Urith: A Tale of DartmoorBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
General
Urith: A Tale of Dartmoor
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Dartmoor (England) -- Fiction
"As you like," answered the yeoman, and continued. "Well, it was thought
that the parishes would have to go to law over it, to find out which
would have to bury him, but after a deal o' trouble they came to an
agreement to bury him where he fell, and three Peter Tavy men threw
stones over him on one side, and three Tavistock men threw stones the
other; and when the stone was set up the Peter Tavy men went to the
expense of cutting one letter, P, and the Tavistock men went to the cost
of the other letter, L."
"Come," said Mr. Solomon Gibbs, "we are fallen into the rear."
They pricked on, and descended the slope to the River Walla, that foamed
and plunged over a floor of broken granite at some depth below. In the
valley, where was the bridge, two or three mountain-ash trees grew;
there was an inn and by it a couple of cottages. Here was now a scene of
indescribable confusion and noise. The wild, frightened horses and
ponies driven together, surrounded on all sides by the drivers, were
leaping, plunging over each other, tossing their manes and snorting. The
ring had closed about them. Every now and then a man dashed among them,
on foot or mounted, when he recognized one of his own creatures, and by
force or skill separated it from the rest, shouted to the drivers, who
instantly opened a lane, and he drove the scared creature through the
lane of men back on to the free wild moor. To effect this demanded
daring and skill, and the men rivalled each other in their ability to
claim their animals, and extricate them from the midst of the crowd of
half-frantic creatures plunging and kicking. Neither Urith nor Solomon
Gibbs had any intention of attempting such a dangerous feat, but
purposed waiting till all other horses had been claimed, when they would
indicate their own creatures, and the good-humoured moor-men of their
quarter would discharge them. Accordingly they remained passive
observers, and the sight was one full of interest and excitement; for
the extrication of the horses claimed was a matter of personal danger,
and demanded courage, a quick eye, great resolution, and activity.
Fox Crymes had no intention of venturing within the ring; he was
standing on foot near Anthony's horse. Anthony was awaiting his time
when he would rush in to the capture of his father's colts. All eyes but
those of Urith were riveted on the struggle with the horses. There were
some tall men, or men on large horses, between her and the herd of wild
creatures, and as she could not well see what went on within the ring,
she looked towards Anthony.
She was a little surprised at the conduct of Fox. In the first place, he
seemed to be paying no attention to what was engrossing the minds and
engaging the eyes of the rest. He held a little back from Anthony, and
was striking a light with a flint and a steel which he had taken from
his pocket.
What could be his purpose?
Urith was puzzled. Fox was no smoker.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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