When this story was heard some years ago there were only two alive within this relationship to the ancient chief, one a harmless idiot, the other a poor woman in Fort William. One or other of them must be still alive, for the Headless Ghost has not yet made its reappearance. The person from whom it was heard, was a firm believer in its truth, and in his youth, half a century ago, was well acquainted with the district in which the events were said to have occurred. He had learned and practised the tailoring trade there. Another, and somewhat different, version of the tale will be found in Campbell’s _West Highland Tales_, ii. 89. In it the subduing of the ghost is ascribed to Stout John, Laird of Raasay, a proof of the manner in which floating popular tales attach themselves to known characters. The words ascribed to the Body as it went away, were composed in the East Indies by a piper of the name of Bruce from East-side, Skye. _Beinn Heidera_ and _Bealach a Bhorbhain_ are both in East-side, Skye. The words are an adaptation of an old tune, “_Thogainn fonn air gille an t-sealgair_.” The tale quoted by Scott (_Lay of the Last Minstrel_ note Q) from Henry the Minstrel, of Sir William Wallace’s encounter with the Headless Body is also known in the Hebrides, and has been told to the writer by a native of the extreme west of Tiree. According to this version, Macfadyen’s head was cut off by Wallace to avoid his falling alive into the hands of the English. Macfadyen was an old man and not able to keep up with the rest of the retreating company. When Wallace himself went to open the door, the Headless Body stood holding the head by the hair in its hand, and threw it at Wallace. Wallace picked it up and flung it out at the door as far as he could. The Headless Body went in search of it and Wallace made his escape by a window on the opposite side of the castle. There is a rhyme with which probably some legend was formerly connected: “When Fionn went to the hill He met Headless Body.”[35] It was deemed very foolhardy in a boy to go out after dark alone and say, “Headless Body Come and take me away.”[36] THE GREY PAW (_Spòg liath_).