The Littlest Horse Thieves

* OLD FLASH WAS THE BEST OF THE PONIES *

* IN THE EMSDALE COLLIERY

* NEVER SAW THE LIGHT FROM MORN TILL NIGHT *

* BUT A GRAND LITTLE PONY WAS HE *

* HE KNEW EVERY INCH OF THE COALFACE *

* IN THE EMSDALE COLLIERY

* AND HE KNEW THAT ONCE HIS SHIFT WAS DONE *

* HE COULD REST TILL THE MORNING FREE *

*

LUKE, QUICK -- COME OUT OF THERE.

IT'LL LIKE COME DOWN ON US AS IT WILL ON THEE.

ALL RIGHT, THEN.

PITCH IN SOME MORE PIT PROPS AND WE'LL SHORE IT UP.

WHOA!

GET!

HEY, YOU, FLASH.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BAITBOX, EH?

DO YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THERE FOR YOU?

GO ON WITH YOU.

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

HERE NOW.

AHH...

GO ON.

GO ON WITH YA.

COME ON. COME HERE, FLASH.

BEG YOUR PARDON, SIR.

WELL, THEY CAN'T PULL MORE THAN TWO TUBS AT A TIME.

NAY, SIR, EACH ONE OF THEM THINGS WEIGHS NEARLY HALF A TON.

COME HERE, FLASH.

COME ON.

COME HERE. COME ON.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MANE AND TAIL HAULER?

NO, SIR, I NEVER HAVE.

I'VE HEARD OF THEM, BUT I'VE NOT SEEN ONE.

IT'S A MACHINE THAT CAN HANDLE,

OH, UP TO 100 TUBS AT A TIME.

BRINGS THE EMPTY ONES IN AND TAKES THE FULL ONES OUT.

OH, AYE.

WHY ARE THOSE MEN IDLE?

OH, THEY'RE JUST WAITING FOR EMPTY TUBS TO ARRIVE, SIR.

THEY'VE GOT A NEW PONY. HE'S A BIT SLOW.

NOT LIKE OLD FLASH HERE.

YOU WON'T FIND HIS TEAM KEPT WAITING.

HE'S MAKING YOU SWEAT, GINGER.

MIND YOUR LEG, MR. AMISS.

YOU'LL HAVE MY LEG OFF ONE OF THESE DAYS.

GOOD BOY.

COME ON. COME ON.

COME ON.

THERE. EASY, FLASH.

COME ON.

COME ON. COME ON.

WHY, YOU OBSTINATE, MULE-HEADED --

HEY, GINGER, NONE OF THAT!

HE TRIED TO KICK ME!

AYE, AND SO HE WILL IF YOU TRY TO TURN HIM AROUND.

IT'S THE END OF HIS SHIFT.

I THOUGHT I'D GET SOME EMPTY TUBS UP FOR THE MORNING.

NOT WITH OLD FLASH, YOU WON'T.

YOU MAY AS WELL TURN HIM LOOSE.

HE KNOWS WHEN HIS SHIFT'S OVER, AND HE KNOWS WHERE HE'S GOING.

NOSEY.

HERE COMES FLASH.

HELLO, FLASH. LOOK WHAT I'VE BROUGHT YA.

THERE...

EH, FLASH, YOU'RE A BEAUTY.

THE BEST OF ALL, YOU ARE.

HE'S NO BETTER THAN LION, IS HE BERT?

NAY, LION'S A GOOD 'UN, BUT HE'S ONLY A YOUNG 'UN.

HE'S NOT AS KNOWING AS FLASH IS,

BUT HE'LL LEARN.

TOMMY...

DAVE...

DON'T BE TOO LONG.

YOUR MOTHER WILL HAVE YOUR TEA READY.

BERT. AYE?

BEST GET THE BOYS OUT OF SIGHT--

THE GAFFER'S COMING. OH.

Dave: WHO'S THE GAFFER?

THE NEW MANAGER.

HEY, NOW, COME ON, LET'S HAVE YOU OUT OF HERE.

GET IN BEHIND THIS BOARD. DO AS YOUR FATHER SAYS.

HE'S NOT OUR FATHER.

YOUR STEPFATHER, THEN.

HE'S NOT OUR FATHER.

GET BEHIND THERE AND ARGUE AFTER.

GO ON, NOW.

KEEP YOURSELF HIDDEN DOWN THERE.

Man: BERT! AYE.

JUST A MINUTE. COMING, SIR.

NOW THEN, SIR, THIS IS BERT CAWSDEN.

HE LOOKS AFTER THE PONIES.

BERT, MR. SANDMAN.

AFTERNOON, CAWSDEN.

AFTERNOON, SIR.

AH, YES...

HOW LONG'S THIS ONE BEEN DOWN HERE?

