J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE BARRA WIDOW S SON. 1 I 3
"that is not right. The ships are going together, a
storm may come and drive us from each other ; let
each do as best he may." The ships went, they sailed,
and it was a cargo of coal that Iain put in his own.
There came on them a great day of storm. They were
driven from each other. AYhere did Iain sail but to
Turkey. He took anchorage in Turkey at early day,
and he thought to go on shore to take a walk. He
was going before him walking ; he saw two out of their
sliirts working, and as though they had two iron flails.
What had they but a man's corpse ! " What are you
doing to the corpse 1 " — " It was a Christian ; we had
eight marks against him, and since he did not pay us
while he was aUve, we will take it out of his corpse
with the flails." — "Well then, leave him with me and
I will pay you the eight marks." He seized him, he
took him from them, he paid them, and he put mould
and earth on him. It was soon for him to return till
he should see more of the land of the Turk. He went
on a bit and what should he see there but a great
crowd of men together. He took over where they
were. Wliat did he see but a gaping red fire of a
great hot fire, and a woman stripped between the fire
and them. " Wbat," said he, " are you doing here ? "
" There are," said they, " two Christian women that
the great Turk got ; they were caught on the ocean ; he
has had them from the end of eight years. This one
was promising him that she would marry him every
year ; when the time came to marry him she would not
marry him a bit. He ordered herself and the woman
that was with her to be burnt. One of them was
burnt, and this one is as yet unburnt."
" I will give you a good lot of silver and gold if
you will leave her with me, and you may say to him
that you burnt her." They looked at each other.
VOL. II. I