Hickathrift shook his head; Mrs Hickathrift screwed up her lips, shut
her eyes, and shuddered; and the former doubled up his hard fist and
shook it in the air, as if he were going to hit nothing, as he gave out
his opinion--this being also the opinion of all the labouring people
near.
"Ay, yow may laugh, Mester Dick, but they'll nivver find out nowt. It's
sperrits, that's what it is--sperrits of the owd fen, them as makes the
ager, and sends will-o'-the-wisps to lead folkses into the bog. They
don't like the drain being med, and they shutes and bons, and does all
they can to stop it."
"You're a great goose, Hicky," said Dick sharply. "Who ever heard of a
ghost--"
"I didn't say ghost, my lad. I said sperrits!"
"Well, they're all the same."
"Nay, nay, ghosts is ghosts, and sperrits is sperrits."
"Well, then, who ever heard of a spirit going out skating with a
lantern, or poling about with a punt, or shooting people, or blowing up
sluice-gates, or cutting beasts' legs, or setting fire to their houses?
Did you?"
"I nivver did till now, Mester Dick."
"It's all nonsense about spirits; isn't it, Tom?"
"Of course it is," was the reply. "We're going to catch the spirit some
day, and we'll bring him here."
"Ay, do," said Hickathrift, nodding his head softly. "Well, I'm glad
you two hev made it up."
"Never mind about that. Has Dave been over?"
"Ay, lad. Soon as the ice went away and he could get his punt along he
come to me and asked me to get him some wood sawn out; and we done it
already. Ice is gone and to-morrow I'm going to pole across and help
him knock up a frame, and he'll do the rest hissen."
The damage was far more severe at the drainage works; but even here the
traces of the fire soon disappeared, and fresh huts were run up nearer
to where the men were at work.
One thing, however, was noticeable, and that was the action of the
squire, the engineer, and Farmer Tallington--the engineer, after hanging
away for a time, becoming again more friendly, though Dick never seemed
at ease in his presence now.
These three leaders on the north side of the fen held a meeting with
dwellers on the west and south, and after long consultation the results
were seen in a quiet way which must have been rather startling to
wrong-doer? and those who were secretly fighting to maintain the fen
undrained.
Tom was the first to begin talking about these precautions as he and
Dick started to go down to the drain one morning early in spring, after
a long spell of bitter miserable weather, succeeded by a continuance of
fierce squalls off the sea.
"I say," he said, "father's got such a splendid new pair of pistols."
"Has he? So has my father," said Dick staring. "Are yours mounted with
brass and with brass pans?"
"Yes, and got lions' heads on the handles just at the end."
"Ours are just the same," said Dick. "I say, Tom, it won't be very
pleasant for the spirits if they come now. Hullo, what does Hicky
want?"
The big wheelwright was signalling to them to come, and they turned in
to his work-shed.
"Thowt you lads 'd like to see," he said. "What d'yer think o' them?"
He pointed to a couple of muskets lying on the bench.
"Are these yours?" said Tom.
"Yes and no, lads. They're for me and Jacob, and we've got orders to be
ready at any time to join in and help run down them as does all the
mischief; but it's a sorry business, lads. Powther and shot's no use.
Yow can't get shut of sperrits that ways. Good goons, aren't they?"
The pieces were inspected and the boys soon afterwards started.
"I don't see much use in our going down here," said Tom, "for if there
is anything stupid it's the cutting of a drain. It's all alike, just
the same as the first bit they cut."
"Only we don't have to go so far to see the men at work. I suppose one
of these days we shall have Mr Marston setting up huts for the men
about the Toft. Hist! look out! What's that?"
"Whittrick!" said Tom, running in pursuit of the little animal which
crossed their path. "There must be rabbits about here."
"Yes. Do you know what they call whittricks down south?"
"No."
"Stoats."
"How stupid!" said Tom after a vain chase after the snaky-looking little
creature. "They must be very silly people down south. Do they call
them stoats in London?"
