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CHAPTER XXXVIII
A GOOD TURN FOR JEREMY
John Fry had now six shillings a week of regular and
permanent wage, besides all harvest and shearing money,
as well as a cottage rent-free, and enough of
garden-ground to rear pot-herbs for his wife and all
his family. Now the wages appointed by our justices,
at the time of sessions, were four-and-sixpence a week
for summer, and a shilling less for the winter-time;
and we could be fined, and perhaps imprisoned, for
giving more than the sums so fixed. Therefore John
Fry was looked upon as the richest man upon Exmoor, I
mean of course among labourers, and there were many
jokes about robbing him, as if he were the mint of the
King; and Tom Faggus promised to try his hand, if he
came across John on the highway, although he had ceased
from business, and was seeking a Royal pardon.
Now is it according to human nature, or is it a thing
contradictory (as I would fain believe)? But anyhow,
there was, upon Exmoor, no more discontented man, no
man more sure that he had not his worth, neither half
so sore about it, than, or as, John Fry was. And one
thing he did which I could not wholly (or indeed I may
say, in any measure) reconcile with my sense of right,
much as I laboured to do John justice, especially
because of his roguery; and this was, that if we said
too much, or accused him at all of laziness (which he
must have known to be in him), he regularly turned
round upon us, and quite compelled us to hold our
tongues, by threatening to lay information against us
for paying him too much wages!
Now I have not mentioned all this of John Fry, from any
disrespect for his memory (which is green and honest
amongst us), far less from any desire to hurt the
feelings of his grandchildren; and I will do them the
justice, once for all, to avow, thus publicly, that I
have known a great many bigger rogues, and most of
themselves in the number. But I have referred, with
moderation, to this little flaw in a worthy character
(or foible, as we call it, when a man is dead) for this
reason only--that without it there was no explaining
John's dealings with Jeremy Stickles.
Master Jeremy, being full of London and Norwich
experience, fell into the error of supposing that we
clods and yokels were the simplest of the simple, and
could be cheated at his good pleasure. Now this is
not so: when once we suspect that people have that idea
of us, we indulge them in it to the top of their bent,
and grieve that they should come out of it, as they do
at last in amazement, with less money than before, and
the laugh now set against them.
Ever since I had offended Jeremy, by threatening him
(as before related) in case of his meddling with my
affairs, he had more and more allied himself with
simple-minded John, as he was pleased to call him.
John Fry was everything: it was 'run and fetch my
horse, John'--'John, are my pistols primed well?'--'I
want you in the stable, John, about something very
particular', until except for the rudeness of it, I was
longing to tell Master Stickles that he ought to pay
John's wages. John for his part was not backward, but
gave himself the most wonderful airs of secrecy and
importance, till half the parish began to think that
the affairs of the nation were in his hand, and he
scorned the sight of a dungfork.
It was not likely that this should last; and being the
only man in the parish with any knowledge of politics,
I gave John Fry to understand that he must not presume
to talk so freely, as if he were at least a constable,
about the constitution; which could be no affair of
his, and might bring us all into trouble. At this he
only tossed his nose, as if he had been in London at
least three times for my one; which vexed me so that I
promised him the thick end of the plough-whip if even
the name of a knight of the shire should pass his lips
for a fortnight.
Now I did not suspect in my stupid noddle that John Fry
would ever tell Jeremy Stickles about the sight at the
Wizard's Slough and the man in the white nightcap;
because John had sworn on the blade of his knife not to
breathe a word to any soul, without my full permission.
However, it appears that John related, for a certain
consideration, all that he had seen, and doubtless more
which had accrued to it. Upon this Master Stickles was
much astonished at Uncle Reuben's proceedings, having
always accounted him a most loyal, keen, and wary
subject.
All this I learned upon recovering Jeremy's good
graces, which came to pass in no other way than by the
saving of his life. Being bound to keep the strictest
watch upon the seven rooks' nests, and yet not bearing
to be idle and to waste my mother's stores, I contrived
to keep my work entirely at the western corner of our
farm, which was nearest to Glen Doone, and whence I
could easily run to a height commanding the view I
coveted.
