nancy; and though she had not been at school for some time, the boy had not forgotten her. He sighed deeply over the complexity86 of human affairs. This, then, was the cause of their unhappiness at home, of Grandaddy's muttered threats and Granny's distressed87 looks.
He did not understand that there were stronger objections to Nancy in Granny's mind than the girl's nationality. Big Malcolm's wife was growing old, and the work of the farmhouse88 weighed heavily upon her. Ever since Callum had grown up she had cherished the hope that one day she would have sweet, trim Mary Lauchie, the finest girl in the Oa, and a MacDonald at that, to take the reins89 of government in her household. The loss of Mary would have been disappointment enough, but Callum's new choice was a great trial to his patient, gentle mother. The thought of Nancy Caldwell as a daughter-in-law, even though she was to live at the north clearing, instead of with her, filled her with fear. For Nancy had a reputation that had spread beyond the Flats. Since the day she left school, where she had defied McAllister at his best, she had ruled supreme90 in her own home from sheer dauntlessness of spirit. Many were the tales told in the Oa of her wild outlandish doings; how she would dress up in her brother's clothes and drive madly all over the country; how she could ride an unbroken colt bareback, and shoot like a man, things which everyone in the Oa knew no right-minded young woman could ever learn. And hadn't Store Thompson's wife been, as she declared, clean scandalised by seeing the hussy cross the Oro at the spring floods, standing91 erect92 in a canoe and spreading out her skirts to the gale93, "Makin' a sail o' mesilf!" as she had laughingly declared when she leaped ashore94.
Scotty could not force himself to tell Isabel the disgraceful truth; he was very quiet and gloomy as they walked homeward through the golden-lighted forest. But Isabel had had a grand day with Betty and had forgotten all about the original purport95 of their visit. She danced along at his side full of busy chatter96. Didn't he love all Long Lauchie's folks? She did; for Betty was a dear and Mrs. Lauchie was 'most as nice as Scotty's Granny. But she loved Mary most of all, because she was so kind and so good. And did Mary have the heartbreak too, like her auntie? No; Scotty did not see how that was possible; for Mary had never had a dress ready for a wedding; nor a fine soldier man who did not come. But Isabel was sure he was mistaken. Yes, that was certainly what Mary had, for her face was so pale, and she had the same look in her eyes that her auntie had when her wedding day came round, only Mary's eyes were kinder. But Scotty was not interested in Mary. Callum absorbed all his thoughts, and he left Isabel at Kirsty's and hurried home.
He found the boys all gone and his grandfather sitting alone by the door. Big Malcolm was not smoking, which was a bad sign, and his grandson saw by the look in his eye that he was not at peace. In his perturbation over Callum's difficult case the boy had not noticed that a new undercurrent of excitement was running through life's everyday affairs.
For, though Big Malcolm had, with wonderful self-control, put aside his indignation at the Orangemen, all the MacDonalds had not done so. Weaver Jimmie had gone up over the hills of the Oa like a bearer of the fiery97 cross, and wherever he appeared the beacon-fire of anger had blazed forth. The Orangemen celebrating! The MacDonalds arose as one man, and in all the inherited fury of generations, combined with as much more produced for the occasion, banded together and swore that before the soil of this, their new home, should be polluted by a celebration in honour of the MacDonalds' betrayer, it should first be soaked with the MacDonalds' blood!
To do Tom Caldwell justice, he did not at all comprehend the enormity of the offence he was about to commit. Of course the Orangemen anticipated some trouble among their Catholic brethren, but rather looked forward to it as part of their entertainment. For though Pat Murphy and his friends prophesied98 death and destruction to the procession and all that had part or lot in it, what matter? The country had been growing far too quiet since the fighting MacDonalds had taken to praying instead of pugilism, and a little row at the corner would just stir things up a bit and make it seem like old times. But while they gleefully looked for tempests in the Flats, they were innocently oblivious99 to the fact that the formerly100 peaceful hills of the Oa had been converted into raging volcanoes. Occasionally vague rumours of an eruption101 in the MacDonald settlement did float down to King William and his men, drilling in the long June evenings, but they drowned them in the tooting of fifes and the banging of drums and went gaily on to their doom102.
