The Lost Boy and The Gardener's Daughter (22 page)

  Paul backed himsel up tae the table and Innes let himsel go, falling back oan tae it, his fall being broken by Whitey’s erms.  Paul fell forward and placed his hauns oan tae his knees, wheezing like a burst kettle, as Whitey undid Innes’s bibs and rolled his troosers doon his legs and o’er his ankles, leaving his boots oan his feet, still laced up.  When Paul wis able tae staun up and take a look, Whitey hid pushed Innes oan tae his left side.  Innes wis still haudin oan tae his sack, looking ghastly.

  “How is he, Whitey?”

  “I don’t know.  We’ll need an ambulance.  He’ll need to go to hospital,” she stammered, wiping the blood fae Innes’s right arse cheek wae a towel, only fur mair tae take it’s place instantly.

  “I think it’s buckshot.  He’s peppered with holes,” she said.

  “I’m going to no hospital, Whitey, so you can get that idea out of your head,” Innes said through clenched teeth.

  “Whit dae ye want tae dae noo, Whitey?” Paul asked her, ignoring Innes. 

  As far as Paul wis concerned, Whitey wis in charge noo and whitever she said, he’d go alang wae.  Whitey hesitated.  Paul could see her brain whirling roond, trying tae come up wae a solution.  It only took her a few seconds and then she wis back in control.

  “If we could get Packer to come across, he’d know what to do.”

  “Good idea,” Innes grunted, as Whitey started tae tie a makeshift bandage roond Innes tae try and stem the bleeding. 

  The place looked like the casualty department ae The Royal Infirmary oan a Friday night back in Glesga, Paul thought.

  “Ah’ll go,” Paul said.

  “It’s such long a way to Lairg from here, Paul…and we don’t have transport,” Whitey cursed, frustration in her voice.

  “If you give me a hand up, I’ll row the boy across the Kyle to the River Shin.  It’ll only be about five or six miles from there,” Innes volunteered, bravely.

  “You’ll do no such thing, Innes MacKay!” Whitey snapped, astonished at the audacity ae the body oan the table.

  “So, how dae Ah get there, and whit Ah’m Ah looking fur when Ah arrive, Whitey?”

  “Packer stays just beside the vet.  Once you
go into Lairg, turn right up the main street.  Take the second opening on the left and Packer’s house is the one on the left beside the vet’s.  You can’t miss it.”

  “And Lairg?”

  “You’ll have to go back down the strath about five miles to Culrain Station, which is taking you away from where you want to go.  At the station, you’ll need to cross the Kyle using the railway viaduct, which will take you to the other side.  Once you get across, you’ll come to the Bonar Bridge to Lairg Road. Turn left onto the road. Keep on the road until you come to Lairg, which is about another seven or eight miles further up.  It’s a long way,” Whitey said, shaking her head doubtfully.

  “Twelve miles?  Is that aw?  Christ, that won’t take me anytime.  Ah’ll jist get masel a drink ae water and Ah’ll get oan ma way,” Paul said, heiding fur the sink.

  “You’ll have to change, Paul.  If anyone sees you in those blood-covered clothes, they’ll think you’ve been butchering a deer and have you arrested for poaching.”

  “Nae problem, Ah’ll jist go and get changed.  Will ye be awright, Whitey?”

  “I…I think so.”

  “Paul?”

  “Aye.”

  “Thank you.  I don’t know what I…we…would have done if you weren’t here.”

