IV

By Scarba's rock, by Lunga's shore,

By Garveloch isles where the breakers roar, With his horse's hoofs he dash'd the spray,

And on to Loch Buy, away, away!

V

On to Loch Buy all day he rode,
And reach'd the shore as sunset glow'd,
And stopp'd to hear the sounds of joy
That rose from the hills and glens of Moy.

VI

The morrow was May, and on the green
They'd lit the fire of Beltan E'en,

And danced around, and piled it high
With peat and heather and pine logs dry.

VII

A piper played a lightsome reel,

And timed the dance with toe and heel;
While wives look'd on, as lad and lass
Trod it merrily o'er the grass.

VIII

And Jessie (fickle and fair was she)

Sat with Evan beneath a tree,

And smiled with mingled love and pride,

And half agreed to be his bride.

1

IX

The Kelpie gallop'd o'er the green-
He seemed a knight of noble mien,
And old and young stood up to see,
And wonder'd who the knight could be.

X

His flowing locks were auburn bright,
His cheeks were ruddy, his eyes flash'd light;
And as he sprang from his good gray steed,
He look'd a gallant youth indeed.

XI

And Jessie's fickle heart beat high,

As she caught the stranger's glancing eye:
And when he smiled, "Ah, well," thought she,
"I wish this knight came courting me!"

XII

He took two steps towards her seat-
"Wilt thou be mine, O maiden sweet?"
He took her lily-white hand, and sigh'd,
"Maiden, maiden, be my bride!"

XIII

And Jessie blush'd, and whisper'd soft-
"Meet me to-night when the moon's aloft;

I've dream'd, fair knight, long time of thee-

I thought thou camest courting me."

XIV

When the moon her yellow horn display'd,
Alone to the trysting went the maid;
When all the stars were shining bright,
Alone to the trysting went the knight.

XV

"I have loved thee long, I have loved thee well, Maiden, oh more than words can tell!

Maiden, thine eyes like diamonds shine;
Maiden, maiden, be thou mine!"

XVI

"Fair sir, thy suit I'll ne'er denyThough poor my lot, my hopes are high;

I scorn a lover of low degree

None but a knight shall marry me."

XVII

He took her by the hand so white,

And gave her a ring of the gold so bright; "Maiden, whose eyes like diamonds shineMaiden, maiden, now thou'rt mine!"

XVIII

He lifted her on his steed of gray,
And they rode till morning, away, away—
Over the mountain and over the moor,
And over the rocks, to the dark seashore.

XIX

"We have ridden east, we have ridden west— I'm weary, fair knight, and I fain would rest. Say, is thy dwelling beyond the sea?

Hast thou a good ship waiting for me?"

XX

"I have no dwelling beyond the sea, I have no good ship waiting for thee:

Thou shalt sleep with me on a couch of foam, And the depths of the ocean shall be thy home.”

XXI

The gray steed plunged in the billows clear,
And the maiden's shrieks were sad to hear,
"Maiden, whose eyes like diamonds shine-
Maiden, maiden, now thou'rt mine!"

XXII

Loud the cold sea-blast did blow,

As they sank 'mid the angry waves belowDown to the rocks where the serpents creep, Twice five hundred fathoms deep.

XXIII

At morn a fisherman, sailing by,
Saw her pale corse floating high:
He knew the maid by her yellow hair
And her lily skin, so soft and fair.

XXIV

Under a rock on Scarba's shore,

Where the wild winds sigh and the breakers roar,

They dug her a grave by the water clear,

Among the sea-weed, salt and sere.

XXV

And every year at Beltan E'en,
The Kelpie gallops across the green,
On a steed as fleet as the wintry wind,
With Jessie's mournful ghost behind.

XXVI

I warn you, maids, whoever you be,
Beware of pride and vanity;

And ere on change of love you reckon,
Beware the Kelpie of Corrievreckan.