Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-10-31
n OF THE CARAVAN.


skin"
Tho afternoon was still very warm, but Q
gray mist, drifting from the Irish channel,
and sailing eastward over the low-lying Island
of Anglesea, was beginning to scatter thin,
penetrating dri2zle on the driver OF the cara
van.
To right and left Of the highway stretched
q bleak and bare prospect OF marshland and
poor,and, cloecd to the west by asky Of ever
dcere. ng redncss, and relieved here and there
by black clumps Of stuated woodland. Here
and there pccped q solitary farmhouse with
outly;E.,; fields Of swcmpy greatness, where
lean and spectral cattle were lugubriously
grain; and ever and anon came q glimpse
Of some lonely lake or tarn, fringed all around
with thick sedges, and dotted with water
lilies. The road was as desolate as the pros
pect, with not living soul upon it, far as
the eye could see. To all this, however, the
driver Of the caravan paid little attention,
owing to tho simple fact that he was fast
asleep.
He was reused by q sudden jolting and
swayirg Of the clumsy vehicle. combined with
q sound Of splashirg water: and, opening his
eyes sleepily, he perceived that the gray mare
had turned aside from the centre Of the road,
and, having placidly entered sta gnant pond
Oh the roadside, was laundering and strUg2l-
ing In the mud thereof, with the cn-avan rock
ing behind her. At the same moment head
was thrust round the back part Of the vehicle,
and an angry voice exclaimed:
Tim, you scoundrcl, where the devil are
you driving tor Wake up or I'll break every
bone I'm your skin"
Thus addressed, Tim woke himself with ar
effort, and. looking round with an insinuating
mile, replied:
'Begorra, Master Charles, thought it was
an earthquake entirely Come out Of that
nowi Is it wanting to drownd yourself you
area G-r-r-rl Shl Aisy now, aisy"
The latter portion Of the above sentence
was addressed to the mare, which was at last
persuaded to wade out Of the cool mud and
return to the dusty track, where she stood
quivering and painting. No sooner was the
return to terra firma accomplished than a
light, agile figure descended the steps at the
back of the caravan, and ran round to the
front An excited colloquv, angry on the
one side and apologetic on the other, ensued,
and did not cease even when the driver, with
o flick OF his whip, put the caravan again in
motion, while the other strobe alongside on
foot
1t was just such caravan as may be seen
any summer day forming Part of the camp
on an English common, with the swort face
Of a gvrsy woman looking out at tho door,
and half-a-dozen ragged imps and elves roll
ling on the grass beneath; as may be OBJ
served smothered in wickerwork Of all de-
scriptions, or glittering pots or pans, moving
from door to door in some sleepy country
town, guided by gloomy gentleman in a
velveteen coat and a hares,,in cap, and at
tended by brawny hussy, also ~nothered In
wickerwork or pots and pans; as, further
more, may be deserted forming part Of the
procession of a travelling circus, and drawn
by Il pebald horse which, whenever a good
pitch" is found, will complete its days labor
by performances in the ring. A caravan Of
the good old English kind; with small win
dows, ornamental by white muslin curtains,
with n chimney atop for the smoke to come
through from the fire inside, with door be-
hind, ornanented with a knocker, AMI only
lacking n door-plate to make it quite COM
plete; in short, n house OF wheels.
The driver, though rough enough, and red
with the sun and wind, had nothing in COM
mon whit the ordinary drivers of such vehicles
and, in point of fact, he was neither a gypsy
nor atraveling tinker, nor circus performer.
Though it was summer time he wore large
freize coat, descending almost to his heels,
and on his head a wideawake hat underneath
which his lazy, beardlcss and somewhat
sheepish face shone with indolent good humor.
His companion, Master Charles, as he was
called, bore still less resemblance to the Bo-
henians of English lanes and woodlands
He was a slight, handsome, fair-haired young
fellow, Of two OF three and twenty, in the
tweed attire of an ordinary summer tourist !;
and every movement he made, every word
Al. l..
Presently at a signal from his master
(such he was), Tim drew rein again. By this
time the sun was setting fiery red, far away
10 the west. and the thin drizzle was becom-
ing more persistent.
''How far did they say it was to Pencroesf'
"Ten miles, sor."
1.-THE mare is tired out, think. We shall
have to camp by the roadside"
"All right, Master Charles. There's a
handy shelter beyant there where you see the
trees" Tim added, pointing up the road with
his whip. The young man looked In that
direction, and saw, about quarter Of a mile
away, that the highway entered a dark
clump of woodland. He nodded assent and
walked rapidly forward. while tho caravan
followed slowly in his rear
Reaching the point where the wood began
and entering the shadow of the trees, he soon
found a spot well fitted for his purpose. To
the left the road widened out into a grassy
patch of common. adorned with one or two
bushes of stunted brown, and stretched out q
dusty arm to touch large white gate, which
opened ON gloomy, grass~grown avenue
winding right through the heart of the wood.
The caravan, coming slowly up, was soon
placed in a snug position not far from the
gate, the horse was taken out and suffered
to Craze. while Tim, searching about, found
Diving into the caravan the young man re
emerged with a camp-stool, on which he sal
down, lighted meerschaum pipe and began to
smoke. They could hear the rain family pat
tering in the boughs above them, but the spot
they had chosen was quite sheltered and dry.
The fire soon blazed up. Entering the car.
avan in his turn, Tim brought out a tin kettle
full Of water, and placed it on the fire, pre-
paratory to making tea He was thus en-.
gagged when the sound of horses hoofs was
AeArd along the highway, and presently tns
figure Of . horsemAn appeared, approach
ing at . rapid trot. As it came near to ths
group ON the wayside, the horse SHE'D VIC
lently. springing from one side of the road to
the other, 50 that its rider, dark, middle
aged man, In IN old-fashioned cloak, was Al
most thrown from the saddle Uttering q
farce oath, he recovered himself, and refining
In the frightened animal, looked angrily
around; then, seeing the cause OF the mis-
chance. be forced his horse, with no small
difficulty, to approach the figures by tho flra
sWho are your b demanded. in harsh,