Collectanea. 8 1
came up to the door a little dog run out barking. Then there came out a little, little old 'ooman. ' Don't you be afraid o' the dog,' says she ; ' I know what you's come about. 'Twas your own niece as took the watch. You go back 'ome an' look under the stone next the pump in your scullery, an' there you'll find it,' says she. ' An' will you have 'er that took it punished ? ' said she. But the 'ooman thanked her, and said so long as she got the watch back, she didn't care to punish any one, much less her own niece. So she went back, an' there sure 'nough she found the watch under a stone in the scullery. Now, weren't that strange, as the old 'ooman who'd never seen the place should know where the thing was ? "
This was the last story Mrs. Pryce told me. Mrs. Briton, how- ever, remembered some more about Jenkyns, and one day, when I was mangling for her, she told me the following :
'• One day old Jenkyns was comin' up from Monmouth, and just on the pitch by the station was four horses strugglin' an' strainin' to drag a great piece of timber up the hill. They were pullin' an' men were pushin', an' then they'd be pulled back by the weight of it. Jenkyns, he looked at them for some time, then he up an' shouts, ' Unhitch that fore horse ! ' So they unhitched him, 'cos nobody dared disobey anything that Jenkyns told them to do. ' Now hitch 'im on behind,' 'e said ; an' so they hitched 'im on behind. Then Jenkyns tooked the whip, cracked it, an' shouted, ' Now, me lads, all together ! ' An' would you believe it, them 'orses that couldn't move a step before, galloped up the hill like a top spinnin', an' the leader dancin' behind ! "
Another day I cornered Mrs. Briton in the dairy, and bargained for a story. " Well," she said, " I'll tell you what I know 'bout old Sarah Grifiiths. They used to say she was a witch, an' this was told me by old Jacob Jones 'isself, an' 'e ought to know. So if it's a lie, it's 'is own lie.
" It 'appened when Mr. Mason was livin' at the Argoed. 'Is gardener was very partic'ler 'bout havin' turf from the 'ill, an' they 'ad ter bring it across the river in boats, an' old Tom Griffiths an' Jacob Jones, they was 'elpin'. Well, on the last day, when they'd got it all up, Mr. Mason's gardener, 'e left some money down at the Boat Inn, so as they should 'ave some beer, 'cause 'e was pleased they'd brought the turf up so quick. So Tom, when 'e went up to tea, 'e says to Sarah, 'e was goin' down for an hour,
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