"Now is there anything else we could do--anything we have not thought
of?"
"The hospital," I said suddenly, as the idea came like a flash of light.
"I did not say anything to you, my lad," replied Gunson, "but that was
the first place I went to, thinking he might have been knocked down.
No: try again."
But no, I could think of nothing else, and my despondency was rapidly
increasing, when all at once Gunson jumped up and said sharply--
"It's too bad to destroy your belief, my lad, but I feel sure that mate
of yours is playing you a dirty trick. He is a miserable coward, and
hiding away. The lad has turned tail and--I'm a fool."
For at that moment, panting and exhausted with running, Esau rushed into
the room, with nothing on but his shirt and trousers, and the former
torn halfway across his back.
"Esau!" I shouted, joyfully.
"Then--you're--not gone," he panted hoarsely; and turning from me, he
threw himself into a chair at the table and began to eat ravenously.
"You young scoundrel! where have you been?" cried Gunson, angrily.
"Tell you presently," said Esau, with his mouth full. "Go and fetch the
police."
"Police! no," cried Gunson, excitedly. "Here, do as I do," he
continued; and taking out his handkerchief, he hastily made a bundle of
the meat, butter, and bread we had left.
"No, no," cried Esau, "I'm so hungry."
"Eat as we go."
"Where?" I cried.
"Boat. We may catch the schooner after all."
"No, no," cried Esau; "fetch the police. They've got my clothes, money,
everything. I'll show you where."
"And I'll show you where," cried Gunson, "if you don't come along."
"But I can't go like this," cried Esau.
"Can't you," said Gunson, fiercely. "Here, hi! Frau!"
The landlady came running in, and began to exclaim on seeing Esau's
state; but she was silenced directly by Gunson, who thrust a couple of
dollars into her hands, and between us we hurried Esau out into the
road.
"But I can't--my--"
"Come along!" cried Gunson, fiercely.
"And they'll be after me directly," panted Esau. "Said I shouldn't go
till I'd paid a hundred dollars."
"They had better come for them," muttered Gunson between his teeth; and
after that Esau suffered himself to be hurried along, consoling himself
with a few bites at the piece of bread he held, as we ran on to where in
the soft moonlight we could see several good-sized fishing-boats lying,
with men idling near them on the shore.
"Now then," cried Gunson, quickly; "we want to be put aboard the
schooner that sailed this evening. Three dollars. There she is, two
miles out."
No one answered.
"Four dollars!" shouted Gunson. "There's a good light wind, and you can
soon reach her."
Still no one stirred, the men staring at us in a dull, apathetic way.
"Five dollars," cried Gunson, angrily.
"Say, stranger," said one of the men, "what's your hurry? stole
suthin'?"
"No," I shouted; "but it's as if they have. Our chests are aboard, and
we've paid our passage."
"Come on then," said one of the men, rousing himself. "I'll take you
for five dollars. Jump in."
He led the way to a little skiff, two more of his companions following
him, and they rowed us out to one of the fishing-boats, made fast the
one we had come in with the painter, cast off the buoy-rope, and began
to hoist a sail, with the result that a soft pattering sound began under
the boat's bows, and she careened over and began to glide softly away,
the man who had gone to the rudder guiding her safely through the
vessels lying by the buoy near the shore.
"There," cried Gunson, taking off the pea-jacket he wore, and throwing
it to Esau. "Put that on, my lad; and here, eat away if you're hungry.
You shall tell us afterwards where you've been."
"But they've got my money," said Esau, in an ill-used tone.
"Then we must share with you, and set you up. Think we shall catch the
schooner, skipper?"
"Guess we shall if this wind holds. If it changes she'll be off out to
sea, and we shall lose her. Guess you'll pay your five dollars all the
same?"
"Look here," said Gunson, roughly. "You've got an Englishman to deal
with."
"Oh, yes; guess I see that; but you send some ugly customers out here
sometimes, stranger. Not good enough for yew to keep at home."
Gunson made no answer, but sat watching the vessel, which, as it lay far
out in the soft moonlight, looked faint, shadowy, and unreal.
Every now and then a good puff of wind filled our sail, so that the boat
rushed through the water, and our hopes rose high, far we felt that in
less than an hour we should be alongside our goal; but soon after Gunson
would utter an impatient ejaculation, for the wind that sent us surging
through the beautiful waters of the bay, sent the schooner along rapidly
too, so that she grew more faint.
