The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-11

/ sAouldE wonder II his starting price
W. inside twos. All The sane ADDED
sHe Sdl1eI, wiz q pec0Olar shane Oh is
cad, when eve run anu Won, it'll be a
, eaFy weight OFF my mind, Jem. and so /
-. y nat do zee mean, gaffer9" / seq.
bsant thee certain Of 'un. tnen?' / SEE.
e. Ceriain enough. lad" answered the gaf-
Ter Ter IL e come to the post ht and well.
But viii e? That's what l sez''
w., 4n ~ ZEE. then, cen be overturned, or
Bless thee, no lad. Ell be trained to
the hour But will e be goI ar? That's
what I'm afraid OF" SEE the gaifer.
=. Is Is, there them about as is after nobbln
There is, lad e SEE, very solemn and
serious There's a regular deep conspir-
II means doing the trick at any cost. Two
on US as been on guard IN Eiter-Skeltcr's
pSx night and day. And it's becoming a
Dlt q u strain on any one, l can tell 'ee,
SEE the garter. And the wust of 'un is,
that there's no knowing 'oo's to be trusted.
ana that's one reason why I've come to
What do zee want wiz / then, gaffer?"
Listen, e answer. IF these villains
dcant manage to get at i'm sooner they're
a a. most tis sure TO hey go for i'm while 'es
bringin' Of i'm ere And we shall hev to
start on the Saturday."
(Which l needn't remind 'ee,'' said old
PLANTATION, that there being no railways
hereabouts in them days, osses from a Cts
lance "a, nad to be brought by road in vans;
there was risk O. knocking them about
on the flinty 'ighways. And that was ow
they arranged to bring Filter Skelter.')
charge of the van. And there's three
others-stout trusty chaps-as II rid wiz
beside me on the box, and I'd soon hev
thee, Jem, as another" e seq. Fur thees
use thee hands against any one There's
hNe guineas apiece for US if we get the Oss
safe over is Journey What do 'ee say, lad?
II thee's on for the job, it's thine"
Lord love 'ee I'm your man, gafferI'
becos OF the five guineas-though five
gu1neaS meant sight more than it do now;
but l wuz fightable sort of a chap, and
the chance of scrimmage was quite
enough to fetch me.
'''Fhee can pervide thee-self with stout
bit o blackthorn, SEE the gaffer, and the
gov''ner will find thee pair. O. pistols"
Surely. gaffer," [ SEE, thee dunna look
for bloodshed?"
Nay, nay, lad" e answer. .It'n hardly
prepared, I reckon. For Villains O their kid
ney is sometimes desperit. But there.
They'll hardly venture to attack five we'll
Well, then, wuz to be over at the stables
Ive spoke of, out Marlborough way on the
Friday before the races, SOS to be ready
to start wi 'em on the Saturday morning.
1t Wuz a slack time then in the Woous, and
there wuznt no trouble about getting Off
needn' go into ali that. need only say as
got them in good time, and we started
off. as arranged, on the Saturday morning.
The gaffer wuz coachman. | wuz beside
'un on the box seat 'Tother three WIZ
mounted Two on EN- big, strong chaps on
Notwithstanding nags; the third wizened.
shrvelled little feler, on a fine, ansom',
'igh-spirited chestnut colt light and Timber
as a race'oss And / SEE to the gaffer when
| him:
THAT little beggar won't be much good in
a scrimmage," L SEE. And as for is mount.
if there come a bit of row, ELI bolt and
run away with 'um, I'll bet"
But the gaffer e just smile and seq: We
tours to do the fighting, lad. And yon little
monkeys to gallop off for help to the near.
est village, whichever it may appen to be-
e SEE. Whats more, If e do once git off,
there'll be no catchin' un Nay-nay, ELL
show 'em a clean pair of 'eels, never fear"
We goes on all day at a steady pace, and
nuthing appen In the evening we arrives
at the little town of Mlcheldever. There we
few hours, to rest the osses; meanin to
start again bout midnight. We takes Filter
Shelter out of is van to stretch is legs a
little and give 'un a feed; the gaffer and
one of our chaps taking it in turn wi me
and t'other big chap to mount guard over
the 'oss. AS fur the little wizened fellow,
ed disappeared (gone out into the town,
one on em said, which struck me what
he didn't orter hev done; though is absence
didn't seem to cause the GARTER much sur
prise.
Bout IL o'clock e come in agen, looking
very 'ot and excited. Il 'ad a rev wvrus
with the gaffer, which make my ole parent
whistle and scratch is poll.
What be up, gaffer?'' whispers to 'un
soon as got the chance.
Dicks been out loatin' and keepin is
eyes open," e tell me, land eve bring
back word as there's been rummish lot Of
town this evening. And they've just gone
on e SEE, along the road to Alresford."
That be our way, beant 'un, gaffer?' 1
asks.
ut be, lad e answers. looking very SOL
emn and serious.
What do ZEE make of un. gaffer?" SEE,
a
Darn. thee, lad doan't thee chatter
Leave in peace to think e SEE. And down
turned bucket. and put IS cad between his
'ands, thinkin' ard. In which persition e
remain a good five minute, wivout movin'
jun, keep and brisk as anythink.
Jem! e SEE, run thee into the ouse,
lad. and get the ole dame to brew me pot of
she can make 'un. Quick. lad
Coffee, gaffer?' / couldn't clip exclaim-
Aye, aye! Doan't thee stand there hav-
erin, sez do what thees told!''
So off 1 run and give the order to the
landlady, who grumbie a bit at her 'aving
to make coffee at that time O. night but
enough to keep the old chap awake till
doomsday,'' she added, 'alf spitefu like
Err saying that make 1t seem to dawn on
nor is usual tap. SOS to keep un keen and
lively through the night. Which. no doubt.
e WuZ D2g1nn1n' TO feel main sleepy, as
Wuz, too, avin been in the air all day.
bein' the drowsiest game / knows.
went back and told the gaffer the coffee
would be ready in ten minutes, and would G
go indoors to take it, or should bring it out
to 'un?
Bring it out" e seq. 81 doant stir from
the side of Elter-Skelter till we're fair of
again"
So, when ready. brings it out. Then the
garter sends me off to take the ostler inside
and give 'un a drink. And keep un en-
gagged for five minute or more e seq, wink
ing at me, as / sees sumthnk's up though
/ amt told what. But I carries out orders
and keeps the ostler talkin and liQuorin'
for pretty nigh a quarter of "a hour
At the end o. that time we returns to the
stable yard.
Were ready to start now 'sez the gaffer
the 'osses bein already put into the van,
and the other chaps mounted
Jump up!' e seq, and l gets on the box
and then e take the reins and gets up aside
me.
So we WIZ off.
Did zee ind the coffee strong enough?"
asks i'm.
Aye. aye, lad just right" e answer
But arter that e wouldn't talk, spite o. the
'ints l threw out that I'd like to know what
ed been up to while I wuz with the 'ostler
1t was a darksh night no moon. and a
cloudy sky. The road was silent and lonely
and by-and-bye il lay through some woods
about art way, as reckon, between Aires
ford and Michedever. And I couldn't eip
remarkin to the gaffer: Well l seq, ''if
there be a place sootable for ill-disposed
persons TO set on u.s. 1 SEE. this be the