A TERRIBLE DISASTER.
"WHO'S there?" demanded Red Beard's rough voice.
Davey thought a moment, then he said—
"'Tis the Dutchman knows what's what,
And he likes his bottles squat.'"
Then he heard Johnnie say, "Why, Captain, it's Davey Coleman's voice."
"Young rascal!" bellowed Captain Smythe. "If it is, I'll wring for him
what little neck he's got. Open the door, my men!"
The rock was rolled away, and there stood Davey.
"It's a matter of life and death I'm come on," said Davey. "I've run
all the way from Tenby, first to Penally and then here, to tell you
that Spankle and Tom Hughes have split on you. I saw them at the watch
house."
"Spankle and Tom Cat!" repeated the captain, while the rest of the gang
seemed struck dumb with amazement. "Sure there's no mistake, Davey?"
"Quite sure, sir," replied Davey.
"Then sharp's the word," said Captain Smythe. "Now, my men, we must
get all the stuff we've got left here taken out of this,—and back to
the ship. Ben, go out through the wood way, and down to Tenby as fast
as you can, and bring the schooner a bit nearer this way. You'll find
Terry Nicholls on board, and you two can manage her just for that
little distance. The rest of you set to and empty the storing cave,
and carry the things down to the boat at the back door. Now then, look
alive!"
In a moment, the men had set to work, and Davey having done what he
came to do, was about to slip away, when the captain turned and came
towards him.
"Davey Coleman," said he, "you've done us a good turn that I'll never
forget. Another day—if we should be lucky enough to meet again—you
shall tell me how you managed to get away from our back door without a
boat; you, too—that couldn't swim a stroke!"
The boy groped his way back to the entrance, ran down the hill through
the wood, and soon found himself in the little lane leading out into
the high road.
Fearing to miss his way in the night (which had now become very dark)
if he went by the short cut, he came home by the road, getting a lift
for the last part of the journey in a baker's light cart.
The circus performance was in full swing as Davey came up the road
towards the field, but it was not yet the hour for Leo's appearance, so
the lad was in good time.
Thankful that his errand to Hoyle's Mouth was accomplished, he took up
his station at once by the big cage, keeping a sharp look-out lest any
of the loiterers should come dangerously near.
"I say, Waif, your master wants you for a minute over there," said one
of the circus grooms coming up. "Go at once, will you?"
"Yes, Jim, but please wait here till I come back," said Davey, "and see
that nobody gets hurt."
Jim readily agreed, but a moment later he met an old crony of his, and
forgetting his charge, walked away with him, gaily chattering.
Leo kept Davey longer than he had expected, and before he could get
back to his place, he suddenly heard some awful shrieks and a deafening
roar.
Davey rushed back, followed by his master, across the field, and as
they did so, a cry was raised, "Where's the tamer? Run and fetch him!
The lions are out! The beasts have escaped!"
And sure enough, when Leo and Davey reached the tent with a light,
they found that from two of the cages the bolts had been slipped back,
the latches lifted, and now the barred doors stood wide open. Ahab and
Jezebel, the lion and lioness, were gone, and so was the great bear;
only the leopards, snarling and growling and tearing at the cage,
remained safely imprisoned.
And while Leo and the Waif stood speechless with horror, unable for the
moment to think what to do next, high above the panic-stricken cries of
the scattering crowd, Davey heard a wild and melancholy voice that he
knew.
"Woe to them!" it chanted. "Woe to the evil-doers! The beasts of the
field shall devour them, the lions shall take them for a prey. Behold,
a judgment is come upon them in the name of the Lord; for I, even I,
have loosed the bolts and the bars, and let the strong and the fierce
go free. Woe to the evil-doers! Woe! And they shall perish from off the
face of the earth."
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