Light Freights | Page 8

about game than the parson hisself did.
"It was the day arter this one I'm speaking about, the 16th o' June, that
the trouble all began, and it came about in a very eggstrordinary way.
George English, a quiet man getting into years, who used when 'e was
younger to foller the sea, and whose only misfortin was that 'e was a
brother-in-law o' Bob Pretty's, his sister marrying Bob while 'e was at
sea and knowing nothing about it, 'ad a letter come from a mate of his
who 'ad gone to Australia to live. He'd 'ad letters from Australia before,
as we all knew from Miss Wicks at the post-office, but this one upset
him altogether. He didn't seem like to know what to do about it.
"While he was wondering Bill Chambers passed. He always did pass
George's 'ouse about that time in the evening, it being on 'is way 'ome,
and he saw George standing at 'is gate with a letter in 'is 'and looking
very puzzled.
"'Evenin', George,' ses Bill.
"'Evenin',' ses George.

"'Not bad news, I 'ope?' ses Bill, noticing 'is manner, and thinking it
was strange.
[Illustration: Not bad news I 'ope 086]
"'No,' ses George. 'I've just 'ad a very eggstrordinary letter from
Australia,' he ses, 'that's all.'
"Bill Chambers was always a very inquisitive sort o' man, and he
stayed and talked to George until George, arter fust making him swear
oaths that 'e wouldn't tell a soul, took 'im inside and showed 'im the
letter.
"It was more like a story-book than a letter. George's mate, John Biggs
by name, wrote to say that an uncle of his who had just died, on 'is
deathbed told him that thirty years ago he 'ad been in this very village,
staying at this 'ere very Cauliflower, whose beer we're drinking now. In
the night, when everybody was asleep, he got up and went quiet-like
and buried a bag of five hundred and seventeen sovereigns and one
half-sovereign in one of the cottage gardens till 'e could come for it
agin. He didn't say 'ow he come by the money, and, when Bill spoke
about that, George English said that, knowing the man, he was afraid 'e
'adn't come by it honest, but anyway his friend John Biggs wanted it,
and, wot was more, 'ad asked 'im in the letter to get it for 'im.
"'And wot I'm to do about it, Bill,' he ses, I don't know. All the
directions he gives is, that 'e thinks it was the tenth cottage on the
right-'and side of the road, coming down from the Cauliflower. He
thinks it's the tenth, but 'e's not quite sure. Do you think I'd better make
it known and offer a reward of ten shillings, say, to any one who finds
it?'
"'No,' ses Bill, shaking 'is 'ead. 'I should hold on a bit if I was you, and
think it over. I shouldn't tell another single soul, if I was you.'
"'I be'leeve you're right,' ses George. 'John Biggs would never forgive
me if I lost that money for 'im. You'll remember about keeping it secret,
Bill?'

"Bill swore he wouldn't tell a soul, and 'e went off 'ome and 'ad his
supper, and then 'e walked up the road to the Cauliflower and back, and
then up and back again, thinking over what George 'ad been telling 'im,
and noticing, what 'e 'd never taken the trouble to notice before, that 'is
very house was the tenth one from the Cauliflower.
"Mrs. Chambers woke up at two o'clock next morning and told Bill to
get up further, and then found 'e wasn't there. She was rather surprised
at first, but she didn't think much of it, and thought, what happened to
be true, that 'e was busy in the garden, it being a light night. She turned
over and went to sleep again, and at five when she woke up she could
distinctly 'ear Bill working 'is 'ardest. Then she went to the winder and
nearly dropped as she saw Bill in his shirt and trousers digging away
like mad. A quarter of the garden was all dug up, and she shoved open
the winder and screamed out to know what 'e was doing.
"Bill stood up straight and wiped 'is face with his shirt-sleeve and
started digging again, and then his wife just put something on and
rushed downstairs as fast as she could go.
"'What on earth are you a-doing of, Bill?' she screams.
"'Go indoors,' ses Bill, still digging.
"'Have you gone mad?' she ses, half-crying.
"Bill just stopped to throw a lump of mould at her, and then went on
digging till Henery Walker, who also thought 'e 'ad gone mad, and
didn't want to