 Terrier Club Adventures Forum
A Halloween Tail
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OKWestie Club
 
Nov 02, 2008 at 21:04
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A Halloween Tail
It was cold and windy Halloween night; the OK Westie Club was hosting a special sleep over for all the young puppies in rescue that hadn’t yet found their own forever home. The Terrier Club members volunteered to lend a paw. With the help of Westie Air everyone arrived in plenty of time to help set everything up. It was a perfect Halloween night for the party. A bright full moon filled the sky with wisps of thin clouds floating across; fallen leaves from the trees were whipped into small twisters and danced across the pastures. Skeletal branches from the trees rubbed against each other making a distant groaning sound. Except for that it was strangely quiet outside, like the world was holding its breath waiting for something to happen. Inside the Oklahoma Westie Way Station the party was in full swing puppies and adult terriers were having a great time together. There were treats galore in bowls in ever corner along with the sweetest spring water they ever tasted. In the main courtyard there were games like pin the tail on the rat, bobbing for cocktail weenies, popping of balloons and many others. For the more laid back there were plenty of chew toys and balls to play with. As the evening grew late the members of the Terrier Club were beginning to wonder who was going to tire out first them or the puppies. At the stroke of eleven the party was officially over and the members of the Terrier Club began round up all the puppies and ushered them into the sleeping chamber.
The sleeping chamber was a large room set up with thick comfortable sleeping pads arranged in the center for the puppies and a ring of sleeping pads set up around the where the puppies would sleep. This is where the Terrier Club members would sleep and keep a watchful eye on the pups to ensure that none slipped out in the middle of night and caused mischief. Finally after thirty minutes the entire group was rounded up, but they wouldn’t settle down still too keyed up from the night’s activities. Finally, Gracie Lou had had enough and put on her famous ugly face and barked “QUIET!!! RIGHT NOW.” The whole room went suddenly went still. “Now my young friends what would it take to get you to settle down and go to sleep.” The puppies looked at each other and in unison shouted, “We want a story, We want a story, We want a story.” Gracie turned her look back on them and at once they stopped. Gracie turns to the members of the TC for their thoughts on this and everyone nodded in agreement. Gracie returned to the pups. “You all get one story and then lights out, ok? The pups agreed. Gracie continued, “Now with just raising your paw and being called on what kind of story do you want?” All at once all the paws were waving in the air. Gracie looked around and picked shy little Crystal DeLite, Crystal requested a true story. Then Gracie picked Blizzard, who wanted a monster story. Finally after several other suggestions she picked Albert Einstein who wanted to a story about westie history. All the TC members thought and thought about how they were going to find one story to fit all the subjects that were requested. Finally their Maxwell who flew in from England for the occasion spoke up, “I know a story that gives them what they want?” Since no one else had a story the floor was turned over to Maxwell.
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OKWestie Club
Nov 02, 2008 at 21:05
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Re: A Halloween Tail
Maxwell began by asking, “ How many of you know how we westies became white? Albert Einstein quickly spoke up, “We all know that Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm, of Poltalloch, Argyllshire, Scotland, is credited with breeding the white dogs true, although he took none of the credit unto himself. He had kept a pack of light colored working terriers for hunting. As the history goes, a reddish dog of his, emerging from cover, was mistakenly shot for a fox. Malcolm is said to have decided on the spot to breed only white dogs that could be readily identified in the field. We learned that in puppy class 101.” Albert sat there with a smug looked on his face. Maxwell looked him straight in the eyes and announced that he was wrong and that was the story the humans told cause they didn’t want to remember the truth. The members of the Terrier Club turned and looked at Maxwell with wide eyes. Daisy and Bee Gee of the Oregon Girls went right up to Maxwell, “You can’t tell them that story they are too young. They don’t learn what your about to tell them until they are about three, you know that!” By that time the pups had over heard enough and were begging and wining for the story. Then Bee Gee lowered her voice and said, “If they have nightmares it’s your fault!” Maxwell turned back to the pups and with smile said, “Now let the story begin.”
