The Seaforth News, 1933-06-08, Page 6R�rt IP,,i
IThe ,sun stared !b'raz'enly idowot on a
gray farn1 louse .lying, long and low.
in the tshad'ow roe ithe +Muir 'Pike; on
the mains 'o+f peel -,tower and tbarmk-yn,
relics of the time of raids, it 'looked;
on manges of whi'tewaslhed 'onebusld
Ings; on a goodly °'array of dark
•dhatohed ricks.
IIn 'the sltack-yard, ;behind the
lengthy range alt stables, 'two men
were thatching. !One lay sprawling ion
the crestt of the rick, the other stood
!perched ,on a ladder ''ata lower level.
• IThe latter, small, old, nvith- shrewd
brown countenance, was Tammas
;Thornton, who ,had ,served the. Moores
of-Kenmiur'ifor- more than 'half a
century. The other, ' in. 'top , ,of +the
stack, wrapped apparently in ,gloomy
imeditatlon, was Sain'l (Todd. IA solid
Dalesman, he, ;With huge 'hands and
hairy arms; about his face an -uncame-
ly aureole taf :sniff, red hair;- and cm his
features, deep-seated, an expression of
resolute melancholy.
"Ay, the Gray Dogs, 'bles's 'ern!"
the old •man was +saying, "Yo' canna
beat 'em not nohow, !Known 'em ,any
dime 'this 'sixty year, lI have, and niver
knew a b'ad man yet. Not as I say,
mind ye, as any on 'em eo ins up to
Rex son a' IRaily. Ah, he was a one,.
was Rex! We's never won Cup since
his day."
"Nor niver shall agin, yo' may .de-
pend." said
e-pend"'said the rather'gloomily.
Tamanas clucked •irrita'bly,
"G'lon•g, !Sant'' 'Todd)" the :cried,
"Yo' niver happy onless yo' making
yes' elf miser'ible. I'.n+iver see sich a
chap. INiver win agin? Why, oor
young Sob hell 'mak' a night no, 'I
`tell yo' and I 'should 'know. Not as
what hell totfch Rex ,on o' :Rally,
mark ye! -I'm niver saying so, ISa'm'l
Todd, Ah, he was a one ;was Rex`! I.
could tell yo' a tale or two o' Rex.
I
mind me lioo—"
'The lig man interposed hurriedly.,
'"I've 'heard it 'a -fore, 'Tammas, 1
welly 'ave," he said.
Teatimes paused and looked angrily
up
"Wee !heard it afore, have yo',
iSanl'Tod'd?" he asked sharply, "And
;that have yo' heard afore?"
"Yo' stories,, ,owd 4ad-yo' stonies
o' Rex sono' Rally,"
"Which an' ,em?"
"All •on 'em, 'Termites, all •on 'e'm.
many a' time, 11'm fair ,sick on 'earl,
Tarnmas, 1I welly am," he ;pleaded.
The old' :man gaslped. He ':brought
down his mallet with a vicious smack.
"I'll niver te•11 yo' .a tale agin, 'Sam'1
Todd, not if yo' was to • go on yo'
bended knees fort. Nay, it bain't no
manner' o' use talkin'.'Niver agin, says
A
THE SEAFORTH NEWS.
1egg ed'tbo'; le cat the oak able =in
the centre o't !th'e morn a Ig'n 1 with
brown eyes and straggling` hair was.
Iseated before 'a 'basin lot ibu-ea(1 and
"So yo've ,coon, at hast, iDavfdli,
the' woman cried, as Abe !toy entered;
and, bendinlg, giee ted him with a 'ten-
der, niobhetl'y .salutation,'wh'idh he4r'er
turne.d^.-as! 'affectionately:1. "I welly
tihontit yo'd Fos got us k'his, .mornihi,'
Nloo. snt_iylou' coon;•heside; oor '_4'aig-
gie." And anon lie,too was engaged
in a task twin to the.girl's.
ilPhe .two ahildreii nimn'c'h'ed away
silence, the little bare -legged looy
watie!liiing ltheni, "tile (w'lvile,' critically.
lnritale'cl by ithiid 'prolonged. ' stare,
Dlaciiid' at len'gthnturned d'ii ];Tito.'
