“WELCOME THE TRAVELLER”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 September 1939, Page 12

“WELCOME THE TRAVELLER”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

By

ARTHUR HARDY.

CHAPTER V. (Continued). “It must have been wonderful living in the inn in those days," said Nora, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. Robert closed the book and resumed his rummaging in the chest. Package after package he opened bringing to light more of the visitors' books or registers of the inn. And at last, just as he was beginning to despair, he brought up a smaller parcel, and in it found the treasure he was coveting the most. There were two volumes of quarto size, the pages stitched together and fastened into loose covers bound in leather. The original manuscript was in two parts, each comprising several hundred written pages. The title page of the manuscript announced —“The True Story of Welcome the Traveller Inn,” written by Robert Berry, 1815-1855. Robert Berry ran the pages over a checking finger and thumb, his eyes. ■ glistening as he saw hoy: crowded they : were with the neat writing. “If the story is as interesting as I think if will prove to be.” he said with a catch of the breath, “we may find I money injt, Nora, if we publish it. It I ought to be wonderful.”

The afternoon was waning. "I ought to drive home and bring the folk for supper,” said Jessie Capstcw, breaking the spell. “Dan can come with me.”

Robert Berry arose, hugging the precious books. His hands wore as black as a sweep's, his face was smudged. They left the litter where it lay until tomorrow, put out the lamp and trooped upstairs. Jessie Capstow and Dan went off in the car. Robert cleaned himself up. Nora dusted and polished the precious books, then set them aside until after the meal.

It proved an eventful evening at Wood Farm. Joe Capstow, as grim and as dull as a graven image, had scarcely a thing to say. Jessie’s mother, querulous and nervous, amused herself with taking Jessie constantly to task for the money she spent recklessly in London instead of putting by all she could save for use in her old age.

After supper Adam Lawley came in his car, alone. He had called to see what had happened about finding the inn sign, the iron frame and the books of Waterloo Berry, he -said. “We have found them,” answered Robert Berry excitedly. He brought the visitors’ books and the two volumes of the diary to the table and set them down there. The solicitor’s eyes sparkled greedily. He turned over the pages, glancing at them intently. He sat down and lit a cigar, He began to busy himself with the diary. Presently Adam Lawley smiled. “Here we have it. Read it, Bob.” CHAPTER VI. Waterloo Berry had been as thorough in his penmanship in writing his diary as he had been in running his mn, and therefore Robert Berry had no difficulty in reading it. In parts the story was told in quaint phrases, but it excited all who heard it.

‘Til begin with March 17, 1819,” said Robert. “It says here that day had not properly broken before the village was invaded by an army of strangers. At Welcome the Traveller some of the guests had stayed up all night gaming with cards and at hazard. Breakfasts were served as early as half past five, and soon' after that hour Waterloo' Berry went to the door to see the High Street blocked with coaches, curricles and drags, gigs, buggies and even farm carts and men swarming everywhere.

“It was not until half past nine that the whole horde moved on to the chosen battle ground.”

"Did Waterloo Berry see the fight, Bob?” asked Nora excitedly. “No,” answered Robert, reading on. “But it says here that he went along to the\Duke of York Inn, where Torn Shelton had stayed the night., Hero is what Waterloo Berry says about him—"He stood five feet ton inches high, weighed twelve stones eleven pounds, a big, strong-looking fellow with a pleasing face and his dark hair combed straight down over his forehead. He wore a blue choker when he climbed into his carriage followed by Tom Cribb, who was to second him, and Lord Huntingdon, who had pul up Shelton’s share or the slake money, one hundred pounds aside.” They went off with a clatter, a line of vehicles nearly a mile long following after. “At that moment, says the diary, Sir Thomas Shulgrave, M.P., for Tansworth and justice of the peace, rode up astride a big brown hunter. Waterloo Berry asked him what he intended to do —stop the fight? Sir Thomas' answered that that was what he ought to do, but actually he might stay to see the fight. He asked Waterloo Berry to get a nag and ride on with him, but the innkeeper said he had to look after his inn. Sir Thomas rode away with a salute of his riding crop."

Robert scanned the pages of the diary eagerly. “This is interesting. Waterloo Berry says that when he got back to the inn he found Joe Capstow absent from the stable yard; he had abandoned his duties as ostler and gone off to see the fight, although three extra men's work was needed there.” Robert read on a bit. “And it was from Joe Capstow that Waterloo Berry gathered the details of the fight. Capstow had won five guineas by backing Shelton, but a pickpocket had relieved him on his road home.

“The fight took place at Hawthorn Bottom, where the ring was pitched in a grassy hollow sheltered from the keen wind. The shelving banks formed a'natural basin and on these the spectators disposed themselves. The branches of an old oak tree that topped the high bank were black with people. “A troop of dragoons had ridden over from Oxford, and although three other magistrates joined Sir Thomas Shulgrave they did nothing more than warn the company that they were breaking the peace, and threatening to] read the Riot Act. It was just a mere form.

