all forward, and
then on her forelegs tipping them all back ward, yet no one fell
off at all, and when she was up on her feet, didn't she start
straight away for the deep waters of the loch? The children
screamed and tried to get off her back, but no matter how hard
they tried, there they stuck. My grandsire ran screaming toward
them, and put up his hand to pull them down, and his finger
touched the dun cow's back! Now never believe me, if his finger
didn't stick so he could not pull it away, and by that he knew
the dun heifer for a water cow and that she had bewitched the
children. He was being dragged along with them toward the water,
when all of a sudden he slipped out his knife and with one blow
chopped off his own finger and he was wanting that finger till
the day of his death."

"What became of the others?" gasped Alan, his black eyes glowing
like coals.

"They went on the dun cow's back into the lake, and the water
closed over them and they were never seen again," said the
Shepherd, "and that's the end of the tale."

While the Shepherd talked, the twilight had deepened into
darkness, the fire had died down, and the corners of the room
were filled with mysterious tricky shadows that danced with the
flickering flames on the hearth. Jean looked fearfully over her
shoulder. There was a creepy feeling in the back of her neck, and
Jock's eyes were as round as door-knobs. The Shepherd laughed at
them.

"Good children have little to fear from the fairy folk," he said.
"Come, now, your eyes are fair sticking out of your heads. I'll
give you a skirl on the bagpipes if Jeanie'll bring them from the
closet. Jock, stir up the fire, and Alan, give your clothes a
turn and see if they are drying."

The children ran to do these errands, and in a moment the fire
was flaming gayly up the chimney, chasing the murky shadows out
of the corners and making the room bright and cheerful again,
while the Shepherd, tucking the bag under his arm, stirred the
echoes on old Ben Vane with the wild strains of "Bonnie Doon" and
"Over the Water to Charlie." At last he struck up the music of
the Highland Fling, and the three children sprang to the middle
of the floor and danced the wild Scotch dance together.

Just as the fun was at its height, and Alan, looking very
handsome in his kilts, was doing the heel and toe with great
energy, there came a loud rap at the door. Instantly everything
stopped, just as short as Cinderella's ball did