THE CAVERN OF STEENFOLL.A SCOTTISH LEGEND.
MANY years ago two fishermen lived happily together upon one of the rocky islands off the Scottish coast. They were both unmarried and had no near relations, and their united efforts, although they were of very different dispositions, sufficed to provide them with all they needed. They were much of an age, but in appearance and character they resembled each other about as much as an eagle resembles a calf.
Will reaches for the ball of goldOne big wave washed up a ball of pure gold.(P.329.)
One big wave washed up a ball of pure gold.(P.329.)
Caspar Stump was a short fat man with a broad fat face like a full moon, and good-tempered twinkling eyes, which seemed as though they were strangers to trouble and care.
Not only was he very fat, he was also rather lazy, and so the household duties fell to his share; he had to cook and bake, make the nets to catch fish and to sell in the market, and help to cultivate their little field.
His companion was the direct opposite, tall and thin, with bold features, a hooked nose like a hawk’s, and sharp eyes; he was the hardest-working and most intrepid of fishermen, the most venturesome climber after bird’s eggs, which were found in the rocky crevices of the cliffs, and the most industrious field labourer on the island, as well as being one of the keenest to drive a bargain in the market of Kirkwall. But as his wares were good and he always traded honestly, everyone liked to deal with him, and Will Hawk, as his neighbours nicknamed him, in spite of his fondness for money, always shared his profits willingly with Caspar Stump, so that the two of them not only made a very good living, but were able to put by something for a rainy day.
But Will Hawk was not content with that, he wanted to berich,very rich, and as he knew that sheer hard work, such as his, rarely brought in extraordinary wealth, he began to think that he must try and find out some other means of making money, and taking it for granted that he would succeed, he discussed the matter freely with Caspar Stump. Caspar, who accepted everything that Will said as Gospel truth, told his neighbours of the fortune his companion was about to make, and so a rumour went abroad that Will Hawk had sold his soul to the evil one.
At first Will laughed at these reports, but gradually he began to wish that some spirit would appear and tell him where he might discover buried treasure, and he ceased to contradict the neighbours when they joked him about it. It is true he still continued to carry on his ordinary occupation, but with less zeal, and often wasted the time when he should have been fishing in idle wanderings after adventures which he hoped would make him rich. Unfortunately for him as he was one day standing on the sea-shore gazing out to sea, as though he expected the waves rolling in to bring a fortune to his feet, one big wave washed up a quantity of shingle and lose sea-weed, and amongst the sea-weed a yellow ball, a ball of pure gold.
Will stood as though enchanted; his hopes of untold wealth had not been empty dreams, the sea had given him gold, pure shining gold, which the action of the sea had worn down, probably from a large bar, to a ball the size of a bullet.
It seemed quite clear to him now that at some time a richly-laden vessel must have gone to pieces on the rocks, and that it was for him to find and raise the buried treasures, hidden beneath the waves. From this time he devoted all his energies to the task, carefully hiding his find from all, even from his friend. He neglected everything else and spent days and nights on the sea-shore, not casting out fishing nets, but using a drag which he had made on purpose to haul in treasure.
His only reward was poverty, for he had ceased to make money himself and Caspar’s sleepy efforts did not bring in enough to feed the two of them. Insearching for riches all the little fortune they possessed was lost. But just as easy-going Caspar had once allowed Will Hawk to provide the money for his maintenance, so he now accepted poverty without complaint, and it was this silent endurance on the part of his friend that spurred Will on to further efforts to amass wealth.
But what made him still more intent on continuing the search was that, whenever he lay down to sleep, it seemed to him that someone whispered a word in his ear. It was always the same, but he never could remember it when he was awake. It is true that there seemed no connection between this circumstance and his present quest, but on a mind like Will’s everything seemed to make an impression, and even this mysterious whispering strengthened him in the belief that he was destined for a great piece of good fortune and that he would one day find a large heap of gold.
One day he was surprised by a storm whilst on the shore where he had found the ball of gold, and the violence of it caused him to take shelter in a neighbouring cave. This cave, which the people called the Cavern of Steenfoll, consisted of a long subterranean passage with two openings to the sea, which afforded the waves free passage to and fro, and there they roared and foamed as they rushed along it.
The cave was only accessible in one spot from the land, and that through a crevice in the roof, but it was seldom that any but reckless boys ventured there, for, in addition to the dangers of the place it was supposed to be haunted.
With great difficulty Will succeeded in letting himself down and took his seat upon a jutting rock about twelve feet from the surface. Here, with the waves roaring beneath his feet and the storm raging above his head, he fell into his usual way of thinking about the sunken ship and what sort of a vessel it could have been, for, in spite of having questioned all the oldest inhabitants on the island, he had been unable to obtain any news of a wreck in that place.
