Many's the
ash stick he has broken on my body; sometimes the weals
remained on me for a-week; he cut my eyelid open once with a
nutstick; cut a regular hole in it, and it bled all over the
files I was working at. He has pulled my ears sometimes that
I thought they must come off in his hand. But all this was a
mere nothin to this here cut; that was serous; and if I hadn't
got thro' that they do say there must have been a crowner's
quest; though I think that gammon, tor old Tugsford did for
one of his prentices, and the body was never found. And now
you ask me if I know Hatton? I should think I did!" And the
lank, haggard youth laughed merrily, as if he had been
recounting a series of the happiest adventures.
"But is there no redress for such iniquitous oppression," said
Morley, who had listened with astonishment to this complacent
statement. "Is there no magistrate to apply to?"
"No no," said the filer with an air of obvious pride, "we
don't have no magistrates at Wodgate. We've got a constable,
and there was a prentice who coz his master laid it on, only
with a seat rod, went over to Ramborough and got a warrant.
He fetched the summons himself and giv it to the constable,
but he never served it.
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