I form plans against the smugglers--Ned's brotherly advice--I continue
to visit old Riddle--He presents me with a cutter--My first lessons in
sailing--Reception of my present at home--Aunt Deb again gives her
opinion--A present in return--Sudden disappearance of Mark, which
leads to a further expression of sentiments on the part of Aunt Deb--I
visit Leighton Hall--My interview with the Squire--I obtain permission
to visit Mark in prison--"Better than doing nothing"--I console Old
Roger--"A prison's a bad place for a boy"--Returning homewards, I
unexpectedly gain some important information--The barn--The smuggler's
conference--Rather too near to be pleasant--I contrive to escape--Am
pursued and captured by the smugglers, but finally released--Aunt
Deb's disapproval of my friendship for Mark Riddle.
I have taken up so much space in describing the adventures of old
Riddle, that I must be as brief as I can with my own. Although I had
been inclined to think smugglers very fine fellows, I had lately heard
so much against them that I began to consider it would be a very
meritorious act if I could gain information which might lead to the
capture of some of them; besides which, I flattered myself Sir Reginald
would be so highly pleased at my conduct that he would exert himself
more than he at present seemed inclined to do, to obtain me an
appointment as midshipman on board a man-of-war. I kept my ideas to
myself; I didn't venture to mention them even to the old sailor, as I
suspected that if not actually in league with the smugglers, he was
friendly to them. I thought it better also to say nothing about it to
my father, for although I knew that he would be pleased should I
succeed, he might very naturally dread the danger I should have to run
in my undertaking. How to set about the matter was the difficulty. I
had no intention of acting a treacherous part, or to try to become
friendly with the smugglers, for the purpose of betraying them. My plan
was to hunt about to try and find out their hiding-places, and where any
cargoes were to be run; then to give information to the baronet. The
only person to whom I confided my plan was Ned, under a promise of
secrecy. He tried to dissuade me, pointing out that it was a very
doubtful proceeding at the best, and that, should I succeed, the
smugglers would be sure to take vengeance on me.
"They will either shoot you or carry you off to sea, and drown you, or
put you on board some outward-bound ship going to the coast of Africa,
or round Cape Horn; and it may be years before you get back, if you ever
return at all," said Ned.
Still his arguments didn't prevail with me, and I only undertook to be
cautious. Had he not given his promise to keep my intentions secret, he
would, I suspect, have told our father or Aunt Deb, and effectual means
would have been taken to prevent me from carrying out my plan. A
considerable time passed by, and although I was on the watch, I could
gain no information regarding the proceedings of the smugglers. During
this period I paid several visits to old Riddle, who always seemed glad
to see me. I was highly delighted one day when he presented me with a
cutter, which he had carved out and rigged expressly for me. It was
about two feet long and of a proportionable width, fitted with blocks,
so that I could lower or hoist up the sails, and set such canvas as the
wind would allow. The inside was of a dark salmon colour, the bottom
was painted and burnished to look like copper, while the rest was of a
jet black. Altogether I was highly delighted with the craft--the first
I had ever possessed--and I only wished she was large enough to enable
me to go aboard her, so that I might sail in her.
Near old Rogers' house was a lagoon of considerable length and breadth,
filled by the sea at high tide. It was open to all winds, and was thus
a capital place for sailing a model. He and Mark at once accompanied me
to it, and they having trimmed the sails, and placed the rudder in the
proper position, the model vessel went as steadily as if the ship had
had a crew on board. When she had finished her voyage across the
lagoon, the old sailor, taking her out, showed me how to trim the sails.
I then, carrying her back to the place whence she started, set her off
myself. I had fancied that I could make her sail directly before the
wind; but he explained the impossibility of doing this without a person
on board to steer, as she would have a tendency to luff up to the wind.
