Northern Stars
Page 7
The track was now sloping steeply upwards, which even in completely dry conditions would have been a hard pull. With water seeping back into the ground after recent rainfall, with poor footwear, and after the previous day’s events, there were many on the march whose hearts began to weaken as they saw the climb that still lay before them. Frank Sykes could not help a look of dismay pass across his face as he looked back down the column to see the gap between marchers widening. He hoped that Jess Midgeley would be able to persuade those at the back not to turn round and walk back into Manchester.
As Ruth, Joshua and Enoch approached Kinder Scout at the head of the column, the peak passed out of view again and they found themselves at the bottom of a steep slope of scree and boulders, stretching hundreds of feet above them.
‘Fancy a run up there?’ said Enoch, leaping ahead with his dog Shep.
Not willing to be outdone, and keen to show that they could manage any moorland track, Ruth and Joshua scrambled ahead of the column with Enoch. Moving quickly from boulder to boulder, they had climbed halfway up to the top before turning round to see the marchers spread out into a line that was longer than ever. About a hundred feet below them, Frank Sykes, still the first of the adults, looked with increasing dismay at the state of his followers. It was now mid-afternoon and the sky was darkening as the storm which Enoch’s father had predicted seemed to be coming closer. He could hardly see the end of the column as it stretched so far back, or make out Jess Midgeley who was supposed to be keeping the marchers together. About five hundred yards away, not yet on the scree, he recognised Marion walking with Jim Knotts in a group of about twenty, but well separated from those in front and behind. Two of their group were carrying the Charter rolled up and strung on a pole between them. Looking up, he saw the three children getting too far ahead – so much so that Enoch’s knowledge of the path might be lost to them.
‘Hey, you three, slow down,’ he called up the scree. But as he looked up, he could see a flash of lightning illuminate the sky. It came again and, looking down, he could see the whole column lit up against the moor. As the lightning flashed, the three children jumped under the nearest boulder and crouched there as the bright fork flashed above Kinder Scout.
‘A’ve never seen owt like this,’ said Enoch. ‘It’s like th’end of t’world.’
‘God should be on our side, not sending us to ’ell,’ said Ruth.
‘Well, ’appen it’ll keep redcoats off t’moor,’ said Joshua, ‘an’ give us a fair run over’t top.’
As he spoke, a great clap of thunder seemed to burst above them and they crawled further under the overhang of the boulder. They heard the first hiss of the rain as it struck the moor about a mile away, and then saw it driving down into the column of marchers as they struggled towards the scree. They watched as some marchers huddled together and then turned round and moved in the opposite direction. They thought they could make out Marion and Jim waving their hands and urging those closest to them to make for the rock and use its shelter. Suddenly they could see Jess Midgeley running towards them. Struggling up the hill, he caught up first with Frank Sykes.
‘This is bad,’ he said. ‘We’ll never keep ’em together in this. ’Alf of those at back ’ave already turned round. They’ve no stomach for Kinder Scout in a storm o’this kind. Where’s Ruth and Joshua then?’
‘Up front under them boulders wi’ young Enoch.’
‘I’m going to them. You do what you can to get rest up to these rocks.’
Joining the children, Jess crouched down with them. ‘All right, you three?’ he managed to ask cheerfully enough.
‘As well as may be in the middle of a storm wi’ only me old blanket for a coat,’ said Ruth. ‘Mam would love to see how well we’re doing.’
Jess smiled wryly and wondered briefly if his wife Ellen was even now looking out on the storm as it hit their cottage in Todmorden. But his mind quickly returned to the need to get the marchers across the moor as soon as possible.
‘’Ow far from ’ere, Enoch lad?’ he said.
‘A good three hours down into Edale, but there’s plenty of shelter when tha’ gets there.’
‘An’ over top: ’ow hard will it be?’
‘Well, there’s a good sheep track, and I can find t’way alreet. But there’s a big drop down t’cliff face on t’south, just about where the stream comes out they call the Spout. An’ then of course there’s Jacob’s Ladder.’
‘Jacob’s Ladder. What’s that?’ said Jess.
