THE WIDOW'S HOSPITALITY. 207 



limb of it, hastily roasted between two peat fires, lighted 

 for the purpose on the open heath. Well, he set forth in 

 quest of venison, nor had he been out long before he 

 wounded a hart, and sent his dog after him. The chase 

 led him far away over the hills, and he was overtaken by 

 a heavy snow-storm ; benumbed with cold, and weary with 

 floundering in the drift, his only hope for preserving his 

 life consisted, perhaps, in being able to reach one of the 

 shielings in Strathnaver. After long and painful toil his 

 life-blood chilled, and in a state of dreadful exhaustion 

 he arrived after nightfall at a small bothy during one of 

 the most bitter blasts of the storm; far different now in 

 plight than on that memorable day when he signalised 

 himself in combat, he humbly sued for shelter. The shiel- 

 ing was inhabited only by a woman and her daughter, who, 

 being intimidated, refused his request. He earnestly an- 

 swered that he was so worn out by struggling against the 

 storm, that he could go no farther, and that he must shortly 

 perish if refused admittance. The poor woman's kind 

 heart got the better of her fears, and she removed the 

 fastenings of the door ; then, as it was driven inwards by the 

 violence of the wind, and as the snow beat upon her careworn 

 face, she said in Gaelic, whilst the tear stood in her eye 



" That on such a night as this she could not refuse admis- 

 sion into her bothy even to Our-na-Kelig himself, should 

 he be wandering on the moor, although he had slain her 

 good-man and her two brave sons, and left her ill to do in 

 the world, and desolate." 



Our-na-Kelig was not personally known to this poor 

 widow, and having obtained admittance and shelter, fore- 

 bore to distress her feelings by revealing his name to one 

 who had so much reason to dread and detest him. He ate 

 of her meal, and restored his benumbed limbs before her 

 peat-fire ; and it may be that his heart smote him as he felt 

 his vigour returning, and cast his eyes upon his wretched 

 preserver. He parted from her next morning with expres- 

 sions of gratitude ; and upon his return home, sent her 

 five bolls of meal from his rich corn farm in the parish of 

 Loth, and continued the same gratuity to her annually 

 during her life. 



