The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-01-09
SELECTED.
'RouCh JACKS LITTLE LAD
STORY OF THE ENGLISH CoLlIknIrs
BY DAVID KER.

anu many StuTuy ielloW III tne BiaCk-
pool Collieres wore scars and bruises
enough to make him sorry for having
tried his strength against the terrible
Jack.
But there was one person to whom
even Rough Jack never said harsh
word; and that was his little Jim, the
only child he had. Jim's mother had died
soon after he he was born, and his aunt,
who kept house for Jack, was big, bony
sullen-faced woman, almost as untidy and
coarse looking Ms the rough collier him
self. But no mother could have been
more tenderly careful of the little fellow
than they were. However dirty and un-
tidy they might be themselves, they did
their best to keep Jim's face clean and
his clothes in order. and oss-grained
Aunt Susan, who was always grumbling
at having 'sich power o'work to do" set
up at night several times, after her days
work was over, 10 knit little pair OF
socks as birthday present for him.
Jim had been the pet of the whole
neighborhood ever since he could remem
Der; and these savage, Withholding men
so fierce and surly with every one else
always had a kind word for "Rough
Jacks little lad as they called him
Every day he used to carry his fathers
dinner to the works in little basket, 60
ing fearlessly among the GOLFERS savage
bulldogs, which seemed to know him
quite as well as their masters, and would
wag their stumpy tails and put up their
fiat nosed heads to be patted whenever
he went by.
Indeed. the "lttle lad" seemed to have
such perfect trust in every one, and to be
so sure that nobody would hurt or vex
him, that 1t was not easy for any one
even to think of doing so. The rough
collier lads. whose great sport was to
pelt each other with heavy Jumps of coal
which made bruise wherever they hit
shouted to one another to stop the mo-
ment they saw the little fair haired head
in the distance, and once, when rough
Jack and his mate-who had been great
friends hitherto-quarreled about some
thing, and were going to fight, little jim
stepped In between them and, taking
hold of his fathers jacket, looked up at
them both with an air of such pteous as.
constituent, that the two fierce men, af-
ter cycling him blankly for a moment,
turned their backs and slouched off in a
shame-faced kind of way; and the next
morning they were as good frieuds as
ever.
But after while troubles began to
come upon Blackpool Col.iery. Business
grew slack, and wages had to be reduced
which bore very hard upon these reckless
fellows, who spent their money as fast as
they got 1t, never thinking of laying any
thing by. There was plenty of grumbling
and growing against young Harry For
roster, the great man of the district,
whom his fathers death about year be-
fore had left sole owner of the colliery !;
and the quiet people of the neghborhood
began to fear riot, and to talk of send
ing for soldiers from the nearest large
town.
But amid all their troubles the rough
men were still as loyal as ever to their
"little lad" Many grumbler went with
out his dinner to buy something good for
jim; and Rough Jack, as he danced the
little fellow on his broad shoulder, wore
something as nearly approaching to a
smile as his iron face could assume.
At last it began to be whispered one
day among the Golfers that number Of
them were to oe discharged. No one
knew how the report had arisen, or even
whether it was true or not; but the mere
thought of 1t was quite enough for these
wild fellows, ripe as they already were
for mischief
1--WE nun must strike" muttered a
big, sullen-looking pitman.
"Ay, we nun strike-but not as thou
mean'st,' growled Rough Jack, clinchins
his sledge- hammer fist with terrible EN-
phasis. Use not let my little lad starve
for a tn gentlefolks l. England. We
mum strike Mester Forrester's yed head
so as he'll feel. Who'll join, lads!"
~ will"
And l."
"And L."
"And SOIL l."
In fact every man there was as eager
as Jack himself and it was soon agreed
that they should watch for a chance of
attacking young Forester and then beat
him within an inch of his life--''and
mayhap bit farther" as the burly pit
man muttered, with cruel CLEAN in his
eyes. Two sharp lads were at once
chosen to keep watch upon young
Squire Harry" who had come down from
London few days before; and, on the
third morning, one of the scouts came
running in to report that Harry had gone
to see friend few miles from the col
lery, and had sent tina groom home with
his horse, saying that he would walk back
in the evening the road being too rough
to risk a good horse on after dark.
The looks exchanged by the golfers at
this news said more than any words could
do. All was soon settled. Midway along
the road which Forester must take lay a
patch of bare, lonely moorland, well
known to Rough Jack as his little boys
favorite playground, Here they would
hide In deep hollow overgrown with
bushes. and pounce upon their victim as
he passed.
Night drew on. One by one (for they
knew that 1t would not do for many of
them to be seen together), Jack and his
gang came stealing up to the fatal spot,
and, crouching down amid the bushes,
waited for their prey. But as time went
on, and 1t grew darker and darker, and
still there was no sign of him, they began
to get uneasy. Could he have changed
his mind and stayed all night? or could
their plot have been discovered No
there at last was firm step approaching,
and the rising moon showed them the
tall, active figure and handsome face
which they all knew and hated.
The savage men clutched their heavy
cudgels, and drew themselves together,
like tigers crouching for q spring. But
lust then there was rattle Of wheels and
hOOIS IN the OPposie utIecuou, anu u
light dog cart came rushing along the
highway like q whirlwind, evidently
driven by some wild young fellow, who
thought it fine fun to risk breaking his
neck. Al the same moment there ap-
peared, slowly crossing the road, right In
the path of the maddened beast and the
reckless driver, the figure of Rough
Jacks little lad!
With . cry that made the air ring. the
colliers burst from their hiding place,
forgetting everything but the peril OF the
little pet. A. they ran they saw the child
stumble and fall In trying TO escape, and
Harry spring forward to catch him up
but then horse aud dog cart came dashing
down upon them both. and everything
vanished In whirl OF dust.
But a. the dust cleared away, Harry
Forester WAS seen rising slowly to his
feet. There was thin streak Of blood
stealing down bis smooth, white fore
head, and his lefe hand was sorely bruised
and cut; but bis right arm was still firmly
around the child, who was looking up IN
bic face with round, Wondering. blue
eyes, = II hardly knowing WHISTLER to b