The Ross of Mull 



which had till then magically retained their freshness, fell 

 rotten from the string that held them. 



This and many other such legends were wont, in the 

 generation that is now rapidly dying out, to be narrated of 

 a winter night around the peat fires of the Ross of Mull 

 while the salt-laden wind howled without, and while within 

 the peat smoke eddied through the room, and the embers 

 glowed in the open fireplace. At such times so worked upon 

 was the imagination of those who listened that they could 

 almost persuade themselves they heard through the storm 

 the wailing of the "ban-sith " or fairy woman, or listened 

 to the thunder of the approach of that other dreaded super- 

 natural being, the "each uisge " or water horse, in his eager 

 search for a victim to ride with to a watery grave. 



45 



