get there and all of us in one piece. Why I let yer talk me into this Jack, I just don’t know. I should have been like yer mother and stayed in the country we’ve got used to. I’m beginning to think there’s no sense in looking into the past.”
The rest of the day was uneventful. The landscape became one of open moor, peat bogs and distant forest covered hills. Small streams meandered beside the roadside or loughs glistened with the rays of the afternoon sun. Except for the occasional cottage, there was no sign of habitation along their way. Maggie and Hannah dozed; they had slept fitfully the night before, not used to the proximity of sharing the double bed. Jack tried to nap; he felt exhausted. The bench that he had tried to sleep on at the tavern had been narrow and he had been wary of landing on the floor. And Keva, only a foot from him, had been open-mouthed and snoring. If Jack had been given a pillow, he would have smothered Keva, he was sure!
The carriage seemed to be slowing and, with a jolt, stopped as it had done so before. The road had become narrow, the tree branches overhanging creating a dark and sinister tunnel where no sun could be let in through the leaves. As a family the occupants groaned. What was the delay this time? Not more soldiers they hoped. Jack and Maggie exchanged glances. Would they find the guns that were hidden this time?
Keva was shouting something in Gaelic, then stopped as he was hauled from his perch above. A mighty thwack was heard and he cried out with pain. Jack flung himself out of the carriage to offer his help if he could. Maggie and Hannah hugged each other in silent fear, while Maggie fingered her rosary, surprised that she had slipped it unconsciously from around her wrist.
It seemed that Jack too had been rendered speechless, as there was no warning for the women when two dirty tattered brigands leapt in from either side, with cudgels in their hands. Hannah became hysterical, screaming for her father, while Maggie sought to bravely push them off, as the men tried to drag them from the carriage. They were hauled unmercifully to their feet then thrown into a muddy ditch, where they sat for a few minutes, stunned.
From there they could see what had happened. Both Keva and Jack were nursing sore heads, while their attackers were picking through the contents of the trunk, that they had thrown down from the roof rack above.
Keva shouted again in Gaelic, clutching his head as he spoke, but whatever he said it stopped the men from their looting and, surprised, they turned to listen to him. One of the men then pointed to above the carriage, then grabbing a still-reeling Keva, shoved him against the side of the now-trembling horse and urged him to climb back up into his seat again. That done, the men hoisted Jack to his feet, then kicked the back of his knees so he stumbled into the ditch beside his horrified wife and daughter. Two minutes later the carriage was gone, the men shouting and waving to them from their newly-acquired transport, as they went on their way triumphantly!
There was silence in the ditch until Hannah started sobbing. Jack sat in a daze and Maggie was struck dumb. All that had happened in literally minutes; was it a nightmare or a devilish dream? Wordlessly, Maggie climbed up onto the road, ruefully inspecting her now-wet gown, glad she hadn’t put her high-heeled slippers on. Then she helped Hannah. The shoulder seam had come away from the girl’s gown and the whiteness of her trembling skin showed through it. Maggie looked at the muddy contents of the trunk now strewn all over the rutted ground, as she patted and soothed Hannah, thinking of how she had packed everything so carefully. Where was she going to get them cleaned again, was all her mind could say?
“Mother,” Hannah seemed to be the first to come to her senses. “What about looking at Papa? There’s a cut on his face above his eye and he seems to have fallen asleep. What are we going to
The rest of the day was uneventful. The landscape became one of open moor, peat bogs and distant forest covered hills. Small streams meandered beside the roadside or loughs glistened with the rays of the afternoon sun. Except for the occasional cottage, there was no sign of habitation along their way. Maggie and Hannah dozed; they had slept fitfully the night before, not used to the proximity of sharing the double bed. Jack tried to nap; he felt exhausted. The bench that he had tried to sleep on at the tavern had been narrow and he had been wary of landing on the floor. And Keva, only a foot from him, had been open-mouthed and snoring. If Jack had been given a pillow, he would have smothered Keva, he was sure!
The carriage seemed to be slowing and, with a jolt, stopped as it had done so before. The road had become narrow, the tree branches overhanging creating a dark and sinister tunnel where no sun could be let in through the leaves. As a family the occupants groaned. What was the delay this time? Not more soldiers they hoped. Jack and Maggie exchanged glances. Would they find the guns that were hidden this time?
Keva was shouting something in Gaelic, then stopped as he was hauled from his perch above. A mighty thwack was heard and he cried out with pain. Jack flung himself out of the carriage to offer his help if he could. Maggie and Hannah hugged each other in silent fear, while Maggie fingered her rosary, surprised that she had slipped it unconsciously from around her wrist.
It seemed that Jack too had been rendered speechless, as there was no warning for the women when two dirty tattered brigands leapt in from either side, with cudgels in their hands. Hannah became hysterical, screaming for her father, while Maggie sought to bravely push them off, as the men tried to drag them from the carriage. They were hauled unmercifully to their feet then thrown into a muddy ditch, where they sat for a few minutes, stunned.
From there they could see what had happened. Both Keva and Jack were nursing sore heads, while their attackers were picking through the contents of the trunk, that they had thrown down from the roof rack above.
Keva shouted again in Gaelic, clutching his head as he spoke, but whatever he said it stopped the men from their looting and, surprised, they turned to listen to him. One of the men then pointed to above the carriage, then grabbing a still-reeling Keva, shoved him against the side of the now-trembling horse and urged him to climb back up into his seat again. That done, the men hoisted Jack to his feet, then kicked the back of his knees so he stumbled into the ditch beside his horrified wife and daughter. Two minutes later the carriage was gone, the men shouting and waving to them from their newly-acquired transport, as they went on their way triumphantly!
There was silence in the ditch until Hannah started sobbing. Jack sat in a daze and Maggie was struck dumb. All that had happened in literally minutes; was it a nightmare or a devilish dream? Wordlessly, Maggie climbed up onto the road, ruefully inspecting her now-wet gown, glad she hadn’t put her high-heeled slippers on. Then she helped Hannah. The shoulder seam had come away from the girl’s gown and the whiteness of her trembling skin showed through it. Maggie looked at the muddy contents of the trunk now strewn all over the rutted ground, as she patted and soothed Hannah, thinking of how she had packed everything so carefully. Where was she going to get them cleaned again, was all her mind could say?
“Mother,” Hannah seemed to be the first to come to her senses. “What about looking at Papa? There’s a cut on his face above his eye and he seems to have fallen asleep. What are we going to
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