The Legend of the Phantom Highwayman (10 page)

‘Where do you think we are?' asked Tapser.

The mist had closed in about them again, and knowing they couldn't be seen they had slowed down to catch their breath.

‘Well, if they were heading for Ballycastle, we're probably somewhere along the coast from it.'

Stumbling into a small sandpit, they looked back. There was no sign of Whaler and Scamp, and they walked on across the grass.

‘I hope Rachel and Cowlick are all right,' said Róisín.

‘So do I,' said Tapser. ‘If only we could get to a phone and raise the alarm. Come on, there must be a house around here somewhere.'

If there was, the mist kept it from their view, but a short time later they came to a road. It was still very early in the morning and there was no sign of any traffic, so they set off down the hill. They came to several houses, and knocked urgently on the doors. There was no reply, and afraid to delay too long they continued on down the road in the hope that it would take them into Ballycastle.

They were wondering where Whaler and Scamp had got to when they came to a car parked in off the road. It seemed to have broken down and a man was working at the engine. Delighted to have found help at last, they ran over to him.

‘Thank goodness,' panted Róisín. ‘We thought we'd never find anyone. The smugglers. They're after us. You must help us to raise the alarm.'

Lifting his head from the engine, the man suddenly turned and grabbed Róisín by the wrist. ‘Now why should I help you to raise the alarm?' he sneered.

‘Whaler!' cried Tapser.

Having followed the narrow road up from the seafront to where it joined the main road, Whaler and Scamp had got ahead of them and were now in the act of stealing a car.

Startled, Róisín struggled to free herself.

‘Leave her alone,' shouted Tapser. Rushing forward, he pounded Whaler with his fists, but the big man just laughed and caught him by the scruff of the neck.

In desperation, Tapser kicked out. One of his kicks connected. With a howl of pain Whaler released them and grabbed his shin. Out of the corner of his eye, Tapser could see Scamp getting out from behind the steering wheel.

‘Run, Róisín,' he shouted. ‘Run.'

A few minutes later they flung themselves behind a ditch and listened for sounds of pursuit. There were none, and Tapser peered over the ditch to make sure.

‘Look!' he exclaimed.

‘What is it?' asked Róisín, easing herself up.

‘Look,' he said again, pointing to a spot where the road rose above the mist. ‘Coming over the hill.'

Róisín could hardly believe her eyes. From the swirling mist a coach drawn by four white horses had emerged. It was gliding down the road towards them, and it was plain to see that even the driver, who sat hunched over the reins, was a ghostly white.

‘The phantom highwayman!' she gasped.

Fearing that the phantom highwayman and the poteen smugglers would soon be upon them, Tapser and Róisín ran away from the road and climbed over a stone wall.

‘Oh, no,' cried Róisín, as they found themselves among headstones, ‘we're in a cemetery. This is like a nightmare.'

Beyond the graveyard, they came to the ruins of an old church and took refuge behind its walls. Wreaths of mist were still swirling up from the sea and now, as they looked back, they caught another glimpse of the ghostly coach passing down the road. Again, it was only a fleeting glimpse, a shadow, for it quickly merged with the mist and disappeared.

Róisín shivered, but it wasn't the wet or the cold or even the thought of being in an old church that sent the shiver through her. It was the thought of the phantom coach. ‘What can it be?' she wondered. ‘I mean what's it doing here? We're miles from the High Road.'

Tapser frowned. ‘I don't know, but if somebody's trying to frighten us, they're going the right way about it.'

‘What are we going to do?'

‘Get to the police and raise the alarm. For all we know Cowlick and Rachel are still prisoners at the Castle Spa.'

‘Well, I'm not going out on the road again. Wild horses couldn't drag me.' Róisín paused as she thought of her unfortunate choice of words. ‘Anyway, Whaler and Scamp will be out there looking for us when they get that car going.'

‘You're right,' said Tapser. ‘If they get their hands on us again we're finished. We'll just have to wait here until the mist clears, then go for help.'

