In a few minutes Smallbones was hauled in over the gunwale, and was
seated on the stern-sheets opposite to Sir Robert.
"It's a great deal colder out of the water than in, that's sartain,"
observed Smallbones, shivering.
"Give way, my lads, we've no time to stay," cried Sir Robert.
"Take this, Smallbones," said Jemmy.
"Why, so it is, Jemmy Ducks!" replied Smallbones, with
astonishment--"why, how did you come here?"
"Sarcumstances," replied Jemmy; "how did you come there?"
"Sarcumstances too, Jemmy," replied Smallbones.
"Keep silence," said Sir Robert, and nothing more was said until the
lugger dashed into the cave.
The cargo was landed, and Smallbones, who was very cold, was not sorry
to assist. He carried up his load with the rest, and as usual the women
came half-way down to receive it.
"Why, who have we here?" said one of the women to whom Smallbones was
delivering his load, "why it's Smallbones."
"Yes," replied Smallbones, "it is me; but how came you here, Nancy?"
"That's tellings; but how came you, my lad?" replied Nancy.
"I came by water, any how."
"Well, you are one of us now, you know there's no going back."
"I'm sure I don't want to go back, Nancy; but what is to be done?
nothing unchristian-like, I hope."
"We're all good Christians here, Smallbones; we don't bow down to idols
and pay duty to them as other people do."
"Do you fear God, and honour the king?"
"We do; the first as much as the other people, and as for the king, we
love him and serve him faithfully."
"Well, then, I suppose that's all right," replied Smallbones; "but where
do you live?"
"Come with me, take your load up, and I will show you, for the sooner
you are there the better; the boat will be off again in half an hour if
I mistake not."
"Off, where?"
"To France, with a message to the king."
"Why, the king's in Holland! we left him there when we sailed!"
"Pooh! nonsense! come along."
When Sir Robert arrived at the cave, he found an old friend anxiously
awaiting his arrival; it was Graham, who had been dispatched by the
Jacobites to the court of St. Germain, with intelligence of great
importance, which was the death of the young Duke of Gloucester, the
only surviving son of King William. He had, it was said, died of a
malignant fever; but if the reader will call to mind the address of one
of the Jesuits on the meeting at Cherbourg, he may have some surmises as
to the cause of the duke's decease. As this event rendered the
succession uncertain, the hopes of the Jacobites were raised to the
highest pitch; the more so as the country was in a state of anxiety and
confusion, and King William was absent at the Hague. Graham had,
therefore, been dispatched to the exiled James, with the propositions
from his friends in England, and to press the necessity of an invasion
of the country. As Nancy had supposed, Sir Robert decided upon
immediately crossing over to Cherbourg, the crew were allowed a short
time to repose and refresh themselves, and once more returned to their
laborious employment; Jemmy Ducks satisfied Sir Robert that Smallbones
might be trusted and be useful, and Nancy corroborated his assertions.
He was, therefore, allowed to remain in the cave with the women, and Sir
Robert and his crew, long before Smallbones' garments were dry, were
again crossing the English Channel.
Now it must be observed, that Smallbones was never well off for clothes,
and, on this occasion, when he fell overboard, he had nothing on but an
old pair of thin linen trousers and a shirt, which, from dint of long
washing, from check had turned to a light cerulean blue: what with his
struggles at the net and the force used to pull him into the boat, the
shirt had more than one-half disappeared--that is to say, one sleeve and
the back were wholly gone, and the other sleeve was well prepared to
follow its fellow, on the first capful of wind. His trousers also were
in almost as bad a state. In hauling him in, when his head was over the
gunwale, one of the men had seized him by the seat of his trousers to
lift him into the boat, and the consequence was, that the seat of his
trousers having been too long sat upon, was also left in his muscular
gripe. All these items put together, the reader may infer, that,
although Smallbones might appear merely ragged in front, that in his
rear he could not be considered as decent, especially as he was the only
one of the masculine sex among a body of females. No notice was taken
of this by others, nor did Smallbones observe it himself, during the
confusion and bustle previous to the departure of the smugglers; but now
they were gone, Smallbones perceived his deficiencies, and was very much
at a loss what to do, as he was aware that daylight would discover them
to others as well as to himself: so he fixed his back up against one of
the rocks, and remained idle while the women were busily employed
storing away the cargo in the various compartments of the cave.
Nancy, who had not forgotten that he was with them, came up to him.
"Why do you stay there, Smallbones? you must be hungry and cold; come in
with me, and I will find you something to eat."
"I can't, Mistress Nancy, I want your advice first. Has any of the men
left any of their duds in this here cavern?"
"Duds! men! No, they keep them all on the other side. We have nothing
but petticoats here and shimmeys."
"Then what must I do?" exclaimed Smallbones.
"Oh, I see, your shirt is torn off your back. Well, never mind, I'll
lend you a shimmey."
"Yes, Mistress Nancy, but it be more worse than that; I an't got no
behind to my trousers, they pulled it out when they pulled me into the
boat. I sticks to this here rock for decency's sake. What must I do?"
Nancy burst into a laugh. "Do? why, if you can't have men's clothes,
you must put on the women's, and then you'll be in the regular uniform
of the cave."
"I do suppose that I must, but I can't say that I like the idea much,
anyhow," replied Smallbones.
"Why, you don't mean to stick to that rock like a limpet all your life,
do you? there's plenty of work for you."
"If so be, I must, I must," replied Smallbones.
"You can't appear before Mistress Alice in that state," replied Nancy.
"She's a lady bred and born, and very particular too, and then there's
Miss Lilly, you will turn her as red as a rose if she sees you."
"Well, then, I suppose I must, Mistress Nancy, for I shall catch my
death of cold here. I'm all wet and shivery, from being so long in the
water, and my back, against the rock, feels just as ice."
"No wonder; I'll run and fetch you something," replied Nancy, who was
delighted at the idea of dressing up Smallbones as a woman.
Nancy soon returned with a chemise, a short flannel pet--and a shawl,
which she gave to Smallbones, desiring him to take off his wet clothes,
and substitute them. She would return to him as soon as he had put them
on, and see that they were put tidy and right.
Smallbones retired behind one of the rocks, and soon shifted his
clothes; he put everything on the hind part before, and had to alter
them when she came. She adjusted the shawl, and then led him into the
cave where he found Mistress Alice, and some of the women who were not
busy with the cargo.
"Here's the poor lad who was thrown overboard, madam," said Nancy,
retaining her gravity. "All his clothes were torn off his back, and I
have been obliged to give him these to put on."
Lady Ramsay could hardly repress a smile. Smallbones' appearance was
that of a tall gaunt creature, pale enough, and smooth enough to be a
woman certainly, but cutting a most ridiculous figure. His long thin
arms were bare, his neck was like a crane's, and the petticoats were so
short as to reach almost above his knees. Shoes and stockings he had
none. His long hair was platted and matted with the salt water, and one
side of his head was shaved, and exhibited a monstrous, half-healed
scar.
Lady Ramsay asked him a few questions, and then desired Nancy to give
him some refreshment, and find him something to lie down upon in the
division of the cave which was used as a kitchen.
But we must now leave Smallbones to entertain the inhabitants of the
cave with the history of his adventures, which he did at intervals,
during his stay there. He retained his women's clothes, for Nancy would
not let him wear any other, and was a source of great amusement not only
to the smugglers' wives, but also to little Lilly, who would listen to
his conversation and remarks, which were almost as naive and
unsophisticated as her own.