Bob Son of Battle [0]
Bob Son of Battle
by Alfred Ollivant
CONTENTS
PART I THE COMING OF THE TAILLESS TYKE
Chapter I. The Gray Dog
Chapter II. A Son of Hagar
Chapter III. Red Wull
Chapter IV. First Blood
PART II THE LITTLE MAN
Chapter V. A Man's Son
Chapter VI. A Licking or a Lie
Chapter VII. The White Winter
Chapter VIII. M'Adam and His Coat
PART III THE SHEPHERDS' TROPHY
Chapter IX. Rivals,
Chapter X. Red Wull Wins
Chapter XI. Oor Bob,
Chapter XII. How Red Wull Held the Bridge
Chapter XIII. The Face in the Frame
PART V OWD BOB 0' KENMUIR
PART IV THE BLACK KILLER
Chapter XIV. A Mad Man
Chapter XV. Death on the Marches,
Chapter XVL. The Black Killer
Chapter XVII. A Mad Dog
Chapter XVIII. How the Killer was Singed
Chapter XIX. Lad and Lass
Chapter XX. The Snapping of the String
Chapter XXI. Horror of Darkness
Chapter XXII. A Man and a Maid
Chapter XXIII. Th' Owd Un
Chapter XXIV. A Shot in the Night
Chapter XXV. The Shepherds' Trophy
PART VI THE BLACK KILLER
Chapter XXVI. Red-handed
Chapter XXVII. For the Defence
Chapter XXVIII. The Devil's Bowl
Chapter XXIX. The Devil's Bowl
Chapter XXX. The Tailless Tyke at Bay
PART I THE COMING OF THE TAILLESS TYKE
Chapter I. THE GRAY DOG
THE sun stared brazenly down on a gray farmhouse lying, long and low in the shadow of the Muir Pike; on the ruins of peel-tower and barmkyn, relics of the time of raids, it looked; on ranges of whitewashed outbuildings; on a goodly array of dark-thatched ricks.
In the stack-yard, behind the lengthy range of stables, two men were thatching. One lay sprawling on the crest of the rick, the other stood perched on a ladder at a lower level.
The latter, small, old, with shrewd nut-brown countenance, was Tammas Thornton,, who had served the Moores of Kenmuir for more than half a century. The other, on top of the stack, wrapped apparently in gloomy meditation, was Sam'l Todd. A solid Dales-- man, he, with huge hands and hairy arms; about his face an uncomely aureole of stiff, red hair; and on his features, deep-seated, an expression of resolute melancholy.
"Ay, the Gray Dogs, bless 'em!" the old man was saying. "Yo' canna beat 'em not nohow. Known 'em ony time this sixty year, I have, and niver knew a bad un yet. Not as I say, mind ye, as any on 'em cooms up to Rex son o' Rally. Ah, he was a one, was Rex! We's never won Cup since his day."
"Nor niver shall agin, yo' may depend," said the other gloomily.
Tammas clucked irritably.
"G'long, Sam'! Todd!" he cried, "Yo' niver happy onless yo' making' yo'self miser'ble. I niver see sich a chap. Niver win agin? Why, oor young Bob he'll mak' a right un, I tell yo', and I should know. Not as what he'll touch Rex son o' Rally, mark ye! I'm niver saying' so, Sam'l Todd. Ah, he was a one, was Rex! I could tell yo' a tale or two o' Rex. I mind me boo--"
The big man interposed hurriedly.
"I've heard it afore, Tammas, I welly 'aye," he said.
Tammas paused and looked angrily up.
"Yo've heard it afore, have yo', Sam'l Todd?" he asked sharply. "And what have yo' heard afore?"
"Yo' stories, owd lad--yo' stories o' Rex son o' Rally."
"Which on' em
"All on 'em, Tammas, all on 'em--mony a time. I'm fair sick on 'em, Tammas, I welly am," he pleaded.
The old man gasped. He brought down his mallet with a vicious smack.
"I'll niver tell yo' a tale agin, Sam'l Todd, not if yo' was to go on yo' bended knees for't.
Nay; it bain't no manner o' use talkin'. Niver agin, says I."
"I niver askt yo'," declared honest Sam'l. "Nor it wouldna ha' bin no manner o' use if yo' had," said the other viciously. "I'll niver tell yo' a tale agin if I was to live to be a hunderd."
"Yo'll not live to be a hunderd, Tammas Thornton, nor near it," said Sam'l brutally.
"I'll live as long as some, I warrant," the old man replied with spirit. "I'll live to see Cup back i' Kenmuir, as I said afore."
"If yo' do," the other declared with emphasis, "Sam'l Todd niver spake a true word. Nay, nay, lad; yo're owd, yo're wambly, your time's near run or I'm