He evidently took a pleasure in teaching me, and I didn't grow weary of
learning, so that at the end of the first day I fancied I could manage
my little craft to perfection. I called her "The Hope." He promised to
have the name painted on her stern by the next day I came. I went
almost day after day for a week or more. At last old Roger declared I
could sail "The Hope" as well as he could. Sometimes Mark came with me,
but he didn't take as much interest in the amusement as I did, he being
more accustomed to practical sailing; besides which he had other
employments into which he didn't think fit to initiate me. As I before
said, he frequently went fishing on the Squire's ponds, and from a light
fowling-piece which I saw in his room, together with several nets and
other contrivances for catching game, I suspected that he also spent
some of his time in the Squire's preserves. I didn't like to hint to
him that I had any suspicion on the subject. When he saw my eyes
directed towards a gun, he observed--
"I sometimes go out wild-duck shooting in the winter. My gun is not
large enough for the purpose, so when I can contrive to get up close
enough I now and then kill a bird or two."
"I should think your gun was more suitable for killing partridges or
hares or pheasants," I remarked.
"Ah, yes, so it may be; but then pheasants and partridges and hares are
game, and I should run the risk of being hauled up before the Squire if
I were to bag any."
He laughed in a peculiar way as he spoke. I tried to get information
from him about the smugglers; but if he knew anything he held his
tongue, evidently considering it wiser not to trust me. At last, as I
wanted to show my cutter to Ned, my sister, and the rest, I told old
Roger that I should like to carry it home. To this he raised no
objection.
"You'll find her rather a heavy load, Master Dick," he said. "However,
you can rest on your way. I advise you to stow the sails first, so that
if you meet a breeze they will not press against you."
I did as he advised me, lowered the mainsail and stowed it as he had
shown me how to do, and lowered the foresail and jib. Mark had gone out
that morning and had not returned, or he would have helped me, I had no
doubt. Wishing old Roger, Mrs Roger, and Nancy good-bye, I set out.
Sometimes I carried the cutter on one shoulder, sometimes on the other,
and then under my arm; but before I got half way I began to wish that
there was a canal between old Roger's cottage and the vicarage. My arms
and shoulders ached with the load. After resting some time, I once
again started and managed at last to get home. "The Hope" just as I had
expected, met with general admiration from my brothers and sisters.
They were much astonished to see me unfurl the sails, and all wished to
come and see her sail. I promised to give them that pleasure, provided
they would undertake to carry the cutter between them. Aunt Deb was the
only person who turned up her nose at seeing my model.
"Mr Riddle might have thought of some other present to give the boy,"
she observed; "there was no necessity indeed for his giving a present at
all. Dick's head is already too much turned towards sea matters, and
this will only make him think of them more than ever. I shall advise
your father to return the vessel to the old sailor, with the request
that he will dispose of it to some one else. In my opinion, it was very
wrong of him to make such a present without first asking leave."
I thought it better to say nothing, and Aunt Deb didn't carry out her
intentions. My mother, who was always generously inclined, gave me
leave to take a few pots of jam in return. A few days afterwards Ned
and I, and two of my sisters, set out to carry our present. They had
been interested in what I had told them about the old sailor and his
pretty daughter, and wanted to see them. On our arrival they received
us in a friendly way, and Mrs Riddle and Mary hurried to place chairs
for my sisters. They thanked us much for the present we had brought. I
observed that they all looked graver than usual. I inquired for Mark.
"He hasn't come home since yesterday evening," answered his father. "I
don't fancy that any harm has befallen him; but still I can't help
thinking all sorts of things. If he doesn't come back soon, I must set
out to look for him."
I found that Mark had taken his gun, and said that he was going along
the shore to get a shot at a gull, but it was not as yet the season for
wild fowl to visit the coast. Still I could not help fancying that old
Roger knew more about Mark's intended proceedings than he thought fit to
tell me. It struck me that perhaps the smugglers had something to do
with the matter. Had I been alone I should have offered to have
accompanied him; but he didn't ask me, and indeed seemed to wish that we
should take our departure. Telling my sisters, therefore, that it was
time to go home, we wished the family good-bye, and set out on our
return. At tea that evening my sisters mentioned the disappearance of
Mark.
"Depend upon it that boy has got into mischief of some sort," observed
Aunt Deb; "though I never saw him that I know of, I am very sure from
the remarks Dick has made that he is a wild monkey, and a very unfit
companion for a young gentleman."
