Hilary knew that if he wished to escape he must achieve it with his
brain perhaps as much as his heels. He could pretty well tell which way
to go, but his knowledge of the country was very small, and great care
was necessary. It was evident that there was a party leaving the old
house, and most probably they were going to be present at some landing
of goods upon the shore, whence the cart would bring the lading of some
lugger back. If he went on now, it would be with this party always
ready to overtake him at any moment, for he did not know the road. If,
on the other hand, he kept hidden until the cart had gone by, their
lantern would be a guide to him, and he could follow silently till he
reached the cliffs. After that he must be guided by circumstances.
It was a wise idea, and lying _perdu_ for a few minutes, he found that a
cart passed him slowly, attended by six men, one of whom bore the
lantern. They were all chatting and laughing, and so intent upon their
business in hand that Hilary was able to follow them at a moderate
distance, the lantern acting as his guide.
He soon found that fortune had favoured him, for without their guidance
the chances were that he would have wandered off into one of the rugged
lanes through the woods, if he had not lost the track entirely, for it
was hardly worthy of the name of road.
He was going cautiously along, keeping the lantern well in sight, when,
all at once, a faint glow appeared just in front; and he only stopped
short just in time to avoid blundering over one of the party who had
hung back to refill and light his pipe with a piece of touchwood, which
he was now blowing up into a brisk glow before applying it to the bowl.
Hilary stopped as if struck by lightning, and held his breath, so close
was he to the man, who, fortunately, was too much occupied with the task
he had in hand to notice the young officer's proximity; and, after
getting his pipe well alight, he started off after his companions.
This adventure made Hilary, if possible, more cautious, and for the next
two hours he kept at a greater distance, wondering the while how much
farther it was, when all at once he noticed that the lantern had become
stationary. Directly after another light approached, and then a broad
glare shone out, evidently from an open door. Then there was a good
deal of talking and the rattle of a cart; then of another; and Hilary,
finding that he could progress no farther by the track, struck off
amongst the bushes and ferns on his left, finding now that the trees
were left behind; and as the next minute he found even the bushes had
given place to heather and turf, he concluded that he must be nearing
the sea.
It had grown so dark that he had to proceed with caution or he would
have tripped over some patch of furze or fern.
But he escaped pretty well; and seeing that the lanterns were once more
in motion, he determined to proceed, as well as he could, parallel with
the party, watch their proceedings, and learn all he could for future
service if he succeeded in getting away.
Once he thought that he had better devote himself to his escape; but he
could do no more until daybreak, and if he could see how the smugglers
landed their cargoes such knowledge would be invaluable.
Going cautiously on, then, he must have proceeded for a couple of
hundred yards when he found that the bearers of the lanterns had
stopped, and there was a low buzz of talking, and someone seemed to be
giving orders.
Then the noise ceased, and he fancied he could hear footsteps going
away, while the lanterns burned close together, apparently on the
ground.
He was too far-off still, he thought, and in his eager curiosity he bent
down and took a few steps forward, felt one foot give way, threw himself
back, and lay upon the turf, wet with a cold, chilling perspiration, and
clutching the short turf with his fingers driven in as far as he could.
As he lay there trembling he heard a familiar sound from far below, and
as his vision cleared and he grew calmer he could just make out a faint
line of light where the waves were breaking amongst the stones, for he
had been within an inch of a terrible death. The little patch of turf
upon which he had trod grew right on the verge of the cliff, and but for
his spasmodic effort to throw himself back as the earth gave way, he
must have pitched headlong on to the rocks a couple of hundred feet
below.
"What an escape!" he muttered; and then, after a calm feeling of
thankfulness had pervaded him for a time, he lay there enjoying the soft
salt breeze that blew gently upon his cheeks, and listening with delight
to the murmurous plash of the waves.
As he gazed out to sea, where all was exceedingly dark, his heart gave a
great leap, for not a couple of miles away, as he judged, a vessel was
lying, and there was something in the position of the lights that made
him feel certain it was the _Kestrel_.
He would not believe it at first, but told himself it was his fancy--the
suggestion of that which he fondly wished; but as he shaded his eyes and
watched he became more and more certain that it was his ship, and in his
elation it was all he could do not to utter a joyous shout by way of a
hail.
He checked himself, however, in the mad idea, and lay thinking. There
was the old _Kestrel_, and the idea of getting back to his stuffy
quarters and the ill-temper of Lieutenant Lipscombe seemed delightful;
but he knew that the greatest caution was needed, or he would fail in
his attempt.
Then, again, he thought it impossible that it could be the _Kestrel_,
for the smugglers would never have the hardihood to run a cargo just
under the very nose of a king's ship; but directly afterwards he was
obliged to own that it was by these very acts of daring that they were
able to carry on with such success; and the more he gazed out at those
lights, the more certain he felt that they belonged to his vessel.
"Yes," he thought, "it's the old lass sure enough, and the lads will be
as glad as can be to see me back. I know they will. Oh, if I could
only signal to them and bring a boat's crew ashore."
He lay thinking, and then, with beating heart, began to crawl cautiously
along close to the edge of the cliff till he was abreast of the
lanterns, which, as he had half suspected, lay in a depression, with a
high bank of rush and bushes between them and the sea. There was no one
with them, and all was very silent.
