master to play the old favourite pibroch, an air which he had abstained from playing ever since the loss of Bella, lest it might awaken sad thoughts in the mind of Charlie.
As the rowers measured their time with the thrilling strain, and as the boat glided leisurely round one of the picturesque islets, Charlie, who was seated at the helm, became overwhelmed with mournful thoughts, which were awakened by the favourite pibroch, and the surrounding scenery, which forcibly reminded him of happier days.
In order to hide his grief from his companions, he turned round and directed his gaze towards the islet they were slowly passing.
While his eyes were fixed on the islet, his thoughts carried him back to the scene at the Bridge of Linn, when he heard his lost Bella's endearing appeal on that memorable morning, calling to him—when, hark! the identical sound—"Charlie, dear, save me," struck his ears above the strains of the music. With one bound he sprung up, and rushing to the bows, pulled the chanter from Donald's lips, and with looks of strange wildness, exclaimed—"Did you not hear her?"
The bewildered company, who concluded that he was under a delusion, asked for an explanation, when he replied—"I am certain it was her voice." One of the party now informed them that he saw a black-fellow carrying a female in his arms into the scrub on the island opposite, and that she seemed to resist him by screaming out, which was probably what Charlie had heard, and, mixed with the sound of the music, took it for the voice of some acquaintance.
The rest of the company coincided in this supposition, adding that if he had been thinking of some one at the time, the force of imagination would construe the voice of the Warrigal female into what he fancied he heard. This argument tranquilised his mind a little, still the sound and the words, with the never-to-be-forgotten voice was too real to be erased from his memory or mistaken, and nothing but the improbability of Bella being alive could allay or satisfy his mind, nor could he shake off the strange impression caused by the occurrence.
