and his sister with a pale cheek and eyes dropping tears. Under an immense oak, near the border of the valley stood Robert Macgubb, with the guide sleeping at his feet, and three horses feeding before him. As he stood, lending an ear to every sound and an eye to every moving thing, he thought he saw a tree coming towards him,—a young tree, thick of branches and covered with leaves and blossom. "I have heard," muttered the stout Galwegian, " of quagmires travelling from Scotland to Ireland, and of Highland hills dancing a reel to the din of Satan's bagpipe; but I never heard of trees walking about to take the air, unless it were on Hallowmass eve, and then witches go walloping about on broomsticks and ragworts. -As I'm a sinner, it has gained on me a lang Scotch ell since I saw it first!-I maun snap a flint at it; if it's a tree, it winna be a bodle the waur, and if it be an evil spirit, it can catch nae skaith.” His hand was on a pistol when the tree fell, and Wulik stood before him. "Lord, creature!" exclaimed the startled Galwegian, "what made ye come in that uncivilized gate? I might have given ye a handsel of cauld lead, or a skelp with my cutlass; and I'm no sure but that I maun do ane of them yet. Are ye friend or foe?"-" Friend, friend," said Wulik. "And how am I to ken that, lad ?" said the other; friend's a kittle word-mickle mischief has been done under the name." "I am half a Scotch man,” replied he, " and I love the land of my father."-" Ay," cried Macgubb, "wha would have thought that ?—I begin to like ye better ; but does the Scottish half of ye carry the sword and the Indian half bear the rifle ? I kenna weel how to speak to such a strangely-put-together barbarian, and yet ye seem a kindly creature too. What may be the name of your Indian half, friend ?" "Wulik" was the answer. " Wulik, Wulik," said the Galwegian, weighing the word as a shopkeeper weighs a suspicious sovereign; "weel, now, that's a sonsie name. I think I maun like ye, friend; and what may ye call your Scottish half now ?" "Macgubb; my father was a Macgubb from a wild place called the Mull of Galloway; I may well name the place, for many a time he told us of it, and many a song he sung about it."-" Macgubb of the Mull !" shouted the Galwegian; "there's no sic a name for beauty in Christendom; the sound's harmonious, ane might set it to music; and ken ye his baptized name? ye were never baptized yourself; but ye may ken my meaning."-" His christened name was Shadrach," said Wulik, "and his father's name was Abednego."-" Blood!" exclaimed the man of the Mull, "ye have blood in your veins as rich as a mine in Mexico. Name ! ye have a name far-kenned and noted; and, just to save some trouble in reckoning kindred, let us shake hands like twa kind cousins, and make the 66 or, maist we can of this meeting; for we are full cousins, Wulik, lad, whatever the kirk may say about it." Then down they sat on the grass together; and many a tale of kindred they told, many a time they shook hands; twice Wulik related the deeds of his father after he became a chief in his mother's tribe; often, in the progress of the narrative, the Galwegian exclaimed, God, an he was a gude ane!" "That was the trick of a Macgubb now.-I can read their actions as I can read a man's hand-write,-damn the other Mac in Christendom could have done it ;" or, 66 Aweel, what can a body do when a woman greets?—we have a' our weak sides, I have owre mickle grace to deny that, I have found my een wet on seeing a sonsie lass sobbing o'er a sailor lad wha had got his death-shot,-nature's nature, let us guide it as we will. But gang on with your story,-never mind me." And so the cousins continued their conversation of midnight were sparkling overhead. till the stars VOL. III. CHAPTER VIII. I've lived too long, number'd too many days, Now, when I'm come to reap it with my service, And hunt for that my youth and honour aim'd at, And everlasting night begins to close me. A LOUD shrill whistle interrupted the conversation of Wulik and his Caledonian cousin. The former sprung to his feet, saying, "I am called; we part but to meet again ;" and, vanishing among the trees as he spoke, the rustling boughs alone announced the way he went and the speed which he exerted. A figure, close wrapt in a cloak, one arm folded over the bosom, the other bearing a sheathed sword, with his dark plume nodding as he stept, now entered the wilderness, and sought his way slowly along a winding and narrow glade. It was Paul. He had reached the shade of two tall elms, when, leading one horse and seated on another, Wulik came suddenly to his side, and cried, "Mount, mount !—we must not be found in this wilderness at dawn of light,—the enemies of my mother's tribe will be on us, and I shall serve you no more." He went close to Paul's side, peered anxiously in his face, and, starting back with a scream, cried, "The Evil Spirit! the Evil Spirit!" then darted through the wilderness like the wind. Paul smiled at the flight of the savage, and, laying his hand on the mane of his own horse, which now made its appearance with Macgubb and the guide, he slowly resumed his saddle,-turned his bridle for one minute's space,-eyed the moonlight vale, -put his hand to his eyes,-and, withdrawing it wet with tears, began his journey silent and thoughtful. The moon had continued for an hour more her course in the sky when Lord Dalveen entered the border of the wilderness, and sought his way through the glades. His mantle was torn, his hat and plume were soiled and crushed, and his right arm was bloody to the elbow. Though sorely fatigued and slightly wounded, he seemed endowed with a spirit superior to pain either bodily or mental he whistled on his way,-examined and reloaded his pistols,-tried the flints,-felt the edge of his sword,-and, reaching a knoll which rose in the forest, he stood on its summit, and |