THE OTARHELLY FEUD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1940, Page 10

THE OTARHELLY FEUD

COPYRIGHT. PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

By

GEORGE A. BIRMINGHAM.

Author of “General John Regan,” “Up the Rebels,” etc., etc.

CHAPTER VIII. (Continued). Since towing the net by swimming was beyond their power, there seemed only one thing possible. They swam back into shallower water, hoping to get hold of the net itself. But this they could not do. The shore shelved rapidly from the edge of the creek and they found that they would have to swim again before they could get an effective grip on it.

“We’ll have to give it up,” sighed Ronnie. "But I expect the gap is big enough. After all a mullet isn't quite a fool.” “He looks as if he was.” That of course, was true. All fish have a foolish look, and the mullet is perhaps worse than most others. But even the stupidest creatures develop a certain amount of intelligence when seeking for a chance of life. "Anyhow we can’t do more,” said Ronnie.

Even Daphne, though indomitable in spirit, recognised the futility of further efforts to move the net. One thing consoled her when she agreed to go home The tide, running at the full strength of the ebb, was keeping the gap open. The loose end cf the net was swept seawards, and it even seemed as if the tug of the current was shifting the weights and increasing slightly +he <ze of the gap

Daphne hailed Mousie, who was still throwing stones at Danny. “You can stop chasing that boy,” she said, “and come home.”

Mousie was glad to obey the order But she had not yet done with Danny As she retreated along the shore he followed her. Mousie quickened her pace. Danny broke into a trot. Mousie ran. Danny ran after her and overtook her just as she joined Daphne and Ronnie. But it was soon clear that he had no hostile purpose in his pursuit. “My da will beat me,” he panted. “And a good thing too,” said Ronnie. “Boys like you ought to be beaten all day long.” But Daphne was less hard hearted.

“There nothing to beat you for,” said Daphne. It wasn’t your fault we moved the net. Tell him that.”

But Danny had no faith in the efficiency of such a defence. His cause might be just, but justice, as he knew, had very little influence with Peter O’Farrelly. “He’ll beat me,” he cied helplessly.

“Don’t let him be beaten,” said Mousie. “He's quite a nice boy, or he would be if he had any clothes on.” “Ronnie,” said Daphne. “You’ll have to prevent O’Farrelly beating him. Isn’t there a society for the prevention of cruelty to children or something of that sort which could prosecute the father.”

“Quite as likely from what I know of it,” said Ronnie, “to prosecute Mousie for throwing stones at him. And even if it did tackle O’Farrelly the beating would be over before it could do anything.” ’> “If that society is no use,” said Daphne, “try another. Or threaten the father yourself.” But Ronnie had his own way of dealing with the situation, •a better way than Daphne’s. “Danny,” he said, “how much is a beating worth to you. What I mean is how much would you take —cash down—to allow your father to beat you?” “He wouldn't give me a penny, no matter how much he beat me.” “No, but I would. Would you consider yourself well paid for the beating if I were to give you half a crown afterwards.” “I would,” admitted Danny. “Then I’ll give you five shillings.” said Daphne. Danny stared at her in open-eyed astonishment. Then speaking with deliberate conviction he replied. “If it pleases you, Miss, I’d let you b,eat me all day long for five shillings” '“Please, Daphne,” pleaded Mousie. "Don't do it. I don’t think I could bear to see poor Danny beaten.” “I haven't the slightest intention of doing anything of the sort,” said Daphne. “I’m offering him five shillings because his father’s going to beat him, and it’s more or less my fault.” “God bless you, Miss,” said Danny. “It’s a good young lady you are, the finest I’ve ever seen. Will I come up to the house now for the money?” “Daphne, he can’t.” said Mousie. “Not without some clothes.” This consideration would have weighed very little with Daphne, but even in her generosity she was prudent.

“You haven't had the beating yet,” she said. “Come up tomorrow, and show me a bruise or two as evidence, and then you shall have the money.” Two hours later, after a good tea and a glass of whisky, Peter O’Farrelly launched his boat and rowed towards the creek. He found Danny shivering, but in surprisingly good spirits. He flung the boy his clothes. It was while the boy was dressing that Peter O’Farrelly dicovered what had happened. One end of the net was lying in shallow water beyond the entrance of the creek. Every single mullet had escaped safely to sea. O’Farrelly, after muttering a few curses, turned on Danny. The beating might have begun there and then with a rope end from the boat, if Ronnie had not appeared, walking briskly from the house.

“Well. Peter.” he said. “Got a good catch this time?” “I’ll have the law on them two young ladies over this,” he said indignantly. “And what’s more I'll have you prosecuted yourself. You can’t be interfering with another man’s nets that way. What right have you to touch it at all?

