Chapter four. A gross example of theft.
Gideon came over from Home farm at lunchtime, he and Nick had been counting out sheep and injecting them at the same time, or maybe it was the other way around but still they had bad news.
" Father we've lost five sheep and Hereford one of our Rams."
'Lost?'
"Gone." This from my brother Eustace who had been helping much to my amazement. Eustace only helped himself most of the time, still four sheep and a crusty old ram was a bit much for him to steal.
"Robin is up there on the pens looking for evidence, but you and I could guess who it might be."
'You mean the Anderton twins from Swain-cote?'
"Yep those reprobates Tom Anderton and his elder brother Will, we had trouble with them last summer."
'Yes Nick, I do remember, they fired up one of Robin's haystacks made a God awful mess of the trailer you boys left by it. Johnson saw them running towards the main road but his evidence was not given any credence since he was involved in that fight with them on festival night. Case closed, lets hope Robin finds something, if its foot prints tell him to cover them then ring the police and get them over there.' Eustace and my son went back out presumably to join Robin in his search. I had an idea and called for my Tom, the ever faithful Tom, and asked him to take a trip down to the local pub in the village then go on the the Smelly Boots pub in Swain-cote and have a quite word with both landlords. A big hefty ram is quite a hard animal to hide.
I waited until Robroy came home from his Grammar school, he being later than the others who still attended the our village school, then I called him into the study and told him the latest events.
"Presumably you have called the police?"
'Indeed your Uncles have done that already, I presume you might make a nuisance of yourself and go up there.' I had know sooner said this and the young scoundrel dashed out dropped his school bag in the hall and was out down the steps heading for the stables. Shortly after, Robroy clinging to Lords reins galloped past the house bareback. I called Finlay to ring my son to tell him his son was on the way and to be prepared for the arrival of a whirlwind.
Apparently when he got past the Home farm and up to the top field he was shoved away so he took Lord through the lane gate and down to where the rams were kept in a little field of their own. Later he recounted his adventure over dinner much to my and Dulcie's amusement and no doubt to impress his cousins with Fig being totally mesmerised. So here below is what that scoundrel grandchild of mine discovered.
Having parked Lord by his reins by the posts up the lane he quietly scoured the sides for any tyre tracks and eventually found some. They weren't ours as we rarely used the lane except when the time came to release the rams to the sheep. Then he clambered under the wire into the pen and gently stepped closer to the rams gate where he spotted boot prints. Stepping back he reversed and climbed back under the fence and raced for Lord releasing the reins and scrambling up via a convenient post onto Lords broad back and then galloping back to the adults in the sheep field. Well you have guessed the rest and indeed the policemen followed him back and took plaster prints of what he had found.
Some days days later my Tom received a message that the Swain-cote pub was to hold a meat raffle on the Saturday so naturally we wondered what animal it might be. Then I had an idea and decided to rope Robroy into it.
'You know Mr. Johnson had an affray with those Anderton rascals and I wondered if he wanted to get his own back on them?'
"Totally illegal Grand papa, best leave it to the authorities." said he.
'Fine and what do they care about a few stolen sheep and our best ram.'
"What best ram?" asked he.
'Hereford'.
"Hereford our finest!"
'Indeed, and what if he was the prize in the meat raffle.' A look of concern crossed his face and he nodded, the brilliance of the Grandfather grandson team were united.
"First we find out what the meat is, we ask Mr Johnson to make enquires. Then we ascertain whose tracks and boots were by the pen, our Sergeant might help. Thirdly we ask him how far the investigation has gone." Robroy all official now.
'And if the investigation has stalled?'
"We ask Mr Johnson and our estate workers to carry out on their own, and we don't know for certain that the Andeton's are guilty so we must be sure of the thieves. Isn't there a phase that to catch a thief you use another thief?"
'Fine Robroy then lets say the Anderton's are the thieves and if Johnson finds different, we ask Tom and Will Anderton to find the real thief.'
"Thieves."
'Pardon.'
"It took more than one to handle Hereford, you know how Bolshie he can become with those massive horns."
So I called Johnson in and asked him to make enquiries amongst his friends and any associates he had in that Smelly Boots pub. And sure enough he found out that the pub indeed had two sides of mutton to raffle, apparently they were coming from the abattoir in town. My Tom took the car with my son Nick and went down to the abattoir and found our poor Hereford all alone and not in a particularly pleasant mood so they rang Gideon to come down with our local Sergeant and horse trailer and if possible photo's of the suspects. But at first the abattoir management refused all cooperation until the sergeant pointed out the receiving of stolen goods was an offence, plus the Duke was keen to seek legal damages. Then the photo's were shown and the Manager shook his head.
"Twern't them, much older, drooping beard smelt like horse and other two same age dark hair same smell, to be honest looked like gypsies, not local though."
