HEATHER ALE. 



ale," said Niall Mor, putting a knife to the thongs 

 that tied MacKellar's arms to his side. 



"With a laugh and a fast leap Calum Dubh 

 stood back on the edge of the rock again. 



"Crook-mouths, fools, pigs' sons, did ye think 

 it?" he cried. "Come with me and my sons and 

 ye'll get ale, aye, and death's black wine, at the foot 

 of Scaurnoch." He caught fast and firm at John- 

 Without-Asking and threw himself over the rock 

 face. They fell as the scart dives, straight to the 

 dim sea of mist and pine tip, and the Diarmaids 

 threw themselves on their breasts to look over. There 

 was nothing to see of life but the crows swinging on 

 black feathers ; there was nothing to hear but the 

 crows scolding. 



"Niall Mor put the bonnet on his head and said 

 his first and last friendly thing of a foe. 



" 'Yon,' said he, 'had the heart of a man.' " 



Robert Louis Stevenson has written the follow- 

 ing poem on the subject of 



Heather Ale A Galloway Legend 



From the bonny bells of heather 



They brewed a drink lang-syne, 

 Was sweeter far than honey, 



Was stronger far than wine. 

 They brewed it and they drank it, 



And lay in blessed swound 

 For days and days together 



In their dwellings underground. 

 104 



