The Legend of the Corrib King by Tom McCaughren Page A

for the fat man.
    â€˜There he is,’ cried Cowlick. ‘Over there.’
    When the others looked they saw the fat man parking his pony and trap some distance back from the funfair. Casually he made his way over to the cream-coloured caravan, and with a furtive glance around to see if the coast was clear, went inside.
    â€˜I bet Uncle Pakie’s in there,’ said Jamesie.
    â€˜So do I,’ said Tapser. ‘They said nobody would find him so long as they stayed close to the Little People, remember?’
    â€˜But what can we do about it?’ asked Rachel.
    â€˜This time I think we should tell the police before we do anything,’ Róisín suggested.
    â€˜They’re over at the fair in Clonbur,’ Jamesie reminded them.
    â€˜The Little People!’ said Cowlick. ‘Titania said if we needed help all we had to do was ask.’
    â€˜Good idea,’ said Róisín. ‘Let’s tell them.’
    â€˜Your horseshoe nails,’ said Tapser. ‘Quick, give them to me.’
    The girls didn’t stop to ask him why. They just stuffed their horseshoe necklaces into his hand and made a beeline for Titania’s tent.
    â€˜What are you going to do?’ asked Jamesie.
    â€˜We have to make sure they don’t leave,’ Tapser told him. ‘Here, give me your nails too.’
    Jamesie and Cowlick watched as Tapser crept over to the front wheels of the van and wedged the nails firmly under them.
    â€˜The ground’s stony over there,’ he panted when he came back. ‘So with any luck the nails will stop them going anywhere until we get help.’
    A few minutes later the two men came out of the caravan, hitched it to the van and got in. The man with the rings started up the engine and they moved off. However, they had only gone a few yards when there was a hissing noise and one of the front tyres of the van went flat.
    From the doorway of their caravan, Tapser, Cowlick and Jamesie nudged each other and smiled.
    Realising they had a problem, the two men got out and after looking at the flat tyre, went off into the fairground.
    â€˜Now’s our chance,’ said Cowlick. ‘Come on. Let’s see if Pakie’s in there.’
    Tapser stood guard beside the van with Prince while Jamesie and Cowlick ran to the door of the caravan and tried to open it. It was locked. Anxiously they glanced around. There was still no sign of the two men. Frantically they banged on the door with their fists.
    Suddenly the door burst open and a man tumbled out. His feet were tied and his mouth was covered with a strip of tape.
    â€˜It’s Uncle Pakie,’ cried Jamesie, flinging himself down beside him. ‘Uncle Pakie!’
    Cowlick knelt down to give Jamesie a hand, and they were working to untie him when Tapser warned them that the two men were coming back.
    Seeing what had happened, the two men rushed forward but hesitated when Prince, urged on by Tapser, began to bark at them. They looked around. People were beginning to gather now, wondering what was going on. Realising the game was up, the two turned and made off. Prince ran after them a short distance, barking, and returned as Tapser was helping to untie Pakie. At the same time the girls ran up shouting, ‘Pakie, Pakie,’ and in the next breath warned, ‘Hurry, they’re getting away.’
    Running around the caravan, the boys saw the fat man rushing to the waiting pony and trap. Climbing in, he whipped the pony into action, slowed momentarily to hoist the man with the rings on board, and galloped away towards the road.
    â€˜Come on,’ cried Jamesie.
    The girls were already taking Pakie over to their caravan. They all helped him to get on board and clambered in after him. Jamesie gave a sharp flick of the reins, and the chase was on.
    As they bowled along the Galway road, the girls hugged Pakie and told him how delighted they were to see him.
    â€˜Not half as delighted as I am