Northern Stars by Laurence Cockcroft

Author:Laurence Cockcroft
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2018-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

ARREST THE RINGLEADERS!

As the light of the day faded, the flames of the fires appeared to burn more brightly and most of the marchers were attracted to one or other of the fires. As Ruth and Joshua walked in the direction in which O’Connor had pointed them, they found a group of about thirty marchers standing, sitting or crouching around the flames. These were faces which they did not recognise since they were part of the group which had marched through the towns. But they were friendly enough and could see from the children’s muddy clothes that they must have walked over the moors.

‘Well, you two, ready for some o’ this, then?’ said a young man with a bright red shirt and baggy trousers who was stirring a large pot of porridge.

‘Or ’appen tha’d like an oatcake or two?’ said an older man with a scarf tied round his neck but reaching up to his nose as he held a frying pan in each hand, both of which warmed six oatcakes.

‘Well, what about both?’ asked Joshua hopefully as he eyed the two cooks.

‘Joshua, tha’d better ask for one or t’other or tha’ll get neither,’ said Ruth.

‘Aye, well said, lass,’ said the porridge stirrer. ‘Tha’ mun never ask for more na’ what the Lord ’as made available to each on us and what Matt – that’s meself – can stir in a single pot.’ Looking at the children more carefully, he added:

‘But I will say there’s more mud on thee than us, an’ tha’must ’ave ’ad a rough time on t’tops.’

‘Well, it were a bit rough up there,’ said Joshua, speaking with the voice of experience.

‘But we ’ad some good friends what kept us out o’t bogs and saved us from t’cliff edge and gave us a bed… well, anyroad, until dogs came for us,’ said Ruth more thoughtfully.

‘What dogs?’ said a small voice from the other side of the fire.

Looking across the flames, Ruth was surprised to see a girl of her own age, crouching down on her knees looking attentively at her. Although her face was alert, it was also grimy, and she was wearing a ragged dress and no shoes. Ruth was surprised to see another child there but answered calmly enough.

‘Why, Black Sam’s ’ounds what they use for ’unting foxes an’ deer were what were set on us,’ said Ruth.

‘An’ ’ave tha’ got scars to show it?’ said the voice.

‘Well, Joshua an’ I were lucky,’ said Ruth, ‘but there were some o’ men what we had to leave in Matlock what were that badly mauled.’

‘Eeh, ah’d like to see them scars,’ said the small voice.

‘Now that’s a wonderful thing,’ said Matt, stirring his pot. ‘The young lady wants to see a scar or two, and just what a dog can do to a man. Well, that’s curiosity for you. But shouldn’t you three get to know each other. This is Ellie from the great city o’ Nottingham where they make the finest lace in the world,

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