Colin Clink, Volume 1 (of 3)

e little expected to see. Scene in a hedge alehouse, with a company of poachers. They are sur

en the stern resolution of an unconquered spirit, and the yearnings of Nature to provide a pillow for the heads of the two helpless creatures who could call no other soul but her their friend, paced the road which led towards the highway from York to Leeds, in painful irresolution as to the course most proper to pursue. To solicit the charity of a night's protection from any of the villagers with whom she was acquainted, appeared at once almost hopeless in itself, and beneath the station which she had once

the fact that they were now close upon the grounds adjoining the old hall of Kiddal. Its groups of ornamented stone chimneys, and its high-pointed roofs, stood black against the sky; while its lightless

the huge buttresses of the house, we shall be secure from molestation; for should they even find us in the morning, the maste

eyond the reach and hearing of the dogs, to a more remote and unfrequented portion of the out-buildings; but, as she passed the windows of the old wainsc

e same moment that, as previously described, Mr. Lupton had entered the room. Of the conversation that passed she could only catch occasional portions; and, in her endeavours to press still closer to the casement, young Master Colin got squeezed against the projecting moulding of the stone wall, in a manner which called forth that instantaneous expression of complai

hom such an accommodation was needless, but highly necessary and useful to a certain class of persons whose convenience was best attained in places beyond the immediate reach and inspection of all descriptions of local and legal authorities. It stood upon a piece of ground just beyond the domains of Squire Lupton, and, though generally known as the resort of many lawless characters, was maintained by the proprietor of the soil in pure spite to his neighbour, the squire, whom he hated with that cordial degree of hatred not uncommonly existing between great landed proprietors, and the jealous little freeholders who dwell upon their skirts. Towards this house, then, Mrs. Clink, in her extremity, bent he

pretence than use, now stood before her. At the same moment the figure she had see

es reached her ear; and then the distinct words of part

dogs went o

he stars did s

t buck we tho

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narrative; but, as she had by this time reached the do

l bleeding,

able to fol

was I to s

ral l

my long staf

e woods to f

I do, his hi

ral lu

nger s

l voices, "finish it, someh

d-natured passion, I don't remember it. This isn'

we offer'd

al lu ra

woman that d

ral l

we offer'd

woman that d

ed to have put

ral l

e dang'd to it! as th' saying goes." At the same time the sound of a huge pot, bounced upon the table

oice suddenly became silent, and a scrambling sound ensued, as of the gathering up of weapons; or, as though the individuals within were striving, upon the instant, to p

t of the landlady of the house. She applied her mouth near the keyhole, and replied, "It's

. "This time o' night, and a b

g her to understand that Longstaff, the steward, had turned her out of house and home, late as it was, not an hour before. The bolt was undrawn, and Mrs. Cl

d afore this." Saying which, he raised from his side a short gun that had been held in readiness, a

nother: "a ditch in th' woods is longer

ull, and two or three shovelfuls of dirt, soon stops a gabbler

e appearance in the house had elicited these remarks, had been conducted, with her young charge, into a small inner room, where we will leave her conversing with Mrs. Mallory, or preparing for very needful rest, as the case may be. Scarcely, however, had she passed out of hearing, before some

s came on him, and he'd all this finery to pay for, he found he'd been sailing in shallow water; and away he went off to prison. What became of the gals I don't know exactly; but, if my memory be right, one of 'em died; and t' other was obliged to take up with a place in a confectioner's shop. I don't know how true it is; but report said, after that,

vid sourly; "th

pectability. His habiliments, however, appeared, by their condition, cut, and colour, to have been gathered at various periods from as many corners of the empire, A huge snuff-coloured long coat, originally made for a man as big again as himself, and which stood round him like a sentry-box, matched very indifferently with a red plush waistcoat adorned with blue glass butt

rs Middleton's Life of Cicero, which bears no contemptible resemblance to Jerry, save that it lacks the heavy weight of animal fa

onents, at the same time assisting himself to about a drachm of snuff from a tin case drawn from his coat-pocket, the contents of which he applied to his nasal organ by th

nd mark I clap that injunction on you. What the dickens sh

ard towards the fire with the sole but very important object of poking it. He then sat down upon a seat that h

of ale, Jerry,"

thirteen year, and shan't again, live as long as I will.-Mrs. Mallory, here, d 'ye hear! bring me a glass of gin; and t

us addressed, when he was su

d. Can you insure me four brace of birds and a few good tench by to-morrow morning? 'Caus

