A Maggot - John Fowles (35 page)

The place has a mischievous history, being known to
him and his like as Dolling's or Dollin's Cave, after one of that
name in his great-grandfather's time who led a notorious gang of
rogues that boldly resided here and lived a merry life in the manner
of Robin Hood (or so said this Lock), with long impunity, by reason
of the remoteness of the place and their cunning in thieving more
abroad than in the neighbourhood itself; were never brought to
justice that he knows, and in the end removed away. And in proof
thereof he showed me inside the entrance to his grotto and rudecarved
upon the native rock the initials I.D.H.H., that is, John Dolling His
House. The rogue would have been a free-holder, it seems.

Sir, I run ahead, for he told me also of a
superstition much older concerning the great stone that stands
upright beside the aforesaid drinking-pool, which is that the Devil
came once to a shepherd there to buy a lamb of him, or so he said,
yet when a price was made and the shepherd said he might choose which
he please, Satan pointed to this shepherd's young son (as Lock in
telling me to his own boy), who stood nearby. Whereat the shepherd
guessed with whom he truly dealt and being much afraid, lost his
tongue. Why say you nothing, says Sir Beelzebub, did Abraham make
such a to-do about a mere boy? Upon which our shepherd, seeing (as my
rude fellow put it) he did speak with one who should best him in a
barter over souls, bravely struck with his crook; which fell not on a
human (or most diabolical) pate, but upon this stone, and was broke
in half. For which loss the shepherd soon consoled himself, since his
son's soul was saved from perdition, and moreover the Devil (not
taking to this Arcadian hospitality) dared not to show his impudent
face in the place again; thus ever since the stone has been called
the Devil Stone. And perhaps for that reason the place is deemed
accursed by many and some in the parish will not set foot in it. Not
so this fellow Lock, nor his father (as well a shepherd) before him;
on the contrary, good fattening ground and without mads or murrain,
and the cavern apt for his summer living and the ripening of his
cheeses. I trust, sir, you may not find me trivial in reciting this,
since you especially desired me to omit no particular, however
fanciful.

The antrum is fifteen paces broad in its mouth and
rises to some twice the height of a man at the tallest of its
exterior arch; and thence runs back some forty paces, there to make a
most singular bend indeed (running upon a blank wall in first
appearance) through a rough-hewn arch, which Lock believes formerly
enlarged from nature, perhaps by the rascal Dolling and his band,
unto an inner and more spacious chamber. This I paced and found it
somewhat the shape of an egg, thus, some fifty paces at the longest
and a pace or two over thirty at the broadest or beam, though not
regular. The roof is tall and breached at one end to the air, for one
may see a faint light at the place, though not sky, as in a crooked
chimney; and the ground is damp thereunder, but not greatly so, Lock
says in some manner it drains away. He uses not this retiring-room
(if I may call it so), for the inconvenience of its darkness, except
for his cheeses.

Now, sir, I proceed to your more particular inquiry.
Advised by you I brought a lantern with me, and came by its aid upon
ashes near the centre of this inner chamber, as of a great fire, or
many such. Which Lock told me, ere I had even asked, was made by what
is called in the Devonshire vulgar didickies (that 3s, Egyptians),
who come here with some regularity in their winter wanderings; for it
seems some of their bands tend westward to Cornwall at that season
and return thence eastward in the spring. Upon my further questioning
Lock said that on his own returnings here, which passes most years
about the beginning of June (and to which this present year is no
exception), he has seldom not found such traces of their sojourn; and
that it was so also in his father's time. Yet he has never
encountered them (in this. place) for they are secret people, with
their own heathen tongue and customs; and never having done him harm
nor disputed his summer possession of the cavern, they trouble him
not; that he has even found store of burning and hurdle wood
seemingly left dry and good for his use, for which he is grateful.

