Show W W NV lick vice e I 1 THE STORY THUS lark shan lion don whose b ose horse hone madoc was told sold to clear a debt when her father died sails from rom en england r land for ot america david north whom she be loves was wag to make the trip with her but disappoints her by tailing ailing the night nigh t before larks ship roe goes down hut but she fhe reaches es h e I 1 land and and gait withe a bound se ervant at to innkeeper cony finds her on a an island and brings tier her food ma the two manage nage to get a halter on lane er a fine ane horse who had escaped from tb the linking ank s ihla P gait leaves loi for the mainland i in aids his boat hut but refuse to take lark along which causes her much won der and concern in the evening he returns with cony who questions lark closely about everything CHAPTER vin VIII if cony should beat him it if the she had only listened to galt gait had trusted him when he tried to tell her in his inarticulate way that she come alone to the inn she thought of red bed baskall out on the island alone hobbled he could get food and water of 0 course but suppose the ponies came back and he tried to follow them into the ocean and was drowned galt gait tied up the ya yawl w I 1 and cony scrambled out picking up a conch shell and blowing a long fluttering buttering walling wailing note the figure ot of a 8 woman appeared in the inn doorway and C cony ony called un magi bide an see gaits fishl galt gait he hooked up a wench for or unil he reached for larks hand pulling her to the flat mag said nothing made no greeting but simply stared at lark while cony told his story they were walking up the beach now past great mountains of oyster shells gleaming in the last ot of the saffron sunlight when cony mentioned larks threat to appeal to david north mag grunted mag ladled out a bowl of chowder lor for lark and gestured her to a shuck bottomed chair As she sipped little of the hot strong soup lark heard beard a scuffling whining sound in the back of the cooking quarters cony stepped to a slatted door near the chimney opened it and let two gaunt black and brown hounds in they came at once to lark noses twitching great jaws slack black panting in the warmth like mag they stared at lark stared solemnly and with a foolish sullen wonder and then one hound dropped his bis big bulging head to his paws and began aaeng remote thread of sound bound a heaving sighing wavering moan that rose trembled broke rose again getting stronger stronger rolling in from all the walls of the room me like the purring of a wildcat a throttling hurting miserable bowl lark dropped her wooden spoon nd clapped her hands over her ears can until the sound shivered and died at last did old dog scare un sweet cony broke off glancing uneasily at mag old dog dont like uns smell lark magg eyes were fixed on lark with clear hostility she be ill luck let her get on to norfolk I 1 say put her out cony snapped his fingers and the two hounds huddled back in the corners of the hearth Us keep lern em chained at times cony sald said an lets lern em free it at others old dog he got whiff 0 galt gait about lark mag old dog never cared tor for galt gait she bhe bent bad luck mag the car goe hiskell Rl pay dear tor for her mag bame came to lark and fingered the stuff of her dress its none so fine she said briefly an suppose us gits the car goe riske on our necks anno money for the wench matson then cony whined matsund Mat pay nice for a cargie biske mans woman be un sin norths woman lark mag and cony talked quite as freely as it if lark had been deaf matson was clearly a man they obeyed and feared lark gathered that he had a rendezvous here that he be was due in from a sea trip at any time that neither mag nor cony knew david north except by name and his connection with the cargie riske kiske company mag sui and plainly jealous of co ny ay was in favor of starting lark tor for horntown Horn town and not holding her tor for ransom old dog was a sure out sign giver mag held but in the end cony overrode over rode her comys argument and her own unconcealed greed the next few days we were refill filled ed with the very feel end and pull of active anxious waiting lark doing the rough duties mag and cony gave her had no idea what they expected to do with her both of them were busy preoccupied watching the skyline sky eky line from time to time smelling the wind when it rose like animals Sm Smell ellin ln tor for the runnymeade Runny meade cony explained to lark one clear morning licking his finger holding it up sniffing it then ashes 90 got a tints stink Us luce a dead whale sweetmeat never in these six days had lark had a chance to talk to galt gait alone she was wad half wild with anxiety for him for red Ra baskal out on the island for herself she sure galt gait had been beaten that first arst night but there was no hint about this surly hangdog creature of the quick brave young man who had emerged tor for a little time tim efrom from the guinea shell of galt gait that short time she bad spent with him on the island lark run away she sh was wai too carefully watched and al always w ys there were the two great boi hounds rals chained when mag and cony were at a t leisure treed freed when they were DUSY busy with their chores it was on this seventh day september twelfth according to her reckoning that a sail was sighted immediately a feel eel of hurry and excitement caught the place cony took a so ok a cart and drove to market for fresh meat mag changed the filthy brown calico for a pink one set lark and galt gait to sanding the tables swabbing benches watering the dusty earthen floor it was then that lark and galt gait had a chance to talk J just a little scant words when mag left the room lt it was the runnymeade Runny meade all right galt gait said matson and one of his filthy blackbird ers maybe just barely maybe he and lark in might ight get away during the confusion of the landing red ras kall kail was sate safe galt gait had been to the island twice to see to him it if the yawl was left unchained he would contrive to let lark know and they could try again to get away try to go for the horse and sail on down the coast with him galt gait had been halt half crazed with worry over larks safety he refused to answer when she asked about the lashing but he was frantic to get her away before matson saw her he said as much the runny world would weigh anchor about dusk he thought that would be better than broad day he watched the sky cony had gone out to meet her in a dory galt gait was to follow in the yawl mag was at the river point ni 7 aw I 1 lark thanked him and put them on I 1 watching waiting for the excitement of the landing it was then that gait managed to