"Wee' , 1itttle I/ n'drew," tie sated,
speaking in that, -,plater: al fashion:.in
which .otie small 'b'oy laves Ito ad'd(retss
another: '"Wool, ma Tittle clad, yo'in
coantin' along ,grachely•"-'wIe !emit
back in, his chair ithe better to criti-
cise dri stibljetct, But 'Andrew, like 'ail
the ;Mo'o1'es,` slaw of ;speecih,'pneserved
a stolid si'lenc'e, sucking o dhulbby
thuntlb,-,'and regard'in'g h,js: 'p'altroti a
thoughts ,cynically.'
ID'a!r^il. ''resented the 'eatpression oln
the !boy's countenance, and half rase
to his feet. • -
''''Y'o' put ,anroller on yo', LA'ndr,ew
IM'oore," tie' ,cried threa'ten'ingly, "or
I'll put it 'for yo'."
'!Maggie, Ihotwever, interposed op-
portunely. .
"Did yo' feyther lbeait yo' last
night?" she inquired in• d 'lot yoke;
and there wes a shade ,alt anxiety in'
the soft 'bro'wn eyes. •
"Nay," the 'bay anslwered 'he ;vas
a -gain' to, but h'e' never did Drunk,'
he added in ex'planatio'n.
"VVIhwt was he go'in' to beat yon
for, !David?" 'a'ske'd Mrs, Moore.
"What tor? Why,' dor the ;fun o't-
to see nee squiggle," the bay replied,
and laughed bitterly.
"Yo' Should've speak so. o' ylour dad,
'David," reproved the rather as severe-
ly as was in her nature,
'Dad! a fine dad! I]''d dad !ltim an
I'd the 'chance,". the boy 'muttered •he-
meat'h ;his breath. 'Then, to turn 'the
conversation:
"Us sh'ou'ld he startin',phaggie," lie
said, and going to the 'door, "Rohl
'O'wd Bob, lad! '-Art ,coo•nem' al'o'ng?"
he ,called,
:TI,e gray doe ,came s'pri'nging up
like en anItelope, and the three started
Off for school together.
'Mao. Moore ,Stood in the doorway,
holding ,Andreve by the hand, and
watched :the departing trio. -
' 'Tis. a .pretty ,pair, 'Master, surely,"
she said softly' to her huslband, who
came . .up at the atoanen't.
"Ay, 'he'll be -a !fine "lad if has 'fey-
ther'1,1 let him," the tall man anawer-
,p,act, utterly l'i•the, inimitably ;grace-
ful with 'his ,airy -fairy action; a gen-
t'lem'an every :inch, you could not ,help
but stare at,hina-Owd (Bob' o' Ken -
At the ,foot Of the ladder, the two
stopped; And the young dog, placing
his 'forepaws on a lower rung, )looiked
up slowly'waving his silvery brush.
''A proper :'Gray Dog!" mused
Taros, gazing down into the dark
face 'beneath him, "Small, yet 'big;
light to get, about an ba'c'ks o' .his
sheep, yet not 'too light. Wi' a coat
bard w'top to keep cat Dalleland
weather, soft as sealskin 'beneath. Aad
wi' Them tbrrerful- eyes on ihlien as
niver goes. but a goad. ma Amaist
he minds .ane o' Rex son o' Rally."
"O•h, clear! Oh, (dear!" ,groaned
,Sinn'!, 'But ;the, Old man heard hem
molt. •
"Dial 'Tory Fiarewether toll yo' !hoe
he acted !this mornin', Master? he in-
quired, addressing the man at the
foot of the ladder.
"Nay," said the other, his stern
eyes lighting.
