e　procession；　bare…headed；　disarmed；　and　with　his　hands　bound；　came　the　unfortunate　victim　of　military　law。　　He　was　deadly　pale；　but　his　step　was　firm　and　his　eye　as　bright　as　ever。　The　clergyman　walked　by　his　side；　the　coffin；　which　was　to　receive　his　mortal　remains；　was　borne　before　him。　　The　looks　of　his　comrades　were　still；　composed；　and　solemn。　　They　felt　for　the　youth；　whose　handsome　form　and　manly　yet　submissive　deportment　had；　as　soon　as　he　was　distinctly　visible　to　them；　softened　the　hearts　of　many；　even　of　some　who　had　been　actuated　by　vindictive　feelings。
  The　coffin　destined　for　the　yet　living　body　of　Hamish　Bean　was　placed　at　the　bottom　of　the　hollow　square；　about　two　yards　distant　from　the　foot　of　the　precipice；　which　rises　in　that　place　as　steep　as　a　stone　wall　to　the　height　of　three　or　four　hundred　feet。　　Thither　the　prisoner　was　also　led；　the　clergyman　still　continuing　by　his　side；　pouring　forth　exhortations　of　courage　and　consolation；　to　which　the　youth　appeared　to　listen　with　respectful　devotion。　　With　slow；　and；　it　seemed；　almost　unwilling　steps；　the　firing　party　entered　the　square；　and　were　drawn　up　facing　the　prisoner；　about　ten　yards　distant。　　The　clergyman　was　now　about　to　retire。　　〃Think；　my　son；〃　he　said；　〃on　what　I　have　told　you；　and　let　your　hope　be　rested　on　the　anchor　which　I　have　given。　　You　will　then　exchange　a　short　and　miserable　existence　here　for　a　life　in　which　you　will　experience　neither　sorrow　nor　pain。　　Is　there　aught　else　which　you　can　entrust　to　me　to　execute　for　you？〃
  The　youth　looked　at　his　sleeve　buttons。　　They　were　of　gold；　booty　perhaps　which　his　father　had　taken　from　some　English　officer　during　the　civil　wars。　　The　clergyman　disengaged　them　from　his　sleeves。
  〃My　mother！〃　　he　said　with　some　effort〃give　them　to　my　poor　mother！　　See　her；　good　father；　and　teach　her　what　she　should　think　of　all　this。　　Tell　her　Hamish　Bean　is　more　glad　to　die　than　ever　he　was　to　rest　after　the　longest　day's　hunting。　　Farewell；　sirfarewell！〃
  The　good　man　could　scarce　retire　from　the　fatal　spot。　　An　officer　afforded　him　the　support　of　his　arm。　　At　his　last　look　towards　Hamish；　he　beheld　him　alive　and　kneeling　on　the　coffin；　the　few　that　were　around　him　had　all　withdrawn。　　The　fatal　word　was　given；　the　rock　rung　sharp　to　the　sound　of　the　discharge；　and　Hamish；　falling　forward　with　a　groan；　died；　it　may　be　supposed；　without　almost　a　sense　of　the　passing　agony。
  Ten　or　twelve　of　his　own　company　then　came　forward；　and　laid　with　solemn　reverence　the　remains　of　their　comrade　in　the　coffin；　while　the　Dead　March　was　again　struck　up；　and　the　several　companies；　marching　in　single　files；　passed　the　coffin　one　by　one；　in　order　that　all　might　receive　from　the　awful　spectacle　the　warning　which　it　was　peculiarly　intended　to　afford。　　The　regiment　was　then　marched　off　the　ground；　and　reascended　the　ancient　cliff；　their　music；　as　usual　on　such　occasions；　striking　lively　strains；　as　if　sorrow；　or　even　deep　thought；　should　as　short　a　while　as　possible　be　the　tenant　of　the　soldier's　bosom。
