LOCH AWE 47 



wanted to review them, and then let them go home. 

 So they came, though they little liked it, and he 

 was marching them south. Now at night they 

 reached a place where nobody would have halted 

 them except the Black Officer, for it was a great 

 place for ghosts. And they would have run away 

 if they had dared, but they were afraid of him. 

 So some tried to sleep in threes and fours, and 

 some were afraid to sleep, and they sat up round 

 the fire. But the Black Officer, he went some way 

 from the rest, and lay down beneath a tree. 



' Now as the night wore on, and whiles it would 

 be dark and whiles the moon shone, a man came 

 — they did not know from where — a big red man, 

 and drew up to the fire, and was talking with them. 

 And he asked where the Black Officer was, and 

 they showed him. Now there was one man, 

 Shamus Mackenzie they called him, and he was 

 very curious, and he must be seeing what they did. 

 So he followed the man, and saw him stoop and 

 speak to the officer, but he did not waken ; then 

 this individual took the Black Officer by the breast 

 and shook him violently. Then Shamus knew 