“Jack Randall stepped into the ring at a quarter to one o'clock. He wore

white stockings and white breeches, with a green scarf threaded through strings at the waist. “Tom Shelton kept him waiting ten minutes before he strode down the bank and tossed his black hat into the ring. “Randall looked much the .lighter man, but he was in grand shape and his reputation as a first-class boxer kept the odds down from five to four on Tom. “According to Joe Capstow's account at the call of ‘Time’ Tom made play with a smashing right that fell short. Jack flicked him light on the ear and brought him down heavily, with Tom undermost. “In the second round there was some brisk hitting on both sides, and after both had landed heavily on the face Randall landed a severe blow on Tom’s nose which sent him down on one knee. Tom was up immediately, but Randall had seated himself upon his second’s knee and the round ,_was declared over. “Randall rushed in as soon as the third round started, but was stopped by a stinging facer and the fighting was severe on both sides until both went down, with Randall uppermost.” “Bob,” Nora's eyes were big with surprise. “They were wrestling.” “They fought under prize ring rules,” Robert explained. Wrestling was allowed. There was no limit to the duration of a round, which might last only sixty seconds, or sixty minutes; the round ended when a man was hit down or thrown down. And the intervals between the rounds was half a minute. The fight went on as long as the two men could go.” He looked over the pages of the diary again, reading on.

“This fight,” he commented, ‘'‘lasted only fourteen rounds, but the hitting seems to have been tremendously effective. Right the way through the odds were on Jack Randall, the smaller man. By the ninth round the Nonpareil was terribly distressed, but still his backers offered two to one. After the tenth round the odds soared to five and six to one on Randall. In the eleventh round it says he started to hit round, and • that was a bad sign. In that round Shelton planted four tremendous facers, but in the end ne went down exhausted and Randall’s backers .offered ten to one.

“Round twelve showed both men distressed and both went down. In the thirteenth round Shelton had the better of the fighting, but at the end, missing a smashing blow, he fell on his face, whilst Randall went down quite as badly. Randall was still the favourite.

“In the fourteenth and last round the fine fighting of Shelton plus his additional weight, gave him the lead. At the end, just as Randall was going down in a distressed state, Shelton landed a tremendous blow under the Nonpareil’s ear that laid Sim out insensible until the call of the half a minute time.

“It was doubtful," said, Joe Capstow. “if Shelton could have fought two more rounds. When he was placed on his second’s knee, he fell to the ground. The battle was ovex - in less thpn fifteen minutes and was acknowledged to be the finest seen for many years.” Robert Berry looked up from his reading to see Jessie Capstow staring at him with glistening eyes. She caught her breath. “Oh,” she gasped and she seemed a little dazed, “was that Joe Capstow any relation of ours, dad?” “Aye,” answered the ironmonger, “he was your great, great grandfather and ostler at 'The Traveller’ \ Dan Shelton leapt to his feet. “What a fight. And we won it. Still if Jack Randall had carried a few more pounds —” He grinned at Jessie. “Will you come to see me if I promise to fight like that?” "Even if I have to chuck up my job,”

she answered. Robert turned his attention once more to the diary. "There is a little more to be said about that day,” said he. “Listen —‘At half past two o'clock that afternoon the company were all back at the inn. Shelton had returned to the Duke of York and had been put to bed. They brought Randall to Welcome the Traveller in a postchaise, but I would not have him in, though he was badly beaten up. An innkeeper is obliged to discriminate if he values his custom. I'd have nursed Jack with my own hands, but I had to keep the riff-raff out, and ,1 couldn't have them storming the! house because the Nonpareil had been put to bed here. So I sent him out five guineas and, having'had word with Sir Thomas Shulgrave, who was standing his friends a magnum of champagne out of his winnings, he being a magistrate and so to speak above the law, he said he could carry Randall to Cranbrooke Hall, whither they went almost immediately. Which is sporting conduct such as you might expect from the Master of the Cranbrooke Hunt."

; Robert Berry laid his hand upon the 1 book. “That' Sir Thomas Shulgrave must ’ have been the ancestor of the present ; Member for Tansworth," he said. ‘ Adam Lawley tapped his cigar and z nodded. "He was one of the best of a long 1 line.” 1 It must have been a brutal sight that fight,” said Nora, “and yet I think I should have liked to see it. And how 1 I should have liked to have known ’ the old inn in those days, to have ' dined there and lived there." Adam Lawley smiled at her sym- > pathetically. ! “I know what you mean,” he agreed. ’! “I felt that way when my father used, , I to talk about the inn when I was a boy. Sentiment is out of fashion, and 1 even solicitors ought to be hard. But : it's because I feel as I do I have never >1 sold the old place. They shall never ! | demolish the ‘Traveller’ in my time.” , He pointed to the diary on which J Robert Berry's hand still rested.

I ‘-'Turn to the year 1821, Bob. May, 1 ! think the month will be. Waterloo I Berry should have something to say . about Sir Thomas Lawrence.” i- “The portrait painter?” said Robert, , lifting up his eye brows. Adam Lawley nodded through a . cloud of cigar smoke. “He stayed at the Inn and became , a friend of Waterloo Berry's. Look it up, Bob.” First of all Robert tackled the visitors' book, having little difficulty in . finding the needed entry—“ Thomas Lawrence." a dashing signature, under date the 4lh of May, 1821. On the same date below the signature in handwritings not so distinguished were written the names of five other mon and three women. And from the marI gin Robert read aloud this note ‘The London to Oxford coach arrived three hours late owing to a foundered wheel and the bad weather and the travellers stayed at the inn’ ”, Eagerly Robert returned to the diary and soon came upon what he sought. "This evening the London to Oxford coach did not arrive to time and with two and a half hours gone and rain sheeting down there was still no sign of her. All windows tight shut and the doors all closed. Made extra I preparations. And sure enough in I three hours after time the coach arrived with an odd nearside wheel, the fore wheel having foundered through the vehicle missing the road and fouling the ditch, the spokes being al] torn out of the axle. I (To be Continued), 1