Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/623

Rh spot quietly. If forced to go that way the animal gets so excited that it is difficult to prevent an accident happening.

A place near Portree is haunted by the ghost of a person believed to have been murdered there, though the death was never proved a murder. Here, again, a horse passes only with reluctance.

(10) A certain man in the island was marked by Satan as his prey. Appearing to his victim in the form of a casual stranger, the Author of Evil prevailed upon the man to promise him a meeting at a certain place. A neighbour happened to pass that way about the time of the assignation, and, seeing a suspicious stranger lingering about, his doubts were awakened. Shortly after he encountered the unhappy being who had made the fearful agreement. Not knowing of this, but having vague fears, he asked him what he was doing there so late. Receiving no answer he renewed his questions, adding to them an entreaty that he would return with him to his house and take a bite to eat. For long the wretched victim refused, but at length the good neighbour prevailed and the two turned back. But Satan was not to be baulked of his prey, for the first bite the man took choked him, and he died in his sins.

(11) A man at Sconser having died, the neighbours as usual sat up to watch the corpse. In the dead of night and continuing into the small hours the sound of chains clanking was heard. The frightened watchers prayed long and fervently till day broke, and then the clanking ceased. Satan had come for his prey, and had been prevented from attaining his end by the prayers of the watchers.

(12) A death warning at Portree has more than once taken the form of a noise of chains or horses' hoofs around the house.

(13) The only reference to giants which was given to me, apart from the story of the finding of gigantic bones in the north of the island, is the following:—

Four strong men (that is, giants), brothers, lived in a cave in a big hill near Kingsburgh. One day they found a cow which had got bogged. Being short of food they dragged it out of the moss, tore it with their hands in four pieces, and so bore it home.