THE PURSUIT.
We must now return to the _Blossom_—the lighter which had only arrived
at Mossop's wharf the night before the incidents of the last chapter
occurred.
When the boat which conveyed the pirates to Gravesend had pushed away
from the _Fairy_ at day-break, as already described, the Black, who was
cleaning the deck of the _Blossom_, cast from beneath his brows a rapid
and scrutinising glance at the countenances of the four men who were
seated in that skiff.
As soon as the boat was out of sight, the Black hastened down into the
after-cabin of the _Blossom_, where a person was lying fast asleep in
bed.
The Black shook this person violently by the shoulder, and awoke him.
"I have found him, sir,—I have found him!" cried the Black.
"Indeed!" cried Markham, starting up, and rubbing his eyes. "Where?
where?"
"He has just gone with three other men in a boat, down the river,"
answered Morcar; "and one of these men is him that spoke to Benstead
last night."
"Then they both belong to the _Fairy_?" exclaimed Richard.
"Both," replied Morcar; "at least they both came from it just now."
"Go and rouse Benstead," said Markham; "and in the meantime I will get
up."
The gipsy, who had so well disguised himself as a man of colour,
hastened to the cuddy where Benstead was wrapped in the arms of
Morpheus.
The police-officer was delighted, when awakened and made acquainted with
Morcar's discovery, to find that the Resurrection Man had been thus
recognised; and he lost no time in dressing himself.
The gipsy and Benstead afterwards proceeded to Richard's cabin, where
they found our hero just completing his hasty toilet.
"Thus far our aims are accomplished," said Markham, when they were all
three assembled. "It has turned out exactly as I anticipated. Morcar, by
aid of his disguised appearance, was enabled to keep a sharp look out on
all the vessels; while the report which you circulated that he was deaf
and dumb prevented him from being questioned. Had Tidkins himself seen
Morcar as closely as we are to him now, he would not have known him."
"My suspicions, too, are fully confirmed," observed Benstead. "The
moment I saw that feller hanging about us last night, I suspected he was
up to no good. But how I managed to pump _him_, when he doubtless
thought that _I_ was the soft-pated one! By my short, evasive, or
mysterious answers, I allowed him to think that the _Blossom_ was no
better than she should be; and then I saw by his manners and language at
once, that he was a pirate. But when I dropped a hint about wanting two
or three hands for a good thing which I had in view, how eager the chap
was to enlist himself and his pal in the business!"
"And to-morrow night they are coming to talk over the matter with you?"
said Richard, half interrogatively.
"To-morrow night, or the night after," returned Benstead. "The pal that
the man spoke of is sure to be Tidkins, since our friend Morcar saw the
villains leave the _Fairy_ together."
"But there were two other men in the boat," observed the gipsy.
"You say that they sculled the boat round to the _Fairy_, from some
place higher up the river?" said Richard.
"Yes. But I could not see where they came from, as it was nearly dark
when they got alongside the _Fairy_."
"Well," exclaimed Benstead, "it is very clear that those two men who
came in the boat, don't belong to the _Fairy_; but that Tidkins and the
person who spoke to me last night do. I should think there's no doubt
about Tidkins being the pal that the man alluded to."
"Not the slightest," said Markham. "And yet, to make assurance doubly
sure, we will not alter the plan which we laid down yesterday afternoon
when we first came on board the lighter. You, Benstead, must remain
spokesman—the master, in fact, of the _Blossom_; you, Morcar, will
continue a deaf and dumb Black," continued Richard, with a smile; "and I
must keep close in this cabin until the moment of action arrives. If,
to-morrow night or the night after, that man should bring Tidkins with
him, our object is accomplished at once: if he bring a stranger, our
precautions must be strictly preserved, and we must devise a means of
seizing the miscreant on board the _Fairy_ or any other lighter to which
we can trace him."
This advice was agreed to by Benstead and Morcar; and while Richard
remained below, the others took their turns in watching upon the deck.
