Tales of Our Coast

ring on his finger, and heard a good authority in his voice. They came out from the Western gate at his command, three-score and more, and stood from the brink of the cliff

p a lamentation of death, and the others cried aloud, till the noise spread

e from the gate, and walked toward them. A fine rain was in the air, and the ski

wild beasts, sewn rudely with thongs, and through the gaps in this cover some of the men saw stained foreign cloths and the plume of a hat, and some a shoe with a priest's b

in gentleness upon them, and they saw that in that same night, while the 'lit

under the rocks, and beat all of them off. But one of them I did not make the sign of the Cross before, and that one is the King of Spain; and so he h

down the abyss before his descent was finished. These, to their amazement, beheld a miracle. For the great fall did not kill Murtogh Mordha, but the waters boiled and rose to meet him,

the women in the bawn. But louder still was the voice of the lad who wore

er, and when I am of my full strength I will kill the King of Spain, and g

nows where the bones of its forgotten sept are buried. But the evil currents will never tire of w

-CALL OF

Y

-CALL OF

hung here all my time, and most of my father's. The women won't touch 'em; they're afraid of the story. So here they'll dang

he metal of each was tarnished out of knowledge. But the trumpet was evidently an old cavalry trumpet, and the threads of its parti-coloured sling, though frayed and dusty, still hung together. Around the side-drum, beneath its cracked brown varnish, I could hardly trace a royal coat-of-arms and a legend r

and paused to examine this. The body of the lock was composed of half-a-dozen brass rings, set accurately edge to

padlocks, once so common; only to be opened by getting the r

red the door, and ca

old me the tale a score o' times. You're twisting round the rings, I see. But you'll never guess the word. Parson Kendall, he made the wor

hosts, M

was a young man in the year 'nine, unmarried at the time, and living in this

e, and went on, with his eyes fi

s often) a great strip of ore-weed came flying through the darkness and fetched him a slap on the cheek like a cold hand. But he made shift pretty well till he got to Lowland, and then had to drop upon hands and knees and crawl, digging his fingers every now and then into the shingle to hold on, for he declared to me that the stones, some of them as big as a man's head, kept rolling and driving past till it seemed the whole foreshore was moving westward under him. The fence was gone, of course: not a stick left to show where it stood; so that, when first he came to the place, he thought he must have missed h

the flare. My father could see the white streak and the ports of her quite plain as she rose to it, a little outside the breakers, and he guessed easy enough that her captain had just managed to wear ship, and was trying to force her nose to the sea with the help of her small bower anchor and the scrap or two of canvas that hadn't yet be

daylight, picking your way among the stones there, and my father was prettily knocked about at first in the dark. But by this 'twas nearer seven than six o'clock, and the day spreading. By the time he reached North Corner, a man could see to read print; hows'ever, he looked neither out to sea nor towards Coverack, bu

s wife, Ann. "What d' 'ee mean by

ck, I tell 'ee.

I've a-zeed'n, too; and so has e

shing, and the point black with people like emmets, running to and fro in the morning light. While he stood staring at her, he heard a trumpet sounded on board, the n

he hosses over first to lighten the ship, for a score of dead hosses had washed in afore I left, half-an-hour back. An' three or four

ed her about t

rim death whenever the sea made a clean breach over them, an' standing up like heroes as soon as it passed. The captain an' the officers were clinging to the rail of the quarter-deck, all in their golden uniforms, waiting for the end as if 'twas King George they expected. There was no way to help, for she lay right beyond cast of line, though our folk tried it fifty times. And beside them clung a trumpeter, a whacking big man, an' between the heavy seas he would lift his trumpet with one hand, and blow a call; and every time he blew, the men gave a cheer. There (she say