One day Squire Faggus had dropped in upon us, just in
time for dinner; and very soon he and King's messenger
were as thick as need be. Tom had brought his beloved
mare to show her off to Annie, and he mounted his
pretty sweetheart upon her, after giving Winnie notice
to be on her very best behaviour. The squire was in
great spirits, having just accomplished a purchase of
land which was worth ten times what he gave for it; and
this he did by a merry trick upon old Sir Roger
Bassett, who never supposed him to be in earnest, as
not possessing the money. The whole thing was done on
a bumper of claret in a tavern where they met; and the
old knight having once pledged his word, no lawyers
could hold him back from it. They could only say that
Master Faggus, being attainted of felony, was not a
capable grantee. 'I will soon cure that,' quoth Tom,
'my pardon has been ready for months and months, so
soon as I care to sue it.'
And now he was telling our Annie, who listened very
rosily, and believed every word he said, that, having
been ruined in early innocence by the means of lawyers,
it was only just, and fair turn for turn, that having
become a match for them by long practice upon the
highway, he should reinstate himself, at their expense,
in society. And now he would go to London at once, and
sue out his pardon, and then would his lovely darling
Annie, etc., etc.--things which I had no right to
hear, and in which I was not wanted.
Therefore I strode away up the lane to my afternoon's
employment, sadly comparing my love with theirs (which
now appeared so prosperous), yet heartily glad for
Annie's sake; only remembering now and then the old
proverb 'Wrong never comes right.'
I worked very hard in the copse of young ash, with my
billhook and a shearing-knife; cutting out the saplings
where they stooled too close together, making spars to
keep for thatching, wall-crooks to drive into the cob,
stiles for close sheep hurdles, and handles for rakes,
and hoes, and two-bills, of the larger and straighter
stuff. And all the lesser I bound in faggots, to come
home on the sledd to the woodrick. It is not to be
supposed that I did all this work, without many peeps
at the seven rooks' nests, which proved my Lorna's
safety. Indeed, whenever I wanted a change, either
from cleaving, or hewing too hard, or stooping too much
at binding, I was up and away to the ridge of the hill,
instead of standing and doing nothing.
Soon I forgot about Tom and Annie; and fell to thinking
of Lorna only; and how much I would make of her; and
what I should call our children; and how I would
educate them, to do honour to her rank; yet all the
time I worked none the worse, by reason of meditation.
Fresh-cut spars are not so good as those of a little
seasoning; especially if the sap was not gone down at
the time of cutting. Therefore we always find it
needful to have plenty still in stock.
It was very pleasant there in the copse, sloping to the
west as it was, and the sun descending brightly, with
rocks and banks to dwell upon. The stems of mottled
and dimpled wood, with twigs coming out like elbows,
hung and clung together closely, with a mode of bending
in, as children do at some danger; overhead the
shrunken leaves quivered and rustled ripely, having
many points like stars, and rising and falling
delicately, as fingers play sad music. Along the bed
of the slanting ground, all between the stools of wood,
there were heaps of dead brown leaves, and sheltered
mats of lichen, and drifts of spotted stick gone
rotten, and tufts of rushes here and there, full of
fray and feathering.
All by the hedge ran a little stream, a thing that
could barely name itself, flowing scarce more than a
pint in a minute, because of the sunny weather. Yet
had this rill little crooks and crannies dark and
bravely bearded, and a gallant rush through a reeden
pipe--the stem of a flag that was grounded; and here
and there divided threads, from the points of a
branching stick, into mighty pools of rock (as large as
a grown man's hat almost) napped with moss all around
the sides and hung with corded grasses. Along and
down the tiny banks, and nodding into one another, even
across main channel, hung the brown arcade of ferns;
some with gold tongues languishing; some with countless
ear-drops jerking, some with great quilled ribs
uprising and long saws aflapping; others cupped, and
fanning over with the grace of yielding, even as a
hollow fountain spread by winds that have lost their
way.