But all that day passed; and the pirates did not come back to the
_Fairy_—they being occupied in the manner related in the last chapter.
Morcar undertook to keep watch during the night; but hour after hour
stole away,—another day dawned, and still the _Fairy_ was occupied only
by the woman whom the pirates had left behind.
That day also passed; and it was not until midnight that Morcar's
attention was attracted towards the _Fairy_. Then a boat rowed alongside
of the pirate-barge.
The night was pitch dark—so dark that Morcar could not see what was
going on in the direction of the _Fairy_: but his ears were all
attention.
He was enabled to discover, by means of those organs, that the boat
transferred one or more of its living freight (but he could not tell how
many) to the _Fairy_: then a brief conversation was carried on in low
whispers, but not a distinct word of which reached the gipsy. At length
the boat pushed off, and rowed away up the river.
Morcar stood upon the deck of the _Blossom_ for a few minutes,
attentively listening to catch a sound of any thing that might be
passing on board the pirate lighter: but all continued silent in that
quarter.
Then Morcar descended to the cabin, where Richard and the policeman were
waiting.
To them he communicated the few particulars just narrated.
"It is clear that the pirates have returned from their expedition,
whatever it might be," said our hero; "and most probably Tidkins and his
friend have just been put on board their lighter. We must contrive to
watch their motions; and should they keep their appointment with you,
Benstead, to-morrow night, our enterprise will speedily be brought to a
conclusion."
"I will keep my watch now on deck till three o'clock," said the
policeman; "and Morcar may turn in."
This was done; Richard also retired to rest; and the night passed away
without any further adventure.
But at day-break Morcar, who had again resumed the watch, observed some
activity on board the _Fairy_. The Buffer and his wife were in fact
making evident preparations for departure. They raised the mast by means
of the windlass; they shook out the sail; fixed the tiller in the
rudder, and performed the various preliminaries in a most business-like
manner.
Morcar speedily communicated these circumstances to Benstead and
Markham; and these three held a rapid consultation in the after-cabin of
the _Blossom_.
"You are certain you saw no one but that man who first spoke to
Benstead, and the woman?" asked Markham.
"Not a soul," answered Morcar. "But that is no reason why Tidkins should
not be below."
"Certainly not. He has numerous reasons to conceal himself."
"But what is to be done?" said Morcar.
"Benstead must go and speak to the man," observed Richard, after a
pause.
The policeman immediately left the cabin.
He crossed the barges and approached the _Fairy_, which was just ready
to put off.
"Holloa! my friend," cried Benstead: "you seem busy this morning?"
"Yes—we're going up above bridge a short way," answered the Buffer: "the
tide is just turning in our favour now, and we haven't a moment to
spare."
"And the appointment with me?"
"Oh! that must stand over for a day or two. How long do you mean to
remain here?"
"Till I get a couple of good hands to help me in the matter I alluded to
the night before last," answered Benstead.
"Well, I don't like to disappoint a good feller—and _that_ you seem to
be," said the Buffer, "but I really can't say whether I shall be able to
do any thing with you, or not. I've something else on hand now—and I
think I shall leave the river altogether."
"You speak openly at all events," said Benstead. "It's very annoying,
though; for I relied upon you. Can't your pal—the man that you spoke of,
you know—have a hand in this matter with me?"
"No," answered the Buffer shortly. "But I'll tell you who'll put you up
to getting the assistance you want:—and that's Mossop's foreman. He's a
cautious man, and won't meet you half way in your conversation; but you
can make a confidant of him, and if he can't help you, he's sure not to
sell you. So now good bye, old feller; and good luck to you."
With these words the Buffer loosened the rope that held the _Fairy_
alongside the barge next to it; and then by means of a boat-hook he
pushed the lighter off.
"Good bye," exclaimed Benstead; and he hastened back to the _Blossom_.