  At　the　same　time　the　small　party；　which　we　before　mentioned；　bore　the　bier　of　the　ill…fated　Hamish　to　his　humble　grave；　in　a　corner　of　the　churchyard　of　Dunbarton；　usually　assigned　to　criminals。　Here；　among　the　dust　of　the　guilty；　lies　a　youth；　whose　name；　had　he　survived　the　ruin　of　the　fatal　events　by　which　he　was　hurried　into　crime；　might　have　adorned　the　annals　of　the　brave。
  The　minister　of　Glenorquhy　left　Dunbarton　immediately　after　he　had　witnessed　the　last　scene　of　this　melancholy　catastrophe。　　His　reason　acquiesced　in　the　justice　of　the　sentence；　which　required　blood　for　blood；　and　he　acknowledged　that　the　vindictive　character　of　his　countrymen　required　to　be　powerfully　restrained　by　the　strong　curb　of　social　law。　　But　still　he　mourned　over　the　individual　victim。　　Who　may　arraign　the　bolt　of　Heaven　when　it　bursts　among　the　sons　of　the　forest？　　yet　who　can　refrain　from　mourning　when　it　selects　for　the　object　of　its　blighting　aim　the　fair　stem　of　a　young　oak；　that　promised　to　be　the　pride　of　the　dell　in　which　it　flourished？　　Musing　on　these　melancholy　events；　noon　found　him　engaged　in　the　mountain　passes；　by　which　he　was　to　return　to　his　still　distant　home。
  Confident　in　his　knowledge　of　the　country；　the　clergyman　had　left　the　main　road；　to　seek　one　of　those　shorter　paths；　which　are　only　used　by　pedestrians；　or　by　men；　like　the　minister；　mounted　on　the　small；　but　sure…footed；　hardy；　and　sagacious　horses　of　the　country。　　The　place　which　he　now　traversed　was　in　itself　gloomy　and　desolate；　and　tradition　had　added　to　it　the　terror　of　superstition；　by　affirming　it　was　haunted　by　an　evil　spirit；　termed　CLOGHT…DEARGthat　is；　Redmantlewho　at　all　times；　but　especially　at　noon　and　at　midnight；　traversed　the　glen；　in　enmity　both　to　man　and　the　inferior　creation；　did　such　evil　as　her　power　was　permitted　to　extend　to；　and　afflicted　with　ghastly　terrors　those　whom　she　had　not　license　otherwise　to　hurt。
  The　minister　of　Glenorquhy　had　set　his　face　in　opposition　to　many　of　these　superstitions；　which　he　justly　thought　were　derived　from　the　dark　ages　of　Popery；　perhaps　even　from　those　of　paganism；　and　unfit　to　be　entertained　or　believed　by　the　Christians　of　an　enlightened　age。　　Some　of　his　more　attached　parishioners　considered　him　as　too　rash　in　opposing　the　ancient　faith　of　their　fathers；　and　though　they　honoured　the　moral　intrepidity　of　their　pastor；　they　could　not　avoid　entertaining　and　expressing　fears　that　he　would　one　day　fall　a　victim　to　his　temerity；　and　be　torn　to　pieces　in　the　glen　of　the　Cloght…dearg；　or　some　of　those　other　haunted　wilds；　which　he　appeared　rather　to　have　a　pride　and　pleasure　in　traversing　alone；　on　the　days　and　hours　when　the　wicked　spirits　were　supposed　to　have　especial　power　over　man　and　beast。
  These　legends　came　across　the　mind　of　the　clergyman；　and；　solitary　as　he　was；　a　melancholy　smile　shaded　his　cheek；　as　he　thought　of　the　inconsistency　of　human　nature；　and　reflected　how　many　brave　men；　whom　the　yell　of　the　pibroch　would　have　sent　headlong　against　fixed　bayonets；　as　the　wild　bull　rushes　on　his　enemy；　might　have　yet　feared　to　encounter　those　visionary　terrors；　which　he　himself；　a　man　of　peace；　and　in　ordinary　perils　no　way　remarkable　for　the　firmness　of　his　nerves；　was　now　risking　without　hesitation。