"Haven't got any in London--only rats."
The engineer greeted the lads warmly and went up to the temporary hut he
occupied to fetch his gun, when, in the corner of the room Dick saw
something which made him glance at Tom.
"Yes," said the engineer, who saw the glance; "we're going to show your
fen-men, Master Dick, that we do not mean to be trifled with. I've got
muskets; and as the law does not help us, we shall help ourselves. So
if anyone intends to come shooting us, blowing up our works, or setting
fire to our huts, he had better look out for bullets."
"But you wouldn't shoot anyone, Mr Marston?" said Tom.
"Indeed but we would, or any two, sir. It's a case of self-defence.
There, Dick, don't look at me as if I were a bloodthirsty savage. I
have got all these muskets down and shown my men how to use them, and I
am letting it be known that we are prepared."
"Seems rather horrible," said Dick.
"More horrible for your father to be shot, Dick, and for people to be
burned in their beds, eh!"
"Ever so much," cried Tom. "You shoot 'em all, Mr Marston."
"Precaution is better than cure, Tom," said the engineer smiling. "Now
that we are prepared, you will see that we shall not be interfered with,
and my arming the men will save bloodshed instead of causing it."
"Think so, sir?"
"I am sure of it, my lad. Besides, if I had not done something, my men
would not have stayed. Even Bargle said it was getting too warm. He
said he was not afraid, but he would not stay. So here we are ready for
the worst: self-defence, my lads. And now let's go and get a few ducks
for dinner. They are pretty plentiful, and my men like them as well as
I."
The result was a long walk round the edge of the fen and the bringing
back of a fairly miscellaneous bag of wild-fowl, the engineer having
become a skilful gunner during his stay in the wild coast land.
Mr Marston was right; the preparations made by him and all the farmers
round who had an interest in the draining of the fen had the effect of
putting a stop to the outrages. The work went on as the weeks glided
by, and spring passed, and summer came to beautify the wild expanse of
bog and water. There had been storm and flood, but people had slept in
peace, and the troubles of the past were beginning to be forgotten.
There were plenty of fishing and fowling expeditions, visits to the
decoy with good results, and journeys to John Warren's home for the
hunting out of rabbits; but life was beginning seriously for the two
lads, who found occupation with Mr Marston and began to acquire the
rudiments of knowledge necessary for learning to be draining engineers.
Sometimes they were making drawings, sometimes overlooking, and at
others studying works under their teacher's guidance.
But it was a pleasant time, for Marston readily broke off work to join
them in some expedition.
One day, as they were poling along, Tom gave Dick a queer look, and
nodded in the direction of a fir-crowned gravelly island lying about a
mile away.
"When's the Robinson Crusoe business going to begin, Dick?" he said.
Dick laughed, but it was not a merry laugh, for the memory was a painful
one, and mingled with recollections of times when everyone was
suspicious of him, or seemed to be; and he was fast relapsing into an
unhappy morbid state.
"What was the Robinson Crusoe business?" said Marston; and on being
told, he laughingly proposed going on.
"Let's have a look at the place, boys," he said. "Why shouldn't we have
a summer-house out here to come and stay at sometimes, shooting,
fishing, or collecting. We cannot always work."
The pole was vigorously plied, and at the end of half an hour they had
landed, to find the place just as they remembered it to have been the
year before. There were the bushes, the heath, and heather in the
gravelly soil, and the fir-trees flourishing.
"A capital place!" said the engineer. "I tell you what, boys, we'll
bring Big Bargle over, and a couple of men; the wheelwright shall cut us
some posts, rafters, and a door, and we'll make a great hut, and--"
He stopped short at that point and stared, as they all stood in the
depths of the little fir-wood, with the water and reed-beds hidden from
sight. For there, just before them, as if raised by magic, was the very
building Mr Marston had described, and upon examination they found it
very dry and warm, with a bed of heath in one corner.