Maxwell began,
Now to fully understand this story I will be telling it from two points of view. First will be from the account the colonel finally spoke of, then from the accounts that are recorded in the terrier histories.
It was night much like tonight, during the night of all Hallows Eve's little over 200 years ago. Colonel Malcolm, a respected military man and explorer was walking in the Cairngorms. This area was a desolate and unexplored spot back then. As he approached the summit of Ben MacDhui, a thick mist that reduced his visibility enveloped him. That night he had an experience that so terrified him that he did not speak a word of it until 35 years later! Finally broke his silence:
"I was returning from the cairn on the summit in a mist when I began to think I heard something else than merely the noise of my own footsteps. For every few steps I heard a crunch, and then another crunch as if someone was walking after me but taking steps three or four times the length of my own. I said to myself this is all nonsense. I listened and heard it again but could see nothing in the mist. As I walked on and the eerie crunch, crunch sounded behind me. I was seized with terror and took to my heels, staggering blindly among the boulders for four or five miles nearly down to Rothiemurchus Forest. I almost made the forest when a strange shape loomed up and came charging towards me. I pulled out my gun and fired three times suddenly things went black. When I awoke I was in a damp dark cave. The only light filtered in from crack in the ceiling. I couldn’t see much but what I felt filled me with such dread and terror, all around me were the remains of both animals and men torn to shreds, the bones having looked like they had been chewed on. I believed at that point that my life was over and I would never leave this cave alive. Little did I know that my salvation was close at hand and would come from a source I would have never expected”?
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OKWestie Club
Nov 02, 2008 at 21:06
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Re: A Halloween Tail
Maxwell shifted his narration to explain some details that are not commonly known and began to speak a little softer. The pups moved closer to him so as not to miss a single word.
On the far side of the forest where Colonel Malcolm had set up his base camp his pack of cairn terriers felt something was very wrong with their beloved father. Leader of this pack was a brave cairn terrier known as Royan, meaning red-haired in the old tongue. When their attendant opened the gate to come and change their water entire pack knocked him aside and bolted into the night. Thru the forest and up into the mountain they flew knowing in ever fiber of their being that a second lost could spell disaster for Colonel. On the far side of the forest the pack came upon the gun on it they smelled not only the scent of the colonel, but something else so foreign and foul that it shook then to their very core with deep primal fear. The pack shook off this feeling and continued up higher in to the mountain coming ever closer to the cave. As they drew closer to the cave the monsters presence so overwhelmed them with a sense of dread or terror that they were drawn to the dangerous cliff edge and were almost prepared to throw themselves over the edge of a precipitous drop at Lurcher's Crag. It was the singular courage of Royan that brought them back and finally to the cave.
Maxwell continues the Colonel narration and again he soften his voice.
“To this day I am still not sure what had happened. I began to feel my way around the cave and I finally I felt the cool fresh breeze that would lead me to the outside and freedom. If I could just make it out the entrance, I would escape suddenly a tall dark shadow blocked the way out. The creature was large and broad shouldered, standing fully erect and over 10 feet tall with long arms ending with claws. For some reason the creature turned away from me and it appeared as though he was about to attack something just outside the cave. I slowly creped forward in hope for a chance to escape while the monster was distracted. As I creped closer I saw what the monster was focused on. There in the light of the full moon was Royan posed ready to attack. I saw the monster shift and move slowly towards him looking for an opening to sink those claws in. Royan edged back never taking his eyes off his opponent. As Royan held the monster at bay the rest of the pack formed up behind him. Knowing no fear, even at having to face a dozen angry terriers. The monster threw his head back and let out such a fearful howl that it froze my pack and me where we stood. I must have brushed against the cave wall, because I remember hearing loose rock fall. The monster spun around, grabbed me by my neck and lifted me off the ground. The monster was bend on ending my life right then and there. As I passed out from being choked, I remember hearing a horrendous scream and then everything went black.”
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OKWestie Club
Nov 02, 2008 at 21:09
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Re: A Halloween Tail
Maxwell shifted from the colonels recorded narration to the packs accounting. Softening his voice once more he continued. The puppies and some of the TC members had now moved very close to Maxwell.
