the life of thomas telford-第19节

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strong　and　healthy；　and　longed　to　join　in　the　sports　of　boys　of　his

age。　　He　went　bird…nesting　with　them；　and　climbed　the　trees　while

the　boys　below　directed　him　to　the　nests；　receiving　his　share　of

eggs　and　young　birds。　　Thus　he　shortly　became　an　expert　climber；

and　could　mount　with　ease　any　tree　that　he　was　able　to　grasp。

He　rambled　into　the　lanes　and　fields　alone；　and　soon　knew　every　foot

of　the　ground　for　miles　round　Knaresborough。　　He　next　learnt　to

ride；　delighting　above　　all　things　in　a　gallop。　　He　contrived　to

keep　a　dog　and　coursed　hares：　indeed；　the　boy　was　the　marvel　of　the

neighbourhood。　　His　unrestrainable　activity；　his　acuteness　of　sense；

his　shrewdness；　and　his　cleverness；　astonished　everybody。



The　boy's　confidence　in　himself　was　such；　that　though　blind；　he　was

ready　to　undertake　almost　any　adventure。　　Among　his　other　arts　he

learned　to　swim　in　the　Nidd；　and　became　so　expert　that　on　one

occasion　he　saved　the　lives　of　three　of　his　companions。　　Once；　when

two　men　were　drowned　in　a　deep　part　of　the　river；　Metcalf　was　sent

for　to　dive　for　them；　which　he　did；　and　brought　up　one　of　the

bodies　at　the　fourth　diving：　the　other　had　been　carried　down　the

stream。　　He　thus　also　saved　a　manufacturer's　yarn；　a　large　quantity

of　which　had　been　carried　by　a　sudden　flood　into　a　deep　hole　under

the　High　Bridge。　　At　home；　in　the　evenings；　he　learnt　to　play　the

fiddle；　and　became　so　skilled　on　the　instrument；　that　he　was　shortly

able　to　earn　money　by　playing　dance　music　at　country　parties。

At　Christmas　time　he　played　waits；　and　during　the　Harrogate　season

he　played　to　the　assemblies　at　the　Queen's　Head　and　the　Green　Dragon。



On　one　occasion；　towards　dusk；　he　acted　as　guide　to　a　belated

gentleman　along　the　difficult　road　from　York　to　Harrogate。

The　road　was　then　full　of　windings　and　turnings；　and　in　many　places

it　was　no　better　than　a　track　across　unenclosed　moors。　　Metcalf

brought　the　gentleman　safe　to　his　inn；　〃The　Granby；〃　late　at　night；

and　was　invited　to　join　in　a　tankard　of　negus。　　On　Metcalf　leaving

the　room；　the　gentleman　observed　to　the　landlord〃I　think；

landlord；　my　guide　must　have　drunk　a　great　deal　of　spirits　since　we

came　here。〃　　〃Why　so；　Sir？〃　　〃Well；　I　judge　so；　from　the　appearance

of　his　eyes。〃　　〃Eyes！　bless　you；　Sir；〃　rejoined　the　landlord；　〃don't

yon　know　that　he　is　blind？〃　　〃Blind！　　What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃

〃I　mean；　Sir；　that　he　cannot　seehe　is　as　blind　as　a　stone。

〃Well；　landlord；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃this　is　really　too　much：

call　him　in。〃　　Enter　Metcalf。　　〃My　friend；　are　you　really　blind？〃

〃Yes；　Sir；〃　said　he；　〃I　lost　my　sight　when　six　years　old。〃　　〃Had　I

known　that；　I　would　not　have　ventured　with　you　on　that　road　from

York　for　a　hundred　pounds。〃　　〃And　I；　Sir；〃　said　Metcalf；　〃would　not

have　lost　my　way　for　a　thousand。〃



Metcalf　having　thriven　and　saved　money；　bought　and　rode　a　horse　of

his　own。　　He　had　a　great　affection　for　the　animal；　and　when　he

called；　it　would　immediately　answer　him　by　neighing。　　The　most

surprising　thing　is　that　he　was　a　good　huntsman；　and　to　follow　the

hounds　was　one　of　his　greatest　pleasures。　　He　was　as　bold　as　a

rider　as　ever　took　the　field。　　He　trusted　much；　no　doubt；　to　the

sagacity　of　his　horse；　but　he　himself　was　apparently　regardless　of

danger。　　The　hunting　adventures　which　are　related　of　him；

considering　his　blindness；　seem　altogether　marvellous。　　He　would

also　run　his　horse　for　the　petty　prizes　or　plates　given　at　the

〃feasts〃　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　he　attended　the　races　at　York