get lark unseen into his shack bide un here lie he was alert eager now ill cargo in a load and pick un up from this window hole bide now quiet he gave her his little litt ae spyglass spy glass fetched lately from his treasure cache and ana hidden here 1 I lend it to un he said and lark smiled and said she would be careful coloring he reached into hit his pocket and brought out the string of blue beads this be yourn he said hesitantly 1 I give this to un to you I 1 want you should have this lark lark thanked him and put them on he left the shack and soon the yawl slid out of her berth the runny was still now lark could see the sailors hurrying about on her reddish aged decks could see the anchors take water hear the shouts and excitement of coming to land in the dying light she could see the the casks and baskets lowered into the waiting boats into comys and balts galts arid and onto a great awkward barge poled by negroes who had come down the hill path from the mysterious gray structure among the higher trees wild negro slaves slave s lark could see them chained herded oft off the ship to the waiting small boats several boatloads of gipsies chattering arguing gesticulating swarmed over the ships sides the sailors every color every nationality it seemed to lark looking through gaits little glass now were putting their sea socks sacks over hurrying the landing it was a scene of color of contrast of quick living beauty but with it was the stench of filth and misery the means moans of the manacled mana cled slaves again and again the boats made the trip to shore and back each time galt gait eased the yawl a little nearer the river shack and lark felt now this time hell beckon me and wen well try to get away its nearly dark nearly the huge barge poled by the tour four negroes came past the shack where lark waited it was loaded with gipsy wagons and a number of their horses horse it moved ponderously precariously and uncannily toward the shore the captains boat flog flag flying was coming now A slim a and nd rather elegant looking man in a black cape stood in the stern and when the ships officers in the small boat addressed him obsequiously as dr matson sir lark peered at hl him 2 with interested curiosity and unea uneasiness A small boat of gipsies losing its course careened across the path of 0 the captains boat and was heartily cursed A gipsy man laughed impudently and bent his head over a fiddle fiddie sending a scrap of melody across the water tenuous passionate and then lark noticed the big gipsy with the oars the black haired gipsy behind the fiddler the laughing gipsy with the red baskall handkerchief twisted about his throat and she called once she rushed tron the shack then following the couise course of the boat but the big gipsy gave her no look ol of recognition and lark know knew that she call again prayed that nobody had heard her call his name a moment ago because it was david and he must have made the trip with the gipsies in an effort to get the proof that he needed of latsons Mat sona sons chicanery see anybody you yon knowel un lark mag asked did un call out just now no lark said conscious of gaits reproachful back as herook he took the yawl back on its last lap 1 I was just thinking hew beautiful they are gip gipsies that young girl and boy there with the old woman with the white hair they are twins arent they mag looked at lark quietly tor for a long moment then she said 1 I dont know I 1 dont care and net neither does un it was early the next morning before lark got the chance tor for a word with galt gait the courtyard was deserted and he crossed cautiously from his hut to talk with her his eyes were reproachful she thought im sorry galt gait sh she e looked up at him 1 I just I 1 t keep from calling out when I 1 saw david be you sure it was north dressed in them gipsy rags she nodded 1 I be in mistaken I 1 a it was david right enough did he see you did he give heed to your call no lark admitted with reluctance he speak but he had bad good reason not to td I 1 know that I 1 should have waited for a sign from him before I 1 called 1 I would have spoke lark galt gait said with quiet assurance 1 I would have spoke you sure had I 1 been david north lark said you dont understand galt gait david knows best mag came bustling into the courtyard then arid and said galt gait I 1 told un take the pony beast and tumble cart and go haul the mornings catch of rockfish rock fish up from the cove cony had been watching them lie he was squatting at the far side ot of the courtyard opening the mornings haul of oysters with his little cobby knife dumping the plump bodle bodies into a dirty bucket and tossing th the empty shells onto the huge mound which extended across the back of the court walling it in almost the remainder of the morning was spent in a bustle and confusion of preparation tor for the nights feast the only interruption was when the gipsy fiddler and the white haired 9 gipsy with her twin boy and girl w whom horn lark had noted last night came down from the camp 0 on n the hill to ask if they could buy a supply of fish tor for the noon pot lark loved to question them about david but got no chance to do so As mag took a small silver coin from the woman bit it and dropped it into the leather pouch that hung at her side bidding them atil their kettle from the load of rockfish rock fish galt gait had brought in lark studied the group As they scooped the shining fish into their copper kettle the fiddler leaned lazily against the wall of the inn in a moment his languishing eyes fastened on lark and he be gan to sing agur Bet Bettl tirl rl angi eth orrl alzi zira deya oraldo bal bazi eta alzi gogo Hartze koak bil arter arte alno raino 1 I speak every language the man boasted to lark 1 I am ginko a great musician and singer I 1 know the love songs of every nation and of every tribe in what speech would you have me sing tor for you my little dove the gipsy woman spoke to her children with great dignity chal dosta it is on en agh we will have fish plenty aplenty a toi fol the parria lirria 11 she nodded like an empress to the innkeeper and his wife the boy and girl smiled with shy friendliness at lark and slung the filled kettle between them on oil a stout stave elnko with an exaggerate exaggeratedly ly low bow blew ekiss a kiss in larks direction and fell in line behind them fiddling as he went lark felt that if only she could follow 10 w them tor for a little way along the wooded path she might be able to lead them into talk and perhaps have some gome word of david why perhaps it had been tor for this very reason th they ey had bad come to the inn the sudden thought came to her now as they were leaving TO BE CONTIN VED |