JACK NAILER EXAMINING THE BROKEN WHEEL. Ν DORRINGTON AINSLIE. BY JOHN SHERER. CHAP. I.-THE VILLAGE OF BOXINGWOOD. IN the south of Devon, some miles east of Plymouth, and at no great distance from the sea, is situated a little town, which at the time of our story, was no more than a village, although enjoying in the surrounding country, the reputation of being a somewhat thriving one. For certain reasons of no consequence to our history, we will designate this flourishing little bee-hive of human industry, Boxingwood. Its situation although picturesque, could scarcely be called beautiful. From the east it was approached by a cart-road for a considerable way, overhung with tall elms, which in summer almost darkened it with the profusion of their foliage, whilst in winter their black gigantic forms, imparted a dead and cheerless aspect, as uninteresting as it VOL. I. was uninviting. When these were passed the village itself opened to the view. A baker's shop was the first sign which indicated the industry of the place, and this was succeeded by a chandler's, next came a lane that led down into some fields, and next a series of small dwellings; then one or two of larger dimensions, having an air of decayed re spectability, then shops again, and so on, intermixed with three or four inns, whose desolate appearance gave small token of doing a very great trade in their own peculiar way. The best part of the village opened into a wide heath, which, at a mile's distance, was skirted by a large forest, whose traditionary history was capable of furnishing no mean amount of interest to those whose imaginations seek for excitement in the adventures of smugglers, and such characters as belong to times more favourable to romantic pursuits than are those in which we live. Boxingwood might be said to consist of but one street, although there were several turnings that diverged from it; In this and enjoyed two or three houses well tenanted with children, dogs, hens, and the usual accompaniments of the singular animal association, which many of our more secluded rural villages still exhibit to the eye of the tourist. street were the inns of the place. The first both as regards importance and respectability was called the Black Bull, the sign of which swung from an iron support, deeply fastened in the stem of an old elm, whose branches had been trimmed and lopped until they presented so many leafless stumps, which had a painful rather than a picturesque effect upon those who delight to contemplate a tree luxuriating in all the riches of its own natural beauty. On this sign was painted the animal, which gave its name to the house, and which, although a little faded from atmospherical effects, preserved sufficient of its bovine character clearly to show what it was meant for, whilst a pair of golden tipped horns shot from its head, and golden hoofs adorned a set of limbs which the taste of the artist had developed to the fullest massiveness of the Devonshire breed. The name of the secondary house was that of the Horse and Groom, requiring no particular remark; whilst the others could scarcely claim the character of being inns, their trade being confined mostly to a bar business, to which the limited dimensions of the houses circumscribed the landlords, as they had no accommodation for seating their customers. With these, however, our tale has no concern, as they in no degree entered into rivalry with the chief establishment, the maste of which was known for twelve miles round as Jack Purdie of the Bull. The Sunday of Boxingwood was passed by its inhabitants in a manner similar to that which is common to the comparatively rural districts of England. A dull listless vacuity pervaded its street; the windows of the houses were partially blinded; all animal activity seemed to be suspended, and a species of moral and physical torpor appeared to have fallen upon everything that lived or breathed, whether in the shape of the brute, the feathered, or the human part of creation. If any bustle occurred during the day, it was about two o'clock, when the London coach was expected to arrive, and when men and women of the lower sort would open their doors to peep forth and see what number of passengers it contained, and when a group of half-grown lads usually gathered at the archway which opened into the court of the Black Bull in order to gratify their curiosity as to the travellers, or to see the horses changed for a renewal of the journey. As this was the usual way in which the Sunday was spent, the one on which our tale commences formed no exception to the general rule; only the coach did not arrive so punctually to its time as it usually did. What can keep Jones to-day?" remarked Jack Purdie, as he stood in the doorway of the Bull. "He bain't up to his time to-day," returned Tom Dubs the ostler, who had all the new relay of horses ready in the court to be brought forth and traced the moment the others were relieved from the vehicle. "No he bain't," coincided Jack, looking at a huge silvercased watch adorned with a broad blue ribbon, from which depended a seal of a century old, "and if he is much longer I'll begin to think sum'at is wrong wi' un." "Oh, there's nothing wrong wi' Jones; I'll answer for him," replied Dubs, and at that moment all parties were relieved from any misgivings they might have, by the crack of the whip being heard for some time before the first horses had turned an angle of the road that led into the village. "That's he!" shouted Dubs, and ran into the yard to get the other horses out, by which time the Paragon had arrived at the door of the Black Bull. "You're late to-day, Jones," observed Purdie. "Dash it all," replied the driver, "here's a pretty go! a part of the tyre o' my fore wheel is off, an' I never knowed it afore I got to the