Deeply each beyond other, pluming, stooping, glancing,
glistening, weaving softest pillow lace, coying to the
wind and water, when their fleeting image danced, or by
which their beauty moved,--God has made no lovelier
thing; and only He takes heed of them.
It was time to go home to supper now, and I felt very
friendly towards it, having been hard at work for some
hours, with only the voice of the little rill, and some
hares and a pheasant for company. The sun was gone
down behind the black wood on the farther cliffs of
Bagworthy, and the russet of the tufts and spear-beds
was becoming gray, while the greyness of the sapling
ash grew brown against the sky; the hollow curves of
the little stream became black beneath the grasses and
the fairy fans innumerable, while outside the hedge our
clover was crimping its leaves in the dewfall, like the
cocked hats of wood-sorrel,--when, thanking God for all
this scene, because my love had gifted me with the key
to all things lovely, I prepared to follow their
example, and to rest from labour.
Therefore I wiped my bill-hook and shearing-knife very
carefully, for I hate to leave tools dirty; and was
doubting whether I should try for another glance at the
seven rooks' nests, or whether it would be too dark for
it. It was now a quarter of an hour mayhap, since I
had made any chopping noise, because I had been
assorting my spars, and tying them in bundles, instead
of plying the bill-hook; and the gentle tinkle of the
stream was louder than my doings. To this, no doubt, I
owe my life, which then (without my dreaming it) was in
no little jeopardy.
For, just as I was twisting the bine of my very last
faggot, before tucking the cleft tongue under, there
came three men outside the hedge, where the western
light was yellow; and by it I could see that all three
of them carried firearms. These men were not walking
carelessly, but following down the hedge-trough, as if
to stalk some enemy: and for a moment it struck me cold
to think it was I they were looking for. With the
swiftness of terror I concluded that my visits to Glen
Doone were known, and now my life was the forfeit.
It was a most lucky thing for me, that I heard their
clothes catch in the brambles, and saw their hats under
the rampart of ash, which is made by what we call
'splashing,' and lucky, for me that I stood in a goyal,
and had the dark coppice behind me. To this I had no
time to fly, but with a sort of instinct, threw myself
flat in among the thick fern, and held my breath, and
lay still as a log. For I had seen the light gleam on
their gun-barrels, and knowing the faults of the
neighbourhood, would fain avoid swelling their number.
Then the three men came to the gap in the hedge, where
I had been in and out so often; and stood up, and
looked in over.
It is all very well for a man to boast that, in all his
life, he has never been frightened, and believes that
he never could be so. There may be men of that
nature--I will not dare to deny it; only I have never
known them. The fright I was now in was horrible, and
all my bones seemed to creep inside me; when lying
there helpless, with only a billet and the comb of fern
to hide me, in the dusk of early evening, I saw three
faces in the gap; and what was worse, three
gun-muzzles.
'Somebody been at work here--' it was the deep voice of
Carver Doone; 'jump up, Charlie, and look about; we
must have no witnesses.'
'Give me a hand behind,' said Charlie, the same
handsome young Doone I had seen that night; 'this bank
is too devilish steep for me.'
'Nonsense, man!' cried Marwood de Whichehalse, who to
my amazement was the third of the number; 'only a hind
cutting faggots; and of course he hath gone home long
ago. Blind man's holiday, as we call it. I can see
all over the place; and there is not even a rabbit
there.'
At that I drew my breath again, and thanked God I had
gotten my coat on.
'Squire is right,' said Charlie, who was standing up
high (on a root perhaps), 'there is nobody there now,
captain; and lucky for the poor devil that he keepeth
workman's hours. Even his chopper is gone, I see.'
'No dog, no man, is the rule about here, when it comes
to coppice work,' continued young de Whichehalse; there
is not a man would dare work there, without a dog to
scare the pixies.'
