As the boys unloaded the contents of the trailer onto the muck heap, they were interrupted by the arrival of a large grey Ford Zodiac saloon car as it swept past them into the yard. At the wheel was a younger man, in suit and tie who they had never seen before, but sitting alongside him was the old man who had donated Cyril the Shetland. Thinking that the younger man was obviously his son, Steve and Ron moved towards the car, and Steve opened the passenger door so the old man could alight.
“Hello, come to see Cyril?” Steve enquired. “He’s doing really well, settled in a treat…”
“Are you the manager?” the younger man barked at him.
“No, just one of the hands. Why?”
“Never mind the questions.” came the sharp reply “Just tell me where I can find the manager.”
Dora had been attracted by the arrival of the car, and crossing the yard quietly she was almost behind the younger man..
“Actually” she started “I’m the manager of this establishment.”
The man spun round on his heels as Dora held out her hand in away that had the man confused, for a second he wasn’t sure if he should shake it, or get down on one knee and kiss it.
“Maddocks.” She started. “Miss Dora Maddocks, what can I do for you?”
Dora’s inflection and obvious breeding immediately told the man that he was not dealing with a foolish, horse crazy teenager.
“Well Miss Maddocks, my name is Oliver Henderson, and I represent the National Coal Board… I’m here to find some of the Board’s property that’s gone missing. Namely pony number three five seven one nine, a black Shetland that answers to the pet name of Cyril.”
“Oh.” said Dora, now somewhat crestfallen. “When we took him in we had no idea that he didn’t belong to this gentleman…” she indicated the old man who had originally brought Cyril to Follyfoot.
“I’m sorry Miss.” started the old man “But t’truth o matter is that t’ponies are being got rid of, and I couldn’t bear to part wi’ Cyril. You see he an’ I ave been in’t pit together since he were mere slip of a lad… “
Dora knew she should have been angry with the man for deceiving her in this way, but part of her understood. What if it had been Cobbler’s Dream, would she have hidden him in an effort to keep him from being taken away…
The old man was keen to continue and to justify his actions in removing the pony, but Henderson motioned him to be quiet.
“Now if we may Miss Maddocks, I would like to go and see three five seven one nine, to make sure he is still in good order, and make arrangements to have him returned.”
The old man fell silent, it was obvious that this whole matter was rapidly becoming more than he could bear.
“Well. I’m sure that Cyril would be more than pleased to see his friend again.” Dora lifted the rather somber mood that had fallen. “After all, if they spent all that time underground together, I’m sure they both have many tales to tell…”
Henderson clearly wasn’t taking the hint, and remained quite quiet during the walk up to High Oak. As they walked Dora continued to talk to Henderson, giving him the background to all the horses that they passed and she was most relieved when, without exception, all of the horses came to their respective fences as the party passed.
As they reached High Oak Cyril and the other ponies came to greet them too. Dora noticed a small tear start to run down the old man’s cheek as he started to stroke Cyril over the fence.
“Well, here we are.” She said brightly. “As you can see, Cyril, sorry three five seven one nine, is in the best of health. But frankly, it is going to be rather a wrench for him to go back to a life underground now.”
“Well.” Henderson admitted. “I don’t really know that much about horses, but he does seem to be in as good a state now, as he was when he was stolen…” The word stolen seemed to stab Dora straight in the heart.
“Well I think stolen is a little harsh Mr. Henderson.” She countered. “More like to trying to save the life of an old and dear friend.”
“No perhaps you are right Miss Maddocks, but three five seven one nine is still the property of the National Coal Board, and as such has to be accounted for… We simply can’t have employees walking out the pit gate with Coal Board property hidden under their coats.”
Dora suppressed a giggle, the idea of the old man smuggling a chubby Shetland through the gates of the local pit rather tickled her….
“I’m glad you think it so funny Miss Maddocks...” Henderson started, trying to sound stern, but by now his mind’s eye was starting to see a secreted Shetland’s head poking out over the top button of a miner’s raincoat. It wasn’t long before the two of them were grinning like Cheshire Cats, each trying to outdo the other with ridiculous visions of undercover Shetland ponies.
While she was on the winning side she invited Henderson and the old man back to the farmhouse kitchen, where the three of them sat and supped a mug of Slugger’s infamous tea, while Slugger hovered behind them like a maid in not so fancy dress..
“Now Miss Maddocks” Henderson started between mouthfuls of the huge slice of homemade cake that Slugger had passed round. “The thing is that the local pit, plus the one at Brackenthorp are having to be dug deeper in order to extract the last of the coal reserves.”
Dora nodded.
“This means that the increased length of the galleries will exclude the use of existing underground transport facilities…”
By now Dora looked at a loss.
“What ‘e means miss, is that coal face will be too far for’t ponies t’pull coal tubs back t’liftshaft… It’ll need machines like….”
Dora’s face brightened immediately. “Ah, I see, and that’s why you wanted somewhere to hide Cyril, so that when the ponies were redundant he wouldn’t be taken away…”
“That’s it exactly miss, all t’miners love t’ponies… and think that luck’ll leave t’pit when they go like….”
Dora tried hard to visualise the common struggle of both the men and the ponies that worked together underground, sharing the dangers of working deep in the earth. She suddenly thought too, that despite all the wise words she’d read about the proper care of horses, the most important thing was not endless green grass... it was love, pure and simple. In a heartbeat everything became clear, things she had never even thought of before… Rag and Bone men’s horses kept in dingy yards in city backstreets, horses that had pulled heavy carts, shunted railway wagons and towed canal barges along those narrow towpaths... None of those were ideal conditions… but once again the horses thrived, and the horsemen gave the one thing that cost nothing, affection and a kind word. Man and Horse united against a common enemy…life.
She was brought back to reality when Mr. Oliver Henderson put forward a suggestion that would change Follyfoot forever.
“The thing is Miss Maddocks; we at the Coal Board are not insensitive to the problems that will be faced by both our miners, and the ponies who have grown up working alongside them, but like all industries we must move on. This leaves me with the problem of what to do with the redundant ponies… Could you take forty?”