Evening star., 1924-10-12
CHAPTER XIV.

The little Botallack man and Eli
Penhale shook hands, tucked the
slack of their wrestling Jackets under
their left armpits and. crouching, ap-
preached each other, right hands ex
tended.
The three judges, ancient wrestlers.
leaned on their aSh-pants and looked
extremely knowing; they went by the
title of ''sticklers."
The wrestling ring was in a grass
field almost under the shadow of St.
GWithian church tower To the north
the Ridge Of Tors rolled along the
skyline. autumnal brown. Southwark
was the azure of the English Chan
nell; west, over the end of land, the
CLINT of the Atlantic, with the Scilly
Isles showing on the horizon. very
faint, like small irregularities on
ruled blue line.
All Gwithian was present. men and
women, girls and boys, with good
sprinkling of visitors from the par
ishes round about. They formed a
big ring of black and pink, dark
clothes and healthy countenances. A
eoodnatured crowd, bandying inter-
parochial chaff from side to side. rip
p!irg with laughter when some ac-
cepted wit brought off a sally. yelling
encourag cement to their district cham
pionS.
Beware of ems feet, an, boy. The
old toad is brear foxy"
Scat en-. Ephraim, my pretty old
beauty! Grip to an scanda!ize en-"
Move round. sticklers! Think US
can see through e? Think you'm
made of glaSS?'
Up Gwithian"
up, st. Levan,"
At the feet of the crowd lay the
disengaged wrestlers, chewing blades
of grass and watching the play. They
were naked except for short drawers,
and on their white skins grip marks
fiared red. bruises and long scratches
where fingers had slipped or the
rough jacket edges cut in. Amiable
young stalwarts, smiling at each
other. grunting approvingly at smart
pieces of work One had a snapped
collar-bone, another a fractured fore
arm wrapped up in a handkerchief,
but they kept their pains to them
selves; it was all in the game.
Now Eli and the little Botallack
man were out for the final.
Polwhele was not five feet six and
tipped the beam at II stone. whereas
Eli was five ten and weighed two
stone the heavier. 1t looked as
though he had only to fall on the
miner to finish him. but such was far
from the case. The sad faced little
timer had already disposed of four
bulky opponents in Workmanlike
fashion that afternoon-rthe collar
bone was his doing.
Watch his eyes" Bohemia had
warned.
That was all very we'll but it was
next to impossible to see his eyes for
the thick bang of hair that dangled
over them like the forelock of a Shet-
land pony.
Polwhele clumsily sidled few
steps to the right. Eli followed him.
Polwhele walked a few steps to the
left Again Eli followed Polwhele
darted back to the right, Eli after
him. stopped, slapped his right knee
loudly, and, twisting left-handed,
grabbed the farmer round the waist
and hove him into the air.
1t was cleverly done-the flick Of
speed after the clumsy walk, the slap
on the knee drawing the opponents
eye away-cleverly done, but not
quite quick enough. Eli got the
miners head in chancery as he was
hoisted up and hooked his toes be-
hind the others knees
Polwhele could launch himself and
his burden neither forward nor
backward, as the balance lay with
Eli. The miner hugged at ELS stom-
ach with all his might, jerking cruel
1y. Eli wedged his free arm down
anQ eaSeQ tne pressure somewhat. 1t
was painful. but bearable.
Lave en- carry e so long as thou
canst, son." came the voice of
Bohemia Tire en- out"
Polwhele strained for a forward
throw, tried backward twist. but
the pull behind the knees embar
rassed him. He began to pant.
Thirteen stone hanging like a mill
stone about ones neck at the end of
the day was intolerable. He tried to
work his head out of chancery, con-
cluded it would only be at the price
Of his ears and gave that up.
stay where e are" shouted Bo-
henna to his protege. "T'eddn costin'
you nawthin'."
Eli stayed where he was. Pol
whele's breathing became more la
bored, sweat bubbled from every
pore, a sinew In his left leg cracked