  Paul kept an even pace as his feet pounded oan the road surface.  When he’d reappeared fae his bedroom, Whitey hid made up a wee goody bag in wan ae Innes’s shoulder satchels fur him.  She’d put in a couple ae her delicious plums, a piece ae crusty breid wae cheese in it, two ae her big home-made oat biscuits and a jam jar full ae fresh water tae wash it aw doon wae.  He’d nae intentions ae stoapping oan route, so apart fae the water, he’d eat oan the hoof.  It wis a pity he hidnae hid a chance tae speak tae Morven.  He probably wid’ve gone across and apologised fur the lip he’d gied her in front ae The Gardener’s Daughter.  He still couldnae believe the cheek ae Richie Rich…asking him, ae aw people, tae help her oot.  Granted, he’d experience ae shooting the craw fae places like remand homes and approved schools, bit she wisnae tae know that.  She must take him fur a bloody eejit, he scowled tae himsel.  And they basturts working fur her da…the Sellars?  He’d love tae deal wae they fuckers, good and proper, before he left the strath, bit he knew that widnae happen.  If he wis tae gain his liberation, he’d need tae leave well alane, which wis a pity.  He knew Innes wis in real trouble.  It wis bad enough wae the jail hinging o’er him, bit being shot by the poachers’ retreat could’ve killed him stane deid.  Whitey wis sure he’d survive as long as it didnae become infected and they goat aw the buckshot oot ae that arse ae his.  He wis tae mind and tell Packer that it wis buckshot and whereaboots Innes hid been hit.  Paul hid asked aboot Tim, fearing the worse.  Whitey hid said he’d be okay.  Like Innes, he’d copped it in the arse as well.  She’d strapped him up as best as possible, hoping he widnae pull aff the bandage wae his teeth until Paul returned wae Packer.  He heard a car coming jist as he turned the bend at the castle gates and slowed doon.  He picked up the pace wance he clocked it turning left through the gates.  He prayed that he widnae bump intae any ae they Sellar pricks as he probably widnae be able tae keep his hauns tae himsel.  Jist before the station, he nipped o’er the fence and scrambled up the embankment.  He stepped in between the rails and started running.  As a wee snapper he used tae play up at the railway line a lot and he managed tae get intae a wee rhythm ae landing wae each step oan every third sleeper.  He wis jist coming oot ae the curve oan tae the straight that took ye across the water when he saw two dugs coming
bounding towards him barking.  Their barks wurnae threatening and they stoapped wance they reached him, wagging their tails, wanting tae be petted.  He wisnae sure whit kind ae breed they wur other than they wur friendly.  As he wis making a fuss ae them, taking the opportunity tae catch his breath, he looked up and noticed somewan walking towards him further doon the line.  He wisnae too sure whit tae dae, so he walked towards whoever it wis.  It didnae take him long tae find oot that it wisnae a friendly face.

  “You!” snarled The Duke, as the dugs looked at him quizzically, due tae the tone ae their master’s voice.

  “Me,” Paul acknowledged, noticing that the pair ae them wur exactly hauf way across the viaduct and staunin above the middle ae the Kyle. 

  He looked aboot and wondered whit the chances wur ae being spotted if he threw this stupid basturt, staunin there in his yellow checked waistcoat and plus fours, doon intae the water.

  “Don’t get impertinent with me, you young whipper-snapper.  What are you doing on my bridge?” he harrumphed.

  “Your bridge?  Somehow, Ah don’t think so,” Paul said casually, knowing fine well that this wid get the silly basturt mair uptight than he clearly wis awready.

  “Why, you!” The Duke snarled, lifting up his erm, grasping the end ae his walking stick as if he wis gonnae whack Paul across the napper wae it.

  “If that fucking thing touches me, it’ll be the last thing ye’ll ever dae oan this earth, ya fucking bampot, ye,” Paul snarled, staring straight intae The Duke’s eyes.

  “This is my property!  You’re trespassing!  I’ll get the law on to you.”

  “Where Ah come fae, aw property is theft...and fair game,” Paul added, steady in his eyes.

  “Oh, I know all about you, Lost Boy.  A lot more than you think,” The Duke hissed.

  “Then ye’ll know that if ye don’t step oot ae ma bloody way this instant and let me pass, Ah’ll dae tae you whit Ah done tae they arse-licking Sellars that ye’ve goat bullying auld people,” Paul said calmly, clearly enjoying the opportunity ae meeting and talking tae a real live Duke.

  “I’m warning you, boy.  Stay well clear of my property.  I may not be alone the next time we meet,” The Duke warned him, haudin his walking stick oot in front ae himsel like a sword, as he shuffled past Paul’s left haun side. 

  Paul slowly turned, keeping his eyes oan The Duke as he passed, as he widnae hiv put it past the basturt tae gie him a fly skelp o’er the napper wae that walking stick ae his.

  “Nice dugs ye’ve goat there, by the way.  Whit kind ae breed ur they?” Paul shouted efter him jovially, as The Duke turned his back and strode away towards his dugs, who wur sitting between the rails, quite the thing, waiting fur their master tae catch up.

