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

44° WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
" It is ill thou hast done," saiil the Knight of the
Sword.
" Let us see if thyself be better ; and if thou be
better, it will be shewn that thou wilt have more will
to go on ; or else we will have the more s^Dort with
thee," said the Son of the Green Spring by Valour.
Up went the Knight of the Sword, and before he
liad reached but half the mast, he began squealing and
squalling, and he could neither go up nor come down.
" Thou hast done as thou Avert asked ; and thou
hast shewn that thou hadst the more respect for going
up ; and now thou canst not go up, neither canst thou
come down ! No warrior was I, nor half a warrior,
and the esteem of a warrior was not mine at the time
of leaving ; I was to find death in boggy moss, or in
rifts of rock, or in the shade of a wall, or in some
place ; and it were no effort for me to bring news from
the mast."
"Thou great hero !" said the Knight of the Cairn,
" try it."
" A great hero am I this day, but not when leaving
the town," said the Son of the Green Spring by
Valour.
He measured a spring from the ends of his spear
to the points of his toes, and he was up in the cross-
trees in a twinkling.
" What art thou seeing Ì " said the Knight of the
Cairn.
" It is too big for a crow, and it is too little for
land," said he.
" Stay, as thou hast to try if thou canst know what
it is," said they to him ; and he stayed so for a while.*
* The whole of this is drawn from the life of hoatmen. The
feat of climbing the mast of an open boat under sail is far from
easy, and I have seen it done as a feat of strength and skill.