The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-21
Copyrighted. 1894

Master Simon's inn, the Flowing
Source-"Good Entertainment for Man
and Beastn-leant over the riverside
by the ferry, a mile and half above
Ponteglos town. The fresh water OF
Cuckoo River met the salt Channeltide
right under its windows, by the wooden
ladder where Master Simon chained his
ferryboat. Fourteen miles inland, brown
trout-stream singing down from the
moors, plunged over q ledge OF rock into
the cool depths of Cuckoo valley.
Thenceforward 1t ran by beds OF sundew,
water-mint and asphodel, under WOODS
SO steeply converging that the traveller
upon the ridges heard IT as the trickle OF
water in a cavern, But just above Master
Simon's inn the valley wldened out INTO
arabic ana gray pasture land, ana the
river, too, widened and grew deep
enough TO float up vessels OF small tom
mage at the spring tides. In summer
from the bow-window OF his coffee-room,
Master Simon could follow It's course
down through the meadows TO the church
tower of Ponteglos and the shipping con.
gregated there about the wharves, ana
watch in the middle distance the sails OF
a barge or shallow trading ketch NOV
ing among the haymakers. But from
November to March, when the Hoods
are out, the Flowing Source stood above
an inland sea, with a haystack or TWO
for lesser islets. Then the rivers course
could be told only by liue OF stakes on
which the wild fowl rested. The meadows
were covered. Only few clumps oil reed
rose above the clapping water and shook
in the northerly gales. And then, when
no guests came for weeks together, ana
the salt spray cursted the panes so thlckly
that look ing abroad became weari ness
OF the spirit Master Simon would reach
down his long gun from the chimney
piece and polish it and having pulled on
his wading boots and wrapped large
woolen comforter round his throat ana
another round his head, would summon
his tap boy, unmoor the ferry-boat, and
go duck shooting. For in winter birds
innumerable haunt the riverside here
wild duck, snipe, teal and wldgeonj
curlews, field fares and ployers, both
green and golden; rocks, starlings, little
uninterrupted sandpipers; herons from
the upper woods and gulls from seaward.
Master Simon had fine sport in the short
days, and the inn might take care OF
ITSELF which 1t was perfectly well able
to do. Its foundations rested on sunken
piles of magnificent girth-"as stout as
myself, said Master Simon, modestly-
and on these 1t stood so high that even
the great food of fifty-nine had over
Tapped the kitchen threshold but once, a
the top of a spring tide with north
westerly gale behind it and then had re-
treated within the hour. "It didn't put
the hre out, =" boasted Master simon.
He was proud of his inn, and for some
very good reasons. To begin with, you
would not find another such building II
you searched England for year. II con-
sisted almost wholly OF wood; but of
such wood. The story went that on a
blowing afternoon in the late autumn OF
1888 two Spanish gaileons from the Great
Armada they ha1 been driven around
Cape Wrath-came trailing up the estu-
ary and took ground just above Ponte-
CLOS. Their crews landed and marched
inland and never returned. Some say
the Cornishmen cut them off and slew
them. For my part think 1t more likely
that these foreigners found hospitality,
and very wisely determined to settle in
the country. Certain 1t is, you will find
in the upland farms over Cuckoo Valley q
race of folk with olive compilations,
black curling hair, and Southern names,
Santo, Hugo, Jsgo, Bennett, Jose.
At all events, the Spanyers (Spani9rdsI