"How would you know that?" Gideon who had just finished loading Hereford in the trailer.
"I'm Romany myself, we be like tribes, now I want you blokes to sign a receipt. And no I can't help you with t'other blokes I don't get involved."
With that and still five sheep missing Gideon returned to the police station where the sergeant reported the abattoir visit. The investigators had no idea who the thieves were so it lay to Robroy and I to carry out plan B. Johnson was called into the Castle again much to Nicks annoyance who had a schedule of work for him to do. I asked Johnson to speak to the Anderton boys to see if they could help and we would forget the haystack incident. He agreed but said it might be best for me to request their help. So two days later two scruffy individuals climbed those darn steps and were shown into my study. I stood to be as imposing as possible but both looked scared so I sat down and motioned them into their chairs, Then just as I was about to start in rushed Robroy, sat himself down beside me and commenced describing the turn of events that led them to be called in to help me. Basically he asked these artful dodgers to help locate the gypsy thieves but only find them and our estate workers would do the rest with the support of our local sergeant.
"Never worked with a copper before." said Tom the younger.
"Would be quite out of character for us to become involved." said Will.
'Then alas we will have a witch burning ceremony, now that you are here.' said I with a smile. Both got the message, surprising intelligence for two louts. Then they left rather quickly I felt and two steaming cups of tea not drunk which Maise had bought in, so Robroy and I pulled them across the desktop and added sugar.
A day later Finlay received a telephone call from the two reprobates asking to see me in the afternoon. Finlay came into the sitting room where I was ensconced in my favourite chair by the bay window. He gave me the message and I asked my son Nicholas to attend me when they came. I wondered all though lunch what they might require and was fully prepared to part with a little cash if required. But when they strode up those beastly stairs and were ushered into my study imagine my surprise when they asked to speak to Nick and not me.
'Do you want me to go?' I asked politely.
"No please your Grace, please stay we merely want to ask your son if he could spare Mr. Johnson and a few others tomorrow early." I looked at Nick hopeful that he would carry this conversation forward.
"Why?" Nick in response.
"We have located the sheep in question at least four of them marked in blue over their heads."
"Yes we marked them thus after the injection, but their were five lost."
"Indeed but we think the travellers have already disposed of the filth, there was a strong smell of mutton in the air when we came across them."
"How many men do you require?"
"Seven including your honour and big Tom and someone used to the sheep, to coral them, and we will need the trailer to carry them away."
'So what punishment do we give to these thieves.'
"That depends on what weapons your men have."
'This is not Wind in the Willows, you can get arrested for that.'
"Bring a tape recorder as well."
'Why my Tom?'
"Knowing their ways the leader will opt to fit one of ours, its their tradition, we keep big Tom out of sight until the fight and meanwhile record all the voices."
And so it was at eleven at night seven trusty stalwart men assembled on the steps together with the two crafty loafers climbed aboard the tractors trailer. Then I spotted the figure of Robroy being hauled up with a portable tape recorder grasped in his hands. Then Tom arrived, but before I could shout to Nicholas the tractor had moved away. So I returned to my padded seat at the bay window to watch and wait. It was over two hours when eventually the tractor returned lugging the sheep trailer and cart behind it but all I could see was Gideon Nick and Robroy plus the two Anderton crooks. Robroy jumped down and the others started off towards Home farm. Robroy had spotted me in the window and came directly inside.
'Well?'
"All accomplished Grand papa."
'And where is my Tom?'
"In the Smelly Boots pub celebrating."
'Celebrating what and with whom?'
"Our lot, it was a successful Grand papa, you never told me Tom was county Champion."
'Well how else am I to get to my feet when I fall over, your Grand-mama's not a bit of good in the lifting department. Anyhow I saw the sheep, your Father and uncle Gideon but also those two scoundrels going up to the farm.'
"I'm off to bed now, goodnight grand papa."
'No you don't, tell me, I feel it in my bones.'
"The Anderton's said the gypsies would come again for revenge a sort of tit for tat so they have volunteered their services."
'Yes, let me guess they'll both want a job after this.'
"Could be useful, they seem to know every crook in the county, might be very useful. Goodnight."
So I to went to bed climbing up those cold stone steps grumbling to myself about the nights foray. But in the morning, a Saturday, in ran both Fig and Robroy jumping on my bed, their faces flushed with excitement.
"We beat them, Will and Tom smashed them all up with our cricket bats we lent them and we hear the enemy have pulled up stumps and left."
'Well tell me how many turned up?'
"Two." said Fig.
"But Father has offered the Anderton's a job to help on the farm." Robroy with new heroes to worship.
'Oh well', what more could I say imprisoned under my sheets by two hefty lads..