and　other　places；　where　he　made　bets　with　considerable　skill；

keeping　well　in　his　memory　the　winning　and　losing　horses。

After　the　races；　he　would　　return　to　Knaresborough　late　at　night；

guiding　others　who　but　for　him　could　never　have　made　out　the　way。



On　one　occasion　he　rode　his　horse　in　a　match　in　Knaresborough

Forest。　　The　ground　was　marked　out　by　posts；　including　a　circle　of

a　mile；　and　the　race　was　three　times　round。　　Great　odds　were　laid

against　the　blind　man；　because　of　his　supposed　inability　to　keep

the　course。　　But　his　ingenuity　was　never　at　fault。　　He　procured　a

number　of　dinner…bells　from　the　Harrogate　inns　and　set　men　to　ring

them　at　the　several　posts。　　Their　sound　was　enough　to　direct　him

during　the　race；　and　the　blind　man　came　in　the　winner！　After　the

race　was　over；　a　gentleman　who　owned　a　notorious　runaway　horse　came

up　and　offered　to　lay　a　bet　with　Metcalf　that　he　could　not　gallop

the　horse　fifty　yards　and　stop　it　within　two　hundred。　　Metcalf

accepted　the　bet；　with　the　condition　that　he　might　choose　his

ground。　　This　was　agreed　to；　but　there　was　to　be　neither　hedge　nor

wall　in　the　distance。　　Metcalf　forthwith　proceeded　to　the

neighbourhood　of　the　large　bog　near　the　Harrogate　Old　Spa；　and

having　placed　a　person　on　the　line　in　which　he　proposed　to　ride；

who　was　to　sing　a　song　to　guide　him　by　its　sound；　he　mounted　and

rode　straight　into　the　bog；　where　he　had　the　horse　effectually

stopped　within　the　stipulated　two　hundred　yards；　stuck　up　to　his

saddle…girths　in　the　mire。　　Metcalf　scrambled　out　and　claimed　his

wager；　but　it　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　the　horse　could

be　extricated。



The　blind　man　also　played　at　bowls　very　successfully；　receiving　the

odds　of　a　bowl　extra　for　the　deficiency　of　each　eye。　　He　had　thus

three　bowls　for　the　other's　one；　and　he　took　care　to　place　one

friend　at　the　jack　and　another　midway；　who；　keeping　up　a　constant

discourse　with　him；　enabled　him　readily　to　judge　of　the　distance。

In　athletic　sports；　such　as　wrestling　and　boxing；　he　was　also　a

great　adept；　and　being　now　a　full…grown　man；　of　great　strength　and

robustness；　about　six　feet　two　in　height；　few　durst　try　upon　him

the　practical　jokes　which　cowardly　persons　are　sometimes　disposed

to　play　upon　the　blind。



Notwithstanding　his　mischievous　tricks　and　youthful　wildness；　there

must　have　been　something　exceedingly　winning　about　the　man；

possessed；　as　he　was；　of　a　strong；　manly；　and　affectionate　nature；

and　we　are　not；　therefore；　surprised　to　learn　that　the　land　lord's

daughter　of　〃The　Granby〃　fairly　fell　in　love　with　Blind　Jack　and

married　him；　much　to　the　disgust　of　her　relatives。　　When　asked　how

it　was　that　she　could　marry　such　a　man；　her　woman…like　reply　was；

〃Because　I　could　not　be　happy　without　him：　his　actions　are　so

singular；　and　his　spirit　so　manly　and　enterprising；　that　I　could

not　help　loving　him。〃　　But；　after　all；　Dolly　was　not　so　far　wrong　in

the　choice　as　her　parents　thought　her。　　As　the　result　proved；

Metcalf　had　in　him　elements　of　success　in　life；　which；　even　according

to　the　world's　estimate；　made　him　eventually　a　very　〃good　match；〃

and　the　woman's　clear　sight　in　this　case　stood　her　in　good　stead。



But　before　this　marriage　was　consummated；　Metcalf　had　wandered　far

and　〃seen〃　a　good　deal　of　the　world；　as　he　termed　it。　　He　travelled

on　horseback　to　Whitby；　and　from　thence　he　sailed　for　London；

taking　with　him　his　fiddle；　by　the　aid　of　which　he　continued　to

earn　enough　to　maintain　himself　for　several　weeks　in　the

metropolis。　　Returning　to　Whitby；　He　sailed　from　thence　to

Newcastle　to　〃see〃　some　friends　there；　whom　he　had　known　at

Harrogate　while　visiting　that　watering…place。　　He　was　welcomed　by

many　families　and　spent　an　agreeable　month；　afterwards　visiting

Sunderland；　still　supporting　himself　by　his　violin　playing。

Then　he　returned　to　Whitby　for　his　horse；　and　rode　homeward　alone　to

Knaresborough　by　Pickering；　Malton；　and　York；　over　very　bad　roads；

the　greater　part　of　which　he　had　never　travelled　before；　yet

without　once　missing　his　way。　　When　he　arrived　at　York；　it　was　the

dead　of　night；　and　he　found　the　city　gates　at　Middlethorp　shut。

They　were　of　strong　planks；　with　iron　spikes　fixed　on　the　top；　but

throwing　his　horse's　bridle…rein　over　one　of　the　spikes；　he　climbed

up；　and　by　the　help　of　a　corner　of　the　wall　that　joined　the　gates；

he　got　safely　over：　then　opening；　them　from　the　inside；　he　led　his

horse　through。



After　another　season　at　Harrogate；　he　made　a　second　visit　to

London；　in　the　company　of　a　North　countryman　who　played　the　small

pipes。　　He　was　kindly　entertained　by　Colonel　Liddell；　of　Ravensworth

Castle；　who　gave　him　a　general　invitation　to　his　house。　　During

this　visit　which　was　in　1730…1；　Metcalf　ranged　freely　over　the

metropolis；　visiting　Maidenhead　and　Reading；　and　returning　by

Windsor　and　Hampton　Court。　　The　Harrogate　season　being　at　hand；

he　prepared　to　proceed　thither；Colonel　Liddell；　who　was　also　about

setting　out　for　Harrogate；　offering　him　a　seat　behind　his　coach。

Metcalf　thanked　him；　but　declined　the　offer；　observing　that　he

could；　with　great　ease；　walk　as；　far　in　a　day　as　he；　the　Colonel；

was　likely　to　travel　in　his　carriage；　besides；　he　preferred　the

walking。　　That　a　blind　man　should　undertake　to　walk　a　distance　of

two　hundred　miles　over　an　unknown　road；　in　the　same　time　that　it

took　a　gentleman　to　perform　the　same　distance　in　his　coach；　dragged