THE COVENANTERS OF OLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 49

THE COVENANTERS OF OLD.

"The Covenanter hastening, with Bible in his breast and sword in hand, to far retired wilderness." One by one, to the number of a score, the Covenanters assembled in the part of the muir whioh they had chosen. Lying open, its merit consisted in the treacherous nature of the bog that surrounded it, saturated by the continual outpourings of a stream that seemed to lose itself in the maza of the swamp, yet which became again one collected stream after it had passed the small circle of land upon which the Covenanters now stood. Impassable, except by a small bridge-like ridge that wound intricately in the passage from the land to what they called " Juck Island," they considered it one of their strongest and safest meeting places, for, if attacked, their enemy would rush on safe-looking ground "like hounds after a bit of meat, and the grun', aa tho' i' loathing, would open underneath their feet, and they would dwell in hell for evermore." At the island end. of this rldga, or britfpe tin I will call it, stood Dirk Stark, the old umLUi, whose once mighty frame was now weakened by his 80 years, bub who still was the equal of any man breathing. As each man came across he stepped up to Dirk, and, because of tbe darkness of the night, pushed his face close to the other. This was the safest password, for a'word can be stolen, but features

* Extract from a powerful story in the March ■umber of the fall Mall Magazine.

never ; and each knew that In the right hand of the smith there lurked a dirk, ready to spill the coward blood of any spy. Each man stood stoadfast till Dirk said, " It's yersoi'; daurk night," then dropped into tho group of men in the centre. The hour fixed had passed, so Dirk joined the group, and another man took his place, and still another was placed on the outskirts of tho other side, i Then the business of the meetiDg was pro- ! ceeded with. Straining bis eyes over the muirland to where the brow of a neighbouring knowe swung up against the scarcely blacker sky, the sentinel at the bridge stood as still as the muir itself. The low-toned conversation went on in whispers that barely reached the listener's ears, and so quiet was the air that the flapping of a peesweep'a wings was heard ere the sentinel could see it rising up against the sky. "Somebody oomesl" he called to tho group, " Oan ye see him ? " asked Dirk. > 11 No, I only saw the birds rising." "Tell us whann ye can see him, then," said Dirk, and he resumed the discussion of the meeting. The sentinel fixed his eyes on the sweep of the hill, and all seemed as before ; but during the talk a man more cunning than they had crept on all-fours over the ridge of hill, and now lay, panting softly, at the other end of the bridge. When his breathing beoamo easier the spy resumed his direction, and like a serpent, squirming bis way noiselessly along the bridge, not on hands and knees as before, but full length on ground, the whole movement being accomplished by a muscular working of the body that was as loathsome to see as the quivering glide of the adder. Nearer and nearer the spy came to the sentinel, and, vnwitting the nearness of his danger, the latter kept bis eyes fixed npon the hill brow as the surest mode of detecting visitors in the darkness. The spy reached the edge of the bridge, and, crawling to one side, lay hid in the tall dank grass. The night became darker, and the sentinel knelt down, so that the ridge might stand out with clearer prominence against the clearer sky. A slight, scarcely perceptible rattle of horses' harness reached his ears, but bo faint and uncertain that he knew not whether to call or not. Decision was put out of bis power, however ; for, ere he could resist, a hand covered his mouth and an arm of steel bent back . his head till the hollow crackle of a broken neck broke out upon the stillness. The spy placed his hand upon the man's heart ; it had ceased to beat ; and he laid the corpse down and took his place. The rattle of the harness had grown louder, and in a pause of the meeting Dirk called out, "Ye're on the look-oot, Glen?" "A' right," the opy answered, in low mufflsd tones. j Something seemed to puzzle Dirk for a moment ; then he asked, " That's you, Glen, ! yersel', isft.no 1 " . "Ay," the spy. answered, in the same low voice. " Oanna'ye speak oot ? " Dirk asked ; but evert as he said' the words tho clamour of harness broke out, and on the brow of the hill appeared some mounted men. With the quickness of ready decision Dirk sprang for the spy and caught him by his cloak. With an adroit movement the spy rid himt&lf of it, and turning, fled over the bridge. Dirk would have pursued, but the face that he had saen made him hold up his hands towards heaven in awful agony. «• Ob, my son, and is it thou ? " He stood for a moment as though life had departed, then sprang up no more a father, but only a man. " Treachery I All to the brig ! Man the brig, or we're din for 1 " he called ; and obediently the men rallied to his call. When they, had^gathered arpund him he turned to Dick Delap : " I resign .the leadership of this band into. thy hands.". Then to all: "God hath made me a Jonah among mon. My eon has proved a traitor. Therefore Igo out from among ye till he is dead. Farewell 1 May the God of Israel be with ye this night." He sprang aoross the bridge, and each one that he left thought his agony had made him choose this mode of suicide, for three dragoons blocked the other end of the bridge, and his fate seemed sudden death. But Providence, erstwhile hard, had reserved him for a greater death than this, so that when he charged, with ferrara in right and dirk in left hand, among the dragoons — a fearsome sight — the first flinched, and flinching, slipped into the slough ; the second delivered his blow too soon — whereupon the smith ran in upon him and finished him with his dirk ; and the third was the spy, his own son, who fled when he saw his avenging father. In an agony of. fear the spy ran to where the rest of the dragoons were massed, and in his fear his blade slipped from his grasp. Dirk followed close at bis heels. The night was dark, and though the moon had now appeared she wa9 hidden almost continually behind the dull brown clouds. As the two men came to within twenty yards from the dragoon line the challenge rang out—" Halt I Who goes there ? " The spy dared not stop, and, still running, answered, "Friend I" " Stand, friend ! " came forth the challenge ; and, as the epy made another step, "Sfandl" in a warning tone, accompanied by the click of a lock. Not a moment was left to decide his fate. Should he go forward and risk the shots, or should he turn to the mercy of the father he bad so often cajoled 1 Instinctively he chose the latter, and turning, went on his knees as Dirk came within his reach. " Father," the son eaid, in pleading tones, " I am not guilty."—" Oh, dinna dee, laddie, wi' a lee on yer lips." "Answer, friend— the password I" rang out the challenge. "Father, I wis led astray."—" Faur astray vrhaun it was against God himself." " Answer, friend— the password 1 " "Let me go, father."— " Ye maun dee. Ye're too black tae leave." "Guard! stand to your arms I" sang out the captain of the aoldiew." The eon arose and tried to pass the father, but; the latter put out his strength and closed him to his breast. "Let me go, father 1" cried the son, and reached for his poinard. The father held him in his left arm and caught the wandering hand in his right. " Answer, or we fire I " " Oh, God, help us to dee, and send me to hell in place of my son. For, though I kill him, he is my son." "Present arms I*

"Will ye stand Btraucht like a man if f , leavo go ? " asked the father. But tho sod only gave a convulsive jerk. "God receive our spir" — — " Fire ! " Ten -shots oame from the line,' and the twain lay dead upon the dank grass.