How long he had sat there he did not know himself, but when he at length awoke from his dreams he found that the storm had passed over, and he was just about to climb out of the cave when he heard a voice from the depths which pronounced the word “Carmil-han” quite distinctly.
Will looks over the cave ledgeWill heard a voice from the depths.(P.331.)
Will heard a voice from the depths.(P.331.)
“Why,” cried he, “that is the word I have heard so often in my dreams. What can it mean?”
Terrified, he began to climb quickly upwards when, just as he was creeping out of the crevice, he heard once more, “Carmilhan,” softly whispered from the depths. Then he fled like a frightened deer to his home.
Will was, however, no coward, he had merely been taken unawares; besides that, his craze for gold was too strong in him for the appearance of dangerto frighten him from the path he had entered upon. One moonlight night as he was using his drag in his search for treasures near the Cavern of Steenfoll, it caught fast in something. He pulled with all his strength, but could not move it. In the meantime the wind had risen, dark clouds drifted across the sky, the boat rocked violently and threatened to overturn, but Will would not give in, he tugged and pulled until at length the resistance ceased, and as he felt no weight he thought the cords of the net must have broken. But just as the clouds were about to cover the moon a round black mass rose to the surface and once more he heard the word “Carmilhan” whispered. He would have seized it, but as he was about to stretch out his arm it disappeared in the darkness of the night and the storm broke, forcing him to seek shelter beneath the rocks. Here he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, but only to endure the same restless misery that he endured by day, owing to his everlasting longing for wealth.
The first rays of the rising sun illumined the surface of the water when Will awoke. He was about to set out upon his accustomed work when he saw something approaching him from a distance; he recognised it to be a boat with a man in it, but what aroused his curiosity was that the boat was moving along without the assistance of either sails or rudder and the bows were turned to the shore.
Will talks to the little old manTHE CAVERN OF STEENFOLL.“I came to look for the Carmilhan,” he saidp.335.
THE CAVERN OF STEENFOLL.“I came to look for the Carmilhan,” he saidp.335.
The boat came nearer and nearer and stopped at length beside Will’s boat, and Will could see that the person in it was a little wizened old man, dressedin yellow linen with a red pointed night-cap on his head, his eyes were closed and he looked as though he were dead. Will called to him several times without obtaining an answer, and was about to fasten a cord to the boat in order to tow it along when the man opened his eyes and writhed about in a fashion that filled even the hardy fisherman with horror.
“Where am I?” he asked with a deep sigh, speaking in Dutch, and Will, who had learnt a few words of that language from the Dutch herring fishers, told him the name of the island, and asked him who he was and what had brought him there.
“I came to look for the Carmilhan,” he said.
“Whatisthe Carmilhan?” cried the fisherman eagerly.
“The Carmilhan does not exist any longer,” the man said, “but it was once a fine ship, heavily laden with gold.”
“When was it wrecked, and where?”
“It happened more than a hundred years ago, I am not quite certain where. I have come to find the place and to fish up the lost gold; if you will help me we will divide whatever we find.”
“I agree with all my heart, but what must I do?” asked Will.
“What you have to do requires courage; you must go to the wildest and most deserted portion of the island at midnight, take a cow with you, kill it, and get some one to wind you up in its skin. Your companion must then lay you down on the ground and leave you, and before the clock strikes one o’clock you will know where the treasures of the Carmilhan lie.”
“But that was how old Engrol was lost, soul and body,” cried Will in terror; “you are without doubt the evil one and I will have nothing to do with you,” and he rowed hastily away.
The little man ground his teeth with rage and abused him roundly, but the fisherman bent to his oars and was soon out of hearing, and after he had turned and rounded a rock he was out of sight also. But the knowledge that the evil spirit had endeavoured to make use of his avarice in order to lure him into his toils with gold did not cure the infatuated fisherman; on the contrary he intended to make use of the information he had obtained from the little man, without getting into his clutches, and so he continued to fish all around that barren coast for gold, neglecting the wealth of fish he might have obtained in other parts of the sea, in the same way that he neglected all his other work, so that day by day he and his companion sank into deeper poverty, until at length they wanted for the necessities of life.
But although this state of things was entirely owing to Will Hawk’s obstinacy and greed and that the support of both of them fell to Caspar Stump alone, the latter never made him the slightest reproach, but showed him the same deference, the same confidence in his better judgment as in the days when all his undertakings were successful. This increased Will’s troubles considerably, but drove him still more to seek for money, because he hoped to repay his friend for his present deprivations.