-J am not sure that the law would back you up about that." said Ronnie. "It seems to me that Lady Margaret will have a pretty good case. She has a perfect right to interfere with any

part of your gear which is on her land.” . , “It wasn’t on her land,” said Otarrelly. "The post I had that net made fast to was oelow high tide mark, and what’s below high tide marks is no land cf hers.

“There's quite an interesting case to be argued out on that point,” said Ronnie. “The post you made your net fast to may nave been just below high tide mark of the very highest springs. But a neap tide, and its a neap tide now, wouldn’t come up nearly as far. Unless you are prepared to carry your case with appeal after appeal up to the very highest courts you will hardly be able to get a decision that Lady Margaret won’t dispute. You'll be a poor man when you’ve finished.” "If it costs me every penny I own and all I can borrow, said Petei O Farrelly vindictively, "I'll go through with it.”

“And anyway,” said Ronnie, ’you will have to prove that it was the young ladies that moved your net.” “I’ll prove that easy enough,” said O’Farrelly. “Wasn't Danny here watching them the whole time?” “Danny was doing nothing of the kind',” sadi Ronnie. “He was running away as hard as he could pelt, and one of the young ladies after him with stones. Isn’t that the truth, Danny?” “It is,” said Danny.

“Then I’ll prosecute for that,” said O’Farrelly. “What right has any young lady to be killing a boy with stones?”

“So far from killing him,” said Ronnie, “she didn’t hit him once. Did she Danny?” “She did not.” said Danny. “So you can’t have the law on her for that,” said Ronnie.

“Anyway,” said O’Farrelly, “whether Danny was running away or not, he’ll swear to what I tell him to swear to and that is that he saw the young ladies dragging the net out to sea.” “What’s the good of Danny’s swearing?” said Ronnie. “There’s no judge the world would believe what that boy said, whether he swore it or not. If the young ladies go into court and swear that they were chasing Danny with stones all the afternoon, the court will take their word against his.” “The young ladies,” said O’Farrelly, “won't go into court and swear they didn’t move the net. They may be young devils interfering with a poor man who is trying to earn his living honestly. But I don’t believe they will go into a court and swear to a lie. That’s what they call perjury, and no young lady would do it.” Ronnie was very much of the same opinion. He knew perfectly well that if Daphne was brought into court she would tell the truth defiantly, and indeed he would have no choice if he was called upon to give evidence, except to tell the truth too. But there was no use giving this fact away to Peter O’Farreily. “In a good cause,” he said, “those young ladies would swear anything, whether it happened to be the truth or not. And as for perjury, there’ll be nothing to choose between them and Danny if he swears they didn’t throw stones at him. CHAPTER IX. Lady Margaret was too great a lady, endowed with too high a sense of personal dignity to exult openly over her defeated opponent. She would not, as Ronnie did, go into the bar of O’Farrelly’s public-house, and there taunt him with his failure. She was perfectly ..well aware that her quarrel! with CT’Farrelly was a subject of common gossip in Ballycon. The man himself in the successful early days of his fishing had boasted openly. He had not shrunk from recalling his experiences on the night of the raid on Lady Margaret’s house. “The old woman up at the castle,” he said, “is going mad entirely, but it’s little I care. She may do what she likes and talk how she chooses, but I'll have the bullet in spite of her. The days when them ones ” (there was a note of class consciousness here) “could trample on the faces of the poor is over, thanks be to God and the boys that fought for Ireland.” ■ So O’Farrelly had talked, and Lady Margaret had been well aware of it. It was this boasting far more than the actual catching of the mullet which annoyed her. But Daphne’s swift campaign had produced an unexpected change of public opinion. The townspeople, never very fond of O’Farrelly. grinned, nodded and whispered. This also Lady Margaret knew, and it pleased her greatly. She could not resist temptation of a drive into Ballycon to see for herself what was happening.

Nor when there could she conceal her feelings of triumph. The shopkeepers at whose doors she called noted her exulted mood. The boldest of them even ventured to comment on it to O’Farrelly himself, though cautiously,-, for O’Farrelly, in spite of the failure of his fishing, was not a man whom it was wise to offend.

"The old lady is getting younger every day." they said. "You’d think to look at her that she’d had some wonderful good luck. It might be that she’s been left a fortune. Anyway, whether it’s that or something else, she’s mightily well pleased with herself."

To such remarks O’Farrelly had little answer to make. Usually he growled or muttered a curse. Once or twice, goaded into articulate speech he defended himself

“She may fancy herself today, but believe mo, she won't always be so skittish. There’s a time coming that will see changes. I’ll get my own back off of her before she's much older. You may lay your life on that." For O'Farrelly was a man of determination, naturally disinclined to accept defeat at the hands of the old lady who had humiliated him or of a “chit of a girl" like Daphne. (To be Continued).