But while the MacDonalds raged, Big Malcolm remained at home alone or in company with Long Lauchie, and fought with himself the fiercest battle in which he had ever engaged. Not since the day he had seen Rory go down under Pat Murphy's feet had he been so sorely tried. And the MacDonalds would say he had failed them because his son was about to unite with one of the Caldwell crew. That was the sting of it! Callum had always been the first in any aggressive enterprise of the Oa, and Callum was now conspicuous103 by his absence. Sometimes Big Malcolm was fiercely resolved to plunge104 headlong into the commotion105 and compel his son to join him. And then calmer moments ensued; he could not forget those winter prayer meetings and the wonderful leavening106 effect they had had upon the community; nor could he forget Praying Donald's prophetic warnings that all strife and enmity must certainly bring retribution. No; he had forever put all feuds107 behind him, he finally decided108, and if the MacDonalds were about to engage in strife with the Orangemen they must learn that he, Big Malcolm, was far above and beyond any such unseemly brawlings.
But upon this evening when Scotty found him alone at the doorway, his grandfather was experiencing none of the settled calm that might be expected to follow such a laudable decision. For to-night the MacDonalds were holding another mass-meeting at the house of Roarin' Sandy to decide finally what punishment should be meted109 out to the reckless Orangemen, and his very soul was crying out to be with them.
Scotty could elicit110 no answer to his remarks, and sat upon the doorstep, a small, disconsolate111 heap, wondering sadly how his hero could have made such a mistake, and finding in his own forlorn heart an echo of the sweet, melancholy112 evening music. Around him the mosquitoes wailed113 out their dreary114 little song; away down by the edge of the wet, low pastures, where the fireflies wandered, each with his weird115 little torch, the frogs were piping mournfully. The whitethroat was sending out his "silver arrows of song" clearly and pensively116 from the depths of the velvet117 dusk. The discordant118 twang of the swooping119 night-hawks came down from the pale clear sky where one silver star had come out above the black jagged line of forest.
Granny was moving about indoors; the boy could smell the sweet fragrance120 of the new warm milk she was straining into the pans. The air was heavy with the scent of clover, the world was very peaceful, but very sad.
And then, out of the soft murmurs121 of the summer night, there grew a strange new sound. At first it seemed merely a movement of the air, a peculiar122 thrilling vibration123. But gradually it grew into a note, a high, weird musical note, alluring124, electrifying125. Scotty raised his head from the grass. "What's that, Grandaddy?" he asked sharply. Big Malcolm did not answer; he was sitting bolt upright, alert, tense, listening as if for his life. For a moment the sound faded away, there was a wondering silence. And then, suddenly, a little pine-scented breeze came sweeping126 up from Lake Oro; and on it, high, clear, entrancing, commanding, came again that wild penetrating127 call—the bagpipes128! playing up gloriously the MacDonalds' pibroch!
Big Malcolm leaped to his feet. It was the first time he had heard that sound since it came ringing to him over the heather moors129 of his native land. The pipes! The pipes on the hills of Oro! There was neither prophecy nor precept130, no, nor iron bands that could have held him at that moment. With a wild outpouring of Gaelic, he sprang forward, overturning the bench and the water-bucket by the doorstep; and, coatless and hatless, went tearing across the fields and down the road in obedience131 to that imperative132 call.
"Granny, Granny!" cried Scotty, running indoors in alarm, "what's gone wrong with Grandaddy, will he be gone daft?"
"Eh, eh!" she cried, "it will be the pipes! Och, och, lad, things will be going wrong with Grandaddy now!"
The great day, the 12th of July, dawned radiant in sunshine like any other Canadian summer day. Mr. Nash had made tremendous preparations for his guests. He had his family up long before dawn and by dint134 of much fluency135 of language, for which he was famous, managed by eleven o'clock to have the banquet in readiness. Tables were set in the dining-room and barroom, which two chambers136 constituted the ground floor of the hotel proper. The lean-to kitchen at the back was steaming with all the good things Mrs. Nash and her daughters and the assisting neighbours had prepared; and by half-past eleven the host, in a clean shirt and his Sunday trousers, stood on the front step ready to receive with due ceremony the expected company.
Store Thompson's place across the way was surrounded by a crowd of eager spectators, for such a spectacle as a procession had not been witnessed in the Glen within the memory of the earliest settler. Then there were rumours of trouble too; Pat Murphy and his friends were there ready to produce it; and besides, everyone suspected that the MacDonalds had some scheme afoot. Store Thompson himself was excited. He had not seen Big Malcolm for more than a fortnight, and he was anxious about his war-like friend. Surely, he told himself a dozen times, Malcolm would never break forth into strife again after the stand he had been taking during the past few winters for the bettering of the community. And yet, as the kindly137 old gentleman confided138 to Sandy Hamilton, who had stopped the mill and come up to see what was transpiring139, he could not help feeling "a wee thing apprehensive-like."