Royan was the first one to reach the cave entrance, the scent of the colonel and the monster was very strong. He longed to go right in the cave and bring the colonel out and keep him safe with in the power of the pack, but his instincts knew better. Royan jumped back just in time to avoid the monster grasp, as the monster had hidden himself above the cave entrance. As Royan backed away he caught a glimpse of his beloved Colonel Malcolm, so he kept slowly moving to the side and away from the cave hoping to give the colonel an opening to escape. The rest of the pack then showed up and they were sure that the monster would not want tangle with a dozen angry terriers. The monster let out a soul-piercing scream that froze everyone in their tracks with fear. In that moment of time the monster had turned again to the colonel. Royan watched frozen in place by their fear as the monster grabbed the colonel by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Fear or no fear they had to save the colonel. One by one the terrier closed their eyes focused on pushing the fear deeper and deeper inside themselves until finally it no longer control them. Royan was the first to recover and launched himself at the monster and locked his jaws on the monster in a most tender spot. As the rest of pack was just about to enter the fight. The monster pulled Royan free and threw him as hard as he could. Royan flew over the pack and impacted with boulder making a terrible bone crunching sound. Royan tried with all his might to stand, but with painful whimper collapsed and laid very still. In those few seconds the rest of the pack had open their eyes and was ready for a fight. They witnessed their pack leader being grievously injured and seeing their beloved colonel lying still just inside the mouth of the cave, it was too much. The entire pack moved slowly towards the monster they spread out and formed a half circle there was no way the monster was going to get by them. Their teeth and fangs gleamed brilliantly white in the moonlight. The monster must have realized that it couldn’t take on eleven more terriers particularly with wound that had been inflicted by Royan. It looked nervously to the left and right looking for an avenue of escape, but there was none. So it did the only thing it could do and slowly back into the cave. As the monster passed the still unconscious colonel he began reaching down for him, but the combined growl from the pack changed his mind. The pack then emitted an AROOOO so loud and strong that it could be heard all the way down the mountainside. The monster turned and ran as fast as it could into the deepest recesses of the cave. The pack was hot on his trail, but understood they were on the monsters ground now and to travel to far was to invite disaster. They made their way back to the colonel, the stronger terriers kept watch incase the monster decided to return. Several females licked the colonels face and it didn’t take them look long to wake him up.
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OKWestie Club
Nov 02, 2008 at 21:11
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Re: A Halloween Tail
One last time Maxwell Shifted to the colonel narration and his voice drifted down to little over a whisper.
“I came to and to my surprise my entire pack of terriers were there, several of them had been licking my face. As I glanced around trying to get my bearing I noticed more of the pack was poised and growling ready to attack staring back into the cave. I shook my head trying to clear my mind. Then I remembered the monster. I staggered out of the cave; I knew we would have to leave this place. I called the pack together; I then noticed that Royan wasn’t with them. The pack never moved without him. I called for him and to my distress I saw him lying unmoving at the base of a large boulder. I staggered over to him and dropped to my knees. He eyes were rolled up and only the whites showed, his breathing was very shallow and ragged, a small pool of blood had formed at his mouth. I removed my torn jacket and as gently as possible I wrapped him in it. It seemed that ever touch cause him great pain. I knew I had to get him back to camp as fast as possible if there was going to be any chance of saving him. I gathered up all my strength and cradling Royan as gentle as possible we began our descent back down the mountain path. My loyal terriers formed a rear guard all on their own without so much as a command from me they stayed about six paces behind me. It seems like time slowed to a crawl. Just as it seemed I could go no further I heard voices calling for the name and the return command for the pack. I saw torches in the distance and resting against a large rock I called out. A search party from my camp came running up the path to my position. They couldn’t believe the condition Royan and I was in. With the help of my men and the pack we made it back to camp without further incident. Dawn was just begging to break over the mountain. I ordered my men to empty the supply wagon and load only the bedding on to which I laid Royan. As the men gathering the horses, a glint of light flashed off the mountain peak as we watch a rainbow came streaking down and covered the wagon. I remembered the old tails about animals and rainbows. I ran as best as I could over to the wagon. I couldn’t believe my eyes Royan eyes were open and he appeared to no longer in any pain, he looked up at me and as I moved my hand to touch my beloved friend, he licked my hand, then closed his eyes and breathed his last. As I watched, I could have sworn I as Royan strong and fit again running up the rainbow and then the rainbow faded away. I looked back in the wagon and Royan was lying there still and empty shell for his sprit had gone there was now a look of peace was on his face. I asked my men if they had seemed it. All they answered was they saw a flash and I ran over to the wagon nothing more. I wrapped Royan in my finest blanket the men finished packing up what they could and we headed on our way to Castle Duntrune.“
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OKWestie Club
Nov 02, 2008 at 21:12
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Re: A Halloween Tail
Maxwell closed his story with what was know from the terier histories.
