The Queen of the Islands 



intense darkness that prevails always in the cave, many 

 evil spirits. Each time he would start playing the pipes, 

 the spirits endeavoured to overpower him, but the pipes 

 acting as a partial, though not complete, charm, they were 

 for long unable to do this. In the language of the High- 

 lander who gave me the story, "MacKinnon was then 

 wishing that he had three hands ; then he would have his 

 two hands in the pipes, and the other in the claymore (or 

 great sword) to cut down the evil spirits." The tune which 

 he was said to have played on the pipes has been handed 

 down, and can still be obtained. 



MacKinnon was apparently overwhelmed at last, for the 

 strains of the pipes slowly became more irregular and at 

 length ceased nor did the player ever emerge from the 

 dark recesses of the cave. 



81 