I must here remark that something in these ashes did
stink strangely of other than wood being burnt, I fancy somewhat of
sulphur or vitriol, I can put no better name to it. It may be
conceived the answer lies in the constitution of the bare rock on
which these ashes reposed and that the heat of a strong fire draws
forth some tarry emanation, whose effluvia linger on, though t am not
competent to determine such matters. I asked Lock of this stink, but
he seemed not to have remarked it and declared he could smell nothing
uncustomary. Yet methought his nostrils were beclogged with the worse
stink of his sheep and his cheeses, and that I was not mistaken. My
own man, who was with us, was of my opinion; and we had further proof
I was not wrong, as I shall come to, tho' with no better explanation.
We disturbed the ashes somewhat to see if aught else but charred wood
lay there, and found nothing. In one low corner or recess Lock showed
us many bones lying as in a charnelhouse, for the most part small, of
rabbits and fowls and I know not what else, no doubt thrown aside by
the uncleanly Egyptians in their regales and feastings Lock says they
use this inner room more than he in their winter stays, it may be
with good reason, for the better protection from the winds and colds
of that season.

I must add, sir, before I forget and in answer to
another of your queries, that I searched all well by the lantern and
found no other way from this cavern save that by which we had
entered; and Lock likewise was positive there was none, other than
the aforementioned chimney. To my best observation it is little more
than a chink, for I later mounted above upon the slope where it
issues, where it might pass a child, but not a grown man. Nor is it
to be reached at the foot without a ladder. I saw naught else there,
or in the vestibule of the antrum, that spake of what concerns us.

Now I come, sir, to one last matter and that is the
fire outside the cave. It lies some twenty paces off, a little to one
side upon the sward. I had marked it on arrival, for Lock has
encompassed the place with hurdles to keep his flock away. The ashes
are washed out by rains, yet the soil remains dark and barren in this
place, and nothing has grown upon it since it was burnt. Lock says in
former years the Egyptians have not lit their fires so, outside the
cave, and knows not why they are so departed from their usual custom
this last winter. His sheep, when first he came, seemed driven to
lick the superficies where this fire had been, as if something there
tickled their animal appetites; and tho' none seemed to sicken for
it, he had feared this sudden maggot in them and so barred them from
it; yet said they would still on occasion try to thrust through, for
all the abundance of sweet grass lying about them.

This ustulated patch is some nine paces across. I
entered upon it and when I stooped was able to discern a similar
sulphurous property to that I had smelled inside. I told my man kneel
and scratch a little of the earth, when he declared the smell was as
strong as before, and the same; which I confirmed with a morsel (that
I inclose) he handed me, and marked it seemed baked hard as a
potsherd; id est, it had withstood the mollient effect of this
season's great rains. I had Lock fetch a hurdle stake, with which my
man digged down, and found all the soil in this bare place roasted
curious hard for four or five inches' depth, and difficult of
penetration without repeated thrust; which we could not put a cause
to except by many and repeated great fires (for which there is
provision enough of wood nearby, yet which I find not accountable to
ordinary purposes of cooking and making warmth).

I asked Lock whether this absence of grass was not a
strange thing, to which he said yes, and he deemed the Egyptians had
poisoned it in making of their salves and potions. Now, sir, they are
considered in this part of the Kingdom praeternatural wise in the
preparation of simples and 'tis true get some living by sale of their
pseudo-apothecarickal concoctions to the ignorant; but neither I nor
my man will believe this, that so great a fire was needful if such
alone were their business. My man truly observed it was more like
earth at the bottom of a smelting-pit, though we saw no trace of
metal or else besides. Nor, I think, is there utile ore known in this
immediate vicinity. Nota, 'tis found in abundance upon the Mendip
Hill, toward Bristol.

I fear I must leave you thus with a great enigma,
sir. I assure you 'tis not for fault of my keenest perseverance at
your command, nor for want of thinking upon it. Yet I can come to no
sure conclusion. Not to be too long I will now answer your remaining
matters.

1. There is no known previous visiting to this place
by any curious gentleman or virtuoso. Its waters have no reputation
whatsoever, and knowledge of it reaches not beyond the parish Mr
Beckford (who presents his most flattering compliments) had not known
of its existence, before my asking him, e'en tho' it neighbours upon
his own parish.