The whispered word “Carmilhan” resounded everin his slumbers. In short, want, disappointed expectations and avarice at length drove him mad, so that he decided to do what the little man had advised, although he knew from hearsay that he was selling himself to the powers of darkness.
All Caspar’s representations were in vain. Will became more violent the more he was besought to give up his intentions. The good-natured, weak-minded fellow at last gave in and consented to assist him in carrying out his plans.
Both their hearts were filled with grief as they led out a beautiful cow, the last of their possessions. They had brought her up from a calf and had forborne to sell her because they could not bear to trust her in strange hands. But the evil spirit that had taken possession of William’s mind stifled all better feeling in him, and Caspar could resist him in nothing.
It was September and the long nights of the Scottish winter had began and the dark clouds were racing along before the rough wind and seemed to lose themselves in the waters of the Clyde, deep shadows filled the mountain clefts, and the damp turfy marshes and the sullen streams looked dark and forbidding. Will Hawk went in advance and Caspar followed, shuddering at his own audacity. Tears filled his dim eyes as often as he looked at the poor cow which went so trustfully to meet its death at the hand that had hitherto tended it. They reached at length the boggy pass, overgrown with moss and heather and strewn with large stones, and surrounded by a wild chain of mountains that lost themselves in mist and wereseldom crossed by the foot of man. Over the boggy ground they went until they reached a great stone in the centre, from which a frightened eagle soared screaming.
The poor cow lowed mournfully as though she recognised the horror of the place and the fate that awaited her. Caspar turned away to hide his fast-flowing tears. He looked down the rocky way they had come up and from whence one could hear the moaning of the sea, and then looked up towards the mountain tops, hidden by a black cloud from which a dull murmuring came. When he again looked at Will he had already bound the poor cow to the stone and stood with axe raised ready to strike.
This was too much for poor Caspar. Wringing his hands, he fell upon his knees and entreated Will to desist from tempting Providence and to spare the life of the poor animal.
“Be it as you will,” replied the infatuated man; “but if you have your way you may as well kill me instead of the cow, for otherwise I shall surely die of hunger.”
It was in vain for Caspar to reason with him and to protest that in future he would work hard in order to provide a living for both of them, Will would not listen; he threw away the axe, but seizing a knife declared that as Caspar preferred the cow to him he would put an end to his wretched life.
Poor Caspar seized his hand and, snatching the knife, threw it away, then taking the axe he struck the cow such a tremendous blow that it fell dead at its master’s feet.
Caspar, assisted by Will, then hurriedly removed the hide, and Will allowed his friend to envelope him in it, although he seemed suddenly to have been stricken with terror at what he was doing.
The thunderstorm had increased in violence, and by the time Will was firmly fastened into the cow’s hide it was so dark that the two friends could no longer see each other and bade each other farewell in total darkness.
Left to himself Will endured an agony of fear and suspense; at length he would gladly have disentangled himself from the hide and rushed after Caspar, but he had been too firmly tied up to be able to free himself.
Will and Caspar lead the cowOver the boggy ground they went.(P.338.)
Over the boggy ground they went.(P.338.)
The storm continued to increase in fury until at length the waters rose and almost covered him and he began to think that he would be drowned, when a sort of waterspout arose and, catching him up, dashed him to the foot of the rocks with so much force that he became unconscious.
When he regained his senses he felt bruised and weak. He could hear a faint sound of singing, which at first he took to be merely the sighing and moaningof the waves, but as it grew louder he began to recognise the tune as a hymn which he had heard the fishermen singing on board a Dutch herring smack.
Nearer and nearer came the sound of the music, and presently to his surprise he saw a procession of human figures approaching him. Grief and fear were depicted on their countenances, and their clothes were all dripping with water.
As they came close up to him the singing ceased; the procession was led by several musicians, then came a number of sailors, and behind them walked a big fat man dressed in quaint, old-fashioned garments, which were richly embroidered with gold threads. He had a sword by his side and in his hand he carried a long thick Spanish cane with a gold knob.
A negro boy walked beside him carrying the long pipe from which his master drew a whiff from time to time. A number of other richly-dressed men accompanied him, all of them carrying pipes, though not such handsome ones as that of the stout man. Behind these came a number of women, all handsomely attired in old-fashioned garments, some of them carried little children in their arms, and some led children by the hand.
A crowd of Dutch sailors closed the procession, each of them having a quid of tobacco in his mouth and a pipe between his teeth, which he smoked in gloomy silence. As the whole assembly began to close round Will, the smoke from their pipes grew denser and denser and he felt as though he were about to be smothered.
