The Argosy — page 218: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Up on the Moor. 201 **Didn’t yer honour spake o’ goin’ out to get the turfs yerzel? and wasn’t I quakin’ like a leaf vor vear there’d be blidshed between the two ov ’ee? vor Jan had a zwore he’d never be tooked agen alive. And though ’ee be a vine vigure of a man, zurely, you’m no match, zir, vor Black Jan, the best wrastler in arl Devon, an’ a head higher than you, bezides! Zo wan I gooed out to get they turfs an’ he zweared to me I mun either get they cloze an’ money vor he, or zee thee murdered ovore my eyes, I thinked it wor no zin to zave the life ov ’ee at any price. And beyides, yer honour, to tell ’ee the whole truth, one winter’s day many a long year agone, Jan Hearn comed up here to bring me a rabbit he’d znared—’twant long after my ole man was a took—and he findth me a lyin’ arl alone zick well- nigh to death’s doore, an’ he rinned a matter o’ ite mile to vetch the doctor vor I; an’ zo it zeemed I couldn’t stand by an’ zee un shot down by they sodgers like a mad dog, if zo be I could zave the live of un! Zo I made un zwear if he got they cloze an’ money he wouldn’t harm a hair ov yer honour’s head, but go straight off voreign, an’ be a honest man vor the rest o’ his days, and thanks be to praise, he’m a gone.” ‘And I’m left stranded up here with a convict costume for sole attire! Well, guidwife, I suppose from your point of view you acted for the best, but you might as well have given me a voice in the matter, I think. Ifa ten-pound note and a shooting-suit will really make an honest man of your friend the burglar, why, it’s certainly cheap at the price—to the country at any rate; but I must confess ‘Black Jan” seems to me to have started on his new career in somewhat questionable fashion. What did he want with the gun ?” ‘Hur zaith hur must have the gun, zo as to pass hizzel’ off vun a gen’leman out shootin’ lozed in the vog, jist as it might be yer honour yerzel. By now I doubt he’m on the railroad, well-nigh to Bristol, most like, vur he spake o’ goin’ aboord ship there.” “And I wish good luck to the ship that gets such a precious Jonah. I shall believe in his reformation when he sends back at least the price of my new gun—not before. Well now, guidwife, what about this clothes business? Of course I can’t put on those abominations.” “Then, fay, I daun’t know wat else yer honour be goin’ to do, unless so be ’ee’d be willin’ to have my Zunday gound. I'd go down to A—-— for ’ee mysel’ this minute if I could, but I’m that crippled wi’ the rheumatics I couldn’t walk a mile to zave a man’s live, an’ it be ite mile down to A ,gude. If’ee would lke to wait up here a bit, zir, there be a cart cometh from A—-— wance in a fortnight, and bringth me the bits o’ things I need to buy, he’ll be here to-morrow is a week.” “ Many thanks, my friend,” said Mr. Fairburn, laughing, ‘ but I shan’t intrude on your hospitality so long as that, even if I should have to improvise a kilt or plaid out of your best petticoat and shawl. CoOnniclbooks (CO)