A few minutes before twelve, the appointed hour for the procession to appear, the patience of the crowd was rewarded. Pat Murphy had just assembled his satellites in the middle of the road and was haranguing140 them and, incidentally, all the township of Oro upon their duties, when a loud, shrill141 yell from the hilltops rent the air; there was a dull thud, thud of marching feet. The procession was coming! For a moment nationalities and creeds142 were both forgotten in a common desire to witness the spectacle. English, Irish, and Scotch crowded eagerly into the road; every eye was turned towards the south hill. Yes, the procession was certainly coming, but what was this unearthly noise it was making? And where were the fifes and the drums? And why, in the name of all the cardinal143 points, was it coming down the north hill from the Oa, instead of from the Flats?
And then there were no more questions, but just a sea of silent faces held upwards144 in gaping145 amazement, for out from the pine grove146 of the northern river-bank, with a shriek147 of pipes and a flutter of plaids, whirled Fiddlin' Archie MacDonald in full Highland costume; and behind him, armed and menacing, tramped every available male of the clan MacDonald, from Long Lauchie's seventeen-year-old Peter, up to—yes, alas148, for the new era and its reforms!—Big Malcolm himself, all in perfect time to the wild yell of the MacDonald pibroch!
Down they swept like a Highland charge, the pipes screaming out a fierce challenge to anyone reckless enough to stand in their path, and awakening149 such warlike echoes in the Oro hills as they had not given back since the days when they rang to the war-whoop of Huron and Iroquois braves.
And, indeed, had an army of redskins in war paint and feathers appeared upon the hill, it is doubtful if it would have created any more excitement. For, though the Oa was a Highland settlement, the bagpipes had hitherto been an unknown instrument in the township of Oro. Hard work and hard times had precluded150 the indulgence in any such luxury, so the startled population of the valley witnessed for the first time that magnificent combination of sight and sound known as a Highland Piper.
Upon Pete Nash the effect was almost disastrous151. The expectant host had been fortifying152 himself rather copiously153 against the duties and trials of the day, and his brain was in no condition to bear any such strain as the appearance of Fiddlin' Archie put upon it.
At the first sound he rushed into the road, his eyes bulging154 with horror, his hands held up as if to ward42 off a blow. For Peter had once been a good Catholic and knew he was committing a deadly sin in harbouring these Orange heretics; and here, surely, were the hosts of the Evil One, coming with shrieks155 of wrath156 to snatch away his guilty soul in the midst of his iniquity157. His distracted wife bounded after him, a half-washed frying pan in one hand, a dishcloth in the other; and seeing what was descending158 upon them she dropped both utensils159 and wailed, "Och, the Powers come down, Pater! is it Gabriel's trump160, then?"
No one noticed the stricken pair, for all eyes were fixed upon the advancing column. Right up to the tavern161 door it marched, and when the pipes ceased with a final defiant162 yelp163, Big Malcolm, his eyes blazing, his head erect, stepped forward and addressed the still trembling, but much relieved, proprietor164.
"We will be needing our dinner, Peter," he said very mildly, "for we would be having a long walk, and mebby some work ahead of us, whatever, so I hope you will jist be bringin' it on queek."
There was something in the intense politeness of Big Malcolm's tone that aroused Mr. Nash's worst fears; a MacDonald was never so dangerous as when he was courteous165.
"And is it dinner for all this raft ye'll be after wantin', Malcolm MacDonald?" he cried in alarm. "Sure, ye know I can't give ye a bite nor sup the day, man; the byes from the Flats——"
"Whisht yer tongue, Pete Nash!" Big Malcolm's suavity166 vanished like a wisp of straw in a flame. "Bring on yer grub, man, or"—he brought down his big fist upon the nearest table with a crash that made both the crockery and its owner leap—"we'll be eating your old carcass on the doorstep!"
Mr. Nash gave a prompt and obsequious167 obedience. The Fighting MacDonalds individually must ever be treated with respect, but the Fighting MacDonalds in a body! Surely not the most vivid Orangeman could blame him in his extremity168. Perhaps the distracted landlord felt that, after all, here was a providential means of escape from the crime he had been about to commit, for very soon he had all Glencoe seated about the well-spread tables, devouring169 the banquet prepared for William of Orange.
The MacDonalds attacked the unholy viands170 with a zest171 that not even a long tramp and a pioneer appetite could quite explain. Mrs. Nash flew back and forth hospitably172, explaining to her satellites, to cover up any apparent irregularity in her husband's sudden change of patronage173, that indeed they were always pleased to have the MacDonalds with them, and that she, for one, was very glad to see a Scotchman dressed the right way.
