Chapter 21 Chapter 5 The Collie and the Hound

The caravan set off from Kaelsivan on the morning of August 11, along the coast road of the remaining mountains of Ifrag, stopped at Kellers, a small town of Dingle Bay, and arrived at Killorglin Town in the evening .The weather was bad, windy and rainy all day.The next day the weather was very bad and the moods of the adults were very bad; the last leg of the 30 miles from Valentia to Killarney had to be spent in Killarney for the last night of the trip. The Marquis and Marchioness have finally completed their traditional tour of the Lakes of Killarney and the mountains of Kerry...   On the next day, I got on the train again and returned to Fort Teringal at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, returning from a 10-day trip.

"Is the journey worth it?" said the Marchioness. "It's so boring!" the Marquis echoed. Not so with tricks, he brought back a mind full of memories. His first concern was to ask Kate how Burke was doing. Burke is doing well.Kate did not forget it, and every evening the washerwoman brought her stash of food to her usual meeting place with Burke. That night, before Little Trick returned to his room, he went to the side of the annex to see Burke waiting for him.It is not difficult to imagine the scene of two friends meeting, not to mention the mutual caress. Of course, Burke was still skinny, and he didn't have enough to eat every day, but he didn't look too bad, and his eyes were very bright, shining brightly.The master promised him to come every night if he could, and to wish him good night.Burke understands that it has no right to be picky, so he doesn't make too many demands.Moreover, one must be careful.Burke's wanderings around Fort Tringle had attracted attention, and Lord Ashton's dogs barked several times.

The old castle has returned to daily life, that is, the plant life suitable for the apartment of the ancient family.They will stay in the castle until the last week of September. At that time, the Peyborn family will return to their winter residence in Edinburgh as usual, and then go to London to attend the session of the House of Representatives.For now, the Marquis and Marchioness can only flaunt their nobility in a dull life.The regular and dull visits between neighbors resumed.They must be talking about the visit to Killarney.And the impressions of Sir and Lady Peyborn may be confused with those of some friends who have swam across the pond.We should talk about it quickly, because the Marchioness has a bad memory, and this trip has been blurred. I can't even remember the name of the outer island. The bell rang in America, just as she had rang for John and Marion.

However, this monotonous life is almost difficult for Little Trick.He is always teased by Scarlett, the housekeeper, and used as a punching bag.In addition, Lord Ashton was capricious, never letting him idle for a moment, telling him to do things, run away, and then tossing the little stableman back and forth.Little Trick felt that his hands and feet were tied by the tyrant's rope, and he was always pulling him to move.Whether he was in the waiting room or in the next room, he felt deeply insulted when he was summoned and ordered around by the master, causing people to laugh at him. Therefore, when he finally returned to his room at night, he could not help thinking that he was forced to accept his position because of poverty.What is the way out of being a groom to the Earl of Ashton?There is no way out.He was born for other things.To be a true servant is to be a submissive instrument, and it detracts from his independence and hinders his own ambitions.When he lived on Kelvin Farm, at least he felt equal, considered a child of the family.Where is the caress of the old grandmother, the affection of Martina and Katie, the encouragement of Mr. Martin and his son?To be honest, he valued the stones he got every night and buried there under the ruins more than the gold coins he earned every month as a servant to the Peyborn family.When he lived on the Kelvin farm, he was always learning, working, and studying so that one day he could... and here, just doing annoying and useless things, just obeying a spoiled The nonsense of a vain and ignorant teenager.It wasn't books—none of them—that he was busy arranging all day, but the litter of the house.

And the young master's buggy, which did him a disservice.oh!that carriage!Little tricks are terrified when they see them.Clumsy to drive and liable to tip over into a ditch at any moment, Lord Ashton seemed to love the worst of roads in order to jolt his little stableman clutching the hood straps harder.If the weather was fine, Master Peyborne would drive out in another car, a buggy or a buggy, and the little groom would suffer less, since he would be more likely to keep his balance in the car.It's a pity that the sky on Emerald Island would break apart at every turn, and it would rain cats and dogs!

