Show J S edvice THE STORY THUS FAR lark shan non whose horse madoc was sold to clear a debt when her lather father died fall from england lor for america david north whom she loves was to make the trip with her but disappoints her by salting the night before larks ship chip goes down 1 ant U t she reaches land and galt gait withe a bound 4 servant to innkeeper cony finds h her er on an island and brings her food the th a two manage to get et a halter balter on laneer lancer a fine horse hom who had escaped from the inking ship galt gait leaves for the Ina mainland biland in hs his tout but bat refused to take lark along alone which causes her much wonder and concern in the evening he returns with cony who questions lark closely about everything CHAPTER VIII it if cony should beat him it if she ha donly listened to galt gait had trusted him when he tried to tell her in his inarticulate way waty that she come alone to the inn she thought of red baskall out on the island alone hobbled he could get food and water of course but suppose the ponies came back and he tried to follow them into the ocean and was drowned galt gait tied up the yawl and cony scrambled out picking up a conch shell and blowing a long fluttering wailing note the figure of a woman appeared in the inn doorway and cony called un magl mag bide an ail see gaits fish galt gait he hooked up a wench tor for un 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 of the sadiron ron sunlight when cony me mentioned rationed larks threat to appeal to david north mag grunted mag ladled out a bowl of f chowder for lark and gestured her to a shuck bottomed chair As she sipped a little of the hot strong soup lark heard 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 panting in the warmth like mag they stared at lark stared solemnly and with a foolish sullen wonder and then one hound houn d dropped his big bulging head to his paws and began a long remote thread of sound a heaving sighing wavering moan that rose trembled broke rose again getting stronger rolling in from all the walls of the room like the purring of a wildcat a throttling hurting miserable howl howl lark dropped her wooden spoon and clapped her hands over her ears until the sound shivered and died at last the next few days were filled with the very feel 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 line from time to time smelling the wind when it rose like animals amellin Sm ellin for the runnymeade Runny meade 91 cony explained to lark one clear morning licking his finger holding it up sniffing it then ashes got a stink like a dead whale sweetmeat 10 never in these six days had lark had a chance to talk to galt gait alone she was gaii aau half wild with ciui anxiety for gaii aau ciui him for red baskall out on the island for herself she sure galt gait had been beaten that first night but there was no hint about this surly hangdog creature of the quick brave young man who wh ohad had emerged for a little time from fro in the guinea shell of galt gait that short short time she had spent with him on the island lark run away she was too carefully watched and always there were the two great gr at hounds chained when mag and cony were at leisure freed when they were busy with their chores it was on this seventh day september twelfth according to her reckoning that a sail was sighted immediately I 1 a feel of hurry and excitement caught the place cony took 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 ia r it was then that lark and galt gait had a chance to talk just a little scant words when mag left the room it was the runnymeade Runny meade all right galt gait said matson and one ne of his filthy blackbird ers maybe just barely maybe he and an d lark might get away during the confusion of the landing red ras kall was safe galt gait had been to the island twice to see to him hi in i 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 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 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 in a dory galt gait was to follow in the yawl mag was at the river point watching waiting for the excitement of the landing it was then that galt gait managed to get Lark unseen into his shack bide un here 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 spyglass spy glass fetched lately from his treasure cache and hidden here 1 I lend it to un he said and lark smiled and said she would be careful coloring he reached into his pocket and brought out the string of blue y N k lark thanked him and put them 0 on n 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 ile he left the sh shack ack 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 casks and baskets lowered into int 0 the waiting boats into comys and gaits 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 lark could acs see them acin chained herded on off the acs acin nerada ship to the waiting small boats several boatloads of gipsies cha chattering arguing gesticulating swarmed over the ships sides the sailors every color every nationality it seemed deemed to lark looking through gaits little glass now were putting their sea 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 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 back and lark felt now this time hell beckon me and well try to get away its nearly dark nearly the huge barge poled by the four negroes came past the shack where lark waited it was loaded with gipsy wagons wago ns and a number of their horses it moved ponderously precariously and uncannily toward the shore the calta captains ins boat flag flying w was a s coming now A slim and 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 him with interested curiosity and uneasiness A small boat of gipsies losing its course careened a cross across the path of the captains boat and was heartily cursed A gipsy man laughed impudently and bent his head over a ad ald dle die 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 Dav david itil she rushed from the shack then following the course of the boat but the big gipsy gave her no look of recognition and lark 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 sons chicanery see anybody you lc un lark mag asked did un call out just now no lark said conscious of gaits reproachful back as he took the he yawl back on its last lap 1 I was just thinking how beautiful they are 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 for a long moment then she said 1 I 1 dont know I 1 dont care and neither does un sweetmeat it was early the next morning before lark got the chance 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 she looked up akhim 1 I just 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 mistaken it was david right enough did he see you did he give heed to your call no lark admitted with reluctance he speak b but U t he had good reason not to 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 ure sure had I 1 been david north lark said you dont understand galt gait david knows best mag came bustling into the courtyard then 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 he was squatting at the far side of the courtyard opening the mornings haul of oysters with his little cobby knife dumping the plump bodies into a dirty bucket and tossing 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 for the nights feast the only interruption was when the gipsy fiddler and the white haired gipsy with her twin boy and girl whom lark had noted last night came down from the camp on the hill to ask if they could buy a supply of A fish s h 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 th them em fill 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 w wall all of the inn in a moment his languishing eyes fastened on lark and he began to sing agur bettini Bet tiri tirl angi et horri bazi zira deya draino bal bai bazi eta bazi gogo Hartze koak bil arte raino it 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 for you my little dove the gipsy woman spoke to 0 her children with great dignity chal dosta it is enough we will have hav 1 fish plenty aplenty a for the lirria she nod ded like an empress to the inn keeper and his wife the boy and girl smiled with shy friendliness at lark and slung the filled kettle be tween them on a stout stave ginko with an exaggerate exaggeratedly ly low bow bleb blew a kiss in larks direction and fell in line behind them fidda fiddling in g as he went lark felt that if only she could fol low them for little a way along alone the th wooded path she might be able to lead them into talk and perhaps have some word of david why percia it had been for this very reason reas perhaps on they had come to the inn the sudden thought came to her now as they chev were leaving y TO BE CONTINUED |