"Some sportsman has forestalled us," said the engineer. "One of the
farmers, I suppose, from the other side of the fen."
They came away, with the lads sharing the same feeling of
disappointment, for the little island was robbed of all its romance. It
was no longer uninhabited, and the temptation to have a hut there was
gone.
"Plenty more such places, boys," said Mr Marston, "so never mind.
We'll hunt one out and make much of it before my drain turns all this
waste into fertile fields. Now let's get back, for I have a lot to chat
over with the wheelwright."
The next morning Hickathrift was beaming, and he came up to the Toft to
catch Dick, who was feeding Solomon and avoiding his friendly kicks,
while he waited for Tom to go over with him to the works.
"Say, Mester Dick, on'y think of it! Leave that owd ass alone, lad, and
listen to me."
"What is it, Hicky?"
"Why, lad, I'm a man full o'--what do you call that when a chap wants to
get on in the world?"
"Ambition, Hicky."
"That's it, Mester Dick. I'm full on it, bud I've nivver hed a chance.
You see I've had to mend gates, and owd carts, and put up fences. I did
nearly get the job to build a new barn, bud I lost it, and all my life's
been jobs."
"And what now?" said Dick warmly.
"What now, lad! Why, Mester Marston's set me to mak three sets o' small
watter gates for sides o' the dreern, and I'm to hev money in advance
for the wood and iron work, and my fortune's about made."
"Hooray, Hicky! I am glad," cried Dick; and Tom, coming up, was
initiated into the great new step in advance, and added his
congratulations.
"Why, you're carpenter and joiner to the works now, Hicky!" said Dick,
laughing.
"Ay, lad, that's it, and I don't fear for nowt."
It was less than a fortnight after, that Dick lay asleep one night and
dreaming of being in a boat on the mere, or one of its many additional
pools, when he started into wakefulness with the impression that the
house was coming down.
"Eh? What is it?" he cried, as there was a heavy thumping on the wall
close to his bed's head.
"Get up--fire!" came in muffled tones; and bounding out of bed he saw
that there was a lurid light on the water, evidently reflected from
something burning pretty near at hand, while there was the distant hum
of voices, mingled with shrieks and the barking of a dog.
Dick began hurriedly dressing, and threw open the window, to find that
the dog was Grip, who was out in the yard barking frantically, as if to
alarm the house.
"What is it, father? Where?" cried Dick.
"Don't know; not here. Labourers' cottages, I think," replied the
squire, who was still dressing. Then, as a burst of flame seemed to
rush up skyward, and a cloud of brilliant sparks floated away, he added,
"Dick, my lad, it is poor Hickathrift's turn now."
He was quite right, for as they ran the few hundred yards which
separated them from the burning place, it was to find that the poor
fellow's house, work-shed, stock of wood, peat-stack, and out-buildings
were in a blaze; even his punt, which had been brought up for its annual
repair and pitching, blazing furiously.
Hickathrift, Jacob, Mrs Hickathrift, and the farm people were all at
work with buckets, which they handed along from the dipping place by the
old willows; but at the first glance the squire saw that it was in vain,
and that the fire had taken such hold that nothing could be saved. Both
he and Dick, however, joined in the efforts, saying nothing but working
with all their might, the squire taking Jacob's place and dipping the
water, while the apprentice and Dick helped to pass the full buckets
along and the empty back, for they were not enough to form a double
line.
For about a quarter of an hour this was kept up, the wheelwright
throwing the water where he thought it would do most good; but the
flames only roared the louder, and, fanned by a pleasant breeze,
fluttered and sent up sparks of orange and gold, till a cask of pitch
got well alight, and then the smoke arose in one dense cloud.
It was a glorious sight in spite of its horror, for the wood in the shed
and the pile without burned brilliantly, lighting up the mere, gilding
the reeds, and spreading a glow around that was at times dazzling.