There were very few times when the little trick was spared this kind of punishment, and almost every day, the young master drove the buggy, or went to show off at Kantek, or took a long walk around Tringle Castle.There are often gangs of vagrants on the avenue. They are disheveled, their feet are worn out by stones, and they are out of breath.He's been through this kind of poverty, and he's very sympathetic... Lord Ashton laughed and cursed at the poor boys, watched them approach, and threatened them with a whip... Little Trick would like to throw them a few coppers... but Dare not, for fear of offending his master.

But once, the other party was so pitiful, it was a 4-year-old little girl with a very weak body, so cute with curly blond hair, beautiful blue eyes staring at him, begging for a coin... He threw one Copper coins, the little girl picked up the money and let out a cry of surprise... Earl Ashton heard this cry, and he caught the groom on the spot to do good. "What are you doing, little groom? . . . " he asked. "Mr. Earl... this little girl... just give her a penny, and she can be very happy..." "It's like when you were wandering on the road and someone threw you a penny, isn't it? . . . "

"No... Absolutely not!..." Little Trickster yelled, and when he was accused of reaching out to beg, he would always get angry. "Then why did you give charity to this little beggar?..." "She was staring at me...and I was staring at her..." "I forbid you to look at wild children on the road... remember this!" Little Trick had to obey, but he was unspeakably annoyed by such a cruel heart. If he had no choice but to hide the sympathy those children caused him in his heart, he would not throw coins at them rashly if the same situation happened again, but he still couldn't control the impulse in his heart.

Let us say that on September 3rd, Earl Ashton ordered the pony carriage to be driven to Cantec.The little trick followed as usual, sitting back to back in the car, but this time he was ordered to cross his arms and remained motionless like a model. The pony carriage drove smoothly to the town.The horse driving the carriage foamed at the mouth and galloped vigorously when the spectators praised it.Master Peyborne pulled the carriage up in front of the main shop.His little groom stood in front of the tall horse, pulling the rein with great effort, and all the wild boys beside him were stunned, and they were especially envious of this little servant with a particularly pompous sash.

Lord Ashton had had enough of the town admiring him, and at about three o'clock in the afternoon he drove back to Tringle Castle again, but let the horses gallop and canter.There are usually beggars on the main road, and when they see people, they will shout: "Tongzier... Tongzier!..." When they saw that the small carriage was ordinary, they became more courageous, and they had to follow closely. dragged behind. Only one was still in hot pursuit, a boy of seven, very shrewd and very jovial-looking, so typical of the Irish.Although the carriage was not moving fast, he had to run to keep pace with the carriage.His little feet were bruised with stones, and threatened with a whip, but he persisted, holding a branch of bilberry in exchange for a handout.

