The going back of the man had loosed every
tongue that was in lona. When, too, it was
known that he was wrought in some terrible
way, if not actually mad, the islanders whis-
pered that it was because of the sins of Adam
Blair. Seldom or never now did they speak
of him by his name, but simply as " The Sin-
Eater." The thing was not so rare as to cause
this strangeness, nor did many (and perhaps
none did) think that the sins of the dead ever
might or could abide with the living who had
merely done a good Christian, charitable
thing. But there was a reason.
Not long after Neil Ross had come again
to lona, and had settled down in the ruined
roofless house on the croft of Bally rona, just
like a fox or a wild-cat, as the saying was,
he was given fishing-work to do by Aulay
Macneil, who lived at Ard-an-teine, at the
rocky north end of the Machar or plain that
is on the west Atlantic coa?t of the island.
One moonlit night, either the seventh or

52



The Sin-Eater

the ninth after the earthing of Adam Blair at
his own place in the Ross, Aulay Macneil saw
Neil Ross steal out of the shadow of Bally-
rona and make for the sea. Macneil was
there, by the rocks, mending a lobster-creel.
He had gone there because of the sadness.
Well, when he saw the Sin-Eater he watched.
Neil crept from rock to rock till he reached
the last fang that churns the sea into yeast
when the tide sucks the land, just opposite.
Then he called out something that Aulay
Macneil could not catch. With that he springs
up, and throws his arms above him.