14 YEARS, SIR.

MM-HMM.

AND HE'D BE, WHAT,

3 OR 4 YEARS OLD WHEN HE CAME DOWN?

AYE.

MUST BE PAST HIS BEST NOW, THEN.

FLASH?

HE'S THE BEST WORKER OF THEM ALL.

MM-HMM.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, MR. CARTER.

CARRY ON, BERT. TIME'S MONEY.

RIGHT, SIR.

Mr. Sandman: WHICH WAY NOW, CARTER?

Carter: WE'RE GOING WEST.

FLASH-- PAST HIS TIME?

HE'S NO BUT A LONDON FELLA.

HE DOESN'T KNOW MUCH.

I'LL, UH, I'LL JUST GET SOME TOBACCO.

RIGHT. CHEERIO, AMOS.

SEE YOU TOMORROW.

HELLO, LOVE.

HELLO, LASS.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE BOYS?

AYE, THEY'RE JUST GIVING BERT A HAND WITH THE PONIES.

OH, NO, NOT AGAIN.

WILL THEY BE HOME FOR THEIR TEA?

HOW SHOULD I KNOW?

THEY NEVER SPEAK TO ME.

ONE FOR YOU... AND ONE FOR YOU.

GO ON, LADS, OFF WITH YOU.

THANKS, BERT. THANKS, BERT.

CARTER!

SIR?

WHO WERE THOSE BOYS?

BOYS, SIR?

YES, THERE WERE TWO BOYS. THEY CAME OUT OF THE PIT.

OH, THEM BOYS.

IT'S DAVE AND TOMMY SADLER.

THEY HELP THE HORSEKEEPER WITH THE PONIES.

THEY'RE TOO YOUNG TO BE ON THE PAYROLL.

WELL, THEY JUST...

BERT GIVES THEM A PENNY NOW AND THEN.

THEY LIKE TO DO IT.

APART FROM ANYTHING ELSE,

THERE'S SAFETY REGULATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED.

THEY HAVE NO BUSINESS TO BE GOING DOWN.

NO BUSINESS?

THEIR FATHER DIED DOWN THERE.

DAVE!

THAT'S GOOD FOOD YOU'VE GOT THERE.

BE THANKFUL FOR IT,

AND DON'T GOBBLE IT UP AS IF IT WAS NOTHING.

AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?

I'M GONNA TAKE DANNY OUT FOR A RUN.

A BIT LATE, ISN'T IT?

WE ALWAYS USED TO TAKE DANNY OUT LAST THING.

YES, BUT YOUR --

NOT ALONE.

CAN WE GO?

OH, GO!

GO, WHY DON'T YA?!

COME ON, TOM. DANNY, COME ON.

I'LL HAVE SOME MORE TEA.

HE'S BACK! HE'S BACK!

IS HE, DEAR? THAT'S NICE.

Man: HELLO, MY DEAR.

OH, FATHER, I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER GET BACK.

CLARA AND I HAVE UNPACKED ALL THE PICTURES.

WE'VE DONE WELL, HAVEN'T WE?

VERY WELL. I SEE YOU PUT THE CURTAINS UP.

MOTHER AND CLARA DID THAT.

OH, WELL DONE, CLARA.

THANK YOU, SIR.

MOTHER'S PUTTING THE BEST CHINA AWAY.

SHE WOULDN'T LET ME HELP. SHE SAID I MIGHT DROP IT.

DID SHE?

HELLO, DEAR. HELLO.

YOU'RE BACK. YES.

CLARA, YOU CAN SERVE DINNER NOW.

THE MASTER'S HOME.

ALL RIGHT, MUM.

THAT GIRL...

I WISH SHE'D CALL ME "MADAM."

"MUM" IS SO VULGAR.

WELL, I'VE BEEN BROUGHT HERE BY LORD HARROGATE

TO MAKE HIS COLLIERY PAY, AND I'M GOING TO DO IT.

AND IF I DON'T, HE'LL CLOSE DOWN THE PIT,

AND THEN I SHALL LOSE MY JOB...

AS WELL AS THE MINERS' LIVELIHOOD.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PROBLEM, DEAR?

ALICE, DO DRINK YOUR SOUP QUIETLY.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT WE CAN'T GET THE COAL OUT

IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES.

AND THEREFORE, IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.

AT THAT PRICE, WE CAN'T SELL IT.

THAT'S WHY THEY HAD TO STOP THE NIGHT SHIFT.

WHAT WILL YOU HAVE TO DO, FATHER?

WELL, FOR A START,

I SHALL TRY AND GET RID OF THOSE PIT PONIES.

COME ON, TOM, I'LL RACE YOU TO THE TOP!

THAT'S NOT FAIR -- YOU STARTED OFF FIRST!

DON'T WORRY--