Read Online The Black Moon by Winston Graham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Winston Graham
Ads: Link
came down near them, balancing his fan of a tail., then chattered affr ightedly and flew off. Some small animal, probably a squirrel, moved in the undergrowth but did not show itself. Overhead the sky was high and brilliant, as if it had never been exposed to the sun before.
`Phew! I've no sprawl to move yet,' Drake said. `I reckon we shall've earned this piece o' driftwood by the time we get him home.'
`Hush!' said Sam. `There's someone abroad.'
They listened. At first there was no sound, then quite close someone was talking. The young men-dived for cover. In the following pause a blackbird began to sing, his clear pellucid song taking no, account of anyt hing bet the summer's evening. Then he t oo fluttered away as a rustling increased and there was the clack of a heel against stoke.
Two people came into the clearing. One was a fair-haired boy of ten or eleven, the other a tall dark girl in a plain blue dress with muslin fiche and a straw hat in her hand. Held in the other arm was a sheaf of bluebells.
`Oh,' sa id the boy in a clear voice, 'Someone has cut a tree downs No, it has fallen! I wonder if they, know, But what is this strange piece of wood?'
The girl fished in a pocket of her frock and took out a pair of steel-rimmed spectacles, which s he put on to stare at the beam. 'It looks like a piece from a barn or a ship. Someone must have brought it here. Recently too, for the bluebells have all been stepped on.'
She turned and peered around. Drake made a movement to show himself but Sam caught his arm. But the damage had been done: the young boy's sharp eyes had seen the yellow of Sam's kerchief,
`Who is it? Who's there? Come out! Show yourselves!' Although he spoke in a commanding tone the boy was nervous and took a step away as he spoke.
They came slowly out, dusting the broken twigs and bracken from their clothes, rubbi ng their hands down the side of their trousers.
`Day to you,' said Drake, as ever politely pleasant in a crisis; `Sorry if we startled you, We thought to rest awhile and had no wish to disturb no one.'
`Who are you?' said the boy. `This is private property! Are you my uncle's men?'
'No, sur,' said Drake. `Leastwise, thinkin' ye mean Mr Warleggan. No, sur. We was just carren this piece of timber from St Ann's over to Mellin. Tis all of six mile and we thought to lay our bur den down for a few minutes, for the beam is some heavy. I trust we done no wrong.'
`You're tre spassing,' said the boy. `This is our land! Do you know what the penalties are for trespass?' The girl put her hand on, the boy's arm but he shook it off.
`Beg pardon, sur, but we thought this was a right o' way. We seen the stile and years ago when we come t his way there was naught to let or hinder us.' Drake turned his open smiling face to the girl. 'We intended no wrong, ma'am. Perhaps you'll kindly explain to young Mr Warleggan that we 'ad no thought to trespass on private land-'
`My nam e is not Warleggan,' said the boy.
`Beg your, pardon again. We thought as this was Warleggan land -'
`This is Poldark land and my name is Poldark,' said the boy. `However, it is true that until a year ago village people were allowed to go this way, though never by right. It was only that my family had long been indulgent in such matters.'
'Mr Poldark,' said Drake. `If your name's Mr Poldark, young sur, then maybe you'll see fit to overlook this mistake, because we ’ re related to Captain Ross Poldark, who, twouldn't be fancifu l to suppose, may be related to you.'
The boy looked at their working clothes. He had .a high fresh colour and a natural arrogance of manner inherited from his father. He was tall for his age and rather plump; a good-looking boy but with a restive air.
`Related to my uncle - Captain Ross Poldark? In what way related?'
'Cap'n Poldark's wife, Mistress Demelza Poldark, is our sister.'
This was a statement rather beyond Geoffrey Charles's knowledge to refute, but he looked sceptical. 'Where do you come
`Phew! I've no sprawl to move yet,' Drake said. `I reckon we shall've earned this piece o' driftwood by the time we get him home.'
`Hush!' said Sam. `There's someone abroad.'
They listened. At first there was no sound, then quite close someone was talking. The young men-dived for cover. In the following pause a blackbird began to sing, his clear pellucid song taking no, account of anyt hing bet the summer's evening. Then he t oo fluttered away as a rustling increased and there was the clack of a heel against stoke.
Two people came into the clearing. One was a fair-haired boy of ten or eleven, the other a tall dark girl in a plain blue dress with muslin fiche and a straw hat in her hand. Held in the other arm was a sheaf of bluebells.
`Oh,' sa id the boy in a clear voice, 'Someone has cut a tree downs No, it has fallen! I wonder if they, know, But what is this strange piece of wood?'
The girl fished in a pocket of her frock and took out a pair of steel-rimmed spectacles, which s he put on to stare at the beam. 'It looks like a piece from a barn or a ship. Someone must have brought it here. Recently too, for the bluebells have all been stepped on.'
She turned and peered around. Drake made a movement to show himself but Sam caught his arm. But the damage had been done: the young boy's sharp eyes had seen the yellow of Sam's kerchief,
`Who is it? Who's there? Come out! Show yourselves!' Although he spoke in a commanding tone the boy was nervous and took a step away as he spoke.
They came slowly out, dusting the broken twigs and bracken from their clothes, rubbi ng their hands down the side of their trousers.
`Day to you,' said Drake, as ever politely pleasant in a crisis; `Sorry if we startled you, We thought to rest awhile and had no wish to disturb no one.'
`Who are you?' said the boy. `This is private property! Are you my uncle's men?'
'No, sur,' said Drake. `Leastwise, thinkin' ye mean Mr Warleggan. No, sur. We was just carren this piece of timber from St Ann's over to Mellin. Tis all of six mile and we thought to lay our bur den down for a few minutes, for the beam is some heavy. I trust we done no wrong.'
`You're tre spassing,' said the boy. `This is our land! Do you know what the penalties are for trespass?' The girl put her hand on, the boy's arm but he shook it off.
`Beg pardon, sur, but we thought this was a right o' way. We seen the stile and years ago when we come t his way there was naught to let or hinder us.' Drake turned his open smiling face to the girl. 'We intended no wrong, ma'am. Perhaps you'll kindly explain to young Mr Warleggan that we 'ad no thought to trespass on private land-'
`My nam e is not Warleggan,' said the boy.
`Beg your, pardon again. We thought as this was Warleggan land -'
`This is Poldark land and my name is Poldark,' said the boy. `However, it is true that until a year ago village people were allowed to go this way, though never by right. It was only that my family had long been indulgent in such matters.'
'Mr Poldark,' said Drake. `If your name's Mr Poldark, young sur, then maybe you'll see fit to overlook this mistake, because we ’ re related to Captain Ross Poldark, who, twouldn't be fancifu l to suppose, may be related to you.'
The boy looked at their working clothes. He had .a high fresh colour and a natural arrogance of manner inherited from his father. He was tall for his age and rather plump; a good-looking boy but with a restive air.
`Related to my uncle - Captain Ross Poldark? In what way related?'
'Cap'n Poldark's wife, Mistress Demelza Poldark, is our sister.'
This was a statement rather beyond Geoffrey Charles's knowledge to refute, but he looked sceptical. 'Where do you come
Similar Books
