figure out a house named for a rock.
It was cool and shady in the old, low-beamed farmhouse, with its whitewashed walls, tile floor, and little
bull's-eye-paned windows. Will's mother, Sarah, sat installed in her wing chair by the fireplace, a Bible upon her knee,
listening carefully until Ben finished talking. She was a bright, alert little woman, quick and bird-like in her actions.
Drawing a knitted black shawl close around her narrow shoulders, she shook her head disapprovingly at Jon and
his three young friends and tapped the Bible meaningfully. "Place named after the rock?
"Hah, I can tell you haven't read your scriptures properly. But that's no surprise. Most folk these days don't seem
to have the time to heed the word of the Lord!"
Will chided her gently. "Now now, Ma. Don't take on so. Just 'cos folks don't study scripture all the time,
doesn't mean they ain't good people. Look at me, I don't read the Bible a lot, but I'm honest an' hardworking."
His mother gave him a hard stare. "Ye'd be a lot better if ye did, Will, an' your friends, too. They should know
what the Lord said to his disciple. 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church'! 'Tis written here in the
good book. So then, tell me, what's the name o' the church atop of this hill?"
Will blurted out, "St. Peter's!"
The old woman could not help looking slightly smug as she sat back, patting her Bible. "Tell me the rest of your
puzzle."
Alex recited the lines from memory:
" ' 'Twixt here and there you must stop to drink, your first reward to unlock.' "
Eileen smote the table so hard that she almost upset her teapot. "I got it!"
Baby Willum thought it was a good game, and he began banging on the tabletop and giggling. Eileen passed
him to his father. "Go to Daddy, there's a good lad. I got it, I solved your rhyme! Hillside Farm is 'alfway 'twixt the
almshouse an' St. Peter's church. We're the only place 'round 'ere with a well!"
Will bounced the baby up and down on his knee. "Ain't yore mum the clever one, babe Willum!"
The old seaman leaned across the table, his scone and tea forgotten. "I never knew you had a well here."
Will allowed the baby to slide down and toddle across to Amy. "Been a well on this land as long as there's been
a farm. Come on, I'll show it ye."
Across the farmyard from the milking shed was a separate stone building, used as a storehouse. Will lit a lantern
and hung it from a center beam. Sacks of potatoes, carrots, turnips, and root vegetables ranged around the walls.
Cheeses lay on a wooden platform and hams hung from the rafters. In the center stood the well, housed by a circular
stone wall with a bucket and pulley.
Eileen leaned over the wall and shuddered. "Dark ole place 'tis, though the water's cold an' sweet."
Will wound the bucket down. They heard it splash into the water below. He hauled it up, filled to the brim.
"Best water in the county, I reckon. It comes from an underground stream, purified by the limestone an' clear as a bell.
What d'you reckon to look for down there?"
Jon stared down into the darkness. "The first reward."
Eileen chuckled. "No reward for you, Jon Preston, you're far too big 'n' heavy to fit into a water pail."
Immediately, Ben volunteered. "I'll go down!"
Armed with another smaller lantern, Ben sat astride the water pail. Jon and Will manned the pulley handle, the
latter giving instructions. "There's some tools o' mine in the bucket if you need 'em. Go careful now, lad, and keep
tight hold of that rope."
The pulley creaked as the two men lowered Ben down into the wellshaft. Amy stood by, holding little Willum's
hand. "What's it like down there, Ben?"
The boy's voice echoed up out of the shaft. "Just an old circular wall, nothing much to see. I'll look at one side
on the way down and the other side on the way up. Hold that, Will! My feet are touching water!"
Jon peered down at the light far below. The rope began straining and going from side to side. He called down.
"Steady on, Ben. Don't bounce about so much!"
"I'm just turning around so I can see the other half of the wall." His voice echoed. "There, that's better, haul up
slow now!"
Will and Jon bent their backs to the task. They had not given more than four full turns when Ben yelled, "Stop!
Lower away a touch ... a bit more___There, that's it!"
Alex poked his head over. "What is it, Ben, what've you found?"
"One of the wall stones, bigger than the rest. Twice as large. It's not cemented in like the others . . . someone's
jointed it in with lead. Wait a moment!"
There was a dull thudding of hammer and chisel, then Ben called up. "Aye, it's lead. Easy to get out, it's very
old and perished. I can almost pull it out by hand."
A splashing sounded from below, followed by the boy's voice. "Sorry, Will, some of it has fallen into the
water."
The young farmer leaned over the edge. "Don't you worry about that, boy, the stream'll wash it away. Let the
stone go if you have to."
They could hear Ben grunting with exertion as he maneuvered the heavy stone, pushing it back and forth, using
the chisel as a lever, reporting his progress as he went. "I've got it almost half out! Whew, it's a big 'un, but it's moving
fairly well. Shall I try to get it into the bucket, Will?"
"No, the weight would be too much, lad. Let it go!"
This was followed by a booming splash, as Ben shouted out. "Well, that cooled me down. I'm soaked. Wait, I've
got my arm in the hole where the stone was. There's something here!"
Little Willum joined in the cheering that broke out. Ben yelled above the din. "I've got it, haul away, me
hearties, take me up. I've got it!"
Alex and Amy joined Will and Jon, helping to turn the handles.
Ben arrived, beaming over the wellshaft at them. "Let's get it out into the light for a proper look, pals!"
Eileen cleared the farmhouse table off, and they set the odd-looking object on it: a muddy lump, about twice the
size of a normal house brick.
Ben prodded it. "Anyone fancy a guess at what it is?"
Eileen stopped little Willum trying to climb upon the table. "Dirty ole thing, what d'you reckon 'tis, Ma?" she
asked.
Will's mother reached out a stick-like finger and scraped it across the lump, then brought it close to her face.
"Hmm, won't know 'til we get all that tallow off it."
The younger boy looked baffled. "Tallow?"
She rubbed it between thumb and forefinger. "Aye, lad, wax made from animal fat. Tallow."
Jon took out his clasp knife. "You mean there's something inside that lump of tallow? Let's take a look. Good
protection, wax is, a thing could stay forever encased in it."
Eileen stayed the seaman's hand. "Don't cut it, you might damage whatever it is inside. Let me melt it off."
The object was put in an old iron pot, which Will placed on the stone hearth, right against the fire bars. They
stood around, watching it. Ben felt the room becoming oppressively hot. Smells of lamp oil and sea-damp clothing
left to dry off came drifting back to his memory, the sway of deck planking beneath his feet, combined with the
eternal sound of the restless sea.
"Oh, I can see a big golden ring!"
Amy's delighted shout cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Will's mother was waving her
apron.
"Whew, take it out o' my kitchen, gold ring or no. It stinks!"
Will wrapped a cloth around his hand and carried the pot out by its handle. The iron vessel was quite hot and