'There is a big young fellow upon this farm,' Carver
Doone muttered sulkily, 'with whom I have an account to
settle, if ever I come across him. He hath a cursed
spite to us, because we shot his father. He was going
to bring the lumpers upon us, only he was afeared, last
winter. And he hath been in London lately, for some
traitorous job, I doubt.'
'Oh, you mean that fool, John Ridd,' answered the young
squire; 'a very simple clod-hopper. No treachery in
him I warrant; he hath not the head for it. All he
cares about is wrestling. As strong as a bull, and
with no more brains.'
'A bullet for that bull,' said Carver; and I could see
the grin on his scornful face; 'a bullet for ballast to
his brain, the first time I come across him.'
'Nonsense, captain! I won't have him shot, for he is my
old school-fellow, and hath a very pretty sister. But
his cousin is of a different mould, and ten times as
dangerous.'
'We shall see, lads, we shall see,' grumbled the great
black-bearded man. 'Ill bodes for the fool that would
hinder me. But come, let us onward. No lingering, or
the viper will be in the bush from us. Body and soul,
if he give us the slip, both of you shall answer it.'
'No fear, captain, and no hurry,' Charlie answered
gallantly, 'would I were as sure of living a
twelvemonth as he is of dying within the hour! Extreme
unction for him in my bullet patch. Remember, I claim
to be his confessor, because he hath insulted me.'
'Thou art welcome to the job for me,' said Marwood, as
they turned away, and kept along the hedge-row; 'I love
to meet a man sword to sword; not to pop at him from a
foxhole.'
What answer was made I could not hear, for by this time
the stout ashen hedge was between us, and no other gap
to be found in it, until at the very bottom, where the
corner of the copse was. Yet I was not quit of danger
now; for they might come through that second gap, and
then would be sure to see me, unless I crept into the
uncut thicket, before they could enter the clearing.
But in spite of all my fear, I was not wise enough to
do that. And in truth the words of Carver Doone had
filled me with such anger, knowing what I did about him
and his pretence to Lorna; and the sight of Squire
Marwood, in such outrageous company, had so moved my
curiosity, and their threats against some unknown
person so aroused my pity, that much of my prudence was
forgotten, or at least the better part of courage,
which loves danger at long distance.
Therefore, holding fast my bill-hook, I dropped myself
very quietly into the bed of the runnel, being resolved
to take my chance of their entrance at the corner,
where the water dived through the hedge-row. And so I
followed them down the fence, as gently as a rabbit
goes, only I was inside it, and they on the outside;
but yet so near that I heard the branches rustle as
they pushed them.
Perhaps I had never loved ferns so much as when I came
to the end of that little gully, and stooped betwixt
two patches of them, now my chiefest shelter, for
cattle had been through the gap just there, in quest of
fodder and coolness, and had left but a mound of
trodden earth between me and the outlaws. I mean at
least on my left hand (upon which side they were), for
in front where the brook ran out of the copse was a
good stiff hedge of holly. And now I prayed Heaven to
lead them straight on; for if they once turned to their
right, through the gap, the muzzles of their guns would
come almost against my forehead.
I heard them, for I durst not look; and could scarce
keep still for trembling--I heard them trampling
outside the gap, uncertain which track they should
follow. And in that fearful moment, with my soul
almost looking out of my body, expecting notice to quit
it, what do you think I did? I counted the threads in
a spider's web, and the flies he had lately eaten, as
their skeletons shook in the twilight.
'We shall see him better in there,' said Carver, in his
horrible gruff voice, like the creaking of the gallows
chain; 'sit there, behind holly hedge, lads, while he
cometh down yonder hill; and then our good-evening to
him; one at his body, and two at his head; and good
aim, lest we baulk the devil.'
'I tell you, captain, that will not do,' said Charlie,
almost whispering: 'you are very proud of your skill,
we know, and can hit a lark if you see it: but he may
not come until after dark, and we cannot be too nigh to
him. This holly hedge is too far away. He crosses
down here from Slocomslade, not from Tibbacot, I tell
you; but along that track to the left there, and so by
the foreland to Glenthorne, where his boat is in the
cove. Do you think I have tracked him so many
evenings, without knowing his line to a hair? Will you
fool away all my trouble?'