‘It’s a right steep path that goes down into Edale,’ said Enoch. ‘I’ve only been down it twice, but each time I fair rolled down.’
‘An’ what kind of shelter would we find there?’ asked Jess.
‘Well, there’s me cousin Nelly what married a Derbyshire man called John Gaunt, and they’ve got a right big barn.’
‘Which like as not will be full of ’ay now,’ muttered Jess.
‘So when this storm’s over, or if it is, we should still be able to get there by nightfall?’
‘Well, me an’ Shep would. Whether yer ’ole lot will, I couldn’t rightly say.’
Looking back down the scree, Jess could see that the line had divided into two clear groups – about two thirds who were reversing their steps, and a third who were moving upwards to the scree. He was relieved to see that the second group included Marion and Jim, and the marchers who were carrying the Charter. Frank Sykes had gone down to meet them, and the whole group was now struggling up the hill in the driving rain.
‘Well, we’ll wait for ’em ’ere and let ’em all shelter till storm’s past,’ said Jess to the children.
Ruth, Joshua and Enoch were now sodden from top to toe and scared stiff of the thunder which continued to roll around the sky, as the rain came down in sheets.
‘Well,’appen me mam wouldn’t be so pleased to see us ’ere now,’ said Ruth, beginning to shiver as the rain reached her skin.
‘Like as not, lass,’ said Jess, beginning to wish he was home with Ellen himself.
Frank Sykes now struggled up the scree with the vanguard of the rest of the marchers; and within a few minutes, Marion and Jim were with them too.
‘Christ Almighty, this is terrible,’ said Marion as she reached the children, water dripping from her hair but a warm smile of relief on her face as she saw Ruth and Joshua with Enoch and Shep, huddled under the rock. ‘Now, you nuisances; make way for me and Jim,’ she cried, as the two of them took up what little remaining space lay under the boulder.
***
Ten minutes later, a crowd of about two hundred marchers – all that was left of the five hundred which had set off that morning – had gathered at the scree and were crouching behind the rocks and boulders which gave them very limited shelter against the rainstorm. The two men carrying the Charter had wrapped it in a heavy blanket to give it whatever protection it could provide against the storm.
Frank Sykes joined Jess Midgeley, crouching close to Ruth and Joshua. ‘This is terrible, Jess,’ he said. ‘We’ve lost more than ’alf ’o t’marchers, and God knows if we can continue over t’top i’this state.’
‘Enoch ‘ere says we can get to Edale where there’s shelter like as not in about three hours if we keep going.’
‘Aye, if’s the word,’ said Frank. ‘O’Connor never reckoned on this. Marchers on t’other route’ll be clear of this like as not, sheltering in some chapel or Sunday School.’
‘’Appen we should be joining ’em,’ said Jess doubtfully. ‘That way, we’d stand a chance of keeping more of our men together.’
Ruth looked at her father in disbelief. She was suddenly afraid that he was contemplating turning round because he was afraid for Joshua and herself. She wouldn’t hear of that.
‘Nay, Dad, we’ve come this far now. Tha’d not wish us back off t’moor?’
‘Well, no lass, tha’s ree
t enough.’
As they spoke, Enoch was pointing out to Joshua a brighter patch of sky on the horizon, where it looked as if it had stopped raining.
‘Dad,’ said Joshua, ‘Look over yonder. ’Appen we’ll all be out o’t rain afore long.’
‘Aye, Dad,’ said Ruth, anxious to press her point. ‘We’ve got to keep going now.’
Even Enoch was concerned that he might not be able to show his skills in navigating the march over the most difficult and dangerous part of Kinder Scout.
‘It’ll be worse for ’em what turned back,’ he said with a face full of gloom. ‘When it rains, them peat bogs’ll drag you down, and there’s more than one shepherd’s boy been lost that way.’
Jess and Frank looked nervously back towards the peat bogs they’d crossed a few hours ago. They could already see, through the rain, a group of marchers struggling through the peat and going ever more slowly. Some were up to their knees in peat, and seemed to be sinking further. Jess and Frank needed no further encouragement to press ahead rather than retreat. They could see that turning back would not lead to regrouping but to a rout. As soon as the bright patch in the sky spread more widely and the rain lightened, they would press ahead up the scree and over the top.
