CUMMING'S DEATH. 159 



The tradition is that he was attempting to make a road 

 between Blair, Atholl, and Badenoch. And the cause of 

 his undertaking so enterprising a work is thus given, 

 though probably his real reason was of a predatory- 

 nature : 



Gumming and his wife (who were from Ruthven, or 

 Ruairm, in Badenoch) were passing through Atholl, and on 

 their arrival at Kilmavonaig, they went to a public-house 

 to take some refreshment. On their entrance they called 

 for some beer, which was then the chief drink of the High- 

 lands ; and being exceedingly pleased with it, were anxious 

 to know where the several ingredients could be procured. 

 The landlord, who, like Boniface, was loud in commendation 

 of his own beer, told them he received the malt from Perth, 

 and the water from AldnehearJain (a small rivulet which 

 runs through Kilmavonaig), which is the best known for 

 beer. 



Gumming then resolved in his own mind in what manner 

 he might get the same ingredients from Badenoch over the 

 pathless hills which lie between the two countries; as there 

 was no road, it seemed tedious, nay, almost impossible, to 

 procure a ready and continued supply. Upon surveying 

 the ground, he thought it might be practicable to make a 

 road, and he resolved upon the arduous undertaking. He 

 drew a line from Kilmavonaig through the woods of Craig 

 Urrard, crossed the Bruar by Rie"chlachrie, and so on almost 

 in a straight line till it reached Gaig in Badenoch. He 

 hired men, and made a road as far as Cum-na-feur, where 

 the work was terminated in the following singular 

 manner : 



There was a man at Ard Ghaith at Moulin, named 

 Mac Gonnoig, whose wife was a witch, and she resolved, 

 with the assistance of another witch who lived in Croc 

 Barrodh, a small village near her, to put a stop to Cumming's 

 Road by their infernal magic ; they metamorphosed them- 

 selves into the form of eagles ; for those who are in familiar 

 alliance with Clootie obtain from him the power of trans- 

 formation. The Atholl tradition says, " it is not known 

 whether Gumming ever injured them, or whether they bore 

 him any malice or ill will." But the Badenoch history 



