"Get away, and give the alarm?"
How could we?
There was no rope and pulley up on the cliff now, and the boat was
occupied by the cow; while, even if it had been empty, it would have
meant a six mile row to reach a landing-place at that time of the tide,
and an eight miles' walk back.
And here was the cutter's gig close to them, and the lieutenant ready to
ask him the meaning of the smuggled spirits being there.
For there was no mistaking the fact that the kegs were full of smuggled
spirit. The one the king's men had dragged dripping from the sea, bore
certain unmistakable markings, and it was evidently brother to those on
the rock.
Ram and Jemmy had no time for thinking; the gig was run quickly up
alongside of the ledge, and Dick tossed in his oar, sprang out, sending
the clear water splashing with his bare feet, as he crossed up to the
kegs, and, taking one under each arm, went more slowly and cautiously
back to the boat, where his messmates took them carefully, with many a
chuckle and grin, to deposit them beside the others.
"Now, my lad, run her alongside of the cow--I mean of the other boat,"
cried the lieutenant.
This was quickly done, and the little officer turned sharply to where
Ram and Jemmy Dadd were seated on the rock, looking on as stolidly as if
nothing whatever was coming.
"Hi! You, sir; come here!" cried the lieutenant.
"Me, or him?" replied Ram coolly.
"You, sir."
Ram got up, whistled softly, and went down to the boat.
"Want some more milk?" he said, with a grin.
"Silence, sir! Do you see those?"
"What, them tubs?"
"Yes, sir."
"Not till you got 'em. Wish I had!"
"I dare say you do, sir. Now, then: how did they come there?"
"Why, your chaps put 'em there. I see 'em just now."
"No, no; I mean in the sea and on that rock."
"Come there?" said Ram, with a vacant look.
"Yes, sir! How did they come there? Now, no trifling; out with it at
once."
"Been a wreck, p'r'aps, and they're washed up."
"Bah!" cried the lieutenant.
"Ah, you may say `Bah!' but they might. Why, there was a big ship's
boat and a jib-boom washed up here one day; warn't there, Jem?"
"Yes," growled the rough-looking fellow, half-fisherman half
farm-labourer. "And don't you 'member the big tub o' sugar, as was all
soaked with water, till she was like treacle?"
"Ay, and the--"
"That will do--that will do!" cried the lieutenant.
"Washed up, eh? What's in those kegs?"
"I know," cried Ram, showing his teeth, and looking at Archy. "Full o'
hoysters! Give us one!"
"Come, sir; this won't do for me. You know as well as I do what's in
those kegs. Where are the rest?"
"Rest?" said Ram, looking round. "Are there any more of 'em?"
"Yes, I'll be bound there are. Now, then, out with it, if you want to
save your skin."
"Skin? That's what father said this morning about the cow; but she
wasn't drowned."
"Look here, boy. All this sham innocency won't do for me. Now, then,
if you will tell me where the other kegs are, you shall have a reward;
if you don't, you'll go to prison as sure as you're there. Jump ashore,
two of you, and arrest them before they run."
Ram turned, and stared at Jemmy Dadd with an ill-used countenance.
"What does he mean, Jemmy?"
The man shook his head.
"Do you know where the other little barrels are?"
"Wish I did," grumbled Jemmy. "Say, master, what would you give a man
if he showed you where they were?"
"Ten guineas; perhaps twenty," said the lieutenant eagerly.
"Ten guineas! Twenty pounds!" said Jemmy, taking off his red worsted
cap, and rubbing his head. "My! Was they your'n? Did you lose 'em?"
"No," roared the lieutenant; "it's plain enough, and you know. A cargo
has been run here on this ledge. Now, then; it's no use to try and hide
it. You know where it is; so will you gain a reward by giving evidence,
or will you go to prison?"
Jemmy shook his head, and gave Ram a puzzled look.
"We came after our cow, sir, please," said the latter, looking up at the
sailor, who stood with a hand upon his arm, while Jemmy did the same.
"Here, boy!" cried the lieutenant. "You know what a lot of money ten
guineas would be?"
"Yes," said Ram grinning.
"Why, you could buy yourself a watch and chain, and be doing your duty
to the king as well. Come, did you see a French boat down here last
night?"
"No," said Ram. "It was so foggy."
"You are playing with me, sir. Now then, will you answer?"
"I did answer," said Ram meekly. "Didn't I, Jemmy?"
"Jump ashore, you two," said the lieutenant, "and have a good search all
among those rocks. The cargo's there for certain. You two others," he
continued, "draw cutlasses, and keep guard over the prisoners."