"Now what must be done?" asked Morcar, when these particulars were
communicated to him and Richard.
"It seems clear to me that these men have endangered themselves by
something they have just been doing," observed Benstead; "and so they're
sheering off as fast as they can."
"And most likely the Resurrection Man is concealed on board the
_Fairy_," added Markham. "We must follow them—we must follow them, at
any rate!"
"If we take our skiff and pursue them, they will immediately entertain
some suspicion," said Benstead; "and if _you_ go, sir, the Resurrection
Man will recognise you the moment he catches a glimpse of you."
"We have no alternative, my good friends," observed Richard. "Let us all
three follow them in our skiff: we will dog them—we will watch them; and
if they attempt to land, we will board them."
"Be it so," said Benstead.
This plan was immediately put into operation.
The skiff was lowered: Markham, the policeman, and the gipsy leapt into
it; the two latter pulled the oars; and our hero, muffled in a pilot
coat, with the collar of which he concealed his countenance as much as
possible, sate in the stern.
"Just keep the lighter in view—and that's all," said Richard. "So long
as it does not show signs of touching at any place on shore, we had
better content ourselves with following it, till we are assured that
Tidkins is actually on board."
"Certainly, sir," answered Benstead. "We might only get ourselves into
trouble by forcibly entering the _Fairy_, unless we knew that we should
catch the game we're in search of."
The rowers had therefore little more to do than just play with their
oars, as the tide bore the skiff along with even a greater rapidity than
the lighter, although the latter proceeded with tolerable speed, in
consequence of being empty, and having a fair breeze with it. Thus, when
the boat drew too near the barge, the rowers backed their oars; and by
this manœuvring they maintained a convenient distance.
On board the lighter, the Buffer and his wife were too busy with the
management of their vessel—a task to which they were not altogether
equal—to notice the watch and pursuit instituted by the little boat.
In the manner described, the two parties pursued their way up the narrow
space left by the crowds of shipping for the passage of vessels.
The Tower was passed—that gloomy fortalice which has known sighs as full
of anguish and hearts as oppressed with bitter woe as ever did the
prisons of the Inquisition, or the dungeons of the Bastille.
Then the Custom House was slowly left behind; and Billingsgate,
world-renowned for its slang, was passed by the pursued and the pursuer.
To avoid the arch of London Bridge the Buffer lowered his mast; and then
midway between that and Southwark Bridge, his intentions became
apparent.
He was about to put in at a wharf on the Surrey side, where a large
board on the building announced that lighters were bought or sold.
"Pull alongside the _Fairy_," cried Markham: "we must board her before
she touches the wharf, or our prey may escape."
Benstead and Morcar plied the oars with a vigour which soon brought the
boat within a few yards of the _Fairy_. The Buffer's attention was now
attracted to it for the first time; but he did not immediately recognise
the two rowers, because they had their backs turned towards the lighter.
"I should know that man!" suddenly exclaimed Richard, as he contemplated
the Buffer, who was standing at the tiller, and who had his eyes fixed
with some anxiety upon the boat, which was evidently pulling towards
him.
"Who?" asked Benstead.
"That man on board the lighter," was the reply.
Benstead cast a glance behind him, and said, "He's the man that spoke to
me."
"I remember him—the villain!—I recollect him now!" cried Richard.
"Yes—he is a companion in iniquity of Anthony Tidkins: it was he who
brought me that false message concerning my brother, which nearly cost
me my life at Twig Folly!"
These words Richard spoke aloud; but they were unintelligible to his two
companions, who were unacquainted with the incident referred to.
They had no time to question him, nor had he leisure to explain his
meaning to them; for at that moment the boat shot alongside of the
lighter.
"Markham!" cried the Buffer, in alarm, as he recognised our hero who
immediately sprang upon the deck.
"You know me?" said Richard: "and I have ample reason to remember you.
But my present business regards _another_; and if you offer no
resistance, I will not harm you."