Little Trick was afraid that something would happen to him and asked him to leave, but to no avail, he continued to follow the pony carriage. Needless to say, Earl Ashton ordered him to go away many times, but the stubborn boy didn't listen at all, and ran close to the wheel at the risk of being crushed to death. Master Peaborn needed only one lift of the whip to set the horses at a gallop, but he did not want to do that, and would have liked to keep the speed.Therefore, he particularly hated the child following him, and finally he really whipped him. It was also unfortunate that the whip was twisted around the child's neck and dragged him for a few seconds, strangling him half to death.Fortunately, he finally broke free and rolled to the ground. Little Trick jumped out of the car and ran towards the child.There was a blood mark on the child's neck, and he cried out in pain.Little Trick was so angry that he really wanted to rush over and teach Earl Ashton a lesson. Even though this wicked young man is older than his groom, he might have to pay a huge price for his cruelty... "Come back, groom!" cried Lord Ashton, reining in his horse, to the little trick. "What about this child?..." "Come back," repeated Master Peyborne, waving his whip, "come back...or I'll whip you too!" It's good that he only threatened but didn't take action, otherwise it's hard to say what will happen.At any rate, the little trick had enough strength to control himself, and he slipped a few pennies into the waif's pocket, and went back to the back of the pony. "Next time you don't dare to get out of the car without an order," said Earl Ashton, "I will teach you a lesson and drive you away!" Little Trick's eyes lit up, but he didn't answer.Moreover, the carriage drove away quickly, leaving the poor boy on the high road, but he was entirely comforted by the clang of his pennies. From that day on, Earl Ashton, driven by bad nature, abused his groom more and more, reprimanded him more and more, and insulted him as much as he could.In the past, the little trick was tortured physically, but now it was tortured mentally. On a comprehensive scale, he felt as miserable as he was in the shack's house or under the whip of Thorn Pip!He often wanted to leave Fort Tringo.Go away...but to where? ...going to the Markkatys? ... There is no news at all, and they are also displaced, how can they help him?However, he was determined not to serve the heir of the Peyborn family any more. Besides, there was one possibility that worried him greatly. The end of September was approaching, and the Marquess, Marchioness and their son, as was customary, were leaving Teringal.The little groom had to go with them to England and Scotland, and thus lost all hope of ever finding the Markcutys again. Also, there's Burke.What about Burke?No matter what, he refused to abandon Burke! "I'll take care of it," eager Kate said to him one day, "and I'll take care of it." "Yes, you are kind," replied Little Trickster, "I can entrust it to you...and pay you for its food..." "Hey!" cried Kate, "that's no way... I like the poor dog..." "Anyway... I can't burden you. But if I leave, I may never see it all winter..." "Why... my child?... Waiting for you to come back..." "I'm coming back, Kate? . . . Once I leave, can I be sure of coming back to this estate? . . . where . . . where they go, it's hard to say they won't send me away . . . ...to take the initiative to leave..." "Leave?..." "That's right...by chance...it's in front of me...that's what I always do!" "Poor child... Poor child!..." said the kind woman repeatedly. "I was wondering, Kate, if it would be best to make a quick decision... get out of here with Burke... go get some work on the farm... go to the village or town... not too far... by the sea ..." "You're not even 11 years old!" "Yes, Kate, not yet eleven! . . . Oh! I wish I were twelve or thirteen... I'd be taller... and my arms might be strong... I'd get a job. . . . How slowly the years go by in times of suffering! . . . " "It's too slow!" good Kate could have answered. After thinking about the little trick like this, I don't know what to do for a while... A completely accidental event brought his hesitation to a conclusion... By September 13th, Sir and Mrs. Peyborn had only half a month left to live in Teringal Castle, but they were already preparing to leave.Little Trick thought of Kate's suggestion about Burke, but was still worried, worried that the butler Scarlett would stay in the manor in winter.Yes, he will stay behind as the agent of the manor.Then he could not help not noticing the dog wandering about, and he would never have allowed the washerwoman to keep the dog with her.Kate had to secretly deliver food to Burke as before.oh!If Mr. Scarlett knew the dog belonged to the groom, he would hasten to tell Lord Ashton, and how gladly Lord Ashton would have broken Burke's back with a single shot! In the afternoon, Burke, uncharacteristically, wandered around the servant's room.It was a misfortune, a misfortune, that one of Lord Ashton's pointer dogs, a ferocious dog, ran into the road. Seeing them from a distance, the two dogs grunted to express their hostility to each other.Between them is the