CHAPTER V.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue I, 1 October 1874, Page 3

CHAPTER V.

: AW AR^lVAt ' AT' : THE DBNBURN i ARMS « —THE: LANDLORD GIVES lilS WXJESTS 'STAilTLtilsa- :IN*POBMATiOK-^TJNliX-•'p^oi'kDVisrroßs.''- ■* n\ ■.■>■>(,]..'>..■>: J Tpeafterhooh 6jfa v clear, fe'een frosty. December day Was. wearing to its close a^ tlie', guard's h<\rn of the^ErJinhpfgh niail cbpch sounded 'along, t^epriricipal Weet of the . village of Den burn,.: w^rri - Kg, th.Q, ostler ; of/the* penburn Ajrrns to n^ye the-cnabgfe of horses brought from the stables 7 ready 1 into the coach without, apy loss of ; time. . That hote pi . warning 'coming along the. broad highway, frpm'^he' east of, the -village roused the inn into iris'tani'actibh. [ '! The ostler sprang froni! the bench where he loUjnged reside the kitchen fire, and rushed; to the stable ; the landlord, who sat smoking by the parlour fire, laid asicle his, pipe |n'.ali haste, and called on ; .Grizzey^ the chambermaid, \ and M ary, thejlcitcbenmaid, to be at hand to bring forth any fefreshnients , the passengers might, order during the. five minutes' h^aUpfT/the .coach pt the inn door, He shreVdly guessed* that; -the. severe frost pfthat winter wb)iiid have made the pa'ssep^ers very cold,, ahd disposed them io' imbibe a modicum 'of whisky or brandy ;/ and for those who did. not carp for such fiery liquor he had prepared a large jug of .spiced ale. and another pf. mujlea por.ter, which now stood piping hot on either side of the kitchen hre.

./As every one was.T expecting such a call to duty ttiey "were ready toobey it. From ihe region of- the back kitchen,' where' laundry' operations had. been 1 going forward/ the landlady emerged, aiidbe)iind'be'r the'two maid-servants ; arid .wpilo thd ..fpi*irier proceeded to trie *baf'to':be ready to measure! out the 'orders^ repeivedi^ ihe latter followed their _ master 'tp.'the' porch' to be within hearing' of the i 1 orders given from 1 the coach window, arid be ready to obey them with alacrity. When every , one liftd thus got to their pogt the coacn had not made its ap* ! parance, though the noise of its wheels oould be heard in the distance, and coming every moment nearer. Owing to the extreme rarity, of the atmosphere the blast' oJT the guard's horn had been' heardat a much, greater distance than iisuaV .apd' the consequence 1 'wad- 'that nearly .two' minutes elapsed, , after the : horses, were /brought out arid ranked for* .yoking^ ere 5 'the : gaudy*colbured vehicle came thurideririg oyer the'caus-e---"Wayed and drew : up with a nourish at th& inri door. ; 1 Thus* tire' landlord- had. time tb [ feel thpsnell keenness of , the air, arid tb' 1 riotice , the slippery 'arid ! dan' g-erous conation'of the rpads: In ; the morning ! a' thiok :! hbar frbst nad covered the^' ground.' Xhis^he unclouded sun -at mid-day had s^fficie^lj" iii'fluferide 'ri'ai*rially : to- thaw, '^nd.nbw as ( evening drewori, thesurfabe j of the glistening 1 roads was frozen over 'with a 'shee£ pf smoothest ice,- whichrendered the'^locdnaptibn -of man and '^east* highly perilous. In the case of J the r cbach this danger had been obviated 'byit^ei'sh^rperiing process which' the') horses' 1 shoes : had undergone, and as"; the coach burst into view they- came spanking ; forward, with" a .' reckless spurning of the slippery paths, which, but for the shield they : wore, would quickly have sent them sprawling ou thegrourid. ; •-_; 1 A.perfect cloud- pf stearp rose from their sweadng bodies- as ppntirijg^ i eind f breathless they carjae to a standstill-^ dbubrJe'ss, if hb7yses ! cap expferience ' such; a'^eelrag, "to have, got through jtheir day's , work, ; and ready 1 to enjoy ' $e^Fsuppei ''and, the; -rest apd shelter ofthe stable, ;percharice [also' envied by the' • -fpur" meek-looking quadrup'eds; • -of^ the 5 a^pecies' -who had 'potpe fb^rjti ! to

