Product Synopsis

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1894 Excerpt: ... SAY, there's a deuce of a swell outside talking to Donald, ' said Gerald one morning, on coming in from a visit to the kennels. 'Who is he?' No one knew, and every one felt interested, for, with the exception of the crofter's cots and a farm, there was not a house within nine miles of us. A few minutes later I came upon our visitor and found that Gerald's description of him, though slightly lacking in detail, was broadly accurate enough. He was a tall, fair, good-looking youth of twenty summers or more, with freckled face and bright blue eyes. He was clad in new tweeds with knickerbocker breeches, light spats, and shining shoes. There was a horsey-looking little scarf, too, held in position by a gold pin. Where had he dropped from? In due course Donald solved the mystery. It, or I should say he, was the piper from the other side of the island who had trotted fifteen miles across the roadless moor (surely bearing those shoes and spats under his arm), and was going to rouse the echoes at the gillies' ball in the evening. But where were the tartan and fillibeg, where the cap and eagle's feather? Where that finery which makes the Scotch piper a thing beauteous to look upon? However, I discovered that our blue-eyed friend could not rightly wear such apparel, not being quite the real thing, but a sturdy young gamekeeper who had a 'gift with the pipes.' Some days previously I had seen a real piper, the one specially retained by the deceased laird. He, poor fellow, was on his way from his wife's funeral, and was clad in black broadcloth just like any one else. I have seen many more Highland pipers in all their beauty in London than elsewhere. True to its tradition, Gheira Lodge was to open its doors to farmers, keepers, gillies, and watchers, with their spouses pres...