Once or twice I glanced back at the shore, to see how beautiful the town
looked with its lights rising above lights, and all softened and subdued
in the clear moonlight; but I was soon looking ahead again, for our
chase was too exciting for me to take much interest in a view.
Every now and then the boat tacked, and we went skimming along with her
gunwale close down to the water, when we were all called upon to shift
our position, the boatman evidently doing his best to overtake the
schooner, which kept seeming nearer and then farther off in the most
tantalising way.
"Guess I didn't ask you enough, skipper," said the boatman. "This is
going to be a long job, and I don't think we shall dew it now."
"Do your best, man," said Gunson quietly. "I must overtake the schooner
if it is possible."
All at once the wind dropped, the sail shivered and flapped, and we lay
almost without motion, but to our annoyance we could just make out the
schooner with her sails well filled, gliding steadily away.
The master of the boat laughed.
"Wait a bit," he said. "She won't go on like that long. P'r'aps we
shall have the wind next and she be nowhere."
Gunson glanced at the oars, but feeling that if we were to overtake the
vessel it must be by means of the sails, he said nothing, but sat
watching by me till we saw the schooner's sails die away.
"Gone?" I whispered.
"No; she has changed her course a little and is stern on to us. There,
you can see her again."
To my great delight I saw that it was so, the schooner having now
turned, and she grew plainer and plainer in our sight as the moon shone
full now on the other side of her sails, and we saw that she too was
becalmed. Then in a few minutes our own sails filled, and we went
gliding on over the glistening sea, which flashed like silver as we
looked back.
I uttered a sigh full of relief, for the schooner still lay becalmed,
while we were now rushing through the water.
"Well, my lad," said Gunson suddenly, "we thought we had lost you. How
was it? One of us thought you had turned tail, and slipped away."
"That wasn't Mr Gordon, I know," said Esau. "I ain't the slipping away
sort. Those chaps got hold of me again, and I don't like going away
like this without setting the police at them."
"You are best away, my lad," said Gunson.
"I don't know so much about that," cried Esau. "They've got all my
money, and my knife and coat, and that new pipe."
"What new pipe?" I said sharply. "You don't smoke."
"Nobody said I did," replied Esau, gruffly. "Fellow isn't obliged to
smoke because he's got a pipe in his pocket, is he?"
"No, but you had no pipe in your pockets this morning, because you
turned them all out before me."
"Well, then, I'd got one since if you must know."
"Why, you did not go away to buy a pipe, did you?" I said.
"Why, there wouldn't ha' been any harm in it if I had, would there?" he
said surlily, as he held one hand over the side to let the water foam
through his fingers.
"Then you gave us all this trouble and anxiety," I cried angrily, "and
have made us perhaps ruin our passage, because you wanted to learn to
smoke."
"I didn't know it was going to give all this trouble," he said, in a
grumbling tone.
"But you see it has."
"Well, I've got it worse than you have, haven't I? Lost everything I've
got except what's in my chest."
"And it begins to look as if you've lost that too, my lad," said Gunson
bitterly. "You'd better have waited a bit before you began to learn to
smoke. There goes your chest and your passage money."
"Yes, and ours," I said, as Gunson pointed to where the schooner's sails
were once more full, and she was gliding away. "Is it any use to shout
and hail them?"
"Stretch your breathing tackle a bit, my lad," said the master. "Do you
good p'r'aps."
"But wouldn't they hear us?"
"No; and if they did they wouldn't stop," said the master; and we all
sat silent and gloomy, till the injury Esau had inflicted upon us
through that pipe came uppermost again.
"Serves you well right, Esau," I said to him in a low voice. "You
deserve to lose your things for sneaking off like that to buy a pipe.
You--pish--want to learn to smoke!"
I said this with so much contempt in my tones that my words seemed to
sting him.
"Didn't want to learn to smoke," he grumbled.
"Yes, you did. Don't make worse of it by telling a lie."
"Who's telling a lie?" he cried aloud. "Tell you I wasn't going to
smoke it myself."
"Then why did you go for it?"
"Never you mind," he said sulkily, "Pipe's gone--half-dollar pipe in a
case--nobody won't smoke it now, p'r'aps. Wish I hadn't come."