"Pass it along quick! pass it along!" Jacob kept saying, probably to
incite people to work harder; but it was not necessary, for everyone was
doing his or her best, when, just as they were toiling their hardest,
the wheelwright took a bucket of water, hurled it as far as he could,
and then dashed on the empty vessel and turned away.
"No good," he said bitterly, as he wiped his face. "Fire joost spits at
me when I throw in the watter. It must bon down, squire, eh?"
"Yes, my man, nothing could save the place now."
"And all my same [lard] in a jar--ten pounds good," murmured Mrs
Hickathrift.
"Ay, moother, and my Sunday clothes," said the wheelwright with a bitter
laugh.
"And my best frock."
"Ay, and my tools, and a bit o' mooney I'd saved, and all my stoof. Eh,
but I'm about ruined, moother, and just when I was going to get on and
do the bit o' work for the dreern folk."
The fire seemed to leap up suddenly with a great flash as if to
enlighten the great fellow's understanding, but he did not grasp the
situation for a few moments, till his wife, as she bemoaned the loss of
a paste-board and a flour-tub, suddenly exclaimed:
"It's them sperrits of the fen as has done it all."
"Ay, so it be!" roared Hickathrift. "Ay! Hey, bud if I could git one
of 'em joost now by scruff of his neck and the seat of his breeches,
I'd--I'd--I'd roast him."
"Then it was no accident, Hickathrift?"
"Yes, squire," said the man bitterly; "same sort o' axden as bont Farmer
Tallington's stable and shed. Hah, here he is!" he added, as the farmer
came panting up with Tom. "Come to waarm theesen, farmer? It's my turn
now."
"My lad! My lad!" panted the farmer, "I am sorry."
"Thanky, farmer; but fine words butter no parsneps. Theer, bairn," he
cried, putting his arm round his wife's waist; "don't cry that away. We
aren't owd folks, and I'm going to begin again. Be a good dry plaace
after fire's done, and theer'll be some niced bits left for yow to heat
the oven when fire's out."
"And no oven, no roof, no fireside."
"Hush! hush! bairn!" said the big fellow thickly. "Don't I tell thee
I'm going to begin again! What say, Mester Dick? Nay, nay, lad, nay."
"What did Dick say?" said the squire sharply.
"Hush, Hicky!" whispered Dick quickly.
"Nay, lad, I wean't hoosh! Said, squire, as he's got thretty shillings
saved up, and he'd give it to me to start wi'."
"And so he shall, my man, and other neighbours will help you too. I'll
make Dick's thirty shillings a hundred guineas."
"Well, I can't do that, Hickathrift," said Farmer Tallington; "but if
ever you want to borrow twenty guineas come to me; and there's my horse
and sled to lead wood wheniver you like, and a willing hand or two to
help."
Hickathrift turned sharply to say something; but he could only utter a
great gulp, and, turning away, he went a few yards, and leaned his head
upon his arm against a willow tree, and in the bright glow of the
burning building, whose gilded smoke rose up like some vast plume, they
could see his shoulders heave, while his wife turned to the squire, and
in a simple, homely fashion, kissed his hand.
The squire turned to stop Dick, but it was too late, for the lad had
reached the wheelwright and laid his hand upon his shoulder.
"Hicky," he said softly; "be a man!"
"Ay, lad, I will," said the great fellow, starting up with his eyes wet
with tears. "It isn't the bont plaace made me soft like that, but
what's been said."
He had hardly spoken before there was a peculiar noise heard in the
distance, as if a drove of cattle had escaped and were coming along the
hard road of the fen; but it soon explained itself, for there were
shouts and cries, and five minutes later Mr Marston and his men, nearly
a hundred strong, came running up, ready to assist, and then utter the
fiercest of denunciations against those who had done this thing.
Then there was an ominous silence, as all stood and watched the burning
building till there was nothing but a heap of smouldering wood, which
was scattered and the last sparks quenched.