I defended Mark, and asserted that it was just as likely that he had met
with some accident.
"At all events, I intend to go over to-morrow morning, and inquire what
has happened to him," I said. "I don't remember making any remarks
which would lead you Aunt Deb, to suppose that he was otherwise than a
well-conducted fellow. He seems much attached to his family, and
they're evidently very fond of him."
"Perhaps his father spoils him as other parents are apt to do," remarked
Aunt Deb, glancing at the Vicar. "The sooner you break off your
intimacy with him the better in my opinion--and now you are aware of my
sentiments."
The latter was a remark Aunt Deb usually made at the conclusion of an
argument, by which she intended it to be understood that her opinion was
not to be disputed.
Next morning, without waiting for breakfast, taking only a crust of
bread and a cup of milk, I set off, anxious to learn what had happened
to my friend Mark. On nearing the cottage I saw Mary at the door.
"Oh! Master Dick, I'm so glad you're come," she exclaimed. "Father and
mother are in a great taking. Mark has got into trouble. When he went
out yesterday evening he met Jack Quilter and Tom Bass, and they
persuaded him to go shooting where he ought not to have gone, and all
three were caught by Sir Reginald's keepers. They had a fight for it,
and Quilter and Bass knocked one of the keepers down, and would have
treated him worse if Mark had not interfered. Three other keepers
coming up, they were all carried off to the Hall, where they have been
locked up ever since. Father only heard of it yesterday evening after
you went. He at once set off to try and see Sir Reginald, and he only
got back late last night, or rather this morning, so he has only just
now got up. He said that the Squire was very savage with him, and
threatened to send Mark off to sea. It was with great difficulty that
father got leave to see Mark, who told him how he had saved the keeper's
life, but the Squire would not believe it, and said that he had been
caught poaching, and must take the consequences."
"I'm very sorry to hear this," I said to Mary; "but don't despair of
your brother getting off. I'll ask my father to plead for him; and if
he won't do that, I'll go myself and tell the Squire what a capital
fellow Mark is. It would be a shame to send him to sea against his
will, although he might be ready enough to go of his own accord."
After I had talked the matter over with Mary for some time, I went into
the cottage, where I found Mrs Riddle looking very downcast, and soon
afterwards old Roger made his appearance. He repeated what Mary had
said, and added that he intended to engage the services of Lawyer Roe to
defend Mark, though the expenses would be greater than he could well
bear. I was afraid, however, that Lawyer Roe could do nothing for Mark,
taken as he had been with a gun in his hands, in Sir Reginald's
preserves, should the baronet resolve to prosecute. I again offered to
go off at once to see Sir Reginald. I however much doubted that my
father would undertake the mission, especially as Aunt Deb would
endeavour to persuade him to have nothing to do with the matter. Mrs
Riddle and Mary pressed me to take some breakfast, which they had just
prepared, and as by this time I was very hungry, I gladly accepted their
invitation. As it was important to get early to the Hall, directly
breakfast was over I started, resolved to employ every means I could to
get Mark liberated. It didn't occur to me that probably Sir Reginald
would pay no attention to my request, or that he would consider my
interference as a piece of impertinence. I made up my mind to speak
boldly and forcibly, and felt very confident that I should gain my
object. Old Roger accompanied me part of the way, but he thought it was
better not to be seen near the Hall, lest it should be supposed I had
been influenced by him. I was but a little fellow, it must be
remembered, and without any experience of the world, or my hopes would
not have risen so high.
"Never fear, Mr Riddle," said I, as I parted from the old sailor.
"I'll manage, by hook or by crook, to get Mark set free, so tell Mrs
Riddle and Mary to keep up their spirits."
When I reached the Hall, I walked boldly up to the front porch, and gave
a sturdy pull at the bell. A powdered footman opened the door. In a
firm voice I asked to see Sir Reginald.
"He is at breakfast."
"Then say Mr Richard Cheveley has called, and begs to see him on an
important matter."
The footman gave an equivocal smile down at me, and went into the
breakfast-room at one side of the Hall.