"Why, 'twos this way, ,it seenes,"
ITamlas +continued, "Youm•g'bul'I gets
'isself ,loose .somegate and marches
,oat into yard, o'erturns miikpail, and
prods 'wad pigs i' ribs. Arad as ,he
stands lookin' about au!n, •thinking'
what he shall be up to n'ex't, oor
!Bo'b sees un. ''An' what yo' d'a'ms'
'here, Mr. ,Bull?' he 's'eems to say,
cockin' his ears and 'troltln' up gay -
like. Wi' that buil (bloats 'fit to bast
kisser*, lashes ivi's tail, (waggles ,his.
head, 'and gets agate 0' chargin'
But Bob leaps oot o' way, quibk as
lightiiiit' yet cool as 'butter, ;arid when
he's done his ,fonlin drives 5s "back
agin,"
"WIso seed all this?" !interposed
Sant'', ,sceptically.
"'C ery IFatewether from the loft.
So there, +Flat'eadI" ;Tames • replied,
and continued his 'tale. "So they goes
,on; bull chargin' and Bob Idrivin' un
agin, quiet as a lcdwcunllb•er, yet de-
termined. (At last Mr. !Ball ,seas it's
no manner 0' use that, '.gate,•so he
turns, rares 'nip, and tries :to ij'untp
wall. wry a bit, Young ,d'o(g jumps in
on un and nips him by tail. We' that,
bull'tunt(bleb -down in ;hurry, 'turas
wi' a kind ,o' ;groan, •mold marches back
into stall, Bab after un. !And then,
dang me!" -the ;all ;man beat ,the
ladder as the Goosed off this last tit-
b'it, :he daesna !sit 'isself 1' ,door
like a sentrynel tf•I1 lEn.ry Fare-
wether •coom up. B'oo's that 'for a 'tyke
not yet a year?"
Even Sain't Todd was .moved by.
the 'tale.
"Well bone, 'nor Bali!" the cried.
"Good, lad!" said the Master, lay-
ing. a 'sand ,an ,the dark head alt his
knee.
"I 'river askt yo'," declared -honest
ISani i
'Nor it woul'dna ha' bin no manner
0' use if yo had," said the other vie-
' dousiy. "I'll 'un er ''Uel! yo' a ;tale agin
if !1 was to dive to he a ,humderd."
"Y,o'll not live ,to be a ihunderd,
Tamtnas Thornton, mor near it," said
Sarni 'brutally.
"I'll live as long .as •soave, ;I e ar-
ran't," the old man replied with spirit.
"I'11 live to 'see Cup baak f' •.K'enmuir,
as I said afore."
"If yo' .do," the other declared
'with emphasis, ""Sam'! :Todd niver
+spadce a 'true ward. Nay, .nay, lad; the siolpe, his ;face all aglow With the
rte's speed of his running. 'Straightway the'
"Yo' may well say that," ,cried Ta -
Times in a kind of ectcsy. "A prosper
Gray Dog, I 151'yo. fVVi' the brains
of a anaq aitd'the way of a ; oman.
,A+h, yo' c'anna'beat 'em nohow, the
Gray Dogs, of 'Ire' muir!"
The patter of cheery feet yang ottt
.on 'the 'pl'an'k=bdd'ge aver the stream
below them. atnntas ,glanced round,
Here's D' 'sl,' he said. 'Late this
,
inornan h
IA ifalr-''haired boy' tame ,sparring u'p
THU'RS'DAY, JUNE 8, 1933
the-tullle o'f the men Of the /land. is. of
wethers and 'ginintens, 'olf ' tup-lt'oggs,
ewe tegs in g'ao'l, and other things
which are but !fearsome names , ,to
you and rase; and always coif the "do.;
rots or nsis'cloin!gis the !intelligence or
etulpi'dity, df lt'}Setn ealli lai(ts, , the
sheenaclolgs.
