The Girl from the Tanner's Yard by Diane Allen

Author:Diane Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

15

The month of April was a fine one, and Archie and Adam were busy every day repairing and restoring the drystone walls that formed the boundaries to Black Moss Farm. It had been hard work, but finally, just in time for the May sheep sale down in Keighley, their job was done.

‘I’ll have to see to that piece of bog next to the boundary wall. It’d pull a sheep down into it with ease, if it got stuck in it.’ Adam stood next to Archie and looked around him at his now-secure kingdom.

‘They’ve more sense than to go anywhere near it, but I can put a fence around it, if you want, to be sure.’ Archie looked at his master, whom he enjoyed working for, and he didn’t want to run out of work with him.

‘I’ve never known my father lose any of his flock due to the bog, but there’s always a first time. It must be what the farm’s called after, because the darkness of the moss there warns you that there’s something that will suck you down into its depths. Perhaps I’ll leave it for now, but I wouldn’t want a lamb to get stuck in it. They’ve no sense and, with a bit of luck, I’ll have a flock of sheep and their followers up here in another week or two.’ Adam leaned against the newly repaired wall. ‘It’s beginning to take shape now. My father would be happy to see it back to what it was. I should never have turned my back on it and let it get into such a state.’

‘Aye, it’s a grand farm. I could do with something like this, instead of working down in the flay-pits. It’s not a job for any self-respecting man – it’s that mucky. There’s nothing better than working on the land.’ Archie sighed and looked down over the adjoining land. He spotted the figure of the youngest of the Baxter family walking up the moorside in their direction. ‘Bugger, here comes trouble – it’s Jacob Baxter, he’s the youngest and wildest. I wondered how long it would be before one of them showed their faces,’ Archie muttered and walked away from the wall. He didn’t want to have to communicate with Jacob, if he didn’t have to.

‘Morning. Now is this not a grand spring day?’ Adam shouted to the young lad with vibrant ginger hair and a beard to match, who walked up and stood at the other side of the wall from him.

‘It’s alright. You’ve finally got around to mending your boundaries, then. My father’s been swearing about them for years. We couldn’t stop our sheep from straying, because of the state of your walls. We can happen turn our newly lambed ewes onto the moor again now.’ Jacob scowled and stared at Archie. He didn’t know the new owner, but he did know Archie Robinson and he didn’t like him.

Archie shook his head, but said nothing.

‘Yes, we are all in order now. I’m sorry if it’s caused your father concern, in my absence.

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