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The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands

The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands

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THE PEAT-FIRE FLAME<br />

men in <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. No sooner were swords <strong>and</strong> dirks<br />

flashing, according to a Perthshire tradition, than c<strong>of</strong>fin <strong>and</strong><br />

corpse became two c<strong>of</strong>fins <strong>and</strong> two corpses. So, <strong>the</strong><br />

contestants immediately shea<strong>the</strong>d <strong>the</strong>ir w^eapons; <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

men <strong>of</strong> Strathfillan set <strong>of</strong>f by one track with one corpse, <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> men <strong>of</strong> KilHn b}- <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r track with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r corpse.<br />

<strong>The</strong> only feasible explanation for this extraordinary<br />

occurrence was that put forward by a recent minister <strong>of</strong><br />

Strathfillan, namely, that <strong>the</strong> funeral party had had so much<br />

drink that its members were seeing double.<br />

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