The Moorfoot Tales by Stephen McCabe

Author:Stephen McCabe [Stephen McCabe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stephen McCabe
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Bertram smiled. He would dig for the treasure some other day. Today was for simpler things, for the drinking of whisky and for the playing of music in summer fields. He took hold of his bagpipes and began to play Scotland the Brave. His eyes fixed upon the smooth outline of that mysterious green hill behind the cottages as wood pigeons flapped about in someone’s garden plum tree.

After the song was over, the heat became too much for him. He lay his bagpipes on the ground and took refuge in the shelter of an ancient horse chestnut tree. This strange village was Bertram’s home. As basic as his living conditions were (he had no running water or sanitation in his hut), he felt that he had all that he needed. He had music and he had nature. His mind was illuminated with stories, with imagination. He had life.

Bertram leaned back against the thick trunk of the ancient tree.

Gently, he recited a centuries-old rhyme about Temple’s buried treasure:

Twixt the oak and the elm tree/You will find buried the millions free.

❧

To this day, bagpipes can be heard in the fields of Temple, close to where Bertram’s tiny hut once stood. Only those who are attuned to the spirit world can hear. There is never a player to be seen.

❧

WISE CROW SPEAKS: Bertram was a Temple resident who moved to the village from India in the early 20th century. He lived in the hut for several decades (roughly 1900 – 1920-ish). His ghost is said to play the bagpipes in the fields to this day. Jock Gilchrist, one of the boys who tried to set fire to his hut, lived in Temple for the rest of his life. He never forgot his close call with Bertram’s sabre.

This story features well-known myths about the Knights Templar and the village of Temple. For historical facts about the Knights Templar, seek other sources. Remember that the world of myth and legend is not the same as the world of historical fact. You are in a different realm here.

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