Of these three my father made out one to be the skipper; close by him clung an officer in full regimentals-his name, they heard after, was Captain Duncanfield; and last came the tall trumpeter; and if you'll believe me, the fellow was making shift there, at the very last, to blow "God save the King." What's more, he got to "Send us victorious," before an extra big sea came bursting across and washed them off the deck-every man but one of the pair beneath the poop-and he dropped his hold before the next wave; being stunned, I reckon. The others went out of sight at once; but the trumpeter-being, as I said, a powerful man as well as a tough swimmer-rose like a duck, rode out a c

washing about with half-a-dozen men lashed to it, men in red jackets, every mother's son drowned and staring; and a little further on, just under the Dean, three or four bodies cast up on the shore, one of them a small drummer-boy, side-drum and all; and, near by, part of a ship's gig, with H. M. S. Primrose cut on the stern-board. From this point on, the shore was littered thick with wreckage and dead bodies,-the most of them Marines in uniform; and in Godrevy Cove, in particular, a heap of furniture from the captain's cabin, and amongst it a water-tight box, not much damaged, and full of papers,

was passing back under the Dean, he happened to take a look over his shoulder at the bodies there. "Hullo!" says he, and dropped his gear, "I do believe there's a leg moving!" and running fore, he stooped over the small drummer-boy that I told you about. The poor little chap was lying there, with his face a mass of bruises, and his eyes closed-but he had shifted one leg an inch or two, and was still breathing. So my father pulled out a knife, and cut him free from his drum-that was lashed on

t him free fr

troopers gave evidence about the loss of the Despatch. The tall trumpeter, too, whose ribs were healing, came forward and kissed the Book; but somehow his head had been hurt in coming ashore, and he talked foolish-like, and 'twas easy seen he would never be a proper man aga

t had shrunk a brave bit with the salt water; but into ordinary frock an' corduroys he declared he would not get, not if he had to go naked the rest of his life; so my father-being a good-natured man, and handy with the needle-turned to and repaired damages with a piece or two of scarlet cloth cut from the ja

od mornin'! And what m

r lads were buried yonder without so much as a drum tapped or a mu

er, and spat on the groun

I'd hang it at your mouth, you greasy cavalryman, and learn you to speak respe

m from the height of six foot tw

already that 'twas to be parade order; and the men fell in as trim and decent as if they were going to church. One or two even tried to shave at the last moment. The Major wore his medals. One of the seamen, seeing I had work to keep the drum steady-the sling being a bit loose for me, and the wind what you remember-lashed it tight with a piece of rope; and that saved my life afterwards, a drum being as g

done, drummer of the Ma

Chri

from Sahagun to Corunna 'twas we that took and gave the knocks-at Mayorga and Rueda and Bennyventy." (The reason, sir, I can speak the names so pat, is that my father learnt 'em by heart afterwards from the trumpeter, who was always talking about Mayorga and Rueda and Bennyventy.) "We made the rear-guard, under General Paget, and drove the French every time; and all the infantry did was to sit about in wine-shops till we whipped 'em out, an' steal an' straggle an' play the tomfool in general. And when it came to

se and the Despatch had struck and sunk; and on still days 'twas pretty to hear them out there off the Manacles, the drummer playing his tattoo-for they always took their music with them-and the trumpeter practising calls, and making his trumpet speak like an angel. But if the weather turned roughish, they'd be walking together and talking; leastwise, the young

take him on as lodger as soon as the boy left; and on the morning fixed for the start, he was up at the door here by five o'clock, with his trumpet slung by his side, and all the rest of his belongings in a small valise. A Monday morning it was, and after breakfast he had fixed to walk with the boy some way on the road towards Helst

here's goin', and he leaves his drum behind him; for though he can make pretty music on it, the parchment sags in wet weather, by reason of the sea-water getting at it; an' if he carries it to Plymouth, they'll only condemn it and give him another. And, as for me, I sha'n't have the heart to put lip to the trumpet any more when Johnny's gone. So we've chosen a word together, and locked 'em together upon that; and, by your leave, I'll hang 'em here together on th

e; and the boy stood up and thanked my father and shook h

the cottage was tidied up, and the tea ready, and the whole place shining like a new pin. From that time for five years he lodged here with my father, looking after the house and tilling the garden. And all the while he was steadily failing; the hurt

lared he was ready to kiss the Book upon it, before judge and jury. He said, too, that he never had the wit to make up such