He was by nature a courageous man, but a nameless terror now seemed to seize him, which was increased by the sight of the little yellow man, who had suddenly appeared and was seated close beside him.
The fat man and his processionA negro boy walked beside him, carrying the long pipe.(P.340.)
A negro boy walked beside him, carrying the long pipe.(P.340.)
He looked exactly as he had done before, except that now, as though to mock the assembled company, he, too, had a pipe in his mouth.
In an agony of terror Will now turned to the big stout man and cried, “In the name of him you serve, who are you and what do you want with me?”
The big man took three whiffs from his pipe in solemn silence, then he handed his pipe to his servant and replied coldly:
“I am Alfred Franz van der Swelder, captain of the ship Carmilhan from Amsterdam, which was lost with all hands on this rocky coast on the return journey from Batavia. These are my officers and passengers, and those are my brave sailors, all of whom were drowned with me. Why have you called us from out the depths of the sea? Why do you disturb our rest?”
“I wish to know where the treasures of the Carmilhan lie hidden.”
“At the bottom of the sea.”
“Where?”
“In the Cavern of Steenfoll.”
“How can I reach them?”
“A goose will dive after a herring, are not the treasures of the Carmilhan worth much more?”
“How much shall I succeed in obtaining?”
“More than you will ever be able to spend.”
The little yellow man grinned and the whole assembly burst out laughing.
“Have you finished your questioning?” asked the captain.
“I have, farewell!” replied Will.
“Farewell, until we meet again,” answered the Dutchman, and turned to go.
The musicians again led the procession, and they turned to depart in the same order in which they had come, singing the same solemn chant, which faded away in the distance until at length it became lost in the sound of the waves beating upon the shore.
Will now exerted all his strength to free himself from the hide that wrapped him round so tightly.He succeeded at last in freeing one arm and then commenced to loosen the cords that fastened him into the hide, until he had untied all the knots and rolled out of the hide. Without losing a moment he hastened home, where he found poor Caspar lying unconscious upon the floor of the hut. Having restored him to his senses with some trouble the good fellow wept tears of joy to see once again the friend of his youth, whom he believed to have lost for ever. But his joy was soon quenched when Will told him of the desperate undertaking he had now on hand.
“I could no longer endure the misery of this wretched place,” he said, “now that it is within my power to attain riches for us both. Follow me or not, as you will.”
Will pulls himself and his prize up the ropeHe brought to the surface an iron chest full of gold pieces.(P.344.)
He brought to the surface an iron chest full of gold pieces.(P.344.)
With these words Will took up a torch, a flint and steel, and a rope and hastened away. Caspar followed as quickly as he could and found his friend standing by the crevice in the rock leading to the Cavern of Steenfoll. He was making ready to lower himself by the rope into the black depths below.
Finding that all his entreaties to desist availed nothing, Caspar prepared to descend with his friend,but Will bade him remain where he was and hold the rope. With fearful exertions, which only the blindest avarice could have driven him to make, he succeeded in climbing down into the cavern until he reached a portion of projecting rock beneath which the black waves dashed to and fro, crested with white foam. He gazed eagerly into the water and saw something gleaming in the depths. Laying aside his torch, he dived beneath the waves and seized a heavy object, which he brought up to the surface. It was an iron chest full of gold pieces. He told his companion what he had found, but paid no attention to his entreaties to be content with what he had and to re-ascend. Will thought he had but obtained the first fruits of his labours and dived again. A mocking laugh arose from the depths of the sea, and the diver rose no more.
Such was the end of Will Hawk. Caspar went home a changed man. The terrible experiences he had undergone were too much for his weak head and sensitive heart and unsettled his mind. He allowed everything belonging to him to go to rack and ruin, and wandered about day and night, staring before him with unseeing eyes, and pitied but avoided by all.
A fisherman is said to have seen and recognised Will Hawk, one stormy night, amongst the crew of the Carmilhan, close to the shore, and on the same night Caspar Stump disappeared and was never seen again, although he was sought for in every direction.
Folks aver, however, that from that time forward the crew of the Carmilhan appear at certain times in the Cavern of Steenfoll and that both Will Hawk and Caspar Stump are seen with them.
Printed in Bavaria.
