The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-06-13

| answered. II hope l shall he able
to do all you want. You think /
shall?"
"It's little l want but company" he
replied. "Pm a lone man-neither
kith, kin, nor friends. I've been out
Of this country many years, and now
I'm back / just want to dander round
bit, feeing places. An idle time,
eh?'
you've no fixed plan?" l inquired
mo more than that we'll just get
into my car and go NORTH" he an
swered. stopping where we like and
when we like. I'll tell you I've a
fancy for old towns, anything old
and gray and cool. You take me-"
1.-THE Great North road, then, will
be a good route to follow?" l said.
81 know that road and it's surround
ings-wellr'
THAT'S It'll" he exclaimed, joyfully.
swell do very well-just progressing
northward I've no particular object
except that when we get far north.
there's a place / want to turn aside to
-Marrasdale moor-just to renew
acquaintance. What about terms,
now?" he asked, efficiently.
Il think | ought to leave that to
you, Mr.. Mazaroff," l answered. "Fd
prefer to-"
He gave a sigh of what, 1t was
plain, was sheer relief.
"That's just what I'd like you to
do" he said, simply. THAT'S thing
that gentlemen shouldn't bargain
about. Leave it to me-youll not re-
greet it. I'm a very rich man, laddie,
and rich men are entitled to have
their little games and fancies, Ell?
Very well, now-and when can you
be ready to start?"
"Any time, with couple of hours
notice." replied.
"Good-good ~ he exclaimed. "Then
I'll just tell you what We'll do. Holt.
Bring your kit along here this after
noon, and we'll start about five o'clock,
and run gently along as far as we
like before dinner time-there'll be
some old town where we can spend a
peaceful evening and quiet night In
an old-fashioned hotel. I've fine
Rolls-Royce car in the garage, and a
thoroughly dependable chauffeur, Web
ster, a trusty, good, sensible fellow,
and we'll be right as rain. Come by
five o'clock. That'll suit you? Good |
And now we'll just go down and take
a bit of lunch together"
Mr.. Mazaroff and | spent a couple
of hours over that lunch and our
cigars and coffee. He proved him.
self knowing and generous host, and
a great talker. His talk was worth
listening to. soon discovered that
he had seen many strange places and
peoples; without giving me any def
mite information about himself or his
pursuits, he let me know that he had
travelled extensively in various out.
of-the-way parts of Asia and Africa.
Presently / left him and went away
to make ready for our journey: at
five o'clock l was back at the hotel
with my luggage, and by quarter
past we were off.
We followed out Mazaroff's line of
going as far as we liked, and stop
ping where and when we chose 1t
was difficult to get him away from
towns like Stamford and Grantham-
at York, after preliminary inspec-
ton of the old city,, he announced his
intention of staying a week: we
stopped ten days.
All the way north, he was never
tired of drawing me out about the
war, and my own dOings in it. 1t was
Of no use to profess that one had
forgotten; he would have the whole
tale. And for all the youngsters who
had done their bit he professed an adj
miration which was akin to veritable
hero worship.
We got on together splendidly-he
was an excellent, fatherly and broth
erly companion. At the end Of a
month he and l were inseparables.
We had then run into the crisp Oc-
tober weather of the north, and were
on the southern edge of Northumber-
map, he gave his chauffeur orders to
cut across country, north by west,
making by way of HeXham and Wark
for the wild lands beyond, and for a
particular place marked on the chart
as the Woodcock inn on Marrasdale
moor.
When, rounding a heather-clad bluff
that sloped sharply down to our track,
we came In sight of the Woodcock
inn, l was amazed to think that a
hosiery should be found in such a
desert. 1t stood, gaunt gray mass
of stone, on the edge of great
moor ringed about by high hills-as
veritable a solitude as one could set
eyes on. Beyond it there was not a
sign of human life or habitation.
"What an extraordinary place for
an inn" | exclaimed as we moved
nearer. "What custom can they get
there|
81 know this country" Marazoff
said. "Used to come here when | was
a youngster, And though it's true
there isn't sign Of life about us
except what's signified by the old inn
yonder, it's not such a desert as 1t
looks at first sight. There's nothing
on the moor-Marrasdale moor-but
you'll observe that there's valleys cut
ting in between the hills that run
down to its edge? Well, there's viii
lagos in those valleys, and farmsteads.
too, and more than enc stable coun-
try house. mind them all well
enough, laddie, though it's more years
than l care to estimate since | set
eyes on them!
"There'll be people you remember"
suggested, "and who'll remember
you"
"Not after all these years!" he an
swered quickly. "And between Won