Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

92 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
back to the scene of action. The first object that met his view
was the bauchan, busily engaged in rubbing a flat stone with the
identical handkerchief. On seeing Callura, he called out, " Ah !
you are back ; it is well for you, for if I had rubbed a hole into
this before your return you were a dead man. No doctor on
earth or power could save you ; but you shall never have this
handkerchief till you have won it in a fair fight." " Done"
said Galium, and at it they went again, and Galium recovered
his handkerchief. Peats were almost unknown at that time,
and Galium, when the weather grew cold, took his axe, and
felled a large birch tree in the neighbouring forest, the branches
supplied wood for the fire for several days, and Galium did not
trouble himself to lay in a store nearer hand — when, lo ! a snow
storm came on, and blocked up the country, so that he was cut
off from his supply. There was no means of access to the tree ;*
and careful as Callum's wife was, the last branch was almost
consumed, and the fire burnt low. Up started Galium with an
exclamation, *' Oh ! wife, would that we had the tree I felled
in the forest ! it would keep us warm this night." Hardly had he
spoken when the house was shaken and the door rattled ; a heavy
weighthadfallennearthe door. Galium rushed toseewhatthecause
was, and there was the wished-for tree, with the Bauchan grin-
ning at him — " Sma am Bauchan fathast, gcd a sgain an Sagrt"
— (the Bauchan is still kind, though the Priest should burst) —
said the wife. On another occasion it happened that Galium left
the farm he was in and went to one adjoining which he had taken
carrying with him his wife and all his furniture. In the night-
time Galium turned to his wife and said, " Well, it is well we
have all with us ; only one thing have we forgotten, the hogshead
in which the hides are being barked; that we have forgotten."
" No matter for that," said the wife ; " there is no one to occupy
the place yet a while, and we have time to get it home safe
enough ; " and so the matter rested ; but on going round the
end of the house next morning, what did Galium see but
his own identical hogshead, hides and all. It had been
transported the distance of five miles of most rugged, rocky
district. None but a goat could have crossed the place, and
in the time it would have bothered one to do it, but the
Bauchan managed it, and saved Galium a most troublesome