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McAllister
© 2010 - William C. Highsmith

"The happiest lot on earth is to be born a Scotsman. You must pay for it in many ways - You have to learn the Paraphrases and the Shorter Catechism; you generally take to drink; your youth is a time of louder war against society, of more outcry and tears and turmoil than if you had been born, for instance, in England. But somehow life is warmer and closer; the hearth burns more redly; the lights of home shine softer on the rainy street..."
Robert Louis Stevenson

William Andrew McAllister was born in the great state of Tennessee too many years ago. While still a small boy, he and his family started migrating west. They finally settled in British Columbia, Canada. Therefore, having lived most all his long life in the area, he considered himself a Canadian. With a name like William Andrew McAllister, it was obvious he was of Scottish ancestry - a fact he was proud to acknowledge. To his mother, he was known as Andy but to his contemporaries, he was simply Mac.

Mac fit the image of a Scotsman painted in words by the poet. He lived alone in a cabin built high on a bluff above the Thompson River near Fort Nelson. He lost his wife many years ago, to an outbreak of influenza, without giving him children. However, his love for her was everlasting and therefore, he never felt the desire to re-marry, but he did have Elmer.

Elmer was his long time companion. They loved to sit by the great fireplace to read the classics and enjoy the crackling fire and a favorite Scotch whiskey imported directly from Scotland. However, Elmer did not drink. He was a tee-totaler. He was also a Scottish terrier with short legs, a long head with small erect ears and a powerful muzzle. He had a broad deep chest, and a very hard coat of wiry hair.

On this beautiful fall day, Mac and Elmer were going fishing. Taking up his gear, the man and his dog headed down the well defined path to the river far below. Mac knew the river like the back of his gnarled hand. Over the years, he had fished every 'hole' for ten miles in either direction. There was nothing he enjoyed more than sitting on the bank of the river and fishing for his supper. Old Mac wore the old-fashioned bib overalls. His pockets always had the 'fixins' for his pipe and generally a flask of scotch. He also carried a 32 caliber revolver - just in case.

As the pair neared the water line, Elmer ran ahead. It seems he could not wait to start exploring. Although the dog was not a hunter, he loved to aggravate any small animal he could scare-up. On this day, he made the mistake of approaching a bear cub. He began his chase only to come face-to-face with its mama. Of course Mama did not take kindly to the dog chasing her baby. She decided to change the direction of the chase. As she ran after the dog, old Elmer was running for his life. Mac saw what was happening and decided this was a time when the revolver was needed. Mac did not intend any harm to Mama but the gun did serve to frighten both Mama and cub away.

Undaunted, the old man said, "Elmer, you nearly bit off more than you can chew and almost caused me to miss my supper. Come on, let's go catch some fish."

By William C. Highsmith - October 12, 2010