Spring-gate. What's to be done?" The wheel now underwent an extraordinary examination, and every one pronounced his opinion upon the nature of the accident. Jack Purdie pronounced it a bad job, Tom Dubs declared it would never do to proceed on the journey with such a wheel, whilst Reuben the waiter, who had been standing behind his master "waiting for orders," observed that "nothing could be done." "What can be done?" said he, at the top of his voice, which was assumed to terrify several passengers into the house to ask for refreshments, "what can be done? who'd ever think o' journeying wi' a wheel in that state? the whole ! coach'll break down. It's far worser than the Britannia's was last year, when Charley Thongs wud drive her, right or wrong, when he broke the collar-bone o' one of his passengers, the leg o' another, and the necks o' other three, afore he had turned the corner o' the Red Road, by Jack Houston's house, yonder,—” "Hould thy tongue! Dash it all, what's to be done?' interposed Jones. "Yonder's Jack Nailer, the blacksmith," cried a boy who had witnessed the distressing dilemma into which the coachman had fallen, "yonder's Jack Nailer; he'll put a piece on un in five minutes." "Run and fetch him, boy," said Jones; but a dozen voices now disturbed the quiet of the village by shouting, "Nailer, Nailer, Jack Nailer, here's a job for thee, man," which brought the disciple of Vulcan up to the Paragon with more haste than might have been expected, considering the solemnity of the day and the suit of blue with brass buttons in which he was invested. See here, Jack," said Jones, "the tyre o' my wheel has gotten a wrench. Lookee here; it'll never stand oot the journey without something is done to un." 66 That's a bad job," said Vulcan, as he pulled his coat off and handed it to Dubs, in order that he might apply himself more completely to an examination of the accident. During this proceeding a deep silence pervaded the gradually swelling crowd, which was broken by Reuben again declaring, with a countenance in which a thousand horrors were exaggerated to their fullest extent, that to " go furder in the coach was a sheer provokin' o' Providence. Lookee," he cried, "the weight o' the Paragon itsel' is fifteen hunder,' and then that baggage is some hunders more, and then the passengers are a good many hunders to that, and then Jones-" "Dash thy tongue!" cried Jones, whose wrath was now kindling with the difficulty in which he found himself, "Dash thy tongue! if thee doesn't keep it quiet I'll wring thy neck for thee! what business have thee wi' it?" "Business!" reiterated Reuben, "I should think I had business. Hadn't I no end o' trouble last year wi' the pas sengers o' the Britannia, that almost got their necks broke wi' Charley Thong's driving wi' his wheel not nearly so bad as that, and when they were going to cut off the lady's leg an' cut out the collar-bone-' The descriptive horrors, together with the expression of countenance and the terrific voice of Reuben, now produced their effect, for two or three of the inside female passengers, literally screamed and begged to be allowed to come out, and notwithstanding the assurances of Jones and Nailer that the wheel would be as strong as ever it was in five minutes, they entered the Black Bull in a state of considerable excitement from the magnified terrors with which Reuben had described a harmless accident that had occurred during the preceding year with the rival coach which was now beaten off the road. The blacksmith having finished his examination, began to put on his coat as if he did not intend doing any more to the disabled wheel, which was fast changing the wrath of Jones into wonder, and induced that functionary to demand what he was going to do. "Going down to the Horse and Groom," said Nailer. "Dang the Horse and Groom!" vociferated Jones, "what art thee going there for?" "For the key o' my shop," returned the other, with a coolness and gravity which added not a little to the importance of his position, as he knew that he was the only blacksmith in the neighbourhood who could be got readily to perform the duty that was required of him. "Thou'lt be back again, then?" asked Jones. "In a twinkling," said Nailer, as he proceeded to the Horse and Groom for the key of his workshop and to finish the remains of a pot with which he had been slaking his thirst after the effects of the previous Saturday night's jollification. As it was now evident that a considerable delay must be the consequence of this accident, an outside passenger, the only one who had not yet spoken, addressed the coachman in a manner so calm and unruffled that it seemed even to produce a soothing influence upon that worthy, who found now that he could not make his time, and that go how it might, he must content himself with whatever measure of philosophy he had been blessed. "As this will be a long affair," said the gentleman, "I shall get down here and take up my quarters, coachman. This is Boxingwood, and a few miles further would finish my journey at any rate, and this place will suit me quite as well as that to which I was going." "We'll be all right in five minutes, sir!" said Jones. "the blacksmith will bring a bit o' iron and a few spikes, then we'll be as strong as ever, sir. I assure you, sirDang that Nailer, he doesn't move half quick enough!" "Never mind," said the gentleman; "get ont my trunk and portmanteau. This place will suit me as well as any other." "I'm very sorry, sir! but it aint my fault. I have no business wi' the wheels, I have only to do wi' the horses, and I take care o' them. If everybody would look arter their business as I do mine, these accidents wouldn't hap-i' pen. Anything for the coachman, sir?" The bland civility of Jones now presented a striking contrast to the boisterous bearing