The Lost Years Read Free Page A

asked Perys. ‘What’s the matter?’
    ‘The road’s blocked. There’s a boy out there. He seems very excited about something. Stay where you are, I’ll try to find out what’s happening.’
    The door opened suddenly and a very wet Martin leaned inside the carriage. ‘There’s been a landslip, Master Perys. Young Wesley Dunn and his father, Henry, were on their way from Mevagissey to Saint Austell with a handcart loaded with fish to put on the London train. The landslip caught them and it’s carried the cart and Henry off the road and down the slope towards the river. He’s down there somewhere, buried with cart and fish beneath tons of earth.’
    Behind him, the tearful boy called, ‘Please! Do something. Pa’s down there . . .’
    When Perys jumped to the ground from the carriage he was able to see more clearly the trail of devastation left by the landslide. It had swept from the wooded ground rising high above one side of the road, and down a steep incline on the other, carrying trees, rocks and earth with it. Dangerously close to the river at the bottom of the slope the wheel of a cart protruded at an angle from a great heap of mud and debris.
    ‘Let’s get down there,’ Perys said to Martin. Without waiting for a reply he began scrambling and sliding down the landslide into the field.
    It was impossible to maintain a footing on the rain-sodden earth, and Perys came dangerously close to careering on, into the river. He stopped himself only by grabbing at the exposed portion of the wheel. Of Henry Dunn there was no sign.
    ‘Help me dig away the earth around the cart,’ Perys said, when Martin joined him, somewhat more cautiously, ‘but be careful, there are some large boulders here and the whole lot seems very unstable.’
    He and Martin began digging away with their bare hands, joined a few moments later by Annie and the boy.
    Perys suggested Annie should return to the carriage, but she declared she had no intention of sitting doing nothing while they dug for the missing fisherman. He did not argue with her.
    Soon the rescue party was joined by a couple of men who had been walking on the road. The rain had eased considerably now, but everyone involved was soaked through and plastered in sticky, cloying earth.
    Suddenly, Annie shouted to the others. Digging at the front of the cart she had uncovered an arm - and it moved!
    The handcart had landed on one of the large rocks when it came to rest, trapping the upper part of the man’s body in the space between cart and ground, his legs pinned down by earth and smaller rocks.
    Within fifteen minutes of her discovery they were pulling the fisherman clear. He appeared to have a badly broken leg and was in great pain - but he was alive. His young son, Wesley, was weeping, relief mixed with anguish. He had been convinced his father must have died in the landslide.
    ‘What do we do with him now?’
    The question was put by Martin when the rescue party reached the carriage with their burden.
    ‘We take him to the nearest hospital,’ Perys said. ‘Is there one in Saint Austell?’
    The coachman nodded.
    ‘Then what are we waiting for? Turn the carriage around and we’ll be on our way.’

CHAPTER 3
    The carriage carrying Perys Tremayne to Heligan arrived at the great house more than three hours later than expected - and Edward Tremayne was furious!
    A petulant young man of perhaps twenty-three years of age, he made no attempt to welcome Perys. Instead, he directed a tirade of near- hysterical invective at the unfortunate coachman.
    ‘Where the devil have you been? I was due at Caerhays more than two hours ago to partner Sir Philip Carminow at bridge. They’ll not be able to play without me. You’ll have ruined the whole evening for everyone. I’ve a damned good mind to dismiss you on the spot.’
    ‘That’s hardly fair!’ Perys stepped down from the carriage and confronted the second cousin he had never met before today. ‘It’s not Martin’s fault