Великобританія. The White Mountains

Capping Day

Apart from the one in the church tower, there were five clocks in the village that kept reasonable time.
and my father owned one of them. It stood on the mantelpiece in the parlor, and every night before he
went to bed he took the key from a vase and wound it up. Once a year the clockman came from
Winchester, on an old jogging packhorse, to clean and oil it and put it light Afterward he would drink
chamomile tea with my mother and tell her the news of the city and what he had heard in the villages
through which he had passed. My father, if he was not busy mulling, would stalk out at this time with
some contemptuous remark about gossip; but later, in the evening, I would hear my mother passing the
stories on to him. He did not show much enthusiasm, but he listened to them.

My father's great treasure, though, was not the clock, but the Watch. This, a miniature clock with a dial
less than an inch across and a circlet permitting it to be worn on the wrist, was kept in a locked drawer of
his desk and only brought out to be worn on ceremonial occasions, such as Harvest Festival or a
Capping. The clockman was allowed to see to it only every third year, and at such times my father stood
by, watching him as he worked. There was no other Watch in the village, nor in any of the villages round
about The clockman said there were a number in Winchester, but none as fine as this. I wondered if he
said it to please my father, who certainly showed pleasure in the hearing, but I believe it truly was of very
good workmanship. The body of the Watch was of a steel much superior to anything they could make at
the forge in Alton, and the works inside were ft wonder of intricacy and skill. On the front were printed
"Anti-magnetique" and "Incabloc," which we supposed to have been die name of the craftsman who
made it in olden times.

The clockman had visited us the week before, and I had been permitted to look on for a time while he

cleaned and oiled the Watch. The sight fascinated me, and after he had gone I found my thoughts running
continually on this treasure. now locked away again in its drawer. I was, of course, forbidden to touch
my father's desk, and the notion of opening a locked drawer in it should have been unthinkable.
Nonetheless, the idea persisted. And after a day or two I admitted to myself that it was only the fear of
being caught that prevented me. On Saturday morning I found myself alone in the house. My father was
in the mill room, grinding, and the servants—even Molly who normally did not leave the house during the
day—had been brought in to help. My mother was out visiting old Mrs. Ash, who was sick, and would
be gone an hour at least I had finished my homework and there was nothing to stop my going out into the
bright May morning and finding Jack. But what completely filled my mind was the thought that I had this
opportunity to look at the Watch with small chance of detection.

cleaned and oiled the Watch. The sight fascinated me, and after he had gone I found my thoughts running
continually on this treasure. now locked away again in its drawer. I was, of course, forbidden to touch
my father's desk, and the notion of opening a locked drawer in it should have been unthinkable.
Nonetheless, the idea persisted. And after a day or two I admitted to myself that it was only the fear of
being caught that prevented me. On Saturday morning I found myself alone in the house. My father was
in the mill room, grinding, and the servants—even Molly who normally did not leave the house during the
day—had been brought in to help. My mother was out visiting old Mrs. Ash, who was sick, and would
be gone an hour at least I had finished my homework and there was nothing to stop my going out into the
bright May morning and finding Jack. But what completely filled my mind was the thought that I had this
opportunity to look at the Watch with small chance of detection.

Having achieved what I had thought was an ultimate ambition, I found, as I think is often the case, that
there remained something more. To wear it was a triumph, but to be seen wearing it ... I had told my
cousin. Jack Leeper, that I would meet him that morning in the old ruins at the end of the village. Jack,
who was nearly a year older than myself and due to be presented at the next Capping, was the person,
next to my parents, whom I most admired. To take the Watch out of the house was to add enormity to
disobedience, but having already gone so far. it was easier to contemplate it. My mind made up, I was
determined to waste none of the precious time I had. I opened the front door, stuck the hand with the
Watch deep into my trouser pocket, and ran off down the street

The village lay at a crossroads, with the road in which our house stood running alongside the river (this
giving power for the mill, of course) and the second road crossing it at the ford. Beside the ford stood a
small wooden bridge for foot travelers, and I pelted across, noticing that the river was higher than usual
from the spring rains. My Aunt Lucy was approaching the bridge as I left it at the far end. She called a
greeting to me, and I called back, having first taken care to veer to the other side of the road. The
baker's shop was there, with trays of buns and cakes set out, and it was reasonable that I should be
heading that way: I had a couple of pennies in my pocket But I ran on past it, and did not slacken to a
walk until I had reached the point where the houses thinned out and at last ended.

The ruins were a hundred yards farther on. On one side of the road lay Spillers' meadow, with cows
grazing, but on my side Acre was a thorn hedge, and a potato field beyond. I passed a gap in the hedge,
not looking in my concentration on what I was going to show Jack, and was startled a moment later by a
shout from behind me. I recognized the voice as Henry Parker's.

Henry, like Jack, was a cousin of mine—my name is Will Parker—but. unlike Jack, no friend. (I had
several cousins in Ac village; people did not usually travel far to marry.) He was a month younger than I,
but taller and heavier, and we had hated each other as long as I could remember. When it came to
fighting, as it very often did, I was outmatched physically and had to rely on agility and quickness if I
were not going to be beaten over and over again. From Jack I had learned some skill in wrestling which,
in the past year, had enabled me to hold my own more, and in our last encounter I had thrown him
heavily enough to wind him and leave him gasping for breath. But for wrestling one needed the use of
both hands. I thrust my left hand deeper into the pocket and. not answering his call. ran on toward the
ruins.

Henry, like Jack, was a cousin of mine—my name is Will Parker—but. unlike Jack, no friend. (I had
several cousins in Ac village; people did not usually travel far to marry.) He was a month younger than I,
but taller and heavier, and we had hated each other as long as I could remember. When it came to
fighting, as it very often did, I was outmatched physically and had to rely on agility and quickness if I
were not going to be beaten over and over again. From Jack I had learned some skill in wrestling which,
in the past year, had enabled me to hold my own more, and in our last encounter I had thrown him
heavily enough to wind him and leave him gasping for breath. But for wrestling one needed the use of
both hands. I thrust my left hand deeper into the pocket and. not answering his call. ran on toward the
ruins.

This activity would normally have kept him happy for some time. but he found something of greater
interest I had instinctively used both hands to protect myself as I fell. and he saw the Watch on my wrist.
In a moment he had wrenched it off, and stood up to examine it I scrambled to my feet and made a grab,
but he held it easily above his head and out of my reach.

I said. panting, "Give that backF "Ifs not yours," he said. "It's your father's." I was in agony in case the
Watch had been damaged, broken maybe, in my fall, but even so I attempted to get my leg between his
to drop him. He parried and. stepping back, said. "Keep your distanced—he braced himself, as though
preparing to throw a stone—"or 111 see how far X can fling it"

"If you do," I said, *youTl get a whipping for ft."

There was a grin on his fleshy face. "So will you. And your father lays on heavier than mine does. I'll tell
you what: I'll borrow it tor a while. Maybe 111 let you have it back this afternoon. Or tomorrow."

"Someone will see you with it*

He grinned again. "Ill risk that"