  Paul took the opportunity tae scoff the two biscuits and tae take a slug ae water oot ae the jam jar, as he casually walked across the bridge, deliberately taking his time, jist in case The Duke thought he’d scared him aff.  Paul set aff up the road.  He’d never been oan this side ae the Kyle, apart fae oan the night when Innes hid taken him fishing in the boat.  It gied him a good opportunity tae see the castle fae a different angle.  He wondered how many rooms it hid in it as the whole side facing him wis full ae windaes.  He’d need tae ask The Gardener’s Daughter the next time he saw her, if she wis still talking tae him efter the cheek he’d jist gied her auld man.  He wis quite chuffed wae the ‘aw property is theft’ lip he’d hit The Duke wae.  He’d been sitting talking tae Whitey and Innes wan night and he’d asked how Whitey hid managed tae escape fae Russia when they’d hid their revolution in nineteen canteen.  She’d explained that the problem wae her family and anywan else who’d owned property back then wis that the wans who’d started the revolution and taken o’er the joint, hid gone aboot, saying how aw property wis theft before confiscating everywan else’s property tae keep fur themsels.

  “Christ almighty, Paul.  What are you doing away up here?” Packer asked him when he opened his front door, staunin aside tae let Paul in.

  “Who’s at the door, Packer?” he heard Struana shout.

  “Innes his been shot wae a poachers’ retreat,” Paul wheezed, catching his breath.

  “Christ!  How bad is he?”

  “Ah don’t know.  It wis oan that arse ae his. Tim copped it as well.  Whitey says she thinks they’ll baith live, so long as their wounds don’t become infected.”

  “Innes his been shot,” Packer said tae Struana, as Paul followed him intae their tiny wee living room. 

  Struana automatically put the fingers ae baith hauns up tae her mooth.

  “He’s refused tae go tae hospital.  He goat caught by a poachers’ retreat.  Ah’ve tae tell ye it wis buckshot,” he said tae Packer.

  “Right, I’ll be back in a minute,” Packer said, picking a set ae keys up aff the mantelpiece and heiding oot the front door.

  Paul saw him disappear past the front windae, heiding fur the vet’s.

  “Take a seat, Paul.  You must be tired.  You haven’t run all this way, have you?”

  “Aye, bit it wis okay.  It didnae take me that long,” Paul replied, grateful tae be sitting doon while looking aboot, as Struana disappeared oot ae the living room door.

  “Right, let’s get going.  Struana, Innes will be dead with the time you take,” Packer shouted up the stairs, as they heided oot tae the same wee van that they’d taken Billy the Goat up tae Glencalvie in, when Paul hid visited Croick Church.

Chapter Twenty Nine

“Oh Paul, I’m glad you’ve come.  This was the last night I was planning on coming up here.  I didn’t think you wanted to speak to me again.  I’m sorry if I upset you by bringing Saba along the last time,” Morven said, clearly relieved tae see him, as she jumped up fae the burn and gied him a hug.

  “Aye, Ah’m sorry, Morven.  Ah wis definitely bang oot ae order, speaking tae ye like that, especially in front ae yer boss pal, so Ah wis.”

  “No, I deserved it.  I was kicking myself for being so stupid.  I knew you would refuse, but Saba kept pressing me to bring her along.  I’m sorry.”

  “Well, Ah widnae worry, eh?  Listen, Morven, Ah need tae ask ye a favour…a big favour,” he said.

  “What?”

  He explained whit hid happened tae Innes at court the previous Friday.

  “Yes, I heard.  The whole strath is talking about it.  Seemingly, The Duke and John Sellar and his boys were celebrating by drinking The Duke’s good drams and smoking cigars till all hours of the morning.”

  “There is absolutely nae way in a month ae Sundays that Innes and Whitey will be able tae find that kind ae dosh.  The only income they hiv coming in is fae the lambs and selling an odd jar ae honey every noo and again.”

  “I wish there was something I could do to help,” Morven said.

  “Aye, well, it gets worse,” Paul added, explaining whit hid happened tae Innes the night before, bit leaving oot the bit aboot him knowing that Morven hid been sitting at the burn, waiting fur him tae show up.

  “It sounds serious.  Is he alright?”