which had characterized his conduct to the others, who were not his passengers, and from whom he expected nothing; but now that he was presented with a handsome valedictory fee, which he dropped into the pocket of a huge lappelled waistcoat, he looked as smiling and good-humoured as if he were receiving, from a person whom he very much esteemed, an invitation to dinner. As he turned, however, towards the by-standers his countenance underwent an instant change. "Is it anything strange," said he, ". that a gen'leman like that should wish to stop here? It would provoke Job himself to see how things are managed. That big-mouthed Devon bullock should have his head chopped off. Dash it, his tongue is longer than any 'oman's that ever were born." "Whose? "asked Dubs. "Why, Reuben's; didn't ye hear how he went on about the Britannia last year? Why, no such thing ever happened as he said there did-the great gaping ninny; danged if I wouldn't wring his neck for un, for a sixpence." By this time the trunk-a small leathern one-and the portmanteau of the traveller had been carried into the lobby of the Bull, the landlord of which had taken his position at the bar, in order to serve whatever liquors should be required by the few extra customers which this event had brought to his house on a Sunday. Nailer also had arrived and taken his position by the wheel of the coach, and the evil was found not to be so irremediable as was expected. Within an hour the ingenuity of the blacksmith had completed the work of reparation. The fresh horses were yoked; the passengers-notwithstanding some slight misgivings suggested by the doleful eloquence of Reuben-had again taken their places, when the whip of Jones flourished in the air, and the Paragon in a few minutes was out of Boxingwood, and rattling over the road at a speed it had not hitherto attained on the journey. CHAPTER II. THE BLACK BULL INN. Leaving the vehicle, under the guidance of Jones, to pursue its way, we must return to the young gentleman who has taken up his abode in the Black Bull. His appearance indicated an age not exceeding two and twenty, but his frame exhibited a remarkable degree of muscular development for one whose manners and education stamped him not to belong to that class who have to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow. He stood a couple of inches above the middle height, whilst his form was as straight as an arrow. His countenance was open, and expressive of much good nature, and a latent fire seemed to burn in his large blue eyes, which, when excited, lighted up into a brilliancy that almost seemed to create a new atmosphere around them. His hair was of a rich auburn, which fell in curls to his shoulders, whilst his mouth was of that close-cut expressive kind, which at once marks a strong infusion of decision to be an ingredient in the character. His dress was neither that of a fop nor that of a sloven. He seemed to stand between the old and the new fashions, although all that he wore was of the best material. Now that the coach had departed, and a lull had taken place in the bustle of the inn, he rung the bell which summoned Reuben to his presence. "It is my intention to remain here for a few days," said he, "therefore I shall want a couple of apartments-a sittingroom and a bed-room, as I wish to be somewhat private." "Yes, sir," said Reuben, "we ha' plenty o' bedrooms, but o' private sitting-rooms we be some'ut short at present." "Indeed! how is that, then?" "Why, ye see, sir, we does a good business here; more than all the other houses in Boxingwood put together, and the summer time we be sometimes that full that we don't know which end on us is upmost. Maister has to gi'e up his bed, missus has to gi'e up her'n, and I ha' sometimes to take quarters wi' Dubs, and the Bull be that full, that there be no sort o' room for any mortal thing i' the sleeping line." "That speaks well for the house, Reuben." "The house!" reiterated the waiter, whose imagination was now to take a flight, "why, sir, I should think there's no such oother house between this and Lunnon. Missus is such an excellent manager in the eating line, and there's nought like maister i' the brandy way. There's no such cook either as our'n in these parts. Her name is Susan, 'Black-eyed Susan, lovely dear,' as the song says; but dash my buttons, this is Sunday, and I musn't sing." The extraordinary humour and freedom of Reuben were such as the gentleman had never met with before in a person of his situation, and he did not know whether to set it down to the nature of his disposition or to an assumed manner, necessary perhaps to serve his own interests in the capacity in which he walked. The gentleman, however, although appreciating humour in a high degree, did not like it when it was carried to an extent that infringed the rules of moral propriety, or presumed too far, as it is apt to do, in those whose discriminative faculties discover no distinction be tween their own position and that of the other whom they may be addressing. Accordingly, he cut the eulogistic eloquence of Reuben short by saying that he would have an opportunity of judging of the truth of all he said, but in the meantime he desired to be shown the apartments he could оссиру. I'll send maister to thee, sir, as he knows the rooms as well as I," said Reuben, and hastened out of the apart ment. In a few minutes the master was in attendance, fully charged by Reuben with the important information, that the gentleman was a nobleman, or, at the least, a man of immense wealth, travelling in disguise. Jack Purdie, however, was a shrewder observer than Reuben, albeit he also had his peculiarities, one of which was the idea that his establishment was the best for the accommodation of man and beast that was to be found for many miles round. |