Jerry, if you wa

s close to the house since t'other night?" he inquired; and, on being answered in the negative, thus continued,-"Then go to-night; for I 've spread a report that

had been effectually secured, and the candles removed, some minutes before the bell in Bramleigh tower struck twelve. For the accommodation, however, of those who might have business to transact abroad after that

hunt h

field an

ds we '

h we 'l

ds we '

tting

mushroom

rning

e gave-deny

in common t

deal more sport by night, and less by light, than there is: but every dog to his varmint; he knows all the beasts of forest, beasts

rance, had given a brief sketch of the last-named gentleman's previous career; "he don't know, any mor

o eddi-cate her children, and, to the best of my knowledge, she's there yet. There is but one action of my life that gives me anything like satisfaction to reflect on, and that is, I spared neither expense nor trouble, when I had the means in my power, to fit my children for something better in the world

f her, I can tell you she isn't at Mrs. Longstaff's now. Well, you may put your pipe down, and look at me as hard as you like, bu

ul play, my lads? By G! if there is-" and, before the sentence was finished, he had walked in and closed the

is magisterial capacity, and that he had ingeniously contrived, with the aid, counsel, and assistance of the complying Mr. Longstaff, to entice her thence by the offer of a far better situation, in the capacity of governess to the steward's children, than that of which she was already in the enjoyment. When the consequences of the fatal error into which she had been led became evident to herself, she instantly quitted M

e night-company who assembled during the season at her house was Miss Clink's father, she had sufficient reasons, in the wish to keep that unfortunate young woman's secret, to prevent her from discovering to

was made fully acquainted with the situation in which his daughter wa

ll cool the blood of that man up at yonder hall for what he 's done to me and mine! To go in there, and see that wench a mother before she is a wife,-her character gone for ever,-ruined,-lost!-why, I say, sink me to pe

laying her hand upon his shoulder, "do cool

this, I say, enough, but must our children be ruined, and shall we be degraded still lower besides? What!-we are poor, are we?-and it does not matter because a child is poor what becomes of her! Well, well, it may do for some of you,-it may mix with your dastardly spirits very well; but I am of a different metal, lads. I never passed

y of the company, the speaker advanced from a back doorway, discovering the person of a giant-looking fellow, considerably above six feet i

efend yourselves, lads!" cri

his pocket, and stood prepared in the middle of the room for the reception of his four-footed antagonist. Meanwhile, five or six other keepers rushed into the room to aid their leader. Filled with smoke, as the place was, from the discharge of fire-arms, it became almost impossible to distinguish friends from foes. The lights were extinguished, the fire threw out only a dull red light upon the objects immediately contiguous to it, and the momentary glare of d

inal

the stairs, he beheld something like the figure of a woman standing three or four steps above him, for the light was not sufficient to discover more. A plunge with his right hand, which grasped a common pocket-knife, was the work of an instant, and the landlady of the house-for he had mistaken his object-fell with a dead weight under the blow. At the same instant the fingers of his right hand became fast

In humble imitation, then, of Homer, let me proceed to say, that as a platoon of maggots on a cheese-plate contend with violent writhings of the body for superiority, as they overrun each other, and alternately gain the uppermost place, o

d the left fore-leg, into which had been introduced the weapon that had let out his life; while around lay strewn in confusion the fragments and ribands of nearly every portion of dress that Mr. Clink had previously worn. Nothing was left of his large snuff-coloured coat, save the collar and a small portion of the upper ends of the arms; his red waistcoat lay in twenty pieces around; and his unmentionables hung about him like the shattered bark of some old

stand by you in evil. Sooner than be guilty of a mean action like that, I'd do as the great Cato did, and fall upon my own pocket-knife. Here," h

, which would not have benefited them, if carried into effect, quite so materially as might

fortitude and good will. Not so, however, with the next proceeding; for the gamekeeper, having by this time discovered the carcass of his

of their conquerors, to a lock-up in the village, where they remained under guard all night; two or three hours of this time being expended in a hot dispute

this precaution, the steward would be enabled, in case of need, to find her again at any moment he might think proper. The constable discharged his commission so well, that he carried back a great deal more than he went for; and not only reported the lodging which Mistress Clink had taken up, but also discovered that a number of poachers, as he believed, against whom he had long held a warrant granted for offences against the game-laws, were there and then assembled in mischievous cogitation, as he had actually seen o

d taken in this little business. Longstaff struggled hard to involve Mrs. Clink in the same difficulty, on the plea that she had aided and abetted Mrs. Mallory either in having game in her possession, or in eating it. He failed, however, to make out a case; and as the squire

mpanied by violence, he can escape anything-in the items of burglary, manslaughter, and arson, he may be considered invulnerable. They all were found guilty: and, while some of the lesser offenders were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment at home, Mr. David Shaw and Jerry Clink were accommodated with a fourteen years' residence in New South Wales. This judgment se