and was mending his spiller by the light of the horn lantern, meaning to set off before daylight to haul the trammel. The trumpeter hadn't been to bed at all. Towards the last he mostly spent his nights (and his days, too) dozing in the

it was the drummer John Christian. Only his uniform was different from the

er as if he never saw him, and s

umpeter, are yo

ow should I not be one with you, drummer Johnny-Johnny boy? If you co

o the chimney-place, he unhooked the drum and trumpet, and began to twist the brass rings of the lock, sp

t, when I came to Plymouth, th

ull voice; "I went back with them from Sahagun to Corunna. At Corunna t

Queen's Own. Matthew," he says, suddenly, turning on my father-and when he turned, my father saw for the first time that hi

um, and t'other his trumpet. He took the lantern and went quaking before them down to the shore

s of Coverack to Dolor Point, and there, at a word, lay on his oars. And the trumpeter, William Tall

er sounded

the drummer. "Matthew, pul

de Carn d?. And the drummer took his sticks and beat a tattoo, there b

off; "they will follow. Pull now fo

d they stepped out, all three, and walked up to the meadow. By the gate the drummer

and pale Hussars, riding their horses, all lean and shadowy. There was no clatter of hoofs or accoutrements, my father said, but a soft sound all the while like the beating of a bird's wing; and a black shadow lying like a pool about the feet of all. The d

the rank and called, "Troop-Sergeant-Major Thomas I

jor Thomas Irons, h

trayed a girl; and when I was grown, I betrayed a friend, and for th

man, "Trooper Henry Buckingham!"

Buckingham, how

I stole, and in Lugo, in a wine-shop, I killed a m

lled

ing the dead Marines in their order. Each man answered to his name, and each man ended with

and we are content to join yo

my father picked it up, he heard the ranks of dead men cheer and call, "God save the King!" a

rned in the lantern light-and my father could see the blood still welling out of the hole in his breast-and took the trumpet-sling from arou

ng the padlock, he spelt out the word slowly-"B-A-Y-O-N-E." After that, he used no more speech, but turned and hung the two instruments

just seen walk out by the door! If my father's heart jumped before, you may believe it jumped quicker now. But, after a bit, he went up to the man asl

" "What news?" says my father. "Why, that peace is agreed upon." "None too soon," says my father. "Not soon enough for our poor lads at Bayonne," the parson answered. "Bayonne!" cries my father, with a jump. "Why, yes;" and the parson told him all about a great sally the French had made on the nigh

rcury" off the Sherborne rider, and got the landlord of the "Angel" to spell out the list of kill

n breast. So my father went up to Parson Kendall, and told the whole

to open the lock

to touch it,"

ottage here, he took the things off the hook and tried th

t with one 'n' as he

-N-E. "Whew!" says he, for the l

won't get no credit for truth-telling, and a miracle's wasted on a set of fools. But if you like, I'll shut down the lock again upo

us you would, pars

ung the drum and trumpet back in their place. He is gone long since, taking the word

THERE

ARK R

THERE

looked at him. He was a little man, curved; his hands were buried to the knuckles' end in his breeches pockets; he wore a yellow sou'wester, and under it was a

our name?

g at my waistcoat, and answered:

u want

g to lean against the wall, without any

a civil question with

and gazed at the s

at obelisk

its bearings, and he a

, yonder; that tall st

yer r

you, I expect

d out for yourself?' said he,

to the pier-head, and rejoicing, under his waistcoats, to get ashore anywhere and anyhow. And the snobs of Ramsgate go to the expense of erecting that unwholesome and shocking memorial of so abject a trifle as t

ace; they were running harder

't know who y'are, but don't

I an

lenty of trains to all parts, and I'll carry yer bag for nothen', allowi

r at his peculiarly ugly, wicked face, I walked off, scarce knowing but tha

whom I had gone fishi

to the leaning figure, 'who

ith a half-glance at the wall-sca

er been hu

man down from the gibbet on the sand hills yonder,' said he, pointing in the direction of Deal, 'when my father was a boy