hostility of species.The jazz dog can only feel contempt for the peasant dog, and this vicious dog has a bad temper and is the first to attack.As soon as he saw Burke standing motionless on the edge of the woods, he rushed over, his face raised and his sharp teeth showing, obviously intending to bite hard. Burke's tail drooped, and his four legs were firmly supported, allowing the pointing dog to get close to half of his body, squinting at it, in case of attack. The pointing dog barked two or three times, pounced, and bit Burke on the rump.What was supposed to happen happened, and Burke pounced on his opponent's neck, biting it to the ground in the blink of an eye. Then the vicious dog screamed, and the other two dogs in the main courtyard rushed to help, and at the same time barked the alarm; after a while, Earl Ashton came, accompanied by the butler. He rushed out of the iron gate and saw that the pointer dog was being bitten by Burke and was dying. He howled, but dared not go to the rescue of his dog, fearing the same fate.Burke, seeing it, killed the pointing dog with a fatal blow, and then took his time back into the woods, where he disappeared behind the brambles. Master Peyborn, accompanied by Mr. Scarlett, went forward, and when he arrived at the scene of the crime, there lay a dead body. "Scarlett...Scarlett!" cried Lord Ashton, "my dog ​​has been killed! . . . The beast, killed my dog ​​. . . where has he gone? Go . . . Find it...I'm going to kill it!" The butler had no desire to go after the murderer of the pointer dog, and he had no difficulty in dissuading the young master. Master Peyborn, like him, was afraid of the ferocious Burke's return. "Beware, Monsieur Earl," Scarlett said to him. "Don't take the risk of chasing that vicious dog! Someday, the servant who trains the hound will catch it..." "Whose dog is that?" "No one! . . . That's a stray dog ​​roaming the road . . . " "Then it will escape..." "Impossible, because, for several weeks, I have seen it wandering around the old castle..." "Weeks, Scarlett! . . . and never reported to me, nor got rid of him . . . The brute killed my best pointing dog!" It should be admitted that this extremely selfish and indifferent young man has a deep affection for his dog, which no one can arouse from his heart.The pointing dog was his pet, his hunting companion, and Burke's teeth had only hastened its fate, no doubt to be fatally shot by its clumsy master's sub-gun. In any case, Lord Ashton was deeply distressed and irritated, and considered a way of revenge.He returned to the courtyard of the old castle and ordered someone to bring back the remains of the pointing dog. Fortunately, Little Trick was not there at the time, otherwise he might have leaked the secret and revealed his intimate relationship with the murderer, right?Burke saw him, and probably ran towards him, obviously implicating him.However, he soon knew what was wrong.It was not long before the grief of the unfortunate Ashton was filling the whole of Fort Tringle.The Marquis and Marquise tried their best to persuade, but they could not comfort the heirs of their surname.The victim would not listen to anything, nor would he rest without revenge, nor would his pain be lessened when he was seen to be buried with such flamboyant reverence by all the servants of the castle, at Ser Peyborn's orders.When the body of his dog had been carried to the corner of the garden, and covered with the last shovelful of earth, Lord Ashton, overcome with grief, returned to his room, and refused to come out all night. It's not hard to imagine how worried Little Trick must be. Before he went to sleep, he secretly consulted with Kate, and Kate was just as worried about Burke as he was. "Be very careful, my boy," Kate said to him, "and especially don't let anyone know it's your dog. . . . If they know, they'll blame you. . . . I don't know what will happen." The possibility of blaming him for the death of the pointing dog hadn't given much thought to Little Trick, thinking that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep looking after Burke.The butler will send someone to monitor the area around the servant's house, so that it is impossible for Burke to approach again.How could it find Kate every night? ...and how did Kate manage to sneak it in? Our little boy had been up all night with endless worries and sleep, thinking more of Bourke than himself, and it occurred to him: Shouldn't Lord Ashton be doing it now?He had the habit of thinking, and he looked at the problem calmly, weighed the pros and cons, and finally decided to carry out the plan that had been in his mind for weeks. He didn't fall asleep until 3 o'clock in the morning. When he woke up, it was already dawn, and he jumped out of bed, very surprised. Normally, he would have been called by his master's hasty bell. As soon as he came to his senses, he first considered that there was no reason to change his decision, and left that day. The reason he put forward was that he felt that he was not suitable to be a groom.His master had no right to hold him back, and if such a request provoked insults, he had made up his mind beforehand to swallow it.But you have to be on guard: you might