2. I questioned Lock close upon the hanged man and
all that has ensued; which he lays upon thieves, and would not be
shaken. For lack of a better 'tis the general but unreasoning opinion
hereabouts. When asked what further evidence may be that such
desperate thieves are about in this district, they have none; and
fall back upon a silly tale that is now afoot of a landing of French
privateers; notwithstanding there is no further evidence of it and
that they should come this far inland is without precedent these past
eighty years, without common sense besides. 'Tis their practice to
land and seize what lies close to hand, then be swift away, as is too
well known by our navy and waterguards.

3. Lock swore upon oath he had not seen nor remarked
aught else unaccustomed in his summer sojourn; nor had more visitors,
beyond his family, than I and my man. I have, alas, got no material
new informations (beside speculations as the above of privateers)
from the aforesaid Mr Beckford, or Puddicombe, or of any others of
those you named to me.

4. I saw no fresh-dug ground about the place, such as
might hide a person murdered; and neither Lock nor his boy knew of
any in their far greater familiarity with it and its vicinity.

5. Such an overlooking vantage as your deponent
describes may be seen. All else conforms well enough to his
chorography. You may credit him in this at least.

6. Of what was left below, and the two horses, I
found no vestigia, though this country is such rough wilderness in
its bottom or lower parts I cannot be sure we searched where was
meant; yet searched all that seemed most apt, beside the stream; and
came away with empty hands. At the most neighbouring places naught
seems known of the two horses unaccounted for, or what else was left.
"Tis thought most likely that the Egyptians might have come upon
these horses; which did it so fall, they might well, if not most
certain, steal them; and likewise what was left of baggage. Of your
deponent's horse, I will anon.

7. As to witches, Lock declared to know of one in his
village, but that she was of the kind they here call white, or
benign, more given to the curing of warts and rots than of any evil
conversation, aged and crippled beside. He knew of no covens, and was
firm none came here in winter save the aforesaid Egyptians; that he
had never seen female flesh about the place, in all his many
visitings, apart that of his ewes and his wife and a daughter, who
would now and then trudge up with provision for him and to pick
whortles (which grow abundant there in August). Yet it may be he is
here (as to witchcraft) less natural than most of his kind, for Mr B.
tells me 'tis still most generally credited, and such noise as has
reached their ears of the new repealing of the Act counted great
folly. He has had one accusation, no more, concerning it since his
coming here, and that proved baseless, caused by one crone's malice
to another in some dispute between them. Yet still will most believe,
as their grandsires.

8. One may proceed from the head of this valley
across the Ex-moor in seven miles to the road that goes from
Barnstaple to Minehead. The path is obscure and unknown to strangers;
those resolute enough however might pass it well enough, provided
qualibet they bear north, when they must in one place or another come
upon the high road, which here lies east and west. 'Tis most easy in
summer, when dry. Minehead and Watchet, the only considerable places
before Bridgewater and Taunton, may be avoided by one travelling in
secrecy. I will return this way and inquire, with the discretion you
enjoin, as also here; and write immediately if new evidence of moment
is found; otherwise, upon my return to Bristol.

I am truly sorry, sir, that I cannot at present
determine more to your advantage, and to that of your noble client. I
have the honour to be your most humble, faithful and obedient quester
and servant,

Rich'd Pygge, attorney at
law

* * *

Bristol, the 23rd of September

Sir,

I fear I have had a barren return to Bristol, and
have found no trace at the towns mentioned in my last, nor at many
smaller on my road, of the noble person's having passed that way. I
cannot alas positively say he may not have done so, for in truth the
scent is grown too cold. Even were it the case of one who travelled
openly (and were I able to conduct my questionings in the same
fashion), I must respectfully advise that there would at this lapse
of time be great improbability of a better result. Had his mute man
been still with his Lordship, better hopes of publick memory might be
entertained; but we lack that advantage. Barnstaple and Bideford are
busy towns and much frequented in the more clement season for the
trade in Irish wool and linen, likewise Welsh coals, and no less the
roads to them from Taunton, Tiverton, Exeter and even Bristol.