the drowning cries of the young fisherman, had remained an auditor
of the mariner's legend,--"and trow ye, Mark Macmoran, that the
tale of the Haunted Ships is done? I can say no to that. Mickle
have mine ears heard; but more mine eyes have witnessed since I
came to dwell in this humble home by the side of the deep sea.
I mind the night weel: it was on Hallowmass eve: the nuts were
cracked, and the apples were eaten, and spell and charm were tried
at my fireside; till, wearied with diving into the dark waves of
futurity, the lads and lasses fairly took to the more visible blessings
of kind words, tender clasps, and gentle courtship. Soft words
in a maiden's ear, and a kindly kiss o' her lip, were old-world
matters to me, Mark Macmoran; though I mean not to say that I have
been free of the folly of daunering and daffin with a youth in
my day, and keeping tryste with him in dark and lonely places.
However, as I say, these times of enjoyment were passed and gone
with me; the mair's the pity that pleasure should fly sae fast
away,--and as I could nae make sport I thought I should not mar
any; so out I sauntered into the fresh cold air, and sat down behind
that old oak, and looked abroad on the wide sea. I had my ain sad
thoughts, ye may think, at the time: it was in that very bay my
blythe goodman perished, with seven more in his company, and on
that very bank where ye see the waves leaping and foaming, I saw
seven stately corses streeked, but the dearest was the eighth.
It was a woful sight to me, a widow, with four bonnie boys, with
nought to support them but these twa hands, and God's blessing,
and a cow's grass. I have never liked to live out of sight of this
bay since that time; and mony's the moonlight night I sit looking
on these watery mountains, and these waste shores; it does my heart
good, whatever it may do to my head. So ye see it was Hallowmass
night; and looking on sea and land sat I; and my heart wandering
to other thoughts soon made me forget my youthful company at hame.
It might be near the howe hour of the night; the tide was making,
and its singing brought strange old-world stories with it; and I
thought on the dangers that sailors endure, the fates they meet
with, and the fearful forms they see. My own blythe goodman had
seen sights that made him grave enough at times, though he aye
tried to laugh them away.

"Aweel, atween that very rock aneath us and the coming tide, I
saw, or thought I saw, for th