The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900 ... - Gredos

"I’ll take care of him, never fear" returned Simon
The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
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grimly; and in a few minutes the horse's hoof-beats sounded faintly in the distance.
All was quiet at the Farm when the horse stopped in the wide yard. Gifford was still too
stupid and heavy to take much note of his surroundings, merely inquiring, as he lurched
heavily across the yard supported by the yeoman, who the devil he might be and.where
he was taking him.
"To bed," responded Simon.
This seemed reasonable and desirable under the circumstances, and Gifford made no
further protest, even when Simon, throwing open the door of a large barn, thrust him
down backwards on a heap of hay.
"Lie there!" he said fiercely, and left him, closing the door and shooting the bolt into its
place. But Gifford's slumbers had regained possession of him ere the retreating footsteps
had reached the other side of the yard.
Simon led the horse to the stable, fed him and rubbed him down, and then, taking with
him his stable lantern, returned to the bam. Shutting himself in with his cousin, and
laying his lantern on the floor, he took up his position opposite to him, leaning back
against some piled-up trusses of hay and folding his arms.
Gifford lay at full length, his arms outstretched, his muscular throat exposed to view.
Simon leaned forward after a time, gazing at him intently.
"He is not quite so tall as I am," he muttered, “but that matters little. He looks strong
enough — he should be my match."
The sleeper stirred, and Fleetwood leaned back again, but his eyes did not close once
that night.
Shortly after midnight the wind rose and swept round the bam with a rush and fury
which would have aroused the young farmer even if he had been inclined to sleep.
He knew these spring gales well, and thought with
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