Read Online The Miner’s Girl by Maggie Hope - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maggie Hope
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is your sister?’ Miles demanded. Vaguely he remembered a baby crying, watching him over a fence of chairs that night.
‘She’s at work, mister. Where else would she be at this time of day?’
Ben was uncomfortable and beginning to worry. This fella was a gent and the mines agent an’ all. He was a bit hazy about what an agent did or what sort of power he had but Ben could guess it was a pretty strong sort. What would Merry and he do if they were thrown out of the village?
‘You’re on your own?’
Ben took a step back ready to run if need be – he didn’t like the look in this man’s eye. ‘She’ll be back any time now,’ he said. ‘It’s her half day.’
‘I’m not going to hurt you, lad,’ said Miles, forcing himself to alter his tone to sound more friendly. ‘I’m just concerned.’
Ben was mystified. He was thirteen years old, almost a man. Why should the man be concerned for him?
‘I can look after meself, mister,’ he said, clutching the spade.
‘Yes, I’m sure,’ said Miles. Just at that moment Marcus snickered and gave him inspiration. ‘But my horse needs watering and I am at a loss to know how to work the pump back there. I wonder if you could help me?’
Ben stared his disbelief but Miles was smiling easily now, standing to one side and gesturing for Ben to go in front of him. ‘I’ll give you a shilling.’
Ben was unsure but in the end he stuck the spade into the earth and went. After all, shillings were usually hard to earn and he couldn’t pass up the chance of getting one for such a small job. If he was slightly incredulous that the mining agent didn’t know how to use the pump he dismissed the thought. Likely the gent had those newfangled taps in his house.
‘See, there’s nowt to it really,’ he said as he pumped the handle vigorously up and down and eventually a stream of water ran out. ‘But look, there’s water in the bucket already.’ He looked up at Miles, frowning. ‘Did you not see it?’
‘Oh, is there?’ asked Miles and stepped forward to peer into the battered bucket. ‘So there is,’ he said smoothly. Marcus had come up behind him and wasnuzzling at him. ‘He must have had a drink too.’ Ben straightened up. Oh well, he probably wouldn’t get his shilling now, he thought. Might as well go back to work.
‘Would you like to have a ride, lad? You can sit in front of me and ride along to Eden Hope if you wish.’ Miles was being his most affable in contrast to his tone of a few minutes ago. But Ben was excited at the thought and suddenly no longer almost a man but a young boy offered a treat.
‘Eeh, can I, mister? You’re not joshing me, are you?’
‘No, I mean it, really.’
Miles mounted the horse and held out his hand to Ben. ‘Come on now, just put your foot there and jump up before me, it’ll be fine.’
It was the work of a moment to get Ben up before him and Miles stepped out back to the junction where the track led off to Eden Hope colliery.
‘I’ve only ever ridden the pit ponies when they’re in’t farmer’s field,’ said Ben. His cheeks were flushed and his blue eyes sparkled.
Have you indeed, thought Miles. I’ll have to have a word with that farmer for letting the miners’ brats ride the ponies. They came to bank to gain strength for their work, not to provide amusement for young hellions. He led Marcus off the track and through a gate onto the field with the path running down, but he didn’t take the path;instead he trotted along beside the hedge and through a gap to a smaller garth and on to an old lonnen.
‘This isn’t the way to Eden Hope,’ said Ben. He was not uneasy about it though; he was too happy to be on the back of a horse for that. The feel of Marcus’s muscles rippling beneath him filled him with delight. ‘It’s the old pack donkey trail over to the coast.’
‘Yes, so it is. But I thought you would like to go into the woods here, ride between the trees.’
‘Oh aye, mister, I
‘She’s at work, mister. Where else would she be at this time of day?’
Ben was uncomfortable and beginning to worry. This fella was a gent and the mines agent an’ all. He was a bit hazy about what an agent did or what sort of power he had but Ben could guess it was a pretty strong sort. What would Merry and he do if they were thrown out of the village?
‘You’re on your own?’
Ben took a step back ready to run if need be – he didn’t like the look in this man’s eye. ‘She’ll be back any time now,’ he said. ‘It’s her half day.’
‘I’m not going to hurt you, lad,’ said Miles, forcing himself to alter his tone to sound more friendly. ‘I’m just concerned.’
Ben was mystified. He was thirteen years old, almost a man. Why should the man be concerned for him?
‘I can look after meself, mister,’ he said, clutching the spade.
‘Yes, I’m sure,’ said Miles. Just at that moment Marcus snickered and gave him inspiration. ‘But my horse needs watering and I am at a loss to know how to work the pump back there. I wonder if you could help me?’
Ben stared his disbelief but Miles was smiling easily now, standing to one side and gesturing for Ben to go in front of him. ‘I’ll give you a shilling.’
Ben was unsure but in the end he stuck the spade into the earth and went. After all, shillings were usually hard to earn and he couldn’t pass up the chance of getting one for such a small job. If he was slightly incredulous that the mining agent didn’t know how to use the pump he dismissed the thought. Likely the gent had those newfangled taps in his house.
‘See, there’s nowt to it really,’ he said as he pumped the handle vigorously up and down and eventually a stream of water ran out. ‘But look, there’s water in the bucket already.’ He looked up at Miles, frowning. ‘Did you not see it?’
‘Oh, is there?’ asked Miles and stepped forward to peer into the battered bucket. ‘So there is,’ he said smoothly. Marcus had come up behind him and wasnuzzling at him. ‘He must have had a drink too.’ Ben straightened up. Oh well, he probably wouldn’t get his shilling now, he thought. Might as well go back to work.
‘Would you like to have a ride, lad? You can sit in front of me and ride along to Eden Hope if you wish.’ Miles was being his most affable in contrast to his tone of a few minutes ago. But Ben was excited at the thought and suddenly no longer almost a man but a young boy offered a treat.
‘Eeh, can I, mister? You’re not joshing me, are you?’
‘No, I mean it, really.’
Miles mounted the horse and held out his hand to Ben. ‘Come on now, just put your foot there and jump up before me, it’ll be fine.’
It was the work of a moment to get Ben up before him and Miles stepped out back to the junction where the track led off to Eden Hope colliery.
‘I’ve only ever ridden the pit ponies when they’re in’t farmer’s field,’ said Ben. His cheeks were flushed and his blue eyes sparkled.
Have you indeed, thought Miles. I’ll have to have a word with that farmer for letting the miners’ brats ride the ponies. They came to bank to gain strength for their work, not to provide amusement for young hellions. He led Marcus off the track and through a gate onto the field with the path running down, but he didn’t take the path;instead he trotted along beside the hedge and through a gap to a smaller garth and on to an old lonnen.
‘This isn’t the way to Eden Hope,’ said Ben. He was not uneasy about it though; he was too happy to be on the back of a horse for that. The feel of Marcus’s muscles rippling beneath him filled him with delight. ‘It’s the old pack donkey trail over to the coast.’
‘Yes, so it is. But I thought you would like to go into the woods here, ride between the trees.’
‘Oh aye, mister, I
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