“Donnart deevils, what tak’s ye here?” was the first salutation of the witch. “Ah, mother, that cursed wisp!” groaned out Macglashan. “Wisp!--Look ye, my frack young man, your weird may have hemp in it, an’ sae ye may tempt salt water when ye like; but a’ the ither drookit bodies there have nae such protection. An’ now ye may tak’ the road, for here maun your boat gizzen till the drift o’ Januar be heapit oure her gunwale.” “Ah, mother!” said Macglashan, “what could we do on the road? and home were but a cold home without either our fish or our winbread. Od, it were better for us to plenish the old bothies at the bay, and go and live wi’ yoursel’; but ye must just try and put another wisp in the stoup.” To this she at length consented; and on the following morning the party arrived in Cromarty without any new adventure. The one detailed did not become history until many years after, when it was related by Macglashan. He was probably well enough acquainted with the tenth book of Homer’s Odyssey to know of that ill-improved gift bestowed on Ulysses by old king Æolus, when “The adverse winds in leathern bags he braced, Compressed their force, and locked each struggling blast, Securely fettered by a silver thong.” CHAPTER XX. “Implore his aid, for Proteus only knows The secret cause and cure of all thy woes, But first the wily wizard must be caught, For unconstrain’d he nothing tells for naught, Nor is with prayers, or bribes, or flattery bought, Surprise him first, and with strong fetters bind.”--GEORGICS. [Sidenote: THE MERMAID.]