"Sure Oi've got a sister in the owld country, married to a Scotchman, thin," she explained quite proudly to Judy Connors. "He's in a Kiltie rig'ment, an' his name's Pat O'Nale, an' aw now, it was him that had the foine way o' swishin' his kilt whin he walked, indade!"
Meantime the feast was progressing; the great roasts of pork, the pies, the cakes, and the puddings were vanishing like the snow on a March noonday, when once more the assembly outside the tavern was electrified174, this time from the proper source. For from the summit of the north hill there arose such a mighty175 banging and tooting as might have been heard had the new sawmill, lately built on the shore of Lake Simcoe, taken legs and gone on a mad excursion up over the Oro hills.
Down the slope with waving banners and thumping176 drums rode King William himself in brave array, mounted on a white steed which bore a strong resemblance to Tom Caldwell's old grey mare177, and followed by a troop of loyal subjects, all to the stirring squeak178 of "The Protestant Boys."
At the sight of this magnificent army marching straight into the jaws179 of disaster, Pat Murphy uttered a yell of triumph that put the fifes and drums to shame. Reckless with joy, he flew into the middle of the road, and standing there facing the oncoming multitude, his wild eyes blazing, his red beard and hair flaring180 out in all directions, he shook his huge fist at the unoffending skies and called upon the sun and the moon and all things created to witness the downfall of his enemies.
Fortunately for the usurpers, the steed of state which King William bestrode, though old and decrepit181, still adhered to a youthful habit of shying, or the procession might never have reached the MacDonalds. But, as the old grey mare approached the raving182 obstacle in her path, she swerved183 coquettishly and King William curvetted round his enemy with royal indifference184. His subjects wisely followed his example; the procession divided and streamed noisily on both sides of the profane185 wedge which had cloven it, and which gallantly186 held its position waving its arms and howling forth derision until the last Orangemen had swept past.
But as the revellers tooted their victorious187 way down the street towards the tavern, a strange sensation of impending188 disaster made itself felt. The unwelcome fact began to dawn upon the Orangemen that the clamour about them was neither composed of acclamation, nor yet of the expected tumult189 of the outraged190 Murphys.
The suspicion grew to a horrible certainty by the time their destination was reached, and the instant the procession halted, King William, forgetting his royal dignity, scrambled191 from his horse and led a hasty charge against the doors and windows of the tavern. Their apprehension192 had been too correct. There, sitting at the Orangemen's feast, were forty-nine armed MacDonalds, while the fiftieth swept round the tables, his plaid flying, his kilt waving, his ribbons streaming, and his pipes shrieking193 as if they would fain split the roof!
It was a crucial moment for the Glen; and, looking from his vantage point on the verandah, Store Thompson held his breath. That the Orangemen even hesitated to pitch themselves headlong upon the usurpers showed that in the past two years the forces that make for law and order had been steadily194 working. However it might be, they hesitated. Perhaps they were assisted to a pacific decision by the sight before them. There is nothing so disastrous to a man's fighting qualities as an empty stomach. King William and his followers195 looked at their dinner rapidly disappearing into the capacious interiors of Glencoe; they looked at the stout196 clubs beneath the table; they glanced over their shoulders at Pat Murphy and his men, waiting eagerly for the MacDonalds to strike; they gazed at the terrible spectacle of Fiddlin' Archie, whirling round the room in an eddy197 of defiant yells; and the sights counselled discretion198, rather than valour.
Slowly and sullenly199 they began to fall back from the doors and windows. Even King William was about to join the retreat when, in glaring fiercely round the tables, his eye chanced to fall upon the man whose family was so soon to be connected with his own. At the sight, the royal rage, already at boiling point, burst all bounds. Sticking his crowned head far in through the window, and forgetting that he had made a league with the MacDonalds to bring about a season of peace and good-will in the community, Mr. Caldwell burst into wild and profane vituperation. Commencing with Big Malcolm at the head of the table, and, taking each in turn, he roundly and lengthily200 denounced the MacDonalds and all their generation; and ended his mad tirade201 by vowing202 by all things in heaven and on earth that before a daughter of his should unite with any such scum of savagery203 as was produced in the Oa, her father would strike her dead!
Such snatches of the royal ultimatum204 as managed to penetrate205 the scream of the pipes the MacDonalds heard in silence. Occasionally a pair of fierce eyes would dart52 a look of inquiry206 towards the leader, and once or twice Weaver Jimmie half rose from the table; but, with wonderful endurance, Big Malcolm held his men and himself down. He had broken his great resolution, but even in his abandonment he could not quite get away from the strong influence at home. No, he would not fight, not unless Tom Caldwell pressed him too hard, and this refusal to accept Callum into his family was nothing short of a blessing207.