"So do I now," I said hotly. "You did buy it to learn to smoke, and
we've lost our passage through you."
Esau was silent for a few moments, and then he came towards me and
whispered--
"Don't say that, sir. I saw what a shabby old clay pipe Mr Gunson had
got, and I thought a good noo clean briar-root one would be a nice
present for him, and I ran off to get it, and bought a big strong one as
wouldn't break. And then, as I was out, I thought I'd look in at some
of the stores, and see if there wasn't something that would do for you."
"And you went off to buy me a pipe, my lad?" said Gunson, who had heard
every word.
"Didn't know you was listening," said Esau, awkwardly.
"I could not help hearing. You were excited and spoke louder than you
thought. Thank you, my lad, though I haven't got the pipe. Well, how
did you get on then?"
"That's what I hardly know, sir. I s'pose those chaps we had the tussle
with had seen me, and I was going stoopidly along after I'd bought your
pipe--and it was such a good one--staring in at the windows thinking of
what I could buy for him, for there don't seem to be anything you can
buy for a boy or a young fellow but a knife, and he'd got two already,
when in one of the narrow streets, Shove! bang!"
"What?" I said.
"Shove! bang! Some one seemed to jump right on me, and drove me up
against a door--bang, and I was knocked into a passage. 'Course I
turned sharply to hit out, but five or six fellows had rushed in after
me, and they shoved me along that passage and out into a yard, and then
through another door, and before I knew where I was they'd got me down
and were sitting on me."
"But didn't you holler out, or cry for help?"
"He says didn't I holler out, or shout for help! I should just think I
did; but before I'd opened my mouth more than twice they'd stuffed some
dirty old rag in,--I believe it was some one's pocket-hankychy,--and
then they tied another over it and behind my head to keep it in, right
over my nose too, and there I was."
"But you saw the men," said Gunson, who was deeply interested.
"Oh yes, I saw 'em. One of 'em was that long-haired chap; and it was
him whose hands run so easy into my pockets, and who got off my coat and
weskit, and slit up my shirt like this so as to get at the belt I had on
with my money in it. He had that in a moment, the beggar! and then if
he didn't say my braces were good 'uns and he'd change. They were good
'uns too, real leather, as a saddler--"
"Well?" said Gunson. "What took place then?"
"Nothing; only that long-haired chap grinned at me and kicked me twice.
'Member that policeman as took us up, Mr Gordon?"
"Yes."
"I only wish I could hand that long-haired chap over to him. Strikes me
they'd cut his hair very short for him before they let him go."
"But what happened next?"
"Nothing, sir; only they tied my hands behind me, and then put a rope
round my ankles, and then one took hold of my head and another of my
feet, and they give me a swing, and pitched me on to a heap of them dry
leaves like we used to see put round the oranges down in Thames Street."
"Indian corn," said Gunson, shortly.
"Yes; and then they went out, and I heard 'em lock the door, leaving me
in the half dark place nearly choked with that hankychy in my mouth."
"Yes; go on, Esau," I said eagerly. And just then the master of the
boat spoke--
"Say, youngster, you was in for it. They meant to hit you over the head
to-night, and chuck you into the harbour after dark."
"Yes," said Gunson.
"Well, I saved 'em the trouble," said Esau. "Oh, I just was mad about
that pipe; and I seemed to think more about them braces than I did about
the money, because, you see, being sewed up like in a belt I never saw
the money, and I used to see the braces, and think what good ones they
was, every day."
"Go on, Esau," I said. "How did you get away?"
"Well, I lay there a bit frightened at first and listened, and all was
still; and then I began to wonder what you and Mr Gunson would think
about me, and last of all, as I couldn't hardly breathe, and that great
rag thing in my mouth half choked me, I turned over on my face, and
began pushing and pushing like a pig, running my nose along till I got
the hankychy that was tight round my face down over my nose, and then
lower and lower over my mouth and chin, till it was loose round my
neck."
I glanced round and saw that the man who was forward had crept back, and
that the other who held the sheet of the sail, and the master who was
steering, were all listening attentively, while the boat rushed swiftly
through the water.
