Show e ell ws CLARK T THE I 1 ir STORY THUS F baill alt while voyaging from england to america lark shan lion noni hip chip goes down she in I 1 saved by gait it withe a bound enact ev act but madg arl prisoner boner at the inn to which he takes her she esca escapes p es and Is 9 found by her tweet sweet he tut david north who Is disguised as a gipsy to 9 set et a line ilae on dr matson it a lave pirate lark and galt gait fall into the hands of dr matson but escape at night and finally arrive in norfolk where lark expects to meet david she meets him at a state fair air with mara afara bla stings to whom she understands understand ho he Is engaged at the fair lark rides red baskall nas liall in it a race the tee horse she sae had managed to hobble bobble utter after the shipwreck and wins therace tb erace dr matson Is at the lair fair a prisoner CHAPTER minnie said damn your mean little stinking soul Pla dawes and then with great composure and good nature paid out the fine which the judge imposed tor for contempt of court it was worth it she said loudly cheap at double the pricel price she winked at lark and squeezed back into her arm chair for a moment there was general laughter and the judge had to rap again for attention im not done with you yet miss buttree Bux tree trec Pla lawyer said severely and minnie with a gusty sigh heaved herself again to her feet she was enjoying herself thoroughly and had engaged the sympathy of the court room that was very plain the lawyer consulted his client for or a moment and then said miss shannon did want to collect the reward money she she was eager and greedy tor for that I 1 have been told Greedy for that minnie mimicked his tone to perfection and who on gods green earth if lost every stick and stitch of their possessions in a shipwreck be glad enough to collect a just debt due them I 1 wish you your self elf had been through that god awful storm and that wreck mister I 1 do wish it bowl now I 1 minnie played her trump card now how many Great ways slaves you got now mr dawes how many horses maybe its slipped your mind that that detail was very clearly stated by mr terraine ne he said so help me ill bet all my possessions saving my daughter my slaves and my horseflesh horse flesh on this race between lancer and thunder boy I 1 lancer and thunder boy mind you them two horses was the imported racers tn in the original bet later when my mr Terr terraine alne an n all the rest of us thought that lancer had gone down aboard the tempora mr terraine picked up a furon horse named black jig an mr dawes put the screws on mr terraine and forced him to follow this tame game bet through against his own better judgment and that of the countryside country side since a well k known own fack that block black jig was an unsound aund beast awe we remember the race judge T lavner aner said most of us here today witnessed it you know the beast broke down in the stretch minnie continued but squire terraine being a sporting gent of the first water paid the price and that price include horseflesh horse flesh what I 1 want to know and this court wants to know is how many horses of squire terrains Terr Ter alnea raines you got in your stables this minute mr dawes minnie fired the question point blank at Pla Pla sold said hastily judge tavner this woman has nothing in writing to bear out her statement the wager was a personal agreement between me and jarrod terraine I 1 I 1 see ee no reason to reopen re open the points cohered in the bet thelt that it was made and carried out in good faith I 1 think has been proven by past events because I 1 did not wish to press my advantage as winner I 1 allowed jarrod jarred terraine terrain c to make what disposition he chose of his bis slaves and his horses minnie said that mans twi twisting stin the truth ben tavner rier honest to god he is jarrod terrains Ter raines downright claim was that lancer red baskall Ra we call him could beat thunder boy and what happened am aln it looks to me like squire Terru lne could claim nil all his lands back if theres there Is any sense in lawin spose I 1 just write him now out there in kalmuck kaintuck end and tell him how matters stand that lancer did beat thunder boy fair an square on the county circuit track I 1 could take my pen in hand mighty easy she glanced slyly lat at Pla mr dawes said quickly 1 I have decided judge tavner to withdraw my claim to the horse and to cease liti litigation gailon against miss shannon and mr withe just a moment mr dawes the judge said it Is my considered opinion that in the ends of justice the case must be continued in regard to this horse 1 I dont give a damn about the horse Pla cut in irritably it I 1 had bad him id put him behind a ploll but II if you think youre going to open up a bet been settled and done fa this court has no Jur jurisdiction over any wagering mr air dawes that as you say Is past and done with but I 1 resent your tone sir and fine you five pounds tor for contempt now will you bo be seated Pla sal doval well ninnie raid paid proudly 1 I did set a match to a bonfire I 1 il what happens next ben nor ner the judge frowned this court accepts the responsibility of disposing of a valuable piece of horseflesh urk lark was on 0 her feet instantly judge tavner she said galt gait withe and I 1 had every firm intention of returning the horse to squire jarrod Terr terraine alne we love red baskall dearly and can not accept mr dawes claim all of you heard him just now threaten to put him behind a ploll why red Ras kalls a thorough thoroughbred bredl it if you could get in touch with mr terraine Terr alne in kentucky 11 judge tavner sold said formally miss shannon it has been clearly shown by mr dawes that squire terraine lb by a very reckless written agreement has forfeited al achis 1118 possessions whatever may have been his spoken intentions as to his slaves and horses this agreement held by mr dawes does give him claim to the horse you found and the court must recognize it as such just a minute please judge minnie was on her feet again what about them finders keepers laws why they come into tills this case IF 1 I assume you mean the maritime salvage laws minnie this court does docs have admiralty rights which I 1 think are clearly applicable here when we have finished hearing an 9 both sides of the case I 1 have M C 6 4 41 J t I 1 I 1 N 4 she lit a fire of pine chips every intention of bringing them up and explaining them to the jury mr dawes it Is now in order for foi your lawyer to plead mr dawes lawyer spoke with great conviction but