"Indeed! He owns the whole island, I suppose?"
"There's Mackinnons live there. But they are interlopers; they are worthless trash," and he spit in disgust.
"I suppose," said the Doctor, "a Mackinnon would return the compliment, if speaking of a Macdonald."
The man laughed, and said, he supposed "Yes," then added, "See! what's yon?"
"A white stump burnt black at one side,—what did you think it was?"
"I jaloused it might be a ghaist. There's a many ghaists and bogles about here."
"I should have thought the country was too young for those gentry," said the Doctor.
"It's a young country, but there's been muckle wickedness done in it. And what are those blacks do you think?—next thing to devils—at all events they're no' exactly human."
"Impish, decidedly," said the Doctor. "Have you ever seen any ghosts, friend?"
"Ay! many. A fortnight agone, come to-morrow, I saw the ghost of my wife's brother in broad day. It was the time of the high wind ye mind of; and the rain drove so thick I could no see all my sheep at once. And a man on a white horse came fleeing before the wind close past me; I knew him in a minute; it was my wife's brother, as I tell ye, that was hung fifteen years agone for sheep-stealing, and he wasn't so much altered as ye'd think."