-taj^ekthejfcf g^^ 02 to \ Scarcely; has)t^q o wh^eelg; 'ftfytfefj cpaph* to 7 iieyo^x.Wihen, fi wj§ppad, : ,ancL -ijiuj^edj i ornis^qame^t^ r.4l orn j sip?.{Mr heftutpfyedf Umbs},with ;% ; 'haß*sily-j swajjowpd ftftv^fp^rfisp. . appearpd <at * the jlpprs} ,ajid* j wip. 4^W. js< the Jnr^br^jshputingjQ^ glasf es ' offwhis^^dfbr^ndy^fandj d^ing,th|e! ,shp^ time L consi^ qj)gra*tion;Of .changing Worses the landlord, an^ sis.tants^ere i^nyioccupjed^ f tp the.w^nte.pfithepa^ngers.^^ : the/num.erpus .smsj-llejri yesseiaemptied of > thpir fiery .consents, \ the • entji-g i , orp ( wst pfj-spiced , n milled /porter, ; was ; iexhausted,, andy seeing.the briskpess . of .the, d^mand^the landlor,d ?comrnunic,ated a sly wink to^. the, ostler npt to; he too, ,quick ■ « with /his., w.ork, which; .hint the' Jajteij'fWas jnp p 51.9 jy, ; to i^n^e^tand and;act ( ■•WpOß^-r ■--„-.;; e^iirrnt AinZ'shvA.', n i: .^trp^es.ently the.cp^phnjan .and .the' gua,rd,i w^ : . ; had. ( within , tb!e ' interjqiv p^thp inn at thp . fii*Bt7 i ;mpm,ent" ;of ftrrivaj • reappeared, |S^rppglyrfbjitifie|d J jforithe^ext^stage^japdi lustily' , for all to*?* take . their , seats r; whereuppn- , the bstlejr's mptiQns,had,tp.^e quickened/ 1 . .those who hjjd, alighterj .scrambled up" agaip Ito {he. , outside t^e (.doors; r .w ( ere j closed t with a .bang, ;the windows drawn up, the ;driver ; ; y,aii lted » tq his, j seat and y seized the reins, the , guard, leaped.. np behind. and sounded the shorn, .^itb iashrill blast, anal, ysrith a loud i; crack, of the. whip,! his jVJlajesty's mail-coach .rolled; away into the cpldgloorn pf. the .descepding^winrerys night on i.csjourney to . Glasgow, .leaving ithe landlord stand- ' ing ; in the porch complacently chinking the money which had receiyed for the ;disposal of beverages... , . V .( ; Then, when tjhe yehicle,had, finally 1 disappeared, he proceeded f along the passage into the, parlour,,. and. was not' till that moment awarp ; that . t\yo ( of the passengers had, remained 'be.hi,n;d: „ On ' entering; this : apartment, * shpweyer-,,s hp weyer-, , he found that such was the case, for. here' sat a' young rad^Hvr^p'ed^rßm head to ; foot m'thi6k : tra'veH|hg ( garments nnd beside her a midfJle-a^ed man, ; who; at ; the fjrs ; t glance w^s'seeh beA sailorV He al^o was "clacl in. heaVy;" woollenClothesj/though :ho 5 mbre^-'heavily,, tihan was necessary, fbr r he ! had "been travelling outside the coach \' and Sas )ie bad just retiiriie'd' to Europe, froih ;, a warm' '' climate he was doubly sensitive' to the effects of the cold ride. ' v •, '■ As the^aridlprd entered he was : in the act "df removing the niufßer ;vVhieh ' had enveloped 'his neck %ith v 'matiy folds', and revealed the plertsant, aha gOod-' humoured face of Jack Blossoih 5 .

Ah, a sailor arid his wife, or-^-or his daughter, thought the landlord to him-' self as he glanced from one to 'the other, inwardly surprised to find 'two such travellers stopping for the night,, as they evidently intended to do. His surprise was occasioned by tho fact that Dehburn was an inland 7 villag e, dn d : ' therefore unlikely to become the stopping place ; of a travelling sailor. Like' 1 a politic landlord, lidwever, : he. did riot allow' his surprise to manifest itself but hastened/ to in quire what he could' do' for 'their accommodation. ■.-.■• -n=

