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Authors: Winston Graham
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the weak pit-prop which had been used for the central beam would b ow no further; but one couldn't be sure, and sometimes it gave an ominous crack.
In the last week in May Pally Rogers told Sam that a fine piece of ship's timber had washed in at St Ann's and been taken possession of by one of the seine boats there. So the next time Drake had, a few h ours free and Sam, was up from his core they walked over to look at it. It was not a mast but a cross-beam: eighteen feet or so in length and very nearly a foot square. For use in the cottage it w as four feet too long but otherw ise perfect. The seiners wanted seven shillings for it. After some bargaining they settled for five.
For two shillings more, the seiners said, they would row it round and deposit it on Hendrawna. Beach. The brothers politely refused. They left a deposit of three shillings and said they would come for it on the morrow, which was the last day of the month and a Saturday. Sam was on the night core and Drake was able to get off at three in the afternoon, so they were in St Ann's well before five. Within half an hour they had paid the difference and had started back.
This week the weather had at last relented and the sun wa s hot as they climbed the long h ill out of the village. The great beam had not yet fully dried out and it soon began to feel like, lead. It was going to be a long and trying walk. By the time they had done two miles, Drake, who was not yet as strong as his brother,, began to wish they had paid the extra two shillings to have the beam `delivered'. They had al l night to carry it in, but the difficulty if they stopped to rest was getting the beam back on their sh oulders again. They could only stop where there was a convenient wall or support on which to rest the beam waist high.
They were now on the same path t hey had taken from Illuggan in March, and they presently came to, the fork in the track where in March they had attempted to cross some fields and been turned back with ugly words by the Warleggan gamekeepers. The y had never attempted to, cross the fields since but both were well aware from later experience that the way through the fields and the two small woods beyond cut at least a mile off their journey. They stopped for a minute. There was no one in sight. You could not see Trenwith House or any, of its buildings. There was a barn, of some, sort in the next field.
'I say risk it,' said Drake. `They can't be everywhere all the time.' So they crossed the field, which was grazing land, though not even cattle were to be seen this evening.
The se cond field was barley, and the old right of way ran across the middle of it towards the wood on the other side. The barley had been sown to ignore the old path, but in the main had not grown thickly over it, as if even ploughing had not destroyed the impress of years. They went through the twiddle, waiting every moment for the angry shout even the shot.
It did not come. They lifted themselves over the broken stile into the wood.,
Front here it should be easier. They were not sure how far it was yet on private land, bet they knew the path came out at the first cottages of Grambler village, and that could not be far. The whole of the wood which they now entered, which was perhaps half an acre in extent, was azure with bluebells. The young elm and sycamore leaves were bursting out in a brilliant pale green through which the slanting sunlight dappled the ground. Halfway was a clearing where a tree had recently fallen and only a few sprouting saplings grew. The ca terpillar ends of bracken were thrusting up among the bluebells. The fallen tree and an old stone wall would provide a resting place for the beam.
`Let's stop for a while,' said Drake. `My shoulder's fair crackin'.'
`Not for, long,' said Sam. `I'd be easier out o' here.' But he lowered the beam took the piece of sacking off his shoulder and began t o massage it.
They squatted a few minutes in, sweating satisfaction. A thrush
In the last week in May Pally Rogers told Sam that a fine piece of ship's timber had washed in at St Ann's and been taken possession of by one of the seine boats there. So the next time Drake had, a few h ours free and Sam, was up from his core they walked over to look at it. It was not a mast but a cross-beam: eighteen feet or so in length and very nearly a foot square. For use in the cottage it w as four feet too long but otherw ise perfect. The seiners wanted seven shillings for it. After some bargaining they settled for five.
For two shillings more, the seiners said, they would row it round and deposit it on Hendrawna. Beach. The brothers politely refused. They left a deposit of three shillings and said they would come for it on the morrow, which was the last day of the month and a Saturday. Sam was on the night core and Drake was able to get off at three in the afternoon, so they were in St Ann's well before five. Within half an hour they had paid the difference and had started back.
This week the weather had at last relented and the sun wa s hot as they climbed the long h ill out of the village. The great beam had not yet fully dried out and it soon began to feel like, lead. It was going to be a long and trying walk. By the time they had done two miles, Drake, who was not yet as strong as his brother,, began to wish they had paid the extra two shillings to have the beam `delivered'. They had al l night to carry it in, but the difficulty if they stopped to rest was getting the beam back on their sh oulders again. They could only stop where there was a convenient wall or support on which to rest the beam waist high.
They were now on the same path t hey had taken from Illuggan in March, and they presently came to, the fork in the track where in March they had attempted to cross some fields and been turned back with ugly words by the Warleggan gamekeepers. The y had never attempted to, cross the fields since but both were well aware from later experience that the way through the fields and the two small woods beyond cut at least a mile off their journey. They stopped for a minute. There was no one in sight. You could not see Trenwith House or any, of its buildings. There was a barn, of some, sort in the next field.
'I say risk it,' said Drake. `They can't be everywhere all the time.' So they crossed the field, which was grazing land, though not even cattle were to be seen this evening.
The se cond field was barley, and the old right of way ran across the middle of it towards the wood on the other side. The barley had been sown to ignore the old path, but in the main had not grown thickly over it, as if even ploughing had not destroyed the impress of years. They went through the twiddle, waiting every moment for the angry shout even the shot.
It did not come. They lifted themselves over the broken stile into the wood.,
Front here it should be easier. They were not sure how far it was yet on private land, bet they knew the path came out at the first cottages of Grambler village, and that could not be far. The whole of the wood which they now entered, which was perhaps half an acre in extent, was azure with bluebells. The young elm and sycamore leaves were bursting out in a brilliant pale green through which the slanting sunlight dappled the ground. Halfway was a clearing where a tree had recently fallen and only a few sprouting saplings grew. The ca terpillar ends of bracken were thrusting up among the bluebells. The fallen tree and an old stone wall would provide a resting place for the beam.
`Let's stop for a while,' said Drake. `My shoulder's fair crackin'.'
`Not for, long,' said Sam. `I'd be easier out o' here.' But he lowered the beam took the piece of sacking off his shoulder and began t o massage it.
They squatted a few minutes in, sweating satisfaction. A thrush
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