* * *

A lark sang as it fluttered up to meet the sun. Tapser and Róisín scrambled to their feet and ran outside. They found that the mist had cleared and morning had brought blue sky and sunshine. It had also brought a flow of traffic along the road. They could now see they were on the outskirts of Ballycastle, and realised the reason why they hadn't come across any houses in their flight across the fields was that they had been on the golf links.

Crossing the road, they ran up the neatly cut grass and looked out towards Rathlin. The cargo ship was still anchored at Church Bay.

‘Hurry,' urged Róisín. ‘We've got to get into Ballycastle and raise the alarm before it gets under way again.'

‘What's going on?' wondered Tapser. ‘I've never seen so much traffic.'

The vehicles were bumper to bumper now and had slowed to a crawl. As they ran past a lorry loaded with sheep Róisín said, ‘There must be a fair on.' She stopped and grabbed Tapser's arm. ‘Of course, it's the Lammas Fair. Why didn't I think of it before? Come on. There are bound to be people we know. They'll help us.'

Crossing the Margy Bridge, they saw a signpost which told them they had been hiding in the ruins of Bonamargy Franciscan Friary, burial place of the famous chieftain, Sorley Boy MacDonnell. Keeping a sharp lookout for Whaler and Scamp, they hurried along the seafront, and with another anxious glance towards Rathlin, turned up Quay Road.

There they found that numerous stalls had been erected and traders were selling portable radios, tape recorders, watches and all kinds of knick-knacks.

Suddenly they heard a voice from the other side of the road shouting, ‘You're all going to die!'

Startled, they looked around to see a man in black standing on a corner. A placard hanging from his neck bore the Biblical text, ‘Prepare to meet thy doom.'

‘You're all going to die!' he declared to all and sundry.

Relieved that he wasn't one of their pursuers, but a man proclaiming the word of God, they exchanged a half-hearted smile and hurried on.

The town was bustling with activity, but there was still no sign of the two smugglers – or a policeman. The Diamond, which forms the town centre, was crowded. Stallholders were shouting about all the bargains they had to offer, and there were cries of ‘Dulse' and ‘Yellow man', as they offered bags of edible seaweed and lumps of their famous yellow toffee for sale. Everywhere people were listening, looking, buying or just ambling around.

‘There's a policeman,' said Tapser. ‘Two of them – over there.'

Before they could reach them, however, they found their way barred by Whaler and Scamp. Terrified, they turned and ran. Determined not to lose them this time, Whaler and Scamp lunged through the crowd, scattering people in all directions.

Nipping in here, darting through there, Tapser and Róisín found themselves pushing and shoving in their anxiety to escape.

‘Now hold on there,' said a familiar voice. ‘What's all the rush about?'

Looking up they saw to their surprise and great relief that it was none other than Mr Stockman.

‘What are you doing here?' asked Tapser.

‘Didn't I tell you I was coming to the Lammas Fair? Now what's your hurry? You'd think there was somebody after you.'

‘There is,' cried Tapser. ‘A phantom coach and …'

‘A phantom coach?' smiled Mr Stockman. ‘Sure the only coach I saw was the
Londonderry Mail
. Sam Stephenson's after bringing it over to show it off here at the Lammas Fair.'

Róisín and Tapser looked at each other. The sea mist, they realised, had played tricks on them and given Sam and his coach that ghostly appearance.

‘But the smugglers,' insisted Róisín, throwing an anxious glance over her shoulder. ‘They're after us. Two of them. Look, that's them there.'

Seeing they were with an adult, Whaler and Scamp had stopped. There was a threatening scowl on their faces and their hands lingered close to their knives.

Mr Stockman didn't like the look of the two men at all and, taking Tapser and Róisín by the hand, began edging through the crowd. Whaler and Scamp followed. They were so intent in doing so, however, that they failed to notice several policemen making their way through the crowd behind them.

