Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-09-15
THE
Master Of the Mine.
BY ROBERT

Very good" i replied. where did Jon
read IL? In a book?'
II didn't read 'un master, i Ur0ts 'un," he
replied. "Leastways, l should ha' wrote 'un
II could write. Nav, you'm a smart chap,
pr'aps YOU could take them lines dawn"
'T0f course I could" I replied. Whereup-
on ] produced a pencil from my waistcoat
pocket, and, asking Mr.. Rndd to repeat the
verse again, I transcribed 1t on the back of
an old letter.
When l handed up the paper TO Mr.. Rudd,
his face became positively gleeful.
"You're a smart chap" he repeated, ''nawt
much doubt o. that"
'Do you make much poetry?' I asked.
He nodded his head slowly.
"A goodish biz, - he replied; 'leastways, /
should IL I'd sllus a smart 'un like ron at
hand TO take 'un dawn. But I'm nav hand
at setting dawn at il, and 1t dawn't alIus
keep in my head. lis a gift," he continued.
ut all began when 1 wee a lad, a-driviDg
UP and dawn FALMOUTH way wi father.
Then 1 used to hear Ire old wagon go 'tum
TO tum alawng the road, and the warses they
came and kept time. LOrdl to think o the
thousands OF bootiful PONIES ] ha' made;
they'd make a wallum; and I've got 'em all
here in my head, thick as bees in a beehive,
Oil d-OdSIliir apH'th'i' WV uADPo Wv
"Do you live az 81. Gurlott's, Mr.. Rudd?"
'Iss, young master; | drives this here van
three times a week to Falmouth and back"
"rhen perhaps TT be abe 10 take down
some of your poems for you. / am going to
live there, too, you know
This idea pleased the drowsy giant inn
mensely. lie was about TO expatiate upon
II, when a heavy rain-drop IA, ling on his
hand brought him back from the clouds.
"Lawd love the lad"' he exclaimed, how
we be a-loitering. Here, jump up, young
master, we'm got q good twelve mile atOre
Us yet, and a black night prawB.sing 20
come"
took the hand which he extended to me,
n which looked like a giants paw, and
sprung up to my seat beside him.
Hurry up, Martha" lie said, get on, old
CARL" and the mares slow walk broke into a
trot, which caused the wagon to rattle and
shake, and my teeth to chatter in my head.
The prospect still continued bleak, but il
was sow not quite so desolate. To the risht
and LETT OF us still stretched the bleak moor
land, but now it was broken up by green hill
locks and belts OF woodland. Here and there
or the meadows were cattle grazing, while at
intervals were wbitewsshed cottages with
little gardens running down TO the roadside.
From time 10 time we rounded some quiet
bay, and caught a glimpse of the sea. Pres
emily far ahead OF us, i saw clustering
houses, nom the midst OF which arose .
church spire.
~What is thatr' l asked.
He seemed to know by instinct what l
meant for he replied without taking his eyes
of the horse.
That. young master. be Craigruddock.
| UaflI cta q N thara for n ht of gutnuNat M aaf
and drink, and to gle the mare a rest
When we entered the village of Craigrud-
dock our appearance caused no little stir.
John Eudd was evidently well known-for
as the numbering wagon went rafting down
the little street, shock-headed children came
peeping out of the doorways, and here and
there a peasant woman made her appearance,
and nodded checrfully 10 us as We went By.
For each and all John Rudd had a good-hu-
mored grin, which l thought brosdoned a
little as the wagon was pulled up with a jerk
before the door of the inn. Here, after some
little trouble, we got something to eat, q few
boiled eggs, and some home baked bread.
When the horse had been rested, we started
again on our journey.
The warm day was succeeded by a cold
evening, and with the darkness had come
rain. / was glad TO follow John Rudd's eX-
ample, to wrap myself well up in my over
coat, before / again took my seat behind the
mare. We jolted on again, covering what
seemed 10 me an interfnlnable space. The
darkness rapidly increased, the rain contin-
ued to fall, and, worn out with fatigue, | fell
into a fitful doZe.
/ was dimly conscious of the wagon rolling
on, of John Rudd making occasional dis
jointed remarks. rhythmical IN character, TO
which he evidently expected no reply, and
OF certain stoppages, when John mysterious
ly disappeared, and returned refreshed and
strengthened for his work.
At length, however, John RudG's voice
aroused me indeed.
"Wawk up, young master" said he ;'we'm
gettin' pratty nigh your place"
| reused myself and looked about me, but
there was nothing to he seen. Darkness. en-
comprised us on every hand; the wind was
signing softly, making a sound like the dis
tant murmur OF the sea. Presently the wag-
on stopped. The carrier jumped down, and
waited for me to do the same; then lie gave
q peculiar whistle rs he went round to the
back of the wagon to haul out my trunk.
The whistle had its effect. The darkness
was suddenly penetrated by a light, which
seemed quite close 10 us. aud n mans voice
called out in a broad country dialect:
"Be that you, John Rudd%
Ass. mate" returned Ildd. "You catch
hold o the young gentleman. ha' gawt.lie
bawx."
BE this the ladg'' asked the voice, as I
felt a heavy hand laid upon my shoulder.
'Iss."
"Waal, my lad, you be welcome to ST Cur
lottis!'
The hand kept hold of my shoulder and
led me along. The next thing l became
conscious of was standing upon the thresh-
old Of an open door, and of the voice of my
guide saying, heartily:
"Yar be he, Marthar'
Then another voice, that of a woman, an
swered:
.Lawd love the lad; let's look OF uni u and
then there was silence.
found myself standing in the middle Of a
quaint Cornish kitchen. gazing upon my
newly-found friends. The individual who
had led NE into the kitchen and Who turned
out 10 he my uncle, was a tall, broadly-bu,it
man. dressed in a red-staincd suit OF coarse
flannel, said suit consisting merely of a shirt
and a pair of trousers. His hands were big
and broad and very red, his head sas thlckly
covered with coarse black hair, and he spoke
the broadcast of Cornish dialect in a voice of
thunder. Having finished my inspection OF
number one.I glanced at number two--nsme-
man OF forty, very stout and motherly in APP
pearsnce. She wore a cotton dress, a large,
coarse apron, and a curious cap, not unlike
the colts so popular in Brittany.
My amazement ut the sight OF these two
individuals was So strong that l could scarce
ly force my lips to utter a word; but il my
surprise was great, theirs seemed greater.
After, the first glance at me, they looked un-
easily at one another, the genial smile faded
from their faces, and the words OF welcome
died upon their lips.
A pleasant interruption to all this was
John kudd, who at this moment came IN
with my trunk upon his shoulder and placed
II down on the Kitchen floor. tnen wiped his
brow and opened his overcoat.
'It's marital bad weather yeu'm brought
alang WI We, Mr.. Rudd," said my aunt;
'yar, ha' summat to keep OIL the rain"
She handed him . glass OF ale, which he
drank.
THANK ye, missus," said he, drawing the
back OF his hand across his mouth. Then he
made q dive into the voiuminous folds of his
coat. and produced a packet
THAT be for you, missus." said he; ~ it,
tie present, wi John Rudd's respects; tea
aud sugar, WI a suitable inscription o. my
avn making"