"Next job," said Esau, "was to get that choking rag out of my mouth; and
hard work it was, for they'd rammed it in tight, and all the time I was
trying I was listening too, so as to hear if they were coming. I say,
ought one to feel so frightened as I did then?"
"Most people do," said Gunson quietly.
"And 'nuff to make 'em," said the master.
"Well, I kept on working away at it for what seemed to be hours,"
continued Esau, "but all I could do was to get one end of the rag out
between my teeth, and I couldn't work it any further, but lay there with
my jaws aching, and feeling as if I hadn't got any hands or feet,
because they'd tied 'em so tight.
"It was very horrid, for all the time as I lay there I was expecting
them to come back, and I thought that if they did, and found me trying
to get the things off, they'd half kill me. And didn't I wish you'd
been there to help me, and then was sorry I wished it, for I shouldn't
have liked anybody to have been in such a fix.
"I got so faint and dizzy at last that things began to go up and down,
and round and round, and for ever so long I lay there thinking I was
aboard ship again in the storm, just like when I was off my head at home
with the fever I had when I was a little chap. But at last I came to
again, and lay on my side wondering how I could get that horrible
choking thing out of my mouth, for I couldn't move it even now when I
tried again, only hold a great piece between my teeth.
"The place was very dark, only light came in here and there through
cracks and holes where the knots had been knocked out of some of the
boards; and as I thought I said to myself, if I could get that thing out
I might call for help; but directly after I felt that I dared not, for
it would p'r'aps bring some of those chaps back.
"All at once, where the light came through a hole, I saw something that
made my heart jump, and I wondered I had not seen it before. It was a
hook fastened up against one of the joists, with some bits of rope
hanging upon it. It was a sharp kind of thing, like the meat-hooks you
see nailed up against the sides of a butcher's shop; and I began rolling
myself over the rustling leaves, over and over, till I was up against
the side, and then it was a long time before I could get up on my knees
and look up at the hook.
"But I couldn't reach it, and I had to try and get on to my feet. It
took a long time, and I went down twice before I was standing, and even
then I went down again; for though I did stand up, I didn't know I had
any feet, for all the feeling was gone. Then all at once down I went
sidewise, and lay there as miserable as could be, for I couldn't hardly
move. But at last I had another try, getting on to my knees, and taking
tight hold of the edge of one of the side pieces of wood with my teeth;
and somehow or other I got on my feet again and worked myself along,
nearly falling over and over again, before I could touch the hook with
my chin, and there I stood for fear I should fall, and the hook run into
me and hold me."
"What did you want the hook for, boy?" said the master, shifting his
rudder a little, and leaning forward with his face full in the
moonlight, and looking deeply interested.
"What did I want the hook for?" said Esau, with a little laugh. "I'll
tell you directly."
The master nodded, and the others drew a little nearer.
"What I wanted was to hold that end of the great rag in my teeth, and
see if I couldn't fix it on the hook; and after a lot of tries I did,
and then began to hang back from it gently, to see if I couldn't draw
the stuff out of my mouth."
"And could you?" I said eagerly.
"Yes; it began to come slowly more and more, till it was about half out,
and then the sick feeling that had come over me again got worse and
worse, and the hook and the great dark warehouse place swam round, and I
didn't know any more till I opened my eyes as I lay on the leaves,
staring at a great wet dirty rag hanging on that hook, and I was able to
breathe freely now.
"I felt so much better that I could think more easily; but I was very
miserable, for I got thinking about you two, and I knew I must have been
there a very long time, and that the schooner was to sail at twelve
o'clock, so I felt sure that you would go without me, and think I'd been
frightened and wouldn't come."
"That's what I did think," said Gunson; "but Mayne Gordon here stuck up
for you all through."
"Thankye, Mr Gordon," said Esau, who was gently chafing his wrists.
"That's being a good mate. No, I wouldn't back out. I meant coming
when I'd said I would. Well, next thing was to get my hands clear, and
that done, of course I could easily do my legs. So I began to get up
again, with my feet feeling nowhere; and as I tried, to wonder what I
was going to do next, for I couldn't see no way of getting out of a
place with no windows in, not even a skylight at the top. But anyhow I
meant to have that rope off my hands, and I was thinking then that if
the hook could help me get rid of the rag, it might help me to get rid
of the tie round my wrists."