Enoch held Shep close to him. The dog had been badly frightened by the thunder and lightning and began to whimper in his master’s arms. But as the storm subsided, his ears pricked up and, looking up the scree, he could see a flock of a dozen sheep huddled a hundred yards away. He pushed against Enoch’s arms, anxious to be away now; but Enoch held him back, whispering into his ears, ‘Not yet, lad, not yet.’
In another ten minutes the rain had almost stopped; and Frank, standing to his full six feet, shook the rain from his woollen coat and raising his right hand waved to the whole group to carry on with the climb up the scree. Looking down at Enoch, still under the rock, he said, ‘Right, lad; let’s get on wi’it then. Can’st ’a get us into Edale before night?’
‘Aye, and to a right good fire to dry us selves on?’ said Joshua.
Enoch, reverting to his silent self, spoke only to Shep.
‘Right, boy; you’re away now.’
No sooner had he spoke than Shep dashed up the scree and made for the flock of sheep at the top. Enoch watched him go but gave a piercing whistle as he reached the flock. Shep stopped in mid-dash and crouched down again, awaiting his master’s orders. Another shorter piercing whistle followed quickly from Enoch’s pursed lips.
‘He’ll sit still there now,’ said Enoch to Frank and Jess. ‘Tha’d best get lads and,’ as he looked doubtfully at Ruth and Marion, ‘lasses up to ’im.’
The marchers staggered up the scree, shaking water from their rough coats and grasping boulders to give them a hold. Enoch, Ruth and Joshua were up at the front and were the first to arrive where Shep still lay crouching. Looking down, they could see that all those who were still with them were onto the scree. Enoch, impressed by the need now to get into Edale before nightfall, gave another whistle; and he and Shep dashed ahead along a path which Ruth and Joshua could only just make out.
The path lay along the southern edge of Kinder Scout and, as the clouds cleared, the children could see far down over a series of cliffs into a wooded valley below.
‘An’ ’ow far’s that to t’bottom?’ asked Ruth as she looked down.
‘Me dad says tha’ could ’appen fall ’alf a mile and never a stop’ said Enoch.
Joshua, casting another glance over the cliffs, fell behind Ruth into single file.
The rest of the marchers were now reaching the top of the scree. None of the Todmorden group had turned back, and they had stayed within range of each other. Eric Naylor, still with a grin on his face, and Judd Ackroyd, using his great hammer to support him through the scree, arrived at the top together. Ralph Murphy was about fifty yards behind them, but proved surprisingly agile, barely using his twisted walking stick. The two Oldham marchers carrying the Charter were not far from him, and Frank Sykes and Jess were still at the top of the scree, directing marchers down the path which Marion and Jim had already followed, just making out the figures of the children and Shep as they led the way along the path.
As he came to the top of the scree, Ralph Murphy came up to Frank and Jess and pointed back to the peat bogs where those who had turned back could be seen staggering through the morass.
‘So what made tha’ send ’em back then? Can’t you see how they’re struggling?’ he said.
‘Sent ’em back!’ said Frank. ‘We’ve no more sent ’em back than that damned Napier sent us ’ere. They couldn’t face moors i’ this storm and that’s all there is to it.’
‘Ah, so it’ll not be on your ’ead then,’ said Ralph, almost to himself, joining the other marchers as they moved forward.
Enoch and Shep led the way along the path that continued to follow the side of the cliff. Sometimes it was just above the rocks, sometimes it led through the rocks in the upper part of the cliff. To their left, the great mass of the peak of Kinder Scout continued to be surrounded by swirling mist. To their right, they looked down from an enormous height into the wooded valleys which lay to the south. But the path was narrow and, in many parts, difficult to see, and even Enoch had to watch it carefully to make sure that he did not stumble. Ruth and Joshua were nimble enough in following his footsteps but realised that a false step could easily give them a sprained ankle or a broken leg. Many of the older marchers, townsfolk for all or most of their lives, were clearly terrified and moved so slowly that the foremost only just kept the three children and Shep in view.