  “Oh aye, Innes is an auld buck.  He’s used tae hivving a few bumps, dents and bashes.  It’s pathetic, though, so it is.  Jist before Ah left tae come doon here, Ah nipped up tae see him in his bed.  Baith him and Tim wur lying back, feeling sorry fur themsels, wae their arses aw bandaged up.  Tim seems quite happy that he’s back in the hoose, although if he starts farting, he’ll be licking his wounds back oot in the barn again.

  “So, what’s the favour?” she enquired.

  “Right, Ah know this is gonnae sound really strange, bit ye hiv tae trust me,” he replied, looking her straight intae they lovely blue eyes ae hers.

  “Go on.”

  “Ah need ye tae heid back tae the castle and ask yer pal boss, The Gardener’s Daughter, tae come up here.  Ah’d like a word wae her.”

  “Saba?  You want to talk to Saba?  Up here?” she exclaimed, looking aboot nervously.

  “Aye.”

  “What about?”

  “Noo, this is where your trust needs tae come in, Morven.  No only dae Ah want ye tae ask her tae come up here, bit Ah want tae talk tae her own ma lonesome, withoot you being here.”

  Silence.

  “I don’t understand,” she blurted oot, clearly confused.

  “Ye’ll hiv tae trust me.”

  “But, I, er...”

  “Ah widnae ask ye tae dae this if Ah didnae think it wis important…very important,” he stressed. “Look, Ah’m no gonnae herm her, if that’s whit ye’re thinking.”

  Silence.

  “Alright…if that’s what you wish me to do,” she agreed, nae sounding too convinced.

  “I don’t know how long it’ll take me.  She may be having supper with The Duke.”

  “Fae whit Ah kin gather, even Ah’d be better company fur her than him,” he said, smiling.

  “How long have I got?”

  “Take as long as ye want.  Ah’ll wait until it’s getting dark.  Oh, and by the way, Morven, kin ye ask her tae bring a map ae Scotland wae her, if she’s goat wan?” Paul called efter her, as she made her way
doon the path towards the castle.

  Paul lay back, closed his eyes and thought aboot the chaos ae the previous night.  Packer hid heided towards Rosehall, by cutting across the bridge jist ootside Lairg that Paul hid passed oan the way in.  Efter crossing the bridge, he’d heided alang wee winding roads and through whit Packer telt him wis Shin Forest, until they came tae the River Oykel at Rosehall.  Packer hid slowed tae a crawl as he pointed the nose ae the van towards the river and drapped intae first gear, praying loudly, as he slowly made his way across the ford, before heiding up the road taewards Wester Achnahanat.  By the time they’d reached the croft, a couple ae big kettles ae water hid been bubbling oan tap ae the stove.  Whitey hid dragged a table through fae the sitting room, which hid allowed her tae extend the table that Innes wis lying oan. She’d also managed tae put a blanket and a clean sheet oan the tap ae that, tae take away the hardness ae the wooden surface and tae make it a bit mair comfortable fur him.  She’d also nipped oot tae the barn and hid somehow managed tae entice Tim intae the hoose where he’d lain watching whit wis gaun oan roond aboot him fae a blanket in front ae the fire in the range.

  “Oh Whitey, how is he?” Struana hid squealed, dashing across and peering intae Innes’s face.

  “I’m not dead yet, Struana,” Innes hid said gruffly, gieing her a wee sickly smile.

“It’s Tim I’m asking about…the poor baby,” Struana hid said, moving aff across tae the hearth and patting Tim oan the heid.

“Right, everyone, I’m the vet…or should I say the doctor…which means I’m in charge.  So, whatever I say goes.  Have we all got that?” Packer hid announced.

  “Do you know why they call Packer, Packer, Paul?” Innes hid asked him.

  “Don’t listen to a word he says, Paul,” Packer hid said, unpacking the bag he’d brought wae him and laying oot the contents oan tap ae the sideboard beside the patient.

  “For the past thirty years he’s been packing the wounds of every sheep, goat, pig and cow in the Highlands.”

  “So, ye’ve done this before then, Packer?” Paul hid asked, relieved.

  “Well, I’ve taken buckshot out of a few mangy old dogs that have got in the way of some of these old blind gentlemen when they’ve been up here shooting birds.”

  “Ask him the survival rate,” Innes hid persisted.

  “Right, Whitey and Struana, get into that sink and wash your hands,” Packer hid commanded, throwing Whitey a bar ae carbolic soap, still in it’s wrapper, as he started tae remove Innes’s bandages.

