The Scottish Celtic review

272 Macphees Black Dog.the weather, and they returned. "The dug has fore-knowledge,"said the gentlemen. " He foredvnows that his own day will comeyet," said MacPhie.On the third day, the day was beautiful. They took theirway to the harbour, and they did not say a syllable to theblack dog this day. They launched the boat to go away. Oneof the gentlemen looked and said the black dog was coming,and that he had never seen such a creature from the tierce lookit had on as it was coming. It gave a leap, and was the firstcreature into the boat. "The black dog's day is drawing nearus," said MacPhie. They took with them food, and ]irovision,and bed-clothes, and went ashore in Jura. They passed thatnight in the Big Cave ; and next day they went out to hunt thedeer. Late in the evening they came home ; they pi-eparedsupper ; they had a fine fire in the cave, and light. There was abig hole in the very top of the cave, that would barely allow aman to go through it. When they had taken their supper, theyoung gentlemen stretched themselves on the beds. MacPhierose and stood warming the back of his feet to the tire. Each ofthe young men said that he wished his own sweetheart was alongwith him there that night, and if she were, he would be welloff. " Well," said MacPhie, " I prefer my wife to be in her ownhouse ;it is enough for me to be here myself to-night."MacPhie gave a look from him, and saw sixteen women comingin at the door of the cave. The light went out ; and they had nolight but what the fire gave them. The women went over wherethe gentlemen were in their beds. MacPhie was not seeing aparticle on account of the darkness that came over the cave ;hewas not hearing a sound from the men there. The women stoodup, and one of them looked at MacPhie. She stood opposite to him,as though she were going to make an attempt ujion him. Theblack dog rose, and put on such a fierce, biistling look ; he madea spring at her ; they took to the door, and the black dog afterthem to the mouth of the cave. When they went away, theblack dog returned down and lay at MacPhie's foot. A littleafterwards, MacPhie heard a hurried noise above him in the topof the cave, such that he thought the cave would be about hishead. He looked above him, and saw a man's hand coming downfrom the hole, as though it wei'e going to catch him, and takehim out through the hole, through the top of the cave. The