Jack rlßsponded bybrdering"; a warm meal to be prepared as soon as possible arid in the meantime a huge addition to be. niade to ' the 'fire which 1 burned in .grate/ ! Then ,! he inquired^ if the lady could have ahot, jsnug sleeping berth, and to^ this : questi.bn L the nb'swef i; w;as returned in broad Doric that' "There wasna a fire iri ariy 6' the bedrooms yet, but 1 one sucl be kinnled immediately." ' "Sail it be in twa rooms or drily ,ane V asked the' landiordi ' ".[ r - ; " Only brie', aridletit.Beagood 'lin." " She's his wife;" thought ' the'landlordi i( Bless me, what a young creature she is tae bo ; his wife."'' " • ■

'■ I. don't mind for ( ai fire 1 in my bunk," added Jack "I ain't, used to'it." ~ ; " No, I'ni 'wrong'; she's his daughter,*' concluded the landlord, bp bearing this additional order. ' ' ! i; ... ;•■

" iridf-ed j but you' shall have a fire in ybi|r : room, Jack," said the lady, speaking; for 1 the first' time. " Ybii havp as l-piich need ! fbi* orie'as .1 have* ;so please,' landlord; 'don't ; fo>ge,t to have both rooms 'well heated,^ 7 and ' Jefc-theiri; adjoin each^fhery if ; prjssible'. ,y ''■*'** , 7 ; VVerj W3ll,inem : . I'll '.see' 1 that : a' ; the'drders'are attended ''-"fae^" arfsweried the person' addressed, as'with;a'low'bpw ! he quitted the dpat^ent' '" ■'■'■^ '- >': ' !: ; "S&e S isha : • , is"dauchter, n e2tner,|' , he -Kutteied ' - 'tb ; -riin?s^lf'bri r h^ : Vay -t6 r - the 1 'kitchen. ,■' '« ; "Sfie Carina be 1 tnh't/1 for \ she; 1 ca'cf Hinr Jaek',7;atia; a. 1 dauchtei* f. would' rie^er ca' herfaii:|ier 'Jack ' !i ;!3he seeiris' a teddy, tae, .'if atie ""n'a^'iud'are'b'y'' the tone o her voice;.'*, I' could see* 'very ' 'little oV^er face for this thick Veil;-' uijtr what ( I did 'see looked 'sw'eefc and; bbririy. 5 " May bp'she's^h^-sis'ter, oply "she* *has' % mair genteel' appearance ; than r .the'sister 6' a common sailor : is ', likely", taahae^ ! It disri.a 1 matter j s tliey sha'll' be ; as; well' : treated as the 1 grandest guests that cbirie tae ;> the pleiibuTn^ri^s^^r"^ *'T U " i [ 1 ; W ith ; this sensible resolution' f . the landlord. entered' the kitchphV where he issued the! 'necessary order's 'for the refreshment arid ' up}ptitting' ' of ' ; the couple in the 5 parlour;' 1 ■'"'■'■'' ' ::, rSS Ji . ' „.: :.i ■ ' ''ft -\ •"■ •-■ ' — ■■■ ••■' ti. •'■ j ;•

: A paper '.^ays iof.th% , bir l in-its' : relation , to : man, '"It kisses -anS -blesses •hiin,' ;but "will '"riot *6b^y Hiin P^ sßiubbS'Says- that descrip- ; 'tipn r *uits hisiyife exactly. !. •m .':■-•_' •,y j 3"be friends; 9jf, a wi};. express^ -some, surpri^e\rhat,;,with Jns^age and . „ 91*; the hottLe'f $'ej ( s|appjhi ' haye t thbught! it r WoriK while tb ( »riarr^'- '.• 'A! wife^wa^rieces'-? ' sa^yi'* he r sa!d ij i -th^b r eg\n' : tb r ßiy^Df pie 1 TdraiirtobWchfbr^^ • '

■^^^f^sfWm^sm^

J'lOl^* .DfFR. { tl^iei.,. -.jlW^Ui..; i g" Tl'yr *'• r.\ j uiYAboul tw^uypajwtagoj (saysifhe if, St. j vLbuisJbt^al')ia?Mißßbm'iaßiver^ yboatjleffrFof t'&eotpns I *withxs ailtiartyn of toughraad-c^ellJtbid.o awineEslpn^iioard.' There/werejalsoo among therpassengerjsithJtaft ojjjf fo^ri(Mdbrace^m;eny , ftand befoife' •arriying jatti SiouXijCiily they;hadpgene;-! •ialiy cleaned putiithe^ pockets' tof>i the* ; miners. .1 *<>Thb,- hpat sstopjied' nki k Siou^" j.City) to} ,WiOod'i:up,"i and; f found-, others waiting on bbard^i a mihisteriali-? lookinge:periTOiiage^^ithi!!the longest anflCmostv;sbremn;;cbuntenahce7d^ hihi f ! you can well imagine. He was dressed' in a suit of black, wore a white stove--.pjipe; hat audi :chbker« ppllar,^naniented" with a iblabk neckrhandfeerchief. i *

