The Parson's Story.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 20

The Parson's Story.

IN FIVE CHAPTERS.

Chapter 11. When we started for Twellryst, clouds of a somewhat suspicious character floated overhead, occasionally depriving us for a space of the sunshine, and the wind was perhaps too high to be altogether agreeable. But on the whole the weather was favourable ; and enlivened by Mr Morgan's instructive and cheerful conversation, the day's trip promised to prove a pleasant one, For some time after leaving Lleyrudrigg we followed the regular coachroad, which, though running for a little way on a line with the coast, very soon turns inland. Then quitting it for one upon which, was much less traffic, we found ourselves at the close of three houra' quick driving, again coming within sight of the blue ocean with its foamflecked billows, and were told by Jonathan Williams, our hunch-backed, sinister- j looking little driver, that we were nearing the Spike Rocks. The Spike Rocks ! how I shudder at the bare mention of that name, recalling as it does But I will not anticipate. Drawing up before ■ a five-barred gate which led to an extensive piece of meadow-land bordering the shore, and, as I afterwards found,' crowning precipices which for nearly a, mile in length descended in sheer walls' to the sea, Jonathan rose in" his seat, ■ and pointed out with his whip • the two rocks which we had come' hither to visit. They stood ■ at some distance- from the land — small, conical-shaped islands, "bleak and sharppointed — their interest 'consisting, as we, had been told, in their being a ■ peculiarly favourite resort of a species of sea-bird. At certain seasons of the year, of which the present was one, the 1 birds' would I collect here in thousands, covering the | rocks from base to summit with a compact living mantle of whity-brown feathers. From the point at which our carriage stopped, however, the rocks were too far away -for their, clothing to be clearly visible ; • and we accordingly set off for a nearer inspection, warned by a shout from our driver, when we had taken a few steps, to beware of the "Devil's Holes." (So Mr Morgan translated the barbarous-sounding Welsh word he used.) " Devil's Holes'! Why, what can they be 1 " I inquired. But my companion was no wiser with regard to the matter than myself, as he confessed with a shake of the head ; so wo walked on, trusting to our observation for enlightenment. The enlightinent came sooucr than we had expected. Where the grassy slope terminated, instead of the green level I had expected to see, yawned a black chasm ; and looking downwards, I positively trembled as my eye sank into an abyss some hundred feet ia depth, at the bottom of which, as though, it had been a gigantic caldron, appeared a seething mass of water, rolling and dashing itsolf against the rocky sides, and sending up a booming sound like the explosion of cannon.

An exclamation of horror burst from my lips as this unexpected phenomenon met my sight, and drawing Mr Morgan backwards, I nervously eutreated him not to stand so near the edge. That ' 'Devil's Hole " had tilled me with the strangest sensation of creeping dread ; and when presently we came upon a second hollow in the meadow, I shrank from approaching it. As we continued our course, I looked sipprehensively in all directions for further suspicious undulations of the ground. But none presented themselves; for, like the Spike Rocks, these holes are but two in number ; and when we had taken a survey of the Rocks — to my mind the lesser curiosities of the district — we returned to our dog-cart. Though, each of us endeavoured by turns to draw Jonathan into conversation, in order to extract information about these holes from him, our dwarfish driver either could not or would not afford | us any. Upon reaching Twellryst, the little minister and I separated, with the understanding that we were to meet again at tho inn at which we had put up, at four in the afternoon — that hour being as late a one aa we thought it wise to appoint, on account of the necessity of getting back to Lleyrudrigg that night. A careful exploration of the ruins, which turned out to be very interesting ; a walk in the country, aud a Baunter round the town, ailed up my time very agreeably ; and arriving exactly as the

clock struck the appointed ' hour, I found Mr, Morgan already at the rendezvous. Our conveyance was then called for, and we started back. We had been for more than, an hour upon the road, and had made first-rate progress, when on a sudden an unlookedfor atoriu broke upon us with the utmost violence. la a few moments the wind had risen to a hurricane, rendering our umbrellas entirely useless ; and if was only by enveloping ourselves in a large horse-rug" with ' which the landlord had provided us, that the little Welshman and 1 had any chance of keeping dry. Taking off oar hats, we passed the rug over our heads, and had been riding in this way for a considerable distance, when my companion observed that the vehicle was jolting very much ; and removing the covering from my face, I saw. that we,, had turned off the highway into a narrow lane. On being questioned, by Ms Morgan, to whom I uneasily communicated this fact, Jonathan declared that the lane was a short cut which would presently bring us out again upon the road we had quitted. I can scarcely tell why, but from, the very first I. doubted the correctness 1 of, this statement ; and when, after twisting and turning times without, number, tfie'lane appeared yet as far as ever from its promised termination, my suspicions became confirmed. Bending forward, I angrily charged him with the mistake ; and though at first holding doggedly to his former assertion, he admitted, by-and-by, that he thought he must have turned up the wrong lane — adding, however, that as I might see for myself, he could not get his horse round in so confined a space, and would be obliged therefore to drive onwards. At length, just as we emerged from that seemingly - interminable lane, the horse stumbled slightly; and descending from his box, the hunchback, with an" i ejaculation, in which, it struck me there was a tone of triumph, brought forward the horse's shoe, which had come off.

