The evening times., 1895-11-11
The Flowing Source
(By A. T. Quilier-Couch., ,

8notCt 0HuOu tuC T WWIu8 oOutCC
Good Entertainment for Man and BeaEt"
-ieanC over the riversid6 BY the tcRsy, q
mile antf q ifaif above p Poncegfoetown. The
fresh water OF Cuckoo river met the salt
Chamiei-eitit- right under In windows, by
the wooden ladder where Master Simon
chained bis ferry-b0iAt-- Fourteen niiies in
land, q brown tr0ut-stream, singing GOWN
from tise moons, plunged over = etlge or
rock into the cool depths OF Cuckoo Val
ley. ThencefOrward 1t ran by beds of sun
uew, waJer-intnt and asphOdel, unuer WOODS
10 steeply -conyerglng that The trayefer
upon the ridges lcaru 1t as the trlckle or
water IN d cavern But just above MasLer
shiIon's inn the vahey wideLed Out inlU
| arabic and gray pasture land, and tie
river, loo, wbAsned anu grew ueep enough
10 iioar up vessels or small tOnLiage al
Tue rpring tides.
In summer, from the bay-window Of his
cUiIee-room, Masler siuon couiu IuiivW
It's course uOwn through the meadows 10
tue CHURCH tower I'll ron.erios AMI giIe
suipping congrega ated there ABOUT the
Whdfvts, and waLcn in the m;duie ulstaLce
the saiis OF barge or shallow lrau,ng-
ketch moving among the haynaakeTs. but
frOm November 10 March, wnea tue fluous
were out, the Flowing Source $1,000 above
an Ihianu SEA, with a La ysGiick or Two iVr
lesser isiets. Then the rivers course could
De told only by a line vi stakes ou winch
tne wild iowl rested. The meadows were
covered. Only lew ciumps OF reed ruse
above the ciapptnY waller and shook IN
the nOrtheriy gales. And then, when no
guests came lor weeks together, and the
saIt spray crusted the panes SO uickiy
that looking abroad became a wear,ness
Oh the spirit, Master simon wUutu rcatfi
down his long g0n Irom the chimney piece
ana polish u, and having pulled ON his
Wau.ng ooots and Wrappeh q large WOODEN
comforter round his throat and another
round MS head. would summon his tap-boy,
uhu'oOr toe ferr y-bOat, and go duck shoot
ing. For In winter birds innumerable haunt
WfaE n xfa. kss.w
and widgeon. eurisws, fieki farts aud
pioyers. Doth green and golden; rocks,
stariings, little white -rumped sandpiDers
nerons Irom the upper woods and guIls
sport In the short days. and the inn might
take care of itseif. which it was PERFECTLY
well able 20 do. Its foundation rested on
SUM- sunxen a. pnes or magnificent girth-''as
esuy-ano on these it stoud 50 nigh that
even the great flood Of '59 had over
iapped the kitchen threshold but once, at
westerly gale behind it: and then mad
retreated within the hour. '.It didn't put
the lire out" boasted Muster simon.
ne was proud OF bis inn, and for some
very good reasons. To begin with, YOU
would not find another such building il
YOU searched England for a year. 1t con-
SISTED almost wholly OF wood, but Of such
WOOD Tne story went that on q blowing
afternoon in the late autumn Of 1855 two
spanish galleons from the great Armatia-
they had been driven around Cane WRATH
came trailing up the estuary and took
ground Just above Ponteglos. Their crews
landed and marched inland, and never re-
turned. 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 deter
mined to settle in the country Certain il
Is, You will find in the upland farms over
ouck9o valley race of folks with olive
compleNions. black curling hair and South
9rn nannes-santo, Hugo, Jago, Bennett,
At all events. the spanyers fspaniards)
IN the ooze by the marsh meadows until
the very birds forgot to fear them and
ouiit IN their riggin. By the Roles d'Oleron
"nich were, in effect, the maritime laws
OF the period-ali wrecks or wreckaee
belonged TO the crown when neither an
owner nor an heir Of the late owner couId
ne found for 1t: But in those days the
a nalting foot; so that VI hen, in 1908 these
safieons were put up to auction and sold
by the lord of the manor-who happened
70 De nigh sheriff-nobody inquired very
closely where the money went 1t is more
70 the point that the timber of them was
bought by one Naster Blaise-nevpr mind
the surname' he was an ancestor Of Simon's
ann weii-to-do wool eombcr of PoHteglos
This Master BIaise ALREADY rented The
Terry rights by Flowing Source and GER
tain rights of fishery above and below;
he cc ieeived the happy notion OF this
hosfelry beside the river. For ground
rent ne agreed 10 carry each Michaeinas
to the Lord of the Manor one penny in
a silk purse. and the lords bailiff, on
bringing the receipt. was to take annually
OF Master Blaise and his heirs ore lack
OF ale or the October brewing and one
teen pounds weight. These conditions
ring been duly signed. in the year 1906
Master Baise laid the foundation of hts
mn upon the tinibers of one gaIIeon and
nP tl,n g..
his roof-tree. It's stout ribs curving out
ward and downward from this magnifi-
cent baik, supported the clincher-built
rOof. so that the upper half of the building
apDeared-and indeed was-a large inverted
hull. decorated with domer windows brick
chimneys. and round pigcon-house sur
mounted by Gilded vane. The windows
he took ready-msde from, the Spapisrd's
bullying stern works. And for sign board
he hung out between two bulging POOP
lanterns large hituminous painting on
panel that had been found on board ttS
larger galleon, and was supposed to repre-
sent the features of her patron, Saint
Nicholas Prodanefi- Bt' the site OF the
buildiDg had always been known as Flow
ing Source. and by this name and no other
Master Blaises inn was called for over
Two hundred years.
By this time its timber roof had clothed
itself with moss upon the north side. and
on the west the whole framework in
cltned over the river. as though the ttmbers
OF the old galleon regretted their proper
quietly. persistently. But careful patch
ing and repairing had kept the building
to all appearance rs stout rs ever, and any
doubts OF its stability were dispeiled In
a moment by a glance at Master Simon, the
landlord Master Simon's age by parish
register fell short OF forty. but he looked at
least ten years older; slow man. with 4
promising stomach and n very satisfactory
balance at the bank: a notable breeder of
pigeons and fisher of eeis He could also
brew q strong ale, and knew exactly how
salmon should he broiled. He had heard
that the world revolves, and decided to
stand still till it came round to him.
Certainly q considerable number OF its
Inhabitants found their way to the Flow
ing Source sooner or later. Marketers
crossed the ferry and pause3 for ;>snorniHg
drink. In the cool of the day quiet citi-
zens rambled up from Ponteglos with
rod and line, or brought their families
and iunket and sit after ward on the benches
by the inn door, watching the fish rise
and listening to the songs OF the young
people some way up stream. Painters
1 anne. too. and sketched the old inn. and
stayed for week. having tasted
the salmon
Pigeon breeders dropped In and smoked
long pipes in the kitchen with Master
S imon. and slowly evolved bets and
And once or twice in the sum-
mer months q company of pilgrims would
arrive-queer literary men in velveteen
coats, who examined all the rooms and
MONEY WANTED AND To LOAS
n r EuTrOrr-0 ,oaa s,rftce I2f0