"O' course," said the master. "See, lads," he said, turning round to
his two companions; "he gets the hook in threw the last knot and hitches
the end out. That's easy enough;" and the two men uttered a low growl.
"Oh, is it?" said Esau. "Just you be tied up with your hands behind you
for hours, and all pins-and-needles, and numb, and you try behind you to
get that hook through the knot in the right place. You wouldn't say it
was easy."
"But anyways that was hard, I reckon," said the master.
"Yes, that was hard," said Esau; "but I kep on seeming to tighten it,
and the more I tried the worse it was; till all at once, as I strained
and reached up behind me, I slipped a little, and the hook was fast
somehow, and nearly jerked my arms out of my shoulders as I hung forward
now, with my feet giving way, and I couldn't get up again."
"If a fellow had on'y ha' been there with a knife," said the master,
shaking his head.
"Yes; but he wasn't," cried Esau; "and there I hung for ever so long,
giving myself a bit of a wriggle now and then, but afraid to do much, it
hurt so, dragging at my arms, while they were twisted up. I s'pose I
must have been 'bout an hour like that, but it seemed a week, and I was
beginning to get sick again, when all at once, after a good struggle, I
fell forward on to my face in amongst the dry leaves. My wrists and
hands were tingling dreadfully, but they did not feel so numb now; and
after a bit, as I moved them gently up and down, one over the other, so
as to get rid of the pain, I began to find I could move them a little
more and a little more, till at last, as I worked away at them in a
regular state of 'citement, I pulled one of 'em right out, and sat up
comfortable with my hands in my lap."
"Well done, well done," cried the master; and I could not help joining
in the murmur of satisfaction uttered by the men.
"And then yew began to look at the rope round your legs," said one of
the latter.
"That I just did," said Esau; "but my fingers were so bad it took me
hours, as it seemed, before I had those knots undone."
"But yew got 'em off?" said the master. "Oh yes, I got 'em off at last,
every knot undone; but when I'd unwound the rope, there I sat, feeling
as if it was not a bit of use, for I could not move my feet, nor yet
stand. They felt as if they were made of wood."
"Yew should have chafed 'em, stranger," said one of the men.
"Well, of course that's what he did do, mate," said the master,
reprovingly; "and yew got 'em to work easy at last, didn't you?"
"Yes, that's what I did do, when they would work. I had to set to and
see if I couldn't get away out of that place."
"'Fore them scallywags come back," said the master, drawing a long
breath. "That's right."
"There was the door locked fast," continued Esau, "and I knew I couldn't
get out that way; so as there was no windows, and the boards were all
nailed down tight, the only way seemed to be through the roof."
"I know," said the master, changing the course of the boat. "Yew meant
to get up, knock off some shingles, and then let yewrself down with the
two ropes tied together."
"Look here," said Esau, ill-humouredly, "you'd better tell the story."
"No, no, stranger; go on, go on," said the master, apologetically. "Go
on, go on."
"Well, that's just what I was going to do," said Esau, condescendingly,
"only there wasn't any shingles that I saw, but the place was covered
over with wooden slates."
"Those are what they call shingles, my lad," said Gunson.
"Oh, very well, I don't care," said Esau, acidly. "All I know is, I
joined those two pieces of rope together, tied one end round my waist,
and I was just going to climb up the side to the rafters, when I thought
to myself I might meet somebody outside, who'd try to stop me; and
though I felt that you two would be gone, I didn't want to have taken
all my trouble for nothing, and be locked up there again. So I had a
bit of a look round, and picked out from some wood in a corner a pretty
tidy bit, with a good headache at the end."
The master chuckled.
"And I'd no sooner done that than I heard some one coming."
"Did yew get behind the door?" said the master hoarsely. "Yew said it
was dark."
"I do wish you'd let me go on my own way," said Esau, in an ill-used
tone.
"Yes, yes, yes; go on, my lad, go on," said the master.
"Why can't you let him bide!" growled the others; and I saw Gunson
looking on in an amused way, as he turned from watching the distant
schooner, far enough away now.
"My wrists and my ankles ache so I can't hardly bear it," continued
Esau; "and when you keep on putting in your spoon it worries me."
"Yes, yes, my lad; I won't do so no more."
"'Tain't as if I was a reg'lar story-teller," grumbled Esau. "I ain't
used to this sort o' thing."