of man, you know, to murder you when you're out fishing with him. He's a sort of man to stab you in th

man on the coast. His heart was turned

he worst-tempered

?' sa

he replied; 'it was mor

so, I'll stand two drinks; a pin

harbour clock in striking: twelve to reflect. 'Anyways, pint or no pint, her

ts,-though we've got some thick heads among us, I can tell you,-they were capsized. The gemman was drowned,

s. He was one of them men as would walk about the rocks and sands arter a breeze of wind, hunting for whatever he might find,-be it a corpse that had come ashore to keep him in good spirits, or the 'arf of a shoe. Him and Sam Bowler was a-huntin' arter jewellery down among the rocks one day, and that

d station, he falls in with one of the men, a sort of relation of his. They got yarning. The coastguard had a big telescope under his arm. That there Mason asked leave to have a look, and he levels the gl

heye?" says the c

taken ye

red that there Mason. "Sands

tead of continuing his walk, he returned to this here yard

cocksure lot; he never made a blunder in all his life. It mightn't be the body as was advertised for, but, if it was, 'twas a fifty-pound job; and that th

and drop a line over the side. He rowed and rowed. The body lay upon the edge of the Sand, a long distance away from the Gull lightship. He rowed and rowed. By-and-bye, standin' up, he pulls out a bit of a pocket glass, and then di

y meanders, always a-looking. What was there to find? He couldn't tell. There was expectation, yer see, and that was a sort of joy to the 'eart of that there Mason. Y'u'd hardly think it of a boatman, but it's true: whilst that bally idiot was a-wandering about them sands searching for whatever there might be, his boat, giving a tug at her painter, frees the rope and drifts away on the tide, with that there man as you are now a-looking at walking about the sands, his 'ands buried deep and his eyes fixed, dreaming of lighting upon a sovereign or a gold chain,-you can never tell wh

ng a straight course for the sands. It was plain she wasn't under no government. The wind blew her along, and at eight o'clock that evening, when the moon was rising and

e?" and he received no reply. There was a bit of a forehatch; he put his 'ead into it and sung out, and several times he sung out, and got no answer; he then walked aft. I must tell you, it was a very quiet night, with a light breeze and plent

ind to ask for 'elp. He took a look round the sea and considered. There was some big lump of shadow out behind the sands,-she looked like a French smack; his boat was out of sight in the da

sel had been picked out by artists, and that there Mason swears no man ever saw finer pictures in his life,-ladies a-bathin', gentlemen chasin' with hounds, a steamer going along; both sides had been picked out into pictures, and that there Mason looked around him with his mouth opening and opening. There was likewise look

them a-breathin' hard and tight; but he saw nothing but a man with his throat cut. He took a look at him, and reckoned him to be a furriner, as, indeed, the whole little ship seemed. It was a very quiet night, and he stood looking at the dead body considering what he should do. If he brought assistance from the shore, and the cutter was towed into port, his share of the salvage money,-for the rewards are small

ench money in silver coin in another. He found a silver toothpick, an eye-glass, and I can't tell you what besides. He was in high feather, a very 'appy man; he fills his pockets with the forks and spoons, supposing them silver, tho' they wasn't. He looked into the cabin where the dead body lay,

ly arter, the 'eavy tread of fishermen's boots over'ead. Afore he could get on deck, a big chap, with a red night-cap on, came down the little companion-ladder, and instantly roars out something in French. Down comes others,-three or

lee him!"

ee him!'

Mason, "me no killee,

hair, besides that he squinted most damnably, beggin' of your pardon. And then he began to shout to the others, who shouted ba

d his pockets, and brought out the spoons and forks and the d

s, and locked him up with the body, and presently that there Mason, who was next door to ravin' mad, felt that they w

s on the pier to see the uncommon sight of a smack towing an abandoned cutter. That there Mason was handed over to the authorities, charged with murder and robbery. The British Consul took up the case. When the facts were stated, and inquiries made, his innocence was established; but n

for our drinks, and I saw Mason tur

E