CHAPTER XXVIII 



WHEN THE HEART WAS YOUNG 



A Joyous Memory The Offensire Gates Between Coxwold and 

 Thirsk Methods of destroying them Failures An Explosive 

 Scheme An Embryo Parson assists Midnight Descent from 

 Window York Minster Bell-rope Ignorance of Blasting 

 Another Failure Learning how to blast Getting there at last 

 Charging the Gate-posts The Fizzing Fuse Glorious Success 

 Again, and yet again Shattered Ruins Safe Return Never 

 discovered 



THIS book must now be advancing toward a 

 conclusion, and I feel impelled to draw on my 

 most youthful memories and describe one whidi 

 will ever remain as a joy to me. That is the destruction 

 of the gates on the road between Coxwold and Thirsk. 

 I used to live at Coxwold Vicarage in those old days, 

 and it chanced that between Coxwold and Thirsk, a 

 distance of nine miles, the road was a very fair one, but 

 for three obstacles, and thereby hangs the present tale. 



The obstacles were in fact three gates, which by some 

 mysterious ancient right, whereof the memory of man 

 knew not the contrary, a certain Mr Peckitt, whom I 

 well knew, was entitled to keep. His son, Leonard 

 Peckitt, owned Catalogue, on whom Martin Gurry won 

 a race at Thirsk. Mr Peckitt was entitled, as it seemed, 

 to bar the passage of all mankind along this road unless 

 such mankind got down from his conveyance, of what- 

 ever sort, and opened them. 



Absolutely purposeless were these gates. It is true, 



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