His orders were obeyed, and the two men stood by guarding Ram, Jemmy,
and the cow, who blinked her eyes and smelt at the sea water from time
to time, raised her head and uttered a soft low, which was answered from
the green top of the cliff two hundred feet above them, where another
cow stood gazing down.
The lieutenant and Archy stood up in the boat watching and directing as
Dick and his companion searched about in all directions along the lower
ledge, and then managed to climb up to the one twenty feet above, where
the next minute Dick gave a shout.
"Hah!" cried the lieutenant joyfully. "He has found them."
Ram shut one of his eyes at Jemmy, who made a rumbling noise, but his
face did not change.
"What is it, my lad?"
"Cave," cried Dick.
"What's in it?"
"Lobster-pots and old sail. All wore out."
"Nothing else?"
"No, sir."
"You go and look."
The second man disappeared, but returned directly.
"It's on'y a bit of a hole, sir, and there's nothin' else."
The search was continued and ended, for the ledge was shut in by the
mighty wall of rock towering above their heads, and the lieutenant was
soon convinced that it was impossible for any one to climb that without
tackle from above.
"Come back aboard," he said. "You two stop and guard those prisoners."
The sailors stepped back into the boat and resumed their oars, to row
steadily east for about half a mile, past several shallow caves, but
they could not see one likely to become a hiding-place for smuggled
goods, and the rock rose higher and higher above their heads, precluding
all ascent.
The boat was rowed quickly back past where the prisoners sat contentedly
enough; save the cow, which kept making the great rock wall echo with
her lowings, while three more of her kind now stood on high, gazing down
at her plight.
The lieutenant now had himself rowed west for about the same distance,
but in this direction they did not pass a crack in the great rock wall,
let alone a cave, and once more the gig was rowed back.
"Get back into your boat," said the little officer sharply.
"Thank ye, sir," cried Ram. "Come along, Jemmy. Find your little
barrels?"
"Come aboard, my lads," continued the lieutenant, without replying to
the question. "Make fast her painter to the ring-bolt here."
This was done, a fresh order given, and, with the rough boat and cow in
tow, the gig began to make slowly for the cutter.
Ram bent his head down in the boat.
"Hist, Jemmy!" he whispered.
"Hallo!"
"Shall we jump over and swim ashore?"
"Nay; what's the good?--they'd come arter us, and there's no getting
away."
"I say," shouted Ram, "what are you going to do?"
Archy turned to the lieutenant.
"Take no notice. A day or two aboard will make him speak."
"The cow wants turning out to grass," shouted Ram; but no heed being
paid to his words, "Oh, very well," he said, "I don't care. She'll die,
and you'll have to pay for her. I wish my father knew."
He need not have troubled himself to wish, for Farmer Shackle was lying
down, hidden behind some stones on the top of the cliff, watching what
was going on, with his brow rugged. He had heard enough of the
conversation, after being attracted to the place by the action of his
cows, to know that the kegs had been discovered, and he smiled as he
made out that his boy and man were quite staunch, and would not say a
word.
"Won't get anything out o' them," he muttered, as he watched the
returning boats. "Shall I tell old Graeme? No; that would only scare
him. They'll land a party, and come and search; but they won't dare to
go to the Hoze, so I'll leave the stuff there and chance it."
Having made up his mind to this, he lay behind the stones watching till
he had seen Ram, Jemmy, and the cow on board the cutter and the boats
made fast; after which, as he could see that the lieutenant was busy
with his glass, he waited his opportunity, got a cow between him and the
sea, and then with raised stick began to drive the cattle from the
neighbourhood of the precipice, his action seeming perfectly natural,
and raising no suspicion in the officer's breast.
Farmer Shackle was quite right, for it was not long before a boat,
well-filled with men, under the command of the midshipman and the
master, put off from the cutter, and began to row west to the little
cove, through whose narrow entrance a boat could pass to lie on the
surface of a cup-shaped depression, at whose head a limpid stream of
water gurgled over the cleanly-washed shingle below the great chalk
cliffs.
Shackle saw them go, and, guessing their destination, chuckled; for in
their ignorance the search party were going to make a journey of twelve
or fourteen miles round each way, when any one accustomed to the place
would have made the trip in less than two.
"Well, let 'em go," said Shackle; "but if they do find out, I'd better
have my two boats out at sea," and he thought of his luggers lying in
the little cup-like cove. "Nay there's no hurry; people won't be too
eager to tell 'em whose boats they are, and I might want to get away."
He remained thinking about his son for a few minutes and then his
countenance lightened.
"Tchah!" he said; "they won't eat him, and they can't do anything but
keep him. They've found three kegs--that's all. Wish I'd been behind
the man who forgot 'em! He wouldn't forget that in a hurry."