  “Whit aboot me then?” Paul hid asked.

  “I’ll get you to hold him down in a minute, laddie,” Packer hid said, peering at the bloody seeping holes that wur scattered aboot the tap ae Innes’s leg and arse cheek.

  Paul hid looked at the stuff oan tap ae the sideboard that Packer hid brought. There wis a couple ae bottles ae iodine, saline solution, penicillin, a vial ae anti-tetanus, a couple ae syringes and different sizes ae forceps.  Packer hid placed the instruments in a silver dish and Struana hid poured boiling water o’er them.

  “Right, Innes, this is going to hurt you more than it will hurt me, you’ll be glad to hear.  I’ll need to get out as much of that buckshot as I can,” Packer hid
apologised, haunin Innes a glass full ae malt whisky which Innes hid gulped doon, as Packer painted yellow iodine across his wounds wae a wee sponge.

  It hid been agony tae watch and listen tae.  Packer hid spent aboot an hour and a hauf digging intae the holes, picking oot the buckshot wae the forceps.  The clanging sound ae it landing oan the bottom ae Innes’s tin shaving cup hid made Paul jump every time he’d heard wan land.  Wance Packer hid felt he’d goat oot as much as he could under the circumstances, he’d washed oot all the holes wae saline solution, swabbed mair iodine o’er Innes’s arse and bandaged up the wounds, before carrying a pished-drunk and groaning Innes up tae his bed, wae Paul’s help.  Wance Innes hid been put tae his kip, Packer hid gied him a tetanus injection and a shot ae penicillin, then haunded o’er a box ae penicillin tablets tae Whitey, telling her that Innes hid tae take them three times daily fur two weeks, tae hopefully stoap any infection setting in.

  “Right, Tim.  I’m afraid, there’s no dram for you, son,” Packer hid said gently, efter they’d tripped back doon the stairs and Paul hid helped him tae lift Tim up oan tae the table.

  Whitey hid burned the blood-soaked blanket, sheet and dressing swabs in an auld oil drum oot the back ae the hoose wance they’d put Innes tae bed and Tim hid been seen tae.  Packer hid demonstrated how the poachers’ retreat worked tae Struana.  Whitey awready knew the mechanics ae it as Innes hid showed her a number ae times o’er the years.

  “There should be a law against using them and the people who construct them,” Struana hid said, horrified, yet fascinated by it. 

  “There is, but who’s going to impose the law against The Duke about here?” Whitey hid mused.

  Packer hid telt them that o’er the past ten years he’d hid tae dae the same medical clean-up operation four times. 

  “Oh, they’re quite a deterrent.  When the local boys know that there are poachers’ retreats on the go, they stay well clear, unless of course, they have a dog like Tim who’s been trained-up to detect them.  I’m surprised Innes was caught out.”

  “Innes said that Tim sussed oot the first wan, nae bother.  By the time Innes hid dismantled it, Tim wis daeing a pish and Innes hid walked o’er tae the other side ae the wee glade that they wur in.  He said he didnae even feel the trip-wire.  Aw he heard wis a loud explosion, alang wae a feeling that he’d been hit oan the side wae a sledge hammer.  He’d cursed like buggery fur being so stupid as tae set wan aff. He said that when Tim noticed that he wis oan the go, he’d trotted forward tae try and get in front ae Innes and wis jist passing him oan the right, when the baith ae them copped it.  He reckons his legs protected Tim fae getting the worst ae it.  If the dug hid been oan the other side ae him, he wid’ve caught the full blast.  He said that this is the first time he’s come across a double set-up.  Innes tried tae staun up, bit he wis stuck fast in the middle ae the gorse bush that he’d keeled o’er intae when he went doon.  Wance he goat his bearings, Tim wis awready staunin o’er him and Innes jist pulled oot his whistle and blew.  Tim automatically turned and heided back tae the croft.  Innes said he’d prayed that Tim wid make it back as he’d been scared that the dug hid lost too much blood,” Paul hid telt them.

  “Are we ever going to be free of these accursed people?” Struana hid cursed bitterly.