1011 all the Dalelantd;"' ,,the country
li ant the B'1<nck JWater to Craintno'oh
IPilce is the wittiest. IAlbo've the 'tiny
stone -built v'iila:ge 'o'f,. lWastre'1-d'atc
the _Dein , Pikc mods its 'massive head
Westward, the desolate' ;Mere (_'1ar-
ches, from u'lt'ra!' the Sylvesters' great
.estate derive's e'bs sande. reach away
'in 'mile on, •iit•ile,.'If sheep infested,
wlinel-Jsl's'epit Inco'brlaiud; ;On t,be far:side
o;f ;the aMarches is ,that twli'ti d .4e'where
Rows the genitlle Silver Lea And tilt is
there' in 'the pa'd'docks at the 'back of
the ID'aleslnants .Daughter; th'a't, iii=the
bate= :8uinnier' ,m'on'ths,' Abe . fanvo'u's
sheep -dog Trials alt the:: ,Nord' are
•held. There ;that the 'battle for the
•Dalfe'i'Gulp, ;the wno,rld'-known ;Shep-
lierds' `Tnolp'hy, tis 'fought'out,.
'Past the 'diltb'le inn leads the pike road to the ana.rketacentre ;Of 'the
dis'tric't - iGradnmtoch-'town, At the
bottom 'm ofofthe 1p'alddocks alt .the ' Iba'ek
of the inn 'blinds the 'Silver Lea. Just
there 'a plank bridgecrosses the
stream, 'and, beyond(' the 'Murk 'Muir
Pass crawls sip the 's'heer side 'o'f. the
Scour an to •the''Mere Marches.
IAt the 'head elf Ithe !P'as's; before it
deb,o:uches an to Those lonely sheelp-
walks vehicle ,divide the, two dales, is
that hollow, shuddering with gloomy
posslb'fli,ties, ap't'ly'canted the 'Devils
Bawl, In/ its 'centre the (Lone 'Tann,
weirdly suggestive pool, .'lifts its still
face to the sky. It was beside that
black, !frozen water; across ''whose.
Bold suetfa'ae (the 'storm was 'swirling
in ewlhite sn iweverairhs, that, many,
marry years ago (not in this century),
old A6ndre'w Moore came upon the
mother of the 'G'''ay 'Dogs of Ken'-
.,.yo're owl, yc're ,wambly, your t1
near run ,or 'I'm the more mistook,"
"For mussy's sake hold yo' tongue,
ISa e'1 Todd I It's 'cl'ackaclaok ail clay.
-- ' I'f'he -old man broke off suddenly,
and 'buckled to his work ;with sus-
picious vigor. "Mak' a show 'yon
workin', pad," be whis'p'ered. "Marc's
Master •acre'.00r,,B'db."
IAs he apogee, a 'tall gaitered man
'with weather-beaten 'face, strong,
lean, austere,. and the blue -gray e
yes
. o1 bhe ,hil:,l-,coulvtry,,came striding yes
the yard. IAnd trotting 'sob.erly at his
(heels, •witih the gravest,, sad'des't eyes
' ever ace caw, a sheepdog Pul'py.
A rare dark gray lee ,was, his long
;coat, dash ed here and thele with
lighter ,touches, like a_ 's'tormy sea
Upon
his chest an esn tch-
young dog dashed ;off Ko aneet him
with a 'fiery speed 'his :saber gait be-
lied, The two .raced back together into
the yard,
Poor lad!" said,Sam'I gloomily, ;re-
garding.the newcomer.
"Poor 'heart!' •multterod ;Ta'mmla's,
While 'the +Master's '{ace s+olttened vis-
ibly. Yet there ;looked little to .pity in
this jolly , rocki,n'g l'a'd With thetousle of light hair and fresh, rosy
cou n teyan'ce.
