Show 1 7 e m a CLARK T SE RV I 1 C E THE STORY THUS FAR while voyaging from rom england to america lark shan rions ship goes down she Is saved by galt gait withe a bound servant but made prisoner at the inn to which he takes her she escapes and is found by her sweetheart david north who Is disguised as a gipsy to get a line on dr matson a slave pirate lark and galt gait fall all into the hands of dr matson hut 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 blara Bla Ma stings to whom she understands he is engaged at the lair fair lark rides red baskall in a race the horse she had managed to hobble bobble after the shipwreck and wins the race dr matson is at the fair a prisoner CHAPTER minnie said damn your mean little stinking soul PIa Pla dawes and then with great composure and good nature paid out the fine which the judge imposed for contempt of court it was worth it she said loudly cheap at double le the pricel price she winked at lark jand and squeezed back into her arm chair for a moment there was general laughter and the judge had to rap again for attention the lawyer consulted his client for a moment and then said miss shannon did want to collect the reward money she she was eager and greedy for that I 1 have been told 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 ly stated by mr terraine 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 lancer and thunder boy mind you them two horses was the imported in racers in the original bet later when mr terraine an all the rest of us thought that lancer had gone down aboard the tempora mr terraine picked up a fur rin horse named black jig an mr dawes put the screws on mr terraine and forced him to follow this same bet through against his own better judgment and that of the countryside country side since a well known fack that black jig was an unsound beast we remember the race judge tavner 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 Ter raines you got in your stables this minute mr dawes minnie fired the question point blank at PIa Pla PIa Pla 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 see no reason to reopen re open the points covered in the bet minnie said that man mans s twisting twi stin the truth ben tavner 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 ain it looks to me like squire terraine could claim all his lands back if theres any sense in lawin spose I 1 just write him now out there in kaintuck 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 at PIa Pla mr dawes said quickly 1 I have decided judge tavner to withdraw my claim to the horse and to cease litigation 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 PIa Pla cut in irritably if I 1 had him id put him behind a biow ploll I 1 but if you think youre going to open up a bet b been een settled and done this court has no jurisdiction over any wagering mr dawes that as you say is past and done with but I 1 resent your tone sir and fine you five pounds for contempt now will you be seated PIa Pla sat down well minnie said proudly 1 I did set a match 0 o a bonfire I 1 what happens next ben tavner the judge frowned this court accepts the responsibility of disposing of a valuable piece of horseflesh lark was on her feet instantly judge tavner she said galt gait withe and I 1 had every firm intention of returning the horse to squire jar rod terraine 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 plow why red Ras kalls a thoroughbred if you could get in touch with mr terraine in kentucky judge tavner said formally 61 miss shannon it has been clearly shown by mr dawes that squire terraine by a very reckless written agreement has forfeited all his 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 this case 1 I assume you mean the maritime salvage laws minnie this court does have admiralty rights which I 1 think are clearly applicable here when we have finished hearing both sides of the case I 1 have M N AV ra I 1 14 V P J 1 r t Z 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 your lawyer to plead 1 mr dawes lawyer spoke with great conviction but apparently made little impression on the jury who had bad already been prejudiced against his client after he had finished the judge sent the sergeant for a certain volume and studied it for some moments the judge cleared his throat and began 1 I 1 the salvage services must have been rendered within the jurisdiction of this admiralty 2 there must be no legal duty on the party of the salvor to render ass assistance istance 3 the property must have been in peril when rescued by the salvor 1 and nd lastly the fourth point the services must have been successful cess ful just take a look out the window ben and see the horse hale an hearty as the day he was weaned minnie beamed 11 if these conditions be batis satisfied the judge continued to quote salvage claims take priority of all others against the property saved and give the salvor a maritime lien upon such property enforceable by action in rem a lien minnie wanted to know say it in plain english judge A lien ben tavner explained with gracious condescension is defined by the dictionary as being right to retain possession of property till debt due in respect of it is discharged so lark gets to keep this horse judge minnie asked in great excitement cit ement what it do mean dont it under the somewhat peculiar circumstances cum stances and in view of the fact that jarrod terraine is certainly not able to reimburse her for the horse I 1 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 have 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 a nd bowed sherry farrington smiled across at her and her grandmother sent a message that a week from today she would come calling when the crowd had melted away after many congratulations lark said oh galt gait hes ours really ours now 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 call cupsie 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 see honey cupsie pulled 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 slopping the cream out cupsie 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 came to them bawd jesus lissen to de lams a bryin the sharp hiyi hi 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 fry pan come suppertime dem shore has a mira tion for marse galt gait cupsie said youre slopping that good cream lark said briefly youse sorter edgy aint ye cupsie asked companionably aint no need to be of maam farrington ring ton ise bin up to de quarters ob sheriden an kin tell ye all about her ole maam farrington dey say she am bout de out lady roun here im not interested lark said Cups cupsie le mind your churning dont let me have to speak to you again 14 no maam cupsie was completely unperturbed ye battah let me fix you up a bit 0 lunch miss lark an take time fur a lay down to settle aoah ye gonna crimp yo haah aint ye maam Farring tons got sharp eyes aint no lady roun here don toiler foier 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 sayin ye aint got hair an dat it don look good plain but mistress mara puts hers up on lill lil rags ebry night ob de worl marse david he laks crimp ha hair ir an mos folks do ole maam farrington laugh hersel into a fit 9 goin home from drinkin a dish 0 ob b tea wid a gal wid straight hair 1 I cant help it if she does 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 rifled old lady at all sometimes she is an sometimes she aint cupsie said judiciously she kin be plain as satans gatans old heel when she wants to but when dey have a ball up at sheriden she decks herself up in lace an emeralds eme rals an cimons di mons an all dats what I 1 hear tell she got a eye for a hansom gent too spite 0 being one foot in de grabe I 1 heerd she tole some one marse galt gait auz de bes lookin young mister some body ashes seen for a coons age when lark give cupsie an answer the little darkey discouraged cou raged but went on she right too jes look out de winder at marse galt gait a dat baskall out dar dey de pretties pair ob critters crit I 1 ever did see look lak a up an comin man lak him wouldn be so hindmost hin most bout findan himself a wife debbe he shy miss lark an need a lill lil hint what you tink honey cupsie I 1 cant think when you talk so much lark laughed nom but when I 1 laks a pus son I 1 jes plain out cant help sayin so I 1 never did coddle to mintah david naith though I 1 spec he am rich rich as this here battah cream him an miss maras a good mate affen ye ax me TO BE CONTINUED |