  It must’ve been aboot two o’clock in the morning by the time Packer and Struana finally left.  Fur maist ae the night, apart fae when Whitey nipped up tae see if Innes wis okay every noo and again, the four ae them hid reminisced aboot past times, living under the shadow ae the estate landlords.  Paul hid listened, enthralled by some ae the near-misses that Packer and Innes hid hid wae The Duke and the Sellars o’er the years.  Despite whit hid happened earlier, the four ae them hid been buckled up wae laughter.  Struana hid asked Whitey tae tell Paul how she and Innes hid met.

  “This is like something out of a fairy-tale,” Struana hid cooed, aw misty-eyed.

  “More like a nightmare for poor Whitey.  If only she’d known then what she was letting herself in for,” Packer hid come back wae, a cheeky grin spread across his coupon.

  Whitey hid explained a wee bit aboot the background tae their first encounter.  She’d explained how hersel and her family hid fled fae Russia and settled in Estonia
.
  Efter a few years, they’d come tae Scotland as part ae a European tour.  The family hid actually stayed in Culrain Castle as guests ae the auld Duke and Dowager Duchess.  Wan day, the two families hid gone oot fur a wee tour locally and hid ended up in Lairg.  It hid been early evening and they’d been sitting by the banks ae Loch Shin, when a boat full ae people hid come sailing by.  The boat, wae its stripy canvas canopy above aw the seated guests, hid been decked oot wae lanterns fae wan end tae the other.  It hid been a wedding party.  As the auld Duke and Duchess, alang wae Whitey’s family, hid sat watching the boat passing, some guy hid been staunin in the middle ae everybody, singing ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, a song by Rabbie Burns, who wis some famous poet that Paul hidnae heard ae.  Whitey hid said that it wis the maist beautiful song she’d ever heard in her life.

  “It was there and then that I decided that I was going to marry the man who was singing that beautiful love song.  Anyone who had a voice like that must surely have been blessed by something greater than nature itself,” Whitey hid said, as a wee tear ran doon her cheek.

  Her family hid been appalled, bit she’d insisted.  Her father hid threatened tae cut her aff, bit she’d stuck tae her guns.  Whitey hid managed tae find oot who the singer wis through talking tae wan ae the maids up at the castle and when the time hid come fur her family, who wur quite wealthy, tae move oan, she’d gone tae live wae a family in Lairg. By the time that her money hid run oot, she’d managed tae get hersel a wee job as a seamstress oan wan ae the local estates.  She hidnae been too depressed aboot her situation, as she’d managed tae track Innes doon and hid soon made it clear tae him whit her intentions wur.  She’d never heard fae her family again.

  “And that was that.  Poor old Innes didn’t have a chance of escape after that,” Packer hid said, and they’d aw burst oot laughing

  Efter Packer and Struana hid left and Whitey hid gone tae her bed, Paul hid lain in his, trying tae take in everything that hid happened, no only that day, bit o’er the past few weeks.  He’d awready made up his mind and hid awready telt Innes and Whitey that he wis planning tae leave the croft tae heid back tae Glesga the following weekend.  He’d wondered how Whitey wid manage oan the croft until Innes wis up oan his feet.  The croft wis tiny, by local croft standards, bit there wis still a lot ae work involved.  Whitey hid telt him that despite whit hid happened tae Innes, he should still go aheid wae his plans.  Paul hid lain awake, wae his hauns behind his heid, gaun o’er his options fur maist ae the night.  He’d waited years tae be liberated, but noo that it wis almost upon him, he felt trapped.  He’d wanted tae get up oot ae that bed ae his and heid straight doon tae the castle tae knock fuck oot ae George Sellar again, he’d been that angry.  Efter his run-in wae The Duke oan the railway bridge, he’d realised that, although Innes and Whitey wur nae mugs, they still wurnae fit tae staun up tae The Duke and the Sellars.  Age didnae seem tae be a bar when it came tae being targeted by the castle, he’d thought grimly, when he wis pounding alang the road tae Lairg in search ae Packer.  It hid been during the run that an idea hid began tae formulate in that napper ae his.  It wis totally mental, bit he couldnae see any possibility ae it no working oot, apart fae the fact that he’d need tae convince Innes, Whitey and The Gardener’s Daughter.  It wis that last part that gied him cause tae worry.  He wondered how desperate she really wis tae get away fae her auld man.  Withoot her involvement and agreement, he wisnae too sure whit he should dae next.