Where were the smugglers, then?
That was soon solved; for on crawling a little farther he found his
hands go down suddenly where the cliff made a rapid slope, and as he lay
upon his chest he could hear the hum of voices, the trampling of feet
upon the shingle, and though he could hardly distinguish moving figures,
his imagination supplied the rest; and, as plainly as if he could see it
all, there, he knew, was a large lugger ashore and a party of men
landing her cargo, carrying it up the beach and among the rocks, where
it was being drawn up by a rough pulley, and yonder, all the while, lay
the king's ship in utter ignorance of what was going on.
There it all was, the soft murmur of the sea--he could almost fancy he
heard it lap the lugger's sides; and certainly as he gazed more intently
down, there was a dark break in the line of foam. That, then, must be
the lugger.
If it had only been a little lighter he could have seen all--the busy
party like so many ants running to and fro with their loads, while
others were drawing them up the rocks ready for the loading of the
carts. Yes, there was the creak of a pulley from a heavier load than
usual; and this was the way it was done on these dark fine nights.
Perhaps in another hour the whole cargo would be drawn up on the cliff,
the carts would be loaded at their leisure, and as the tide rose the
lugger would push off once more, and all, as he had before said, just
under the nose of his majesty's cutter.
"No wonder," thought Hilary, "that we are so often unsuccessful; but
we'll checkmate them now! What can I do?"
He lay thus thinking and listening, and then an idea came to him. The
men were all busy down below, and they had left their lanterns in that
hollow.
As the thought occurred to him he began to crawl back cautiously but
quickly till he was close up to where the lanterns were hidden.
"If there is anyone there," he argued, "I can dash off into the darkness
and escape."
But he felt sure that there was no one. Still he tested the question by
saying suddenly in a gruff voice:
"Now, my lads, you're wanted below."
It was a bold stroke, but it satisfied him that all was right, and that
all hands were away.
Now, then, was his time. He could not help the _Kestrel's_ men, they
must do the work; but if they came ashore they would know why it was,
and the possibilities were that they would surprise the lugger--perhaps
be in time to capture half her cargo.
Hilary did not hesitate now, but creeping down into the hollow, he
extinguished the candle in one lantern and took off his jacket and
wrapped it round the other, completely hiding its light. Then, taking
the first in his hand, he crept up once more to the higher part of the
cliff.
Here he ould see the lights of the _Kestrel_ plain enough, but even when
stooping down he could not help seeing the black patch upon the shore.
That would not do, so he crept back a few yards, finding the cliff rise
in a sharp slope, going to the top of which he found that he could see
the light in what was apparently a cottage.
Descending again, he cautiously chose a spot where he could easily see
the cutter's lights but not the shore below the cliff, and then he
paused and listened.
The dull murmur was fainter now, but he could make out the men at work,
and for a few moments he hesitated. Suppose he should be surprised and
taken back!
"Never mind," he thought, "I am only doing my duty. They dare not kill
me, and, in the king's name, here goes."
He uncovered the lantern and placed it upon the turf, where it burned
steadily and well; then opening the door, he took the candle from the
extinct lantern, lit it, replaced it, and closed it in, put on his
jacket, and then, taking a couple of steps to the left, he stood there
holding the second lantern breast high, making a signal that he knew
would be understood on board if the diagonal lights were seen by anyone
of the watch.
Hilary's heart beat fast. He was concealed by the cliff from the busy
party below, and by the rise behind him from those inland, but at any
moment some one might come up to where the lanterns had been placed,
miss them, and see what he was about.
It was risky work, but he did not shrink, although he knew that he was
lessening his chances of escape. Still, if he could only bring the
_Kestrel's_ boats down upon the scoundrels it would be so grand a _coup_
that his hesitation was always mastered, and he stood firm, gazing out
to sea.
How long the minutes seemed, and what a forlorn hope it was! The
chances were that the watch might not notice the lights; and even if
they were seen, it might not be by anyone of sufficient intelligence to
report them to the lieutenant, or to the boatswain or gunner.
Every now and then he fancied he heard steps. Then his imagination
created the idea that some one was crawling along the ground to push him
over the cliff; but he set his teeth and stood his post, keenly alive,
though, to every real sound and such sights as he could see, and ready
at any moment to dash down the lanterns and run inland for liberty, if
not for life. How dark the lanterns seemed to make it, and how hot the
one grew in his hands! Would those on board ever see it, and was he to
stand there in vain?
"Ah! if I had only been on board," he muttered, as the time wore on,
till what seemed to him a couple of hours had passed, but what was
really only about a fourth of that time; "I would have seen it.
Somebody ought to have seen it."
Still the lights from the cutter burned out brightly, like a couple of
stars, and at last, in a hopeless mood, he began to think that the
signal he was displaying was too feeble to be seen so far.
"I may as well give it up," he muttered despairingly; "the rascals will
be up directly now, and I shall be caught, and the _Kestrels_ could
never get ashore in time.--Yes--no--yes--no--yes," he panted.
For, as he stared out at the cutter's lights, all at once they
disappeared.
He gazed till his eyes seemed starting, but there was no doubt about it;
they had been put out or covered; and turning sharply round, he hid the
lantern he carried, and turned over the other with his foot prior to
stooping and blowing it out.
The signal had been seen.