"G'moroinig,'. Mister Moore! 'Morn'n
Taman a
sl ,Iarn'n, iSan L•l" he panted
as he passed; and ran on. ;through the
hay-ganpeted yard, ,neural :the corner
of the stable, and into the Mouse.
lin tine Ileitdheh, a 'long room ;with
red -tiled floor and latticed windows,
moonlit.
eon Of ,pures't white, and the dome ala wo'm'anwhiiba aProne:d and fail
his head 'shlotwer:ecl, as it were, with a ,faded, was bustling about her busireeeaa
sprinkling. of snow. PericCtIy 'o'mc- Co 'her skirts clung a etu,rdy,
Ma's ,pant it, the 'byainis 'of 'a ' nian With
the =way ,df a Womac'.
;Parson 'Leggy, who was ; reckoreckonedd
the ,est judge Of a sheep or, sheep-
ddg'''tiw'isdt .TIy!nc and 'Tweed, sunmlmed.
;hint alp iii the one Wand,. Geanlnts."
And. Jane's Aloore Iltlintscllt, catytionfs
nian,"was nose ;than ;p'1easecl,
In ,tile village, The. D'alesmen, Who
took' a personal ,pride in tire Gray
IDogs .o[ I1e'nan'uir, began. to nod
sage head's when "oB!m
"oar" ol was en.
eioilecl• Jim _Mason, .the Ip'osbnsan,
wlho'se word' went as Inc' with the
villagers as ,Parson Leggy's with t'h'e;
geittny, reckoned 'held never 'scan a
y'oung uu ;as-s'o took his',fancy.
'That whiter it grew';quite the rec-
ognized th'in'g, when they lsvd gath-
ered of a sligli't round the fire. in the
ISylves'ter (Arras, With Tanana% in the
•centre, old fangs'Maid'd'ox on Ids right,
'Ro;b 'S'auaud'erslot1 Of'the Holt on the
loft,, and the' others radiating away
'toward the sides, for sante ' to begin
with • t
"Well, 'and what o' oar Bob,".
Pro which ,Tamimas ;would`; always
make ,reply:
""011, yo' ask iS'am''1 there, 'He'll:tell
yo' 'better'n me,"=and would. forth-
with plunge, himself, 'iarto a yarn.ryarn.
An'd.the 'way en 'which as the stony
iproloeeded,'Tup(per' Of Sw+in's'tivwaite
'winked at ;Ned'IHblp'p'ln of Felisgarth,
and' ,Lang 'Kirby, the -smith, ;f'a'ked'
Jeri Burton, the pu'hlecan,.hi the ribs,
and 'S'exto'n Ross said,. 'Ma word,
lad!" spoke more e'lo'quently than
many. wand's.
One, man only never 'jo'ine'd in t'he
chorus :of admiration, 'Sitting allway,s
alone in the background, little M`
Adan'' would listen with an incredu-
lous grin on ;his sallow face,
''O'h, ,ma cartes! 'The devil's in the
doe' Itis-n'o cantle aver!" lee would
;continually exclaim; as T'ainnias 'told
his tale.
"Tis a• shame Mr. M5Adcm should
leadhim such a life,'" the .woman con-
tinued indignantly. She laid a hand
on' her Ihatslband's arm, and looked tip
at ;him ,coaxingly.
"Could yo' not say su•nimat.,to'tut,
,\haste'•, think 'ee? Happen he'd 'tend
to you," she ',pleaded. For 'I Mrs.
_Moore imagined 'that there could he
no one but 'would gladly .'heed what
James ;Moore, 11 'Paster of Kenniuir,
night say to him, "De's not a badun at (bottom, I do 'believe," she con-
tinued. ,"He Haver took on so till lhfs
mi'ssus died. 'Eh, bhutthe was twain
fond o' 'her."
Her husband shook his head.T'
'Nay, mother," he said, "'wou'ld
nodi' but mak' it worse for t'. lad.,
M'Aid'am'd listen to no one, let alone
me." 'And, indeed, 'he was right; for
the tenant of the, Grange glade oto
secret of his animosity for his
s'tra: