God, in His mercy, knows that I am stupid enough for
any man, and very slow of impression, nor ever could
bring myself to believe that our Father would let
the evil one get the upper hand of us. But when
I had heard that sound three times, in the lonely
gloom of the evening fog, and the cold that followed
the lines of air, I was loath to go abroad by night,
even so far as the stables, and loved the light of
a candle more, and the glow of a fire with company.
There were many stories about it, of course, all over
the breadth of the moorland. But those who had
heard it most often declared that it must be the wail
of a woman’s voice, and the rustle of robes fleeing
horribly, and fiends in the fog going after her.
To that, however, I paid no heed, when anybody was
with me; only we drew more close together, and barred
the doors at sunset.
[Illustration: 102.jpg Tailpiece]
MASTER HUCKABACK COMES IN
[Illustration: 103.jpg Illustrated Capital]
Mr. Reuben Huckaback, whom many good folk in Dulverton
will remember long after my time, was my mother’s
uncle, being indeed her mother’s brother.
He owned the very best shop in the town, and did a
fine trade in soft ware, especially when the pack-horses
came safely in at Christmas-time. And we being
now his only kindred (except indeed his granddaughter,
little Ruth Huckaback, of whom no one took any heed),
mother beheld it a Christian duty to keep as well as
could be with him, both for love of a nice old man,
and for the sake of her children. And truly,
the Dulverton people said that he was the richest man
in their town, and could buy up half the county armigers;
’ay, and if it came to that, they would like
to see any man, at Bampton, or at Wivelscombe, and
you might say almost Taunton, who could put down golden
Jacobus and Carolus against him.
Now this old gentleman—so they called him,
according to his money; and I have seen many worse
ones, more violent and less wealthy—he must
needs come away that time to spend the New Year-tide
with us; not that he wanted to do it (for he hated
country-life), but because my mother pressing, as
mothers will do to a good bag of gold, had wrung a
promise from him; and the only boast of his life was
that never yet had he broken his word, at least since
he opened business.
Now it pleased God that Christmas-time (in spite of
all the fogs) to send safe home to Dulverton, and
what was more, with their loads quite safe, a goodly
string of packhorses. Nearly half of their charge
was for Uncle Reuben, and he knew how to make the
most of it. Then having balanced his debits and
credits, and set the writs running against defaulters,
as behoves a good Christian at Christmas-tide, he saddled
his horse, and rode off towards Oare, with a good stout
coat upon him, and leaving Ruth and his head man plenty
to do, and little to eat, until they should see him
again.
