“Ruth”.
“How old are you Ruth?” he probed.
Still in little more than a whisper and with her mouth full of food she replied,
“I don’t know”.
“Where do you live?” he asked.
”Nowhere” she responded.
“Well, where’s your mother and father?” he continued.
The child looked up from her food, clearly distressed, and said, “Some men took her. They tried to catch me but I ran away”.
Amos was beginning to feel uneasy at this interrogation but he asked,
“When did this happen?” and she replied,
“Two days ago. I was hiding in that barn when you came. I thought you were one of those men”, and the tears began to run down her cheeks.
“Please don’t cry, I don’t want to upset you”, Amos said. She sobbed, “I don’t know who they were or where they took her. Some of them had funny coats on”.
Amos realised that to question the child further was only going to deepen her distress and so he let matters rest for a while.
Chapter 3
Ruth finished her bowl of rabbit stew and a glow seemed to light up her cheeks.
“Any more?” asked Amos.
She shook her head in answer and patted her tummy. Going about his normal chores he was pleasantly surprised to find Ruth had followed him to the stream. She seemed more relaxed now in his presence as she bent down to pull several stems of long grass which she plaited together. Amos said to her, “I’m sorry I frightened you yesterday but I honestly didn’t know you were there”, and Ruth responded,
“I thought you might be one of the men who took Ma. They’re still looking for me”.
Now that she had accepted him a little he took the opportunity to delve a little deeper.
“Where did they take her?” he asked and she answered,
“I don’t know. They put her in a cart and locked her in”.
Amos was pondering upon the situation when Ruth continued, “We were hungry. We’d only had a few berries to eat so Ma knocked on the doors of some houses and asked for food. People weren’t very friendly and some threatened to set their dogs on us if we didn’t go away. Not everyone was like that, one old lady gave us some bread and some biscuits”.
Things began to click into place in his mind and he was guessing that the law had been summoned and she had been taken to gaol. He was well aware that beggars had become troublesome and for those not residing within the parish, the poor-house was not an option as that had to be maintained through parish funds and was for the benefit of true parishioners.
“Well, if you’ll help me, tomorrow we’ll find out where she was taken” Amos offered.
The child’s eyes lit up and she seemed to smile. He just hoped he hadn’t promised too much. He asked,
“Where have you been sleeping?” and she replied,
“In that barn, in the hay”.
“Well, if they’re looking for you, that’s one of the first places they’ll look, so you’d better stay here with me. You can sleep in the cot up front”, he said.
Throughout the rest of the day the pair bonded, Ruth following Amos about as though on a piece of string. They collected wood for the fire and then moved the horse on its tether to allow it fresh grass. He watched this small waif who seemed quite unafraid of this big equine and the mare seemed to sense the vulnerable nature of its admirer and showed equal respect. The mundane matters taken care of, they walked together along the stream to where the bank overhung the water.
Lying flat on his belly alongside the stream he reached down into the water, remaining motionless for some minutes. “Keep still and be very quiet” he whispered, and he lay motionless for what seemed ages, then, suddenly scooped his arm from the water, at the same time rolling over and flinging a small fish onto the grass. The child was amazed and squealed with delight.
“It’s called tickling and these little trout love it. I hold my hand still and then when I feel the fish against my hand, I gently tickle its belly. I let it start to enjoy the sensation and then I suddenly grasp it and fling it out of the water”.
The trout in this stream weren’t particularly big, probably because the stream was coming directly off the peaty moors, maybe a little acidic and carrying little food, but they were size enough to eat. Moving along the bank he tried again. It wasn’t success each time, but after a couple of hours they had four fish that would make them an ample supper.
“Can I try? I’ve never held a fish before”, she asked. “How did you do it?”
“Lie flat on your belly and just let your arm dangle in the water. You’ve got to be quiet and stay very still. Just cup your hand and you might find that a fish will settle against your hand. When you feel it, you start to gently tickle – very lightly with just your finger-tips. The fish will start to enjoy being tickled – that’s when you suddenly grasp it and at the same time you roll over and fling it onto the grass”. It was something that had taken Amos years to achieve and he didn’t expect her to catch anything but it was something she needed to learn, and so he gave her the time. At one stage she was sure she felt something touch her fingers and she convinced herself that it was a fish. She grasped at it but if it was a trout it slipped away and she emerged empty handed.
By the time the fish had been prepared and cooked, it would be dusk. Amos put a small spill of wood into the fire and lit one end, then lifting the glass of his oil lamp he lit the wick with the taper. It didn’t throw much light outside the caravan, but the fire was casting sufficient light for their needs. However, taking the lamp into the caravan the warm glow lit up the interior. The fish had been opened up along the belly from head to tail and the innards removed, then the heads and tails cut away. They were opened and laid flat on a hot, flat stone whilst one side cooked, and then turned. They were cooked in no time at all and Amos showed Ruth how, by placing the edge of a knife blade along the spine of the cooked fish, the flesh could be easily pushed off the bones. The child had had two substantial meals, probably more than she’d had for ages, and she was soon tucked up in her cot where she slept warm, comfortable and safe.
Chapter 4
Ruth was awake with the first rays of early light. Amos was already busying himself with the preparations for the day. “Come on sleepy head. Time to get up” he cajoled, but she was reluctant to move from the warmth of this new found luxury, and she allowed her thoughts to wander in her drowsy head. She thought she must be about eight now and her mind wandered over the recent days that had brought her to this juncture. A tear began to well in her eye as her thoughts dwelt upon her mother, the long cold, wet times without shelter and with little food, and it became hard to bear. She threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the cot.
“You said we could go and find Ma today”, she said sleepily.
“Yes, and we will, I promise”,