At last, through sheer dearth208 of remaining epithets209, the royal address came to a termination. With much brandishing210 of fists and shouting of threats, the chagrined211 and hungry would-be revellers melted away before the sound of the MacDonalds' jig212 and the Murphys' jeers213.
And when the last atom of the banquet had been demolished214 and the landlord paid to the utmost farthing the MacDonalds arose, and, headed by their piper, went roaring up to their native hills, fired with the triumphant53 assurance that they had that day performed a great and glorious deed, and that at last Glencoe had been avenged215.
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1
dwindle
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| v.逐渐变小（或减少） | |
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2
burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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3
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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4
kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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5
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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6
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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7
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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8
capering
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| v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的现在分词 )；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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9
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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10
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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11
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
expeditious
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| adj.迅速的，敏捷的 | |
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13
weaver
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| n.织布工；编织者 | |
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14
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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15
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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16
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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17
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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18
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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19
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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20
orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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21
lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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22
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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23
accounting
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| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
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24
gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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25
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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26
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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27
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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28
joyousness
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| 快乐，使人喜悦 | |
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29
nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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30
indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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31
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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33
usurped
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| 篡夺，霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权 | |
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34
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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35
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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36
fiddled
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| v.伪造( fiddle的过去式和过去分词 )；篡改；骗取；修理或稍作改动 | |
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37
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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38
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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39
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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40
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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41
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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42
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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43
discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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44
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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45
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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46
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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47
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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48
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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49
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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50
flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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51
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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52
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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53
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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54
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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55
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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56
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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57
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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58
niches
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| 壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位） | |
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59
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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60
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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61
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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62
subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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63
adjured
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的过去式和过去分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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64
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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65
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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66
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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68
abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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69
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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70
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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72
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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73
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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74
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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75
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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76
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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77
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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78
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
shanty
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| n.小屋，棚屋；船工号子 | |
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80
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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81
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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82
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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83
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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84
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
ignominious
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| adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的 | |
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86
complexity
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| n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物 | |
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87
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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88
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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89
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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90
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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91
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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92
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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93
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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94
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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95
purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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96
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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97
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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98
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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99
oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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100
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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101
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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102
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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103
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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104
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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105
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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106
leavening
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| n.酵母，发酵，发酵物v.使（面团）发酵( leaven的现在分词 )；在…中掺入改变的因素 | |
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107
feuds
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| n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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108
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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109
meted
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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110
elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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111
disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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112
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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113
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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114
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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115
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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116
pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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117
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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118
discordant
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| adj.不调和的 | |
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119
swooping
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的现在分词 ) | |
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120
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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121
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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122
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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123
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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124
alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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125
electrifying
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| v.使电气化( electrify的现在分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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126
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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127
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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128
bagpipes
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| n.风笛；风笛( bagpipe的名词复数 ) | |
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129
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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130
precept
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| n.戒律；格言 | |
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131
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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132
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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133
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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134
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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135
fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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136
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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137
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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138
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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139
transpiring
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的现在分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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140
haranguing
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的现在分词 ) | |
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141
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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142
creeds
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| （尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 ) | |
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143
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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144
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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145
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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146
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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147
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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148
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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149
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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150
precluded
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| v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
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151
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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152
fortifying
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| 筑防御工事于( fortify的现在分词 )； 筑堡于； 增强； 强化（食品） | |
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153
copiously
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| adv.丰富地，充裕地 | |
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154
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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155
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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156
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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157
iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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158
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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159
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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160
trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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161
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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162
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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163
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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164
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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165
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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166
suavity
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| n.温和；殷勤 | |
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167
obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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168
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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169
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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170
viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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171
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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172
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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173
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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174
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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175
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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176
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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177
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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178
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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179
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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180
flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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181
decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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182
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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183
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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184
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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185
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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186
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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187
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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188
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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189
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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190
outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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191
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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192
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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193
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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194
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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195
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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197
eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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198
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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199
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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200
lengthily
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| adv.长，冗长地 | |
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201
tirade
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| n.冗长的攻击性演说 | |
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202
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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203
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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204
ultimatum
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| n.最后通牒 | |
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205
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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206
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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207
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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208
dearth
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| n.缺乏，粮食不足，饥谨 | |
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209
epithets
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| n.（表示性质、特征等的）词语( epithet的名词复数 ) | |
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210
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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211
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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212
jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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213
jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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214
demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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215
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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