Mr Stockman stopped. Suddenly Tapser found Prince beside him, and as he hugged him he spotted Peppi among the police.

‘And there's Rachel and Cowlick,' cried Róisín, jumping up and down with delight.

Realising now that the tables had turned, Whaler and Scamp charged through the crowds in a desperate attempt to escape. In doing so they scattered a group of farmers who were admiring a pair of beautiful piebald donkeys. The farmers weren't amused at the intrusion and made to grab them. Whaler swung around to ward them off and collided with the donkeys. To add to the confusion Prince was now barking and snapping at Whaler's feet.

Frightened, one of the donkeys bared its teeth and brayed vigorously. At the same time it swished its tail and lashed out with its hind legs. Both hooves caught Whaler squarely on the seat of his big baggy pants and catapulted him into the arms of the police. Both Whaler and Scamp were promptly relieved of their knives and escorted to the police station, while Tapser and Róisín had a joyful reunion with Cowlick and Rachel, their parents and Peppi.

* * *

The Lammas Fair was now in its second day, and down on the seafront the
Londonderry Mail
was proving to be a big attraction for those who wanted a break from the hustle and bustle of the Diamond. Mr Stephenson was up on the driver's seat, and inside were Peppi, Mr Stockman, Tapser and his cousins, and, of course, Prince. The ride was Mr Stephenson's way of saying thanks to them all for helping expose the real smugglers and taking suspicion from him.

‘And who's this fella Max-what's-his name?' asked Mr Stockman as he passed around bags of yellow man.

‘He's the only one who can answer that,' said Peppi. ‘And we have to find him first. The last we heard of him he was heading towards Ballycastle. That's why we came here.'

‘Why do you think he came here?' asked Tapser.

‘Could be he was trying to link up with Whaler and Scamp. Maybe even the cargo ship. We've impounded the ship and hopefully it won't be long before we arrest him too.'

‘But why were they swapping cargoes?' asked Rachel. ‘That's what I don't understand.'

‘It's very simple really,' explained Peppi. ‘That way the ship ended up with a cargo of poteen and Customs papers to say it was spa water.'

‘Well, you've got the ship,' said Cowlick, ‘but what about the big still? You didn't find that.'

‘But we did,' announced Peppi. ‘The papers we found at the plant show that Max had organised supplies from all the people who were making poteen as a small business. Grouping them together, he made it into one big business. And mending machinery was only a cover for keeping in touch with them. So the big still was all around us – the wee stills of the glen and the mountain. It was staring us in the face and we couldn't see it.'

‘A sort of co-op,' suggested Mr Stockman.

‘Or spider's web,' said Róisín, thinking of Rathlin.

‘Exactly,' laughed Peppi. ‘He had it organised just like a spider's web. But unlike the spider, he had to give up, thanks to yourselves.'

‘Was your theory right then?' asked Rachel. ‘That the phantom highwayman was a decoy, to take attention away from what they were doing at the Spa?'

‘I think it must have been,' said Peppi. ‘But, oddly enough, none of them admit knowing anything about the phantom of Hugh Rua.'

‘There you are,' said Tapser. ‘What did I tell you? I think the ballad is right. His spirit does still ride in the glen.'

Mr Stockman smiled. ‘Well, don't forget what I told you. The glen has a lot of secrets, and so have its people.'

He winked at Peppi and Peppi added, ‘That's right. I mean, who's to say who was haunting the High Road? Sure if it comes to that, who's to say it's Mr Stephenson up on top now, and not Hugh Rua?'

Tapser smiled. He knew Peppi was only joking. But even if he wasn't and Hugh Rua had stolen another coach-and-four, he was certain they had nothing to worry about. After all, he had ridden with the phantom highwayman before! Anyway, there were much more pleasant things to think about now than phantoms and smugglers. There was a song in the air, and he knew there were the amusements and many other treats in store for them at what the song called ‘the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle O.'