.Well, he, got on, .board,; jand the. boatstarted "down"' -the' strekmV* $6i two- , days pp. -was. unnoticed, by, the Otherpa ssehgef?/ Diirj one' of tke snbr s M ikit' though^ he saw ; a- change to make 'something out of" the' Melancholy iilai- • .viduall ' . The latter would, once or^twice a .day, step up to tHe,,bar, andl'^wi'th' 'a -yojce that was ; as mild anq^gentje^as a hiaiden'^ ' ask';' for ';a^' f A\. gla§s of soda/ if.ydu please^ ' ana!'' the^h4'' a roll of* bills', rro'm his 1 pocket a,, quarter,^. from the. Interior lay ers.' Then ;he ' would say to the bar-keeper, 'as.' if under, a ''th'dusan'd vi obTigatibhs, y as if about Itp! commit suicide; "A'A'A <. i ' ' Thia thing \ and' I ,the i gambler Ihave1 have spoken of' i^t : Ihst i ,'^'pprbache i d 7h i imV , .7 ,> f J ' ;' . - /.'- Would ' you' like a' game of seven-' up, Sir;'', . ._ „ . . 7. 7 ; . ; ,-.. " 7 ' ■ * J '•'.Seyen' : ujO i '? ! 'jWhat^'is'^ se'yeri-uj?!?'' .Please' tell 'me, gpod friendl?'' ' '■"'"■' • * f Why . a game of cards' ' you; khbw, i ust td; pass -away the trine/ ! "Let:us : play a game. . ■•, , . , , " My^.'gb'bd. friend,,!, do ho^khbw any thing concerning, cards ;' I cannot. - " ' .:' Well, 7, come.' along,, we'll show you how tb'idp'it."', \ Antl the mild gentleman in 'black after, sbriie 1 further 'pro- ' tests' ai length consented. ' ' 't ; ' ; . ,' j -i ' ' They showed Hiiri how ii' was' done,' '■ and they played' several gahies.' 'The' geritiem^ ( in 'black was! Helighted; ' Gaipblerswant to know if he will play poker, fiye 1 cents, .'ante, ' ;just/fot u i:he';f un of the. thing*.* \ Gentleman' in black says' he can't play the game' D'ut they.ex-" plain, again, and the poker commences, Ther,gentlerhari - in 'black , loses; alt' the tirpe.7. ,' There are six men' ; in r the game. Bach' one deals before the gentleman in black', and the ante' is raised to a 'dollar'.' ; Gfent iri^'black7 "deals ' awkwardiyv, and looks at his hand. Next man \o dealer bets five— goes found,, arid bets ! are raised to bhe hundred dollgirs. Gent in 1 black sees it.and mak'es'it one hundred better. Gamblers look Surprised 5 but ' will riotrbe bluffed. 'The bet had' reached, five hundred dollars—a thousand. All drew but except, Pike's; Peak miner, who' sees and calls him. " What have ypx\ V\ " Waal," ',' answers .the gent in black, " I have— let me see, let' .me see— waal,' TnPve four ones." „'; The gamblers, who hsiye suspiciohed some time befpfe, ribiy7ipok wild; and 'theliglit begins,' to 'da^ri in thb miner's mind. ' He leaned across the table r and said, in' the" ,mbst sarcastic tone's" he could cbmhiahd : * :f ;. •'• !

{i Oh,' you heaVe, heavb yer ? You sanctimonious t shuffler?. '-'"'' '* - ,; ' (: ; ;-> ' Tne gent' got' upj Tfrorri 'the 'table .arid handed one, of the'ganiblers his bard:' It :, rt'iiaV " Billj^all^r^JXew Orleans ?'• .—one of the -post * successful sharpers in the 1 countFyv ■■•••■ : •--. : •■ _ '" -■••■■