drive him away immediately, and he will put on the clothes he used to wear on the farm first. Although they are old, they are very clean. The wages accumulated in the past 3 months.Moreover, he respectfully explained to Sir Peyborn that he had decided to leave the estate, and then he planned to ask the master for half a month's wages.He has worked until September 15th and has the right to make such a request.He also managed to say good-bye to good Kate, just being careful not to put her in trouble, and then, as soon as he found Burke in the vicinity, the two went together, and left Teringal Castle happily. When the little trick came to the yard, about nine o'clock, he was very surprised to learn that Lord Ashton had left before sunrise.Usually, the young master was dressed by his groom, who babbled malicious compliments. His astonishment soon turned to apprehension, and he had good reason to be apprehensive when he found that Bill the dog-hand and the hounds were not in the kennel. At this time, Kate stood at the door of the laundry room, beckoned him over, and whispered to him: "The Earl is off with Bill and the two dogs...they're after Burke!" Little Trick was impulsive and angry, unable to speak for a moment. "Beware, my child!" repeated the washerwoman. "The housekeeper is watching us, please don't..." "Don't let them kill Burke," he cried at last, "I'll definitely..." Mr. Scarlett heard this remark, and he came over and stopped Little Trick roughly. "What do you say, little groom?" he asked. "What are you doing here? . . . " Little Trick didn't want to quarrel with the butler, so he just replied: "I will speak to Monsieur the Earl." "You can tell him when he gets back with that damned dog..." Mr. Scarlett replied. "He can't catch it." When Little Trickster said this, he tried his best to keep calm. "real!" "I can't catch it, Mr. Scarlet... Even if he catches it, I tell you, you can't even try to kill it!..." "why?……" "Because I want to stop him!" "just you?……" "Just me, Mr. Scarlett. That's my dog, and I'm not going to watch him beat him to death!" The butler was stunned for a moment when he heard this answer, but Little Trick rushed out of the yard and quickly entered the woods. Little Trick looked for the traces of Earl Ashton, walked aimlessly in the forest for half an hour, stopped from time to time, and crouched in the bushes to listen to the sound.The woods were silent, and the barking of dogs came from far away.There was no sign that Burke was being pursued by Lord Ashton's hounds like a fox, nor could he tell which way to turn to find Burke. Uncertain, it is extremely anxious!Now that the hounds were on the hunt, Burke might have run a long way.On several occasions, the little trick called out, "Burke! . . . Birke!" hoping the faithful dog would hear him.If Lord Ashton and his dog-handler should catch Birke, it's better to step forward and prevent them from killing him than to think of tricks.He only looks at this point, as long as he still has strength, he will defend Burke. He searched aimlessly like this, and finally walked more than two miles away from the old castle, when he suddenly heard a dog barking several hundred paces away, which came from behind a large forest by a large pond. The little trick stopped, and he recognized the barking of the two hounds. There can be no doubt that Burke was at the moment being pursued, perhaps fighting the two dogs, incited by the shouts of the dog-servant. Before long, the voice could be heard clearly: "Beware, Monsieur Count... we've got him!" "Yes, Bill... this way... this way! . . . " "Go...dog...go!" Bill yelled. The little trick rushed over, and the sky was boiling behind the woods.He had just gone twenty steps when he heard a gunshot. "Miss... miss!" exclaimed Lord Ashton. "Look at you, Bill, look at you! . . . Don't miss it! . . . " The second shot was so near that Little Trick could see the flames through the leaves. "Here's a hit!" Bill yelled, and the hound barked. Little Trick felt that he had been shot by the servant, his legs were weak, and he was about to collapse. Suddenly, he heard the sound of dead branches snapping six steps away, and saw a dog emerge from a bush hole, spitting white. Foam, wet all over. It was Burke, who had just shot the dog-handler in the ribs and jumped into the pond. Burke also recognized its owner, so he pinched its mouth trickily to prevent it from moaning, and dragged it to the place where the branches and leaves were thickest.But would the hounds find him and Burke? ... Won't!Exhausted from running, the two hounds were bitten by Burke again, and followed Bill away, losing track of the little groom and Burke.They were, however, near the clump of trees, and heard Lord Ashton say to his dog-handle: "Are you sure you killed it, Bill?" "Yes, Mr. Earl... When it was jumping into the pond, it was shot in the head... The water turned red, it has sunk to the bottom, and it will take a while to come up..." "I wish I had been caught alive!" cried Master Peyborn. Indeed, if the heir of Teringal Manor could hunt Burke, give it to his dog, and watch him eat him alive by a dog as cruel as his master, how happy he would be, and it would be a complete revenge!