"Go on telling us, Esau," I said. "They were only eager to know."
"Well," he continued, "that's what I did do, as it was dark. I got
behind the door with that there stick in my hand, just as I heard the
key rattling in the lock, and then the door was opened, and the leaves
rustled, and I saw just dimly that there long-haired chap's head come in
slowly; and he seemed to me to look puzzled, as he stared at the heap of
leaves as if he thought I'd crept under 'em and gone to sleep."
At this moment I looked round, to see in the bright moonlight the faces
of the master and the two fishermen watching Esau excitedly, as they
waited for the end of the scene he described. Gunson's face was in
shadow now, but he too was leaning forward, while, in the interest of
the recollection of what he had passed through, Esau began to act as
well as speak. He raised one hand as if it was still grasping the
head-aching stick, and leaned toward the listeners, looking from one to
the other as he spoke, and as if the narrative was intended expressly
for them and not for us.
"All at once," continued Esau, "he took a step forward toward the heap
of leaves, and then another, and then he turned sharply round as if he
had heard me move or felt I was close behind him. But when a man tries
to jump out of the way, he don't move so quickly as a big stick. I'd
got that well up with both hands, and down it came right on his head,
and there he was lying just about where him and the rest of 'em had
pitched me."
"Ah!" ejaculated the master, and his two companions gave a shout and
jumped up.
"Sit down, will yew!" he shouted. "Want to swamp the boat. He arn't
done yet."
"Not quite," said Esau. "I felt horrid frightened as soon as I'd done
it, for fear I'd given it him too hard, and I turned to run out of the
place, but I could hear a lot of men talking, so I took out the key, put
it inside, and shut and locked the door. Then I clambered up the side
and soon had some of those wooden slates off, to find as I crawled on to
the roof that it was quite evening, and whereabouts I was to get down I
couldn't tell. I dare not stop though, for fear the others should come
to look after their mate, so unfastening the rope from my waist I tied
it to a rafter, slid down as far as it would reach, and hung swinging at
the end, thinking that it was all no good, for you two would be gone;
and then I dropped, and found myself in a yard.
"Some one saw me and shouted," continued Esau, "but I didn't stop to
hear what he had to say, for I went over first one fence and then
another till I got out into a lane, at the bottom of which was a street;
and then I went into one after the other, looking like a fellow begging,
till I knew where I was, and got down at last to the hotel."
"And well done too!" cried Gunson, clapping him on the shoulder. "All
to get me a new pipe, eh?"
"Yes; and I'll get you another too some day."
"I knew you wouldn't leave me in the lurch, Esau," I whispered; and then
I started, for the master brought down his hand with a heavy slap on his
knee.
"That was a good 'un," he cried. "There's too many o' them sort in
'Frisco, and it gives the place a bad name. I don't wish that loafer
any harm, but I hope you've killed him."
"I hope not," I said, fervently.
"Best thing as could happen to him, my lad," said the man. "You see
he's a regular bad 'un now, and he'd go on getting worse and worse, so
the kindest thing your mate could do was to finish him off. But he
arn't done it. Them sort's as hard as lobsters. Take a deal o' licking
to get through the rind."
"Hah!" ejaculated Gunson just then.
"What's matter?"
"She is leaving us behind," said Gunson, as he looked sadly out to sea.
"Now she arn't," said the master; "and I arn't going to let her. Her
skipper and me's had many a argyment together 'bout his craft, and he's
precious fond o' jeering and fleering at me about my bit of a cutter,
and thinks he can sail twiced as fast. I'm going tew show him he
can't."
"Do you think you can overtake him then?" I cried eagerly.
"Dunno about overtake, my lad, but I'm going to overhaul him. Here,
Zeke, come and lay hold of this here tiller. You keep her full. Elim,
you and me's going to get up that forsle. I'm going tew put yew chaps
aboard o' that schooner if I sail on for a week."
"Without provisions?" said Gunson, sadly.
"Who says 'thout provisions," retorted the man. "There's a locker
forrard and there's a locker aft, for we never know how long we may be
getting back when we're out fishing. I say I'm going to put you aboard
that there schooner for the dollars as we 'greed on first, and if I
don't, why I'm more of a Dutchman than lots o' them as comes from the
east to set up business in 'Frisco. There!"