Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-09-19
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr


Il tossed him the shilling-the last
Id got-and he dropped the pots
there and then and dived after the
brandy. | gave the pots good dust
ing with d powder Pyramus uses
on rogue horses to keep EN- quiet
while he's selling 'em. Then the boy
came back. | drank the brandy and
went outside again and kept watch
through the shutters. 1t worked
pretty quick; what with the mixed
drinks they'd had and the powder. the
whole crew was stretched snoring
in d quarter hour. But not she. She's
as strong as yoke of bulls. She
yawned a bit, but when the others
went down she got up and went after
her horse. taking the wallet along. /
watched her mount from behind the
rain barrel in the yard and pretty
job she made Of it, The ostler had
10 heave her up, and the first time
she went clean over. up one side and
down tother. Second time she saved
herself by clawing the ostler's hair
and near clawed his scalp off he
screeched like d slit pig.
Il watched that ostler as well
watched in case he might chance his
fingers in the wallet, but he didn't.
She was still half awake and would
have Drained him if he'd tried il on
couple of men-stranded seamen I
think-came out of an alley by the
abbey and logged her as far as
l-arrigan, closing up all the time but
when they saw me behind they gave
over and hid In under the river bank
She kept awake through Newlyn
nodding double. l knew she couldn't
last much longer-the wonder was
she had lasted so long. On top Of
Paul Hill / closed up as near as
dared and then went round her
across country as hard as l could fog,
by ChNoone and Rosvale.
"A dirty ride, boy: black as pitch
and crossed with banks and soft bot
toms. Polly fell down and threw me
over her head twice thought
my neck was broke. We came out on
the road again at TreTelloe. tied
Polly to tree and walked back to
meet EN-. They came along at d walk.
the old horse bringing his cargo home
like he's done scores of times.
| II called his name softly and
stepped out of the bushes He stopped.
quiet as ii lamb. Mother never moved
she was dead gone. but glued to the
saddle. She's wonder. | got the
wallet open. put by hand in and had
just grabbed hold of a bag when
Prince whinnied: he'd winded his
mate. Polly. down the road. You
know how ii is when horse whin-
MES: he shakes all through. Hey. but
II gave me start, II was a still
night and the old brute sounded like
d squad of trumpets shouting 'Ha"
like they do in the Bible. 'Ha ha. ha
he. he. he
mother loIled over toward me and
= Ike ba
That's part of a song she sings"
said Eli, "a drinking song"
ortho nodded. Il know. but il made
me jump when she said it: she said
it so soft-like. ] thought the horse
had shaken her awake. and | ran for
dear life. Before I'd gone 80 yards |
knew | was running for nothing, but
i couldn't go back. 1t was the first
time Id Sto I'd done anything
like that, and | was scared of Prince
Whinnying again. ] ran down the
road with the old horse coming along
clop-clop behind me, jumped on Polly
and galloped home without looking
back. / wasn't long in before her
il was He drew deep breath.
But ] kept the bag. and I've got il
buried where she wont find it He
smiled at his own cleverness
What are you going to do with the
money! Eli asked.
Buy horses cheap and sell EN- dear.
l learnt trick or two when l was
away with Pyramus and I'm going to
use EN-. There's nothing like it. I've
seen him buy a nag for a pound and
sell il for ten next week. I'm going
TO make Pyramus take my horses
along with his. They'll be bought
his SO that people won't wonder where
l got the money. and they'll go up
country and be sold with his-see?
I've got it all thought out"
But will Pyramus do it?''
Ortho clicked his even white teeth.
Aye, l reckon he will If he
wants to winter here again. How
a hundred pounds"
Fifty
And fifty sold at ten pounds each,
how much is that
Five hundred pounds"
How long will it take me to pay
off the mortgage at that rate?
TWO years al that rate. But
there's the interest, too. and
Ortho smote him on the back. "Oh.
cheerily, old long-face. allS well. The
rentIl pay the interest, as thou. thy
self sayest, and I'll fetch in the
money somehow Well harvest
mighty crop next season and the
horses1l pay bags full. In two years
time I'll put my boot under that fat
cheese-weevil Carveth and you shall
ride into Tregors like a king. If only
could have got hold of that second
hundred, You don't know where
mother hides her money. do you?'
No"
NO more do but l will. I'll
sit over her like puss at a mouse
hole. I'll have some more of 1T yet.
Leave it alone said Eli: shes
sure to find out and then there De
the devil to pay. Besides. whatever
you say about it being our money, it
don't seem right. Leave it be.
Ortho threw his arm about his neck
and laughed at him.
Pyramus Herne arrived on New
Year eve, and was not best pleased
when Ortho announced his prof.
ect He had no wish to be both
cred with extra horses that brought
no direct profit to himself, but
he speedily recognized that he had
new host to deal with. that young
Penhale had cut his wisdom teeth,
and that if he wanted the run of the
Upper Keigwin Valley he'd have to
pay for it, So he smiled his flashing
smile and consented, on the under
standing that he accepted no re-
sponsibility for any mishap, and that
Ortho found his own custom. The
boy agreed to this and set about buy
ing.
He picked up horse here and
there, but mainly he bought broken
down pack mules from the mines
round ST. Just He bought wisely.
His purchases were a ragged lot, yet
never so ragged but that they could