apparently made little impression on the jury who had already been prejudiced against his client I 1 alter after he had finished the judge sent the sergeant for a certain volume and studied it for some moments minnie said read it aloud ben wed all like mighty much to hear just what it says hayg the judge cleared his throat and began 11 L 1 the salvage services must have been rendered within the th e jurisdiction of this admiralty 0 IF minnie nodded vigorously end and smiled encouragingly at larl lark T 2 there must be no legal duty on the party of the salvor to render assistance IF all right ben go cheadl minnies excitement hod had aprea spread d to the jury ury who were listening attentively 3 the property must have been in peril when rescued by the salvor 1 of it was ben that poor horse IN was as a sinking fast in the quicksand and would have been a goner if lark histo alste him with a spar the ju ge looked over his spectacles at lark perfectly true sir she said and lastly the fourth point the services must have been successful cess ful just a ben and see the horse hale an hearty as the day he was weaned minnie beamed li if these conditions be satisfied the judge continued to quote i salvage claims take priority of all others against the property saved and give the salvor a maritime lien upon tuch such property enforce enforceable able by action in rem a lien minnie wanted hinted to know say it in plain Engl english ishi judge A lien ben tavner explained with gracious condescension Is do fined by the dictionary as being right to retain possession of property till debt due 1 I in respect of it Is discharged so lark beti to keep this horse judge minnie asked in great ex cit ement what it do mean dont it under the he somewhat peculiar circumstances cum CUrn stances and in view of the fact that jarrod terraine Terr alno Is certainly not ablo able to reimburse her tor for the horse 1 I should opine and do hereby decree that since the horse was clearly his at the time of the wreck which preceded the race it now belongs to lark shannon to anve and to hold as her true and indisputable possession in the sight of all men the court room rang with applause as lark rose to her feet and bowed sherry farrington Farrl neton smiled across at her and her grandmother sent a message that a week from today she would come calling when the crowd hid had melted away after many congratulations lark said oh galt gait hes ours really ours bowl the scarlet leaves danced and whirled on the floor of the turn pike lark had closed the shutters of the tollgate toll gate house and locked them tight against the prying wind she had lit a fire of pine chips and filled the blue stoneware bowls with bittersweet and daisies the simple furniture was scrubbed and oiled the pewter shined and the cups and napkins were laid out and it was only nine in the morning seven hours before madame farrington could possibly come to caell cupric was churning in the dairy shed she called battah done come miss lark you tole me say so when battah comes lark laid aside the bowl of frost sweetened fox grapes she was picking over and went through the dogtrot from the kitchen to the shed the boards here were white from scrubbing clean smelling and pungent with the faint fragrant sourn sourness e sa of butter cream see honey honeil cupsie pul pulled led up the long wooden dasher with its blue white patterns lacing its smooth brown length clusters of butter flakes clung to the plunger in granules and rosettes dont churn so fast cupsie youre s slopping lopping the cream out 1 cupsta looked out of the big square window to the ten acre lot where her newest swain was turning over the lumps of rich brown virginia loam the plaint of a melancholy song come came to them bawd jesus to de lams lama a bryin 1 the sharp hiyi hi hl yi of the other field hands when an unwary rabbit darted from its haven in the surrounding scrub was caught whirled around the negros head and slung into a pile dead ready for the come suppertime dem shore has a mira tion for marse galt gait cupole said tentatively youre slopping clopp ing that good cream lark said briefly youse sorter edgy aint ye 1 cupsie asked companionably aint no need to be of warn maam farrington ring ton ise bin tt up to de quarters ob sheraden Sherl den an kin tell ye all about her ole oie maam farrington dey say she am bout de out lady aroun roun here im not interested lark laric said cupole Cups le mind your churning dont let me have to speak to you again lOl no maam cupsie was completely unperturbed yo ye battah let me fix yon up a bit ol 01 0 lunch miss lark an take time fu fur r a lay down to settle aoah ye gonna crimp yo halh haah aint ye maam Farring tons got sharp eyes aint no lady roun here don toller fouer de style miss pretty anne taylor has a two piece corset an strings herself up to de bed pos my hair looks funny crimped 1 I aint a sayan ye aint got hair an dat it don look good plain but mistress tresa mara puts hers up on rags ebry night ob de worl marse david he laks crimp hair an mos folks do ole maam farrington laugh hersel into a fit doirs home from dri driagin drink akin ln a dish ob tea ald a gal wid ald straight hair 1 I cant help it it if she does docs and more cupsie I 1 dont believe she does she told me mistress dawes had caught her in the barn dosing the horses ashes not a fan old lady at all sometimes she Is an sometimes she aint cupsie sold said judiciously she kin be plain as satans gatans old heel when she wants to but when dey have a bill up at sheraden Sherl den she decks herself up in lace an eme emeralds rals an cimons dl di mons an all dats what I 1 bear tell she got a eye tor for a hansom gent too spite spit 01 being one foot in de grabe I 1 heerd heerd she tole some one marse marge galt gait wui de bes lookin young some body ashes seen for a coons age when lark give cupole an answer the little darkey discouraged cou raged but went on she right too jes look out de dc winder at marst mars galt gait a dot dat haskall out dar dey de da pr pretties ettles pair ob crit critters I 1 ever did see look lak a up an comin man lak him wouldn be se EC hindmost hin most bout flandin himself a wife debbe he shy miss lark an need 6 lir ill hit hint what you vink honey 1 cupsie Cups le I 1 cant think when yoi yet talk so lark laughed nom but when I 1 laks a apus pus son I 1 jes plain out cant help sayin so I 1 never did coddle to david naith though I 1 spec he an rich rich aithus as this here battah cream him an miss mart maras a good matt mat ulen men ye yc ax me TO BE CU CONTINUED |