第28章 The Boy and the Cart

The cart broke on the hundredth day, and it broke on the way to Gillanwick, and it broke because the axle was old, and the axle was oak, and the oak had gone with the weather, and the wheel came off, and the wheel rolled away down the lane, and the cart stood on three wheels, and Dorl Kesson stood beside it with his hat in his hand and his face red, and the sacks of salt sat on the cart in the mud, and the mud was cold. Peth was walking the lane with his case, and he heard the sound, and he came running up the lane, and he saw the cart on three wheels, and he saw the wheel rolling away, and he ran after the wheel, and he ran the wheel to the bottom of the lane where the ground was flat, and he stopped it, and he stood beside it, and he said, "I have the wheel." "I have the wheel," said Dorl Kesson. "Then we have the wheel," said Peth. "We have the wheel," said Dorl Kesson. "I will put the wheel back," said Peth. "You will put the wheel back," said Dorl. "I cannot put the wheel back," said Peth. "The axle is gone." "The axle is gone," said Dorl. "The axle is gone," said Peth. "And the cart is on three wheels." "The cart is on three wheels," said Dorl. "And the salt is on the cart." "The salt is on the cart," said Peth. "And the salt is heavy." "The salt is heavy," said Dorl. "And I have walked the salt for nineteen years, and I have never put the salt on my back, and I will not put the salt on my back now." "Then we will not put the salt on your back," said Peth. "We will not put the salt on your back," said Dorl. "I will carry it," said Peth. "You will carry it," said Dorl. "You are fifteen." "I am fifteen," said Peth. "And the lane is two miles." "The lane is two miles," said Dorl. "Then the lane is two miles," said Peth. "And the salt is one sack." "One sack," said Dorl. "One sack is heavy." "One sack is heavy," said Peth. "And two sacks are heavier." "Two sacks are heavier," said Dorl. "Then I will carry one sack," said Peth. "Then I will carry one sack," said Dorl. "And you will carry one sack." "You will carry one sack," said Peth. "I will carry one sack," said Dorl. Peth took the rope from the cart and he made a strap for the sack, and he put the strap over his shoulder, and the salt was heavy, and the mud was cold, and the lane was two miles, and they walked it, the boy with one sack and the man with one sack, and they did not speak, because the road was the road, and the road was long, and the salt was the salt. Brin came up the lane at ten with the cart from the hall, because Brin had seen the wheel rolling, and Brin stood at the bottom of the lane with the cart, and he said, "You have the wheel." "I have the wheel," said Peth. "Then I will mend the cart," said Brin. "Then I will mend the cart," said Peth. "I will mend the axle," said Brin. "The axle is oak, and the oak is gone, and I have oak, and the oak is in the yard." "Then I will mend the axle," said Brin. He mended the axle in the yard, and he took the iron from the chest of drawers, and he took the nails, and he took the hammer from the bench, and he put the axle back in the cart, and he set the wheel on, and he took the wood from the pile, and he mended the cart, and the cart was the cart, and the wheel was the wheel, and the axle was the axle, and the iron was the iron, and the nails were the nails. "I have mended the cart," said Brin. "I have mended the cart," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the cart," said Brin. "Then the hall has the cart," said Kessin. "And the hall will have the salt," said Brin. "Then the hall will have the salt," said Kessin. "And the hall will pay Dorl two crowns." "Two crowns," said Dorl. "Two crowns," said Kessin. "And the hall will pay Peth one crown." "One crown," said Peth. "One crown," said Kessin. "And the hall will pay Brin a loaf of bread." "A loaf of bread," said Brin. "And the hall will have the cart." "Then the hall will have the cart," said Kessin. Dorl put the sacks on the cart, and he took the reins, and he said, "I will go to Gillanwick." "You will go to Gillanwick," said Kessin. "I will go to Gillanwick," said Dorl. "And I will come back at seven." "You will come back at seven," said Kessin. "Then the hall will have the salt," said Dorl. "Then the hall will have the salt," said Kessin. She wrote the card on the board and she wrote the line on the ledger, and the ledger said: Dorl Kesson, salt to Gillanwick and back, cart mended, two crowns; Peth Dunmorrit, one sack of salt, one crown; Brin Lowmarstrand, axle mended, oak and iron, one loaf of bread. She put the pen down, and the yard was quiet, and the vapour was coming up off the grass, and the sun was going over the mill, and the road was dark, and the chalk was white on the stones. "That is work," said Kessin. "That is work," said Brin. "Three names," said Brin. "Three names," said Kessin. "One cart," said Brin. "One cart," said Kessin. "Two sacks," said Brin. "Two sacks," said Kessin. "One boy," said Brin. "One boy," said Kessin. "One man," said Brin. "One man," said Kessin. "And one donkey," said Brin. "One donkey," said Kessin. "And one watch," said Brin. "One watch," said Kessin. "And one traveller," said Brin. "One traveller," said Kessin. "And one keeper," said Brin. "One keeper," said Kessin. "And one board," said Brin. "One board," said Kessin. "And one white card." "Then the hall has all of it," said Brin. "Then the hall has all of it," said Kessin. He put his hat on and he took the wood from the pile and he went out through the gate, and the cart wheels turned on the iron, and the iron was the iron, and the wood was the wood, and the axle was the oak, and the oak was the oak, and the salt was the salt, and the lane was the lane, and the mud was the mud, and the cart went away down the hill, and the boy stood at the foot of the wheel with his case, and the man stood at the foot of the cart with his hat, and the hall had the cart, and the hall had the salt, and the hall had not paid the debt. ---