  As　he　looked　around　the　scene　of　desolation；　he　could　not　but　acknowledge；　in　his　own　mind；　that　it　was　not　ill　chosen　for　the　haunt　of　those　spirits；　which　are　said　to　delight　in　solitude　and　desolation。　　The　glen　was　so　steep　and　narrow　that　there　was　but　just　room　for　the　meridian　sun　to　dart　a　few　scattered　rays　upon　the　gloomy　and　precarious　stream　which　stole　through　its　recesses；　for　the　most　part　in　silence；　but　occasionally　murmuring　sullenly　against　the　rocks　and　large　stones　which　seemed　determined　to　bar　its　further　progress。　　In　winter；　or　in　the　rainy　season；　this　small　stream　was　a　foaming　torrent　of　the　most　formidable　magnitude；　and　it　was　at　such　periods　that　it　had　torn　open　and　laid　bare　the　broad…faced　and　huge　fragments　of　rock　which；　at　the　season　of　which　we　speak；　hid　its　course　from　the　eye；　and　seemed　disposed　totally　to　interrupt　its　course。　〃Undoubtedly；〃　thought　the　clergyman；　〃this　mountain　rivulet；　suddenly　swelled　by　a　waterspout　or　thunderstorm；　has　often　been　the　cause　of　those　accidents　which；　happening　in　the　glen　called　by　her　name；　have　been　ascribed　to　the　agency　of　the　Cloght…　dearg。〃
  Just　as　this　idea　crossed　his　mind；　he　heard　a　female　voice　exclaim；　in　a　wild　and　thrilling　accent；　〃Michael　Tyrie！　　Michael　Tyrie！〃　　He　looked　round　in　astonishment；　and　not　without　some　fear。　　It　seemed　for　an　instant；　as　if　the　evil　being；　whose　existence　he　had　disowned；　was　about　to　appear　for　the　punishment　of　his　incredulity。　　This　alarm　did　not　hold　him　more　than　an　instant；　nor　did　it　prevent　his　replying　in　a　firm　voice；　〃Who　calls？　　and　where　are　you？〃
  〃One　who　journeys　in　wretchedness；　between　life　and　death；〃　answered　the　voice；　and　the　speaker；　a　tall　female；　appeared　from　among　the　fragments　of　rocks　which　had　concealed　her　from　view。
  As　she　approached　more　closely；　her　mantle　of　bright　tartan；　in　which　the　red　colour　much　predominated；　her　stature；　the　long　stride　with　which　she　advanced；　and　the　writhen　features　and　wild　eyes　which　were　visible　from　under　her　curch；　would　have　made　her　no　inadequate　representative　of　the　spirit　which　gave　name　to　the　valley。　　But　Mr。　Tyrie　instantly　knew　her　as　the　Woman　of　the　Tree；　the　widow　of　MacTavish　Mhor；　the　now　childless　mother　of　Hamish　Bean。　　I　am　not　sure　whether　the　minister　would　not　have　endured　the　visitation　of　the　Cloght…dearg　herself；　rather　than　the　shock　of　Elspat's　presence；　considering　her　crime　and　her　misery。　　He　drew　up　his　horse　instinctively；　and　stood　endeavouring　to　collect　his　ideas；　while　a　few　paces　brought　her　up　to　his　horse's　head。
  〃Michael　Tyrie；〃　said　she；　〃the　foolish　women　of　the　Clachan　＇The　village；　literally；　the　stones。＇　hold　thee　as　a　godbe　one　to　me；　and　say　that　my　son　lives。　　Say　this；　and　I　too　will　be　of　thy　worship；　I　will　bend　my　knees　on　the　seventh　day　in　thy　house　of　worship；　and　thy　God　shall　be　my　God。〃
  〃Unhappy　woman；〃　replied　the　clergyman；　〃man　forms　not　paction