Transcriber’s NoteThe presence or absence of page numbers in illustration captions are all as printed.Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.Hyphenation has been made consistent.Typographic errors have been corrected as follows:Page16—repeated ‘and’ deleted—... towards the east and say ...Page63—Madame amended to Madam (for consistency with other occurrences)—... and entered the service of Madam Ahavzi.Page84—end amended to and—... they could not reduce the size of the noses and ears ...Page108—call amended to all—... they all set upon Labakan and beat him soundly ...Page111—be amended to the—... and had a knack of setting out her wares to the best advantage.Page128—und amended to and—... his nose was enormous and reached beyond his chin, ...Page151—whith amended to with—... a heart beating loudly with excitement.Page171—see amended to seen—... he remembered where he had last seen him.Page220—belieuve amended to believe—... and one could scarcely believe it possible for there to be such a giant.Page225—bream amended to beam—... but a single board or beam ...Page233—repeated ‘and’ deleted—Your father and grandfather before you ...Page256—proverty amended to poverty—... for he supposed that all his poverty and anxious striving ...Page257—be amended to he—“What did you bring with you,” he cried, ...Page261—low amended to law—I trust you will not give me up to the hand of the law ...Page272—repeated ‘the’ deleted—... his past life had been even as the terrible thunderstorm ...Page280—or amended to for—... as your mother wished, for you are a good, sensible young fellow, ...Page283—gashed amended to dashed—... they were a body of men armed with lances who dashed forward with incredible swiftness ...Page307—expect amended to expert—... had been an arrow from the bow of an expert archer.Page329—wich amended to which—... but using a drag which he had made on purpose ...The frontispiece has been moved to follow the title page. Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in the middle of a paragraph.
Transcriber’s Note
The presence or absence of page numbers in illustration captions are all as printed.
Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.
Hyphenation has been made consistent.
Typographic errors have been corrected as follows:
Page16—repeated ‘and’ deleted—... towards the east and say ...Page63—Madame amended to Madam (for consistency with other occurrences)—... and entered the service of Madam Ahavzi.Page84—end amended to and—... they could not reduce the size of the noses and ears ...Page108—call amended to all—... they all set upon Labakan and beat him soundly ...Page111—be amended to the—... and had a knack of setting out her wares to the best advantage.Page128—und amended to and—... his nose was enormous and reached beyond his chin, ...Page151—whith amended to with—... a heart beating loudly with excitement.Page171—see amended to seen—... he remembered where he had last seen him.Page220—belieuve amended to believe—... and one could scarcely believe it possible for there to be such a giant.Page225—bream amended to beam—... but a single board or beam ...Page233—repeated ‘and’ deleted—Your father and grandfather before you ...Page256—proverty amended to poverty—... for he supposed that all his poverty and anxious striving ...Page257—be amended to he—“What did you bring with you,” he cried, ...Page261—low amended to law—I trust you will not give me up to the hand of the law ...Page272—repeated ‘the’ deleted—... his past life had been even as the terrible thunderstorm ...Page280—or amended to for—... as your mother wished, for you are a good, sensible young fellow, ...Page283—gashed amended to dashed—... they were a body of men armed with lances who dashed forward with incredible swiftness ...Page307—expect amended to expert—... had been an arrow from the bow of an expert archer.Page329—wich amended to which—... but using a drag which he had made on purpose ...
Page16—repeated ‘and’ deleted—... towards the east and say ...
Page63—Madame amended to Madam (for consistency with other occurrences)—... and entered the service of Madam Ahavzi.
Page84—end amended to and—... they could not reduce the size of the noses and ears ...
Page108—call amended to all—... they all set upon Labakan and beat him soundly ...
Page111—be amended to the—... and had a knack of setting out her wares to the best advantage.
Page128—und amended to and—... his nose was enormous and reached beyond his chin, ...
Page151—whith amended to with—... a heart beating loudly with excitement.
Page171—see amended to seen—... he remembered where he had last seen him.
Page220—belieuve amended to believe—... and one could scarcely believe it possible for there to be such a giant.
Page225—bream amended to beam—... but a single board or beam ...
Page233—repeated ‘and’ deleted—Your father and grandfather before you ...
Page256—proverty amended to poverty—... for he supposed that all his poverty and anxious striving ...
Page257—be amended to he—“What did you bring with you,” he cried, ...
Page261—low amended to law—I trust you will not give me up to the hand of the law ...
Page272—repeated ‘the’ deleted—... his past life had been even as the terrible thunderstorm ...
Page280—or amended to for—... as your mother wished, for you are a good, sensible young fellow, ...
Page283—gashed amended to dashed—... they were a body of men armed with lances who dashed forward with incredible swiftness ...
Page307—expect amended to expert—... had been an arrow from the bow of an expert archer.
Page329—wich amended to which—... but using a drag which he had made on purpose ...
The frontispiece has been moved to follow the title page. Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in the middle of a paragraph.