Colonel Malcom so love his beloved Royan so much he had a special cairn erected in his honor. On the cairn is a plate on which is scribed “My Beloved Royan, For the love and courage of these little dogs” That and every year since then a special wreath of heather is laid at the base of it. This was first time, but not the only time this sinister creature had been seen, We know it now as the "Fear Liath”. Men call it “The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui.” Now I know you are wondering what has this got to do with westies being white. Well several of the females were newly pregnant when all this happened. Some say that the fear they forced way down deep to break the spell of the monster affected the pups and they bore the fear and fought their way through it like true terriers, but like in man fear that intense can cause fur to turn white. Others believe that it was being on the mountain at the stroke of midnight on All Hallows Eve's that caused it. Regardless all the pup born that year, their fur was as white as snow. Since then there has been westies in our world. But remember this if nothing else, on All Hallows Eve's be ever watchful for the “Fear Liath” is still out there and may try to GET YOU!
At that moment as if on cue the clock struck midnight with a loud “Bong and Maxwell leaped towards the pups. The startled pups ran throughout the room screaming. Maxwell was rolling on his back laughing. Emma and some of the others gathered up the pups and tried to calm them. As they calmed down Emma got a great idea and whispered to the pups. Maxwell was still laughing at his prank when he heard Emma call to him in her sweetest voice. As Maxwell turned to her all he heard was “GET HIM.” A sea of westie pups rolled into him. Maxwell was bowled over and was at the bottom of a puppy pile. The others were chanting “Puppy Pile On Maxwell.” The puppies didn’t bite Maxwell; instead they tickled him until he was laughing so hard he was crying. Finally Emma called the pups off Maxwell and everyone after a while settled down. The puppies began yawning and finally cured up and went to sleep. The others confronted Maxwell. Emma began, “Well are you happy now, you scared a bunch of pups!” Maxwell trying to straighten his fur replied, “Oh come on now didn’t they do the same thing to you at your first special Halloween party and later you thought it was funny too. I’m just passing on a tradition and that bit of history will be remembered when they learn it in full later in their schooling. With a sigh Emma had to admit that yes they did and she it did help her in her schooling later. With all the excitement over everyone settled down and went to sleep. That night there were no nightmares, well almost no nightmares. In the morning the first ones up had a good laugh, for in the middle of all the pups was Maxwell. Is seems he scared himself more than the pups.
That is the end of my tail
Happy Halloween.
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Iver & Sailor
 
Nov 03, 2008 at 00:00
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Re: A Halloween Tail
What a wonderful story.
Brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you for the wonderful adventure.
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MacGuyver
 
Nov 03, 2008 at 06:04
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Re: A Halloween Tail
That was an awesome tale!
Thank you.
Hugs,
Sandi and MacGuyver
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Enya
 
Nov 03, 2008 at 07:51
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Re: A Halloween Tail
What a story. And so many familiar names.
Marie
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john / Irene Maxwell
Nov 03, 2008 at 08:02
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Re: A Halloween Tail
What a wonderful Tail We realy enjoyed That I will have words with Maxwell tehehehe
john / irene Maxwell
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ama & Linda
 
Nov 03, 2008 at 14:52
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Re: A Halloween Tail
Quite a story we loved it. Thanks so much for sharing. Linda
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