After leading the way along the path for about half an hour, the children came to an area of barren rocks where the moor edge turned a corner and ran southwards. The rocks appeared to be about a hundred yards across; but as they walked over them, they could see a rushing torrent running through the centre, sweeping towards the cliff face. The stream was about four feet across and with no sign of rocks to act as stepping stones.
‘’Ow do we get across this then, Enoch?’ said Ruth.
‘’A’ve never seen it this ’igh,’ said Enoch. ‘It’s what they call Kinder Downfall, and it’s generally nobbut a beck, ’appen ’alf as wide as this. Tha’ can span it in a stride.’
‘An’ where would tha’ cross when it’s low ?’ asked Joshua.
‘Somewhere there, by yon big rock. But I’d best try it wi’ me stick first.’
Enoch went forward with the other two to the side of the stream and gingerly poked into the water with his stick to find its depth. It went down about two feet and seemed to find the bottom.
‘Well, that’s not bad,’ said Enoch. ‘We can tak a risk wi’ that.’
‘What about Shep?’ said Ruth, looking concerned as the dog stood with his ears pricked upwards, now barking at the flood.
‘We’ll be all right, boy, won’t we?’ said Enoch, picking up Shep in his arms and putting his right foot carefully into the water. In spite of his rough clothes, Enoch had a good pair of farm boots on, and they found the bottom of the clough easily, though the water was up above his knees. Wading through, with Shep in his arms, he was over safely enough.
‘Now then,’ he said, ‘let’s ’ave you two safely over, and then we can worry about t’rest,’ who were now appearing at the beginning of the expanse of rocks which stretched away from the stream bed. Marion and Jim were at the front.
Ruth, holding Joshua’s hand, lowered herself into the water and found it up to her knees immediately. It was cold and came straight into her clogs, so that her feet, already very damp, were completely sodden. Enoch was standing on the far side with an outstretched hand, and Shep was barking his encouragement, but Ruth felt that she was unstable. For a moment, she thought of going back, but knew that sooner or later she would have to cross.
‘I’ll be alreet,’ she said to Joshua. ‘Let go of me ’and.’
The first thing she saw and heard was Shep barking in desperation at her disappearance. Enoch was there too, shouting at her to reach out to him. Joshua, on the other side of the bank, was calling her to come back to his side. Further back, Marion was running over the rocks with Jim, shouting, ‘Ruth, Ruth; get up, lass.’ As Jim reached the bank of the stream, he pushed Joshua aside and let himself down quickly, pulling Ruth towards him. Picking her up, he placed her across his body and carried her in his two arms back to the bank.
Marion was deeply worried but calm enough. She knew Ruth was a strong girl who could survive a ducking. But she had little idea how much further they would be walking that day or how Ruth would survive clothes which were wet through in storm conditions. Ruth was shocked and frightened but managed a grateful smile to Jim and Marion. Looking down, she realised that only the clog on her left foot had survived the ducking.
‘But Marion, I’ll never be able to walk wi’out me clog,’ said Ruth.
‘Well, I’ll say that’s true enough,’ said Marion, looking mournfully at Jim, who knew she was challenging him to grope in the stream for the missing clog.
Jim looked at Ruth and at the stream, and back to Marion. Just as he decided to wade in, Shep’s bark caught everyone’s attention. Fifty yards down stream, where it began to rush over the edge of the cliff, Shep was barking at the clog as it hurtled towards the waterfall. As his bark resounded across the rocks, Enoch realised that he was about to jump in and ran a high risk of being carried down the waterfall, a drop of several hundred feet. But just as he whistled to Shep to ‘Sit!’, the dog leapt into the stream and disappeared into its rushing, white-capped waves. Enoch, calling Joshua to follow him, sprinted to the spot from which Shep had leapt, to find him swimming against the current with the clog held between his teeth. As the swollen water teemed around him, Shep desperately paddled as fast as he could, never letting go of the clog, but being swept bit by bit towards the fall.