Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
Boulogne, and we fished ‘em up and rowed ‘em into The over the lugger’s side with our New Year presents under his
Gap here for the ponies to run inland. One thickish night in arm and young L’Estrange holding the lantern— “I just do
January of ‘Ninety-three, Dad and Uncle Lot and me came wish that those folk which make war so easy had to run one
over from Shoreham in the smack, and we found Uncle cargo a month all this winter. It ‘ud show ‘em what honest
Aurette and the L’Estranges, my cousins, waiting for us in work means.”
their lugger with New Year’s presents from Mother’s folk in ‘“Well, I’ve warned ye,” says Uncle Aurette. “I’ll be slipping
Boulogne. I remember Aunt Cecile she’d sent me a fine new off now before your Revenue cutter comes. Give my love to
red knitted cap, which I put on then and there, for the French Sister and take care o’ the kegs. It’s thicking to southward.” ‘I
was having their Revolution in those days, and red caps was remember him waving to us and young Stephen L’Estrange
all the fashion. Uncle Aurette tells us that they had cut off blowing out the lantern. By the time we’d fished up the kegs
their King Louis’ head, and, moreover, the Brest forts had the fog came down so thick Dad judged it risky for me to
fired on an English man-o’-war. The news wasn’t a week old. row ‘em ashore, even though we could hear the ponies stamp-
‘“That means war again, when we was only just getting ing on the beach. So he and Uncle Lot took the dinghy and
used to the peace,” says Dad. “Why can’t King George’s men left me in the smack playing on my fiddle to guide ‘em back.
and King Louis’ men do on their uniforms and fight it out ‘Presently I heard guns. Two of ‘em sounded mighty like
over our heads?”
Uncle Aurette’s three-pounders. He didn’t go naked about the
‘“Me too, I wish that,” says Uncle Aurette. “But they’ll be seas after dark. Then come more, which I reckoned was Cap-
pressing better men than themselves to fight for ‘em. The tain Giddens in the Revenue cutter. He was open-handed with
press-gangs are out already on our side. You look out for yours.” his compliments, but he would lay his guns himself. I stopped
‘“I’ll have to bide ashore and grow cabbages for a while, fiddling to listen, and I heard a whole skyful o’ French up in
after I’ve run this cargo; but I do wish” —Dad says, going the fog—and a high bow come down on top o’ the smack. I
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