'Come then, lad, we will follow thy lead. Thy life for
his, if we fail of it.'
'After me then, right into the hollow; thy legs are
growing stiff, captain.'
'So shall thy body be, young man, if thou leadest me
astray in this.'
I heard them stumbling down the hill, which was steep
and rocky in that part; and peering through the hedge,
I saw them enter a covert, by the side of the track
which Master Stickles followed, almost every evening,
when he left our house upon business. And then I knew
who it was they were come on purpose to murder--a thing
which I might have guessed long before, but for terror
and cold stupidity.
'Oh that God,' I thought for a moment, waiting for my
blood to flow; 'Oh that God had given me brains, to
meet such cruel dastards according to their villainy!
The power to lie, and the love of it; the stealth to
spy, and the glory in it; above all, the quiet relish
for blood, and joy in the death of an enemy--these are
what any man must have, to contend with the Doones upon
even terms. And yet, I thank God that I have not any
of these.'
It was no time to dwell upon that, only to try, if
might be, to prevent the crime they were bound upon.
To follow the armed men down the hill would have been
certain death to me, because there was no covert there,
and the last light hung upon it. It seemed to me that
my only chance to stop the mischief pending was to
compass the round of the hill, as fast as feet could be
laid to ground; only keeping out of sight from the
valley, and then down the rocks, and across the brook,
to the track from Slocombslade: so as to stop the
King's messenger from travelling any farther, if only I
could catch him there.
And this was exactly what I did; and a terrible run I
had for it, fearing at every step to hear the echo of
shots in the valley, and dropping down the scrubby
rocks with tearing and violent scratching. Then I
crossed Bagworthy stream, not far below Doone-valley,
and breasted the hill towards Slocombslade, with my
heart very heavily panting. Why Jeremy chose to ride
this way, instead of the more direct one which would
have been over Oare-hill), was more than I could
account for: but I had nothing to do with that; all I
wanted was to save his life.
And this I did by about a minute; and (which was the
hardest thing of all) with a great horse-pistol at my
head as I seized upon his bridle.
'Jeremy, Jerry,' was all I could say, being so fearfully
short of breath; for I had crossed the ground quicker
than any horse could.
'Spoken just in time, John Ridd!' cried Master
Stickles, still however pointing the pistol at me: 'I
might have known thee by thy size, John. What art
doing here?'
'Come to save your life. For God's sake, go no
farther. Three men in the covert there, with long
guns, waiting for thee.'
'Ha! I have been watched of late. That is why I
pointed at thee, John. Back round this corner, and get
thy breath, and tell me all about it. I never saw a
man so hurried. I could beat thee now, John.'
Jeremy Stickles was a man of courage, and presence of
mind, and much resource: otherwise he would not have
been appointed for this business; nevertheless he
trembled greatly when he heard what I had to tell him.
But I took good care to keep back the name of young
Marwood de Whichehalse; neither did I show my knowledge
of the other men; for reasons of my own not very hard
to conjecture.
'We will let them cool their heels, John Ridd,' said
Jeremy, after thinking a little. 'I cannot fetch my
musketeers either from Glenthorne or Lynmouth, in time
to seize the fellows. And three desperate Doones,
well-armed, are too many for you and me. One result
this attempt will have, it will make us attack them
sooner than we had intended. And one more it will
have, good John, it will make me thy friend for ever.
Shake hands my lad, and forgive me freely for having
been so cold to thee. Mayhap, in the troubles coming,
it will help thee not a little to have done me this
good turn.'
Upon this he shook me by the hand, with a pressure such
as we feel not often; and having learned from me how to
pass quite beyond view of his enemies, he rode on to
his duty, whatever it might be. For my part I was
inclined to stay, and watch how long the three
fusiliers would have the patience to lie in wait; but
seeing less and less use in that, as I grew more and
more hungry, I swung my coat about me, and went home to
Plover's Barrows.
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