The Townsmen enjoys the country (3) - The Salloon Dweller

"It's a lovely evening,”  said my cousin. “Would you like a ride out into the country. I've got the car outside,” He jerked his pipe at a shining saloon at my gate. 

“It will do you good to get out of the town a bit,” he went On “Cooped up in the house all day, A bit of fresh air will do you a world of good," 

He ushered me into a vehicle smelling not unpleasantly of, tobacco smoke and sun-wormed Leather and tucked me firmly in.

 "Better have the back windows up," he said, “It turns a “ chilly at this time of day. Let me know if you feel a draught and I’ll shut this one too," 

I protested quickly that I liked a breeze and, a little doubtfully he let it remain. As we drew up at the first petrol station for the inevitable refill, he took the opportunity to recharge his pipe.

“You don’t mind the smoke, do you?” he asked, puffing cheerfully, and his enjoyment and the fact that he was my host made it difficult to say that I minded quite a lot. 

In a little while we had left the city behind, and I began to look for beauty spots.

 "That's a quaint church," I cried as we skimmed through a village. 

"Was it?" he answered. “I didn't notice, Good road this"

 We climbed the hill to a little market town, 

"Shall we get out here?" I asked, “It looks interesting.”

 "Here?" he said, surprised “Oh, there's worth getting out to see here," and at a steady thirty we rolled past the old town hall, the butter cross and the gabled elmshouses of a three hundred year old charity.

 We climbed higher and caught glimpses of moorland running away ~~ to the setting suns.

“They say there's a pretty good view from here," said my cousin, jerking back with the stem of his pipe, “but it's a bit late to stop now, Not worth getting out anyway." He put his foot on the accelerator and we streamed on, The wind swirled in at the driving window and a cloud of smoke caught me with a sudden cough. He looked round in some concern.

 “I thought you would find the draught too much,” he reproved and closed us tightly in. With the warmth and the smoke I sank into a gentle, drugged sleep, from which I woke with a jerk at my front gate. As I "stumbled out into the cold night air, my cousin smiled kindly down on me.

 "Let me know when you want another run," he said, “and I'll take you any time, It does you good to get away from the house and kids and get a breath of real country air."