For a few momejits the, little, minister and I sat in silence, interchanging glances of dismay, which it 'was becoming almost too dark to read. .Then,- simultaneously, we inquired of Jonathan "what' was ,t6 .be done. The drivers- answer was, prompt and decisive. We must,' he said,^stop at, the first house we came to and beg- a night's lodging, since upon no .account dared he proceed towards home at the j.risk of laming the horse. • We' rose in the" ! dog-cart, locked eagerly to' right and left, (but could discern no habitation. Jonathan, however, after applying, himself to a similar scrutiny, declared that he per.-, .ceived, just beyond ,a small plantation or, orchard, about a hundred yards distant, what he felt sure was the, corner of a building; and taking the horse by the bridle, he led it in that , direction. His keener sight, as we shortly.found, t had not deceived him. When upon stopping again, we displaced- the rug -in which we 5 had once more enveloped' ourselves from, head to foot, we saw in./ front of, 'us,, through the battering, rain and gathering, gloom, a low straggling farmhouse. .. „ , A small garden, entered by- a wicket- 1 gate, led to the .door ; and begging, us to, sifc still, Jonathan ran towards it, return-,-ing almost immediately with the inf orma-, ,tion that we could be accommodated here,for the night. Blessing our good fortune, . we accordingly alighted, and were met, as we passed into the house, by- a hardfeatured elderly man in a smock-frock and leathern gaiters, who after .bestowing , upon us a gruff welcome, showed us into" a large sanded kitchen. - An unpleasant odour of bad beer and stale tobacco greeted our entrance, and. my first im-

pression, in the uncertain light which filled it, was that the apartment contained a numerous company. Upon candles being produced, however, as they speedily were by the farmer's direction, its occupants resolved themselves into seven. These were, a stout, red-visaged woman, the wife of the host; and six tall, strongly built young men, varying in ages from sixteen to thirty-five — his aons. With much courtesy the whole family proceeded at once to busy themselves for our comfort — one of the sons placing chairs for us in front of the peat-fire, another assisting to remove ,our damp' coats and hang them to dry, whilst a couple more accompanied Jonathan to an out-building, where our horse and carriage were to be disposed of for the night. The woman, upon her part, hastened to prepare us something to ' eat ; and grateful | for all" this attention, Mr Morgan chatted away to our entertainers in his usually pleasant manner. I, too, for a while, exerted myself towards their amusement. Upon lapsing into silence, the men's tace3 naturally fell into their ordinary expressions, and as my gaae now wandered from one to another, a feeling of dislike and mistrust of the entire "group seized upon me. The feeling was one that I could not well account' for, and for which indeed I blamed myself severely. Nevertheless, far from diminishing as the evening wore on, it increased to an almost painful degree ; and upoa my mind suddenly reverting to the large sum of money carried by my companion, I took an opportunity of anxiously whispering him to beware of any allusion to it. The sug-1 gestion implied in -this warning appeared to startle the little minister; but his, nature Wcis eminently trustful, and as I could ace, a short cogitation ended in his mentally condemning my suspicion as uncalled for. Shortly after it had been uttered, however, he proposed, to my satisfaction, that wo should go to bed ; whereupon tlie farmer (whose face and figure, though I knew I had never seen him before this evoning, seemed somehow familiar) slipped from the room, and re-

turning directly with a black'bottle in hia hand, pressed us before retiring to'fest to take a glass of spirits.- Being a" teetotaller, I declined for myself the proffered hospitality. But thinking, as he remarked? that it might prevent his taking coldirqm the wetting he had sustained, MrMorgan accepted- a somewhat stiff' tumbler* ! of whisky-punch. <,This, in order^hot to keep me waiting, he drained -almost "at'",a { draught ;.,and our host then ,preceding'!u s to an upper storey, pointed out the robins in which we were 'to sleep. : ;They 'were situated at each end' of a long", passage ; ; the Srst, which opened, at the head ; o£a rather steep flight of stairs, being assigned, to my companion, and the farther, ohe>£o myself. ',, Upon following' Mr, Morgan into hia chamber., for the purposes of "bidding him good-night,- i noticed j with astonish^ ment that he staggered slightly in crossing the floor. He complained; 'too, as'>we^ shook hands, of feeling '"terribly sleepy-;" and Bmilingto myself at therapMityiwitii. which the whisky-punch waa ! takthg "effelc.t, upon the little Welshman, ;r* ecbmmendea him in ah under-tone r to lock" his door, ;5; 5 and leaving him to his' slumbers,; Betqolt myself, under the farmers, guidance," W the apartment appointed < for. my pwn occupation. - • - • -- - -