"Who do you want?" asked the Buffer, somewhat reassured by these words.
"Your companion," replied Richard.
"What! my wife?" ejaculated the Buffer, with a hoarse laugh. "Do you
know this gen'leman, Moll?"
"Cease this jesting," cried Richard sternly; "and remain where you are.
Benstead, take care that he does not move from the deck: Morcar, come
you with me."
The Buffer cast looks of surprise and curiosity upon Richard's
companions, who, having made the boat fast to the lighter, had leapt
upon the deck.
"What! you, my fine feller?" cried Wicks, addressing himself to
Benstead. "I suppose, then, this is all a reg'lar plant;—and you're——"
"I am a police officer," answered Benstead coolly. "But, as far as I
know, we have no business with either you or your wife—since you say
that this woman is your wife."
"Well—so much the better," remarked the Buffer. "And I also suppose your
negro is about as deaf and dumb as I am?"
"About," replied Benstead, unable to suppress a smile. "Keep quiet, and
no harm will happen to you."
"But who is it that you _do_ want?" asked the Buffer.
"Your friend Tidkins—better known as the Resurrection Man."
"Then you won't find him here."
In the meantime, Richard and the gipsy had descended into the
after-cabin; and they now re-appeared upon the deck, their search having
been fruitless.
"He is not there," said Richard. "Let us look forward."
He and Morcar visited the cuddy; but the Resurrection Man was evidently
not in the lighter.
They returned to the after deck; and questioned the Buffer.
"I don't know where Tidkins is," was the reply of that individual, who
did not dare reveal the truth relative to the expedition to the plague
ship, and its result; "and even if I did, it is not likely that I should
blab any thing that would get us both into a scrape, since I see that
the whole thing with you is a trap, and that man there," he added,
pointing to Benstead, "is a policeman."
"Now, listen," exclaimed Richard. "It is in my power to have you
arrested this moment for being concerned in a plot against my life—you
know how and when; but I pledge you my honour that if you will satisfy
me relative to Anthony Tidkins, we will depart, and leave you
unmolested. I scorn treachery, even among men of your description; and I
will not offer you a bribe. But I require to know how he came to
separate from you—for I am convinced that he was with you a day or two
ago."
"Well, sir," said the Buffer, who had found time, while Richard thus
spoke, to collect his ideas and invent a tale, "Tidkins, me, and some
other pals went on a little excursion the night afore last—you don't
want me to get myself into a scrape by saying what the business was; but
we fell in with a Thames police boat some way down the river; and
Tidkins had a swim for it."
"Did he escape?" demanded Richard.
"Yes," answered the Buffer, boldly. "I saw him get safe on land; and
then of course he took to his heels."
"This looks like the truth, sir," said Benstead aside to our hero.
"These fellows have been baulked in some scheme—the river-police have
got scent of 'em—and that's the reason why this man gets off so quick
with his lighter."
"And as I do not wish to punish this man for the injury he has done me,"
said Richard, glancing towards the Buffer,—"as I can afford to forgive
_him_,—our expedition seems to have arrived at its close."
"Without success, too, sir," added Morcar.
"We shall now leave you," continued Richard, turning towards the Buffer;
"but rest well assured that, though _we_ forbear from molesting you,
justice will some day overtake you in your evil and wayward courses."
"That's my look out," cried the Buffer, brutally.
Markham turned away in disgust, and descended to the boat, followed by
Morcar and Benstead.
"We will now proceed to the wharf where I hired the _Blossom_," said
Richard, when they had pushed off from the _Fairy_; "and, my good
friends, there I shall dispense with your further services. The owner of
the lighter can send his men to Rotherhithe to bring it up, and thus
save us a task which is somewhat beyond our skill."
"It is a great pity we have failed to capture the miscreant," observed
Morcar.
"But your reward has not been the less fairly and honestly earned,"
replied Richard; "as I will prove to you when we land."