"It is our rope, and that boy stole it; and I'll tell the police."
"Oh! yer will, will yer?" cried my captor. "We'll see about that.
Here, what money have yer got?"
"I've only enough for my breakfast," I cried defiantly. "Give me my
rope and let me go."
"Oh yes, I'll let yer go," he cried, as I wrestled to get away, fighting
with all my might, and striving to reach the rope at the same moment.
"Look out, Ned," said one of the men at the door, grinning. "He'll be
too much for yer;" and the other uttered a hoarse laugh.
"Ah, that he will!" cried the big fellow, letting me get hold of the
rope, and, tightening his grasp upon my collar, he kicked my legs from
under me, so that I fell heavily half across the coil, while he went
down on one knee and held me panting and quivering there, perfectly
helpless.
The boy made another dart forward, and I saw the woman catch at him by
the head, but his shortly-cropped hair glided through her hands, and he
would have reached me had not the man kicked out at him and made him
stop suddenly and watch for another chance.
"Who's got a knife?" growled the man now savagely as he turned towards
the two fellows at the door; "I'll soon show him what it is to come here
a-wanting to steal our cart-ropes. Chuck that there knife here."
He rose as he spoke, and planted one foot upon my chest. Then catching
the pocket-knife thrown to him by one of the men at the door, he opened
it with a great deal of show and menace, bending down to stare savagely
in my eyes as he whetted the blade upon the boot resting on my chest.
Of course I was a good deal alarmed, but I knew all the while that this
was all show and that the great ruffian was trying to frighten me. I
was in a desperately bad state, in an evil place, but it was broad
daylight, and people had seen me come in, so that I did not for a moment
think he would dare to kill me. All the same, though, I could not help
feeling a curious nervous kind of tremor run through my frame as he
flourished the knife about and glared at me as if pondering as to what
he should do next.
"I wish Ike were here," I thought; and as I did so I could not help
thinking how big and strong he was, and how little he would make of
seizing this great cowardly ruffian by the throat and making him let me
go.
"Now, then," he cried, "out wi' that there money." For answer, I
foolishly showed him where it was by clapping my hand upon my pocket,
when, with a grin of satisfaction, he tore my hand away, thrust in his
great fingers, and dragged it out, spat on the various coins, and thrust
them in his own pocket.
"What d'yer say?" he cried, bending down again towards me.
"The police shall make you give that up," I panted.
"Says we're to spend this here in beer, mates," he said, grinning, while
the woman stood with her eyes half shut and her arms folded, looking on.
The two men at the door laughed.
"Now, then," said the big fellow, "since he's come out genteel-like with
his money, I don't think I'll give him the knife this time. Get up with
yer, and be off while your shoes are good."
He took his great boot off my chest, and I started up.
"I wouldn't give much for yer," he growled, "if yer showed yer face here
agen."
He accompanied this with such a menacing look that I involuntarily
shrank away, but recovering myself directly I seized the coil of rope
and made for the door.
"What!" roared the great ruffian, snatching the rope, and, as I held on
to it, dragging me back. "Trying to steal, are you?"
"It's mine--it's ours," I cried passionately.
"Oh! I'll soon let yer know about that," he cried. "Look here, mates;
this is our rope, ain't it?"
"Yes," said one of them: "I'll swear to it."
"It's mine," I cried, tugging at it angrily.
"Let go, will yer--d'yer hear; let go."
He tugged and snatched at it savagely, and just then the boy leaped upon
me, butting at me, and striking with all his might, infuriating me so by
his cowardly attack, that, holding on to the rope with one hand, I swung
round my doubled fist with the other and struck him with all my might.
It must have been a heavy blow right in the face, for he staggered back,
caught against a chair, and then fell with a crash, howling dismally.
"Look at that, now," cried the big ruffian. "Now he shall have it."
"Serves him right!" said the woman passionately.
"Let the boy go, Ned, or you'll get into trouble."
"I'll get into trouble for something then," cried the fellow savagely,
as he hurt me terribly by jerking the rope out of my hand and catching
me by the collar, when I saw the two men at the open door look round,
and I heard a familiar growl on the stairs that made my heart leap with
joy.
"Ike!--Here!--Ike!" I shouted with all my might.
"Hold yer row," hissed the great ruffian in a hoarse whisper, and
clapping one hand behind my head he placed the other upon my mouth.
He dragged me round, half-choked and helpless, and then he said
something over his shoulder to the woman, while I fought and struggled,
and tried hard to shout again to Ike, whose heavy feet I could hear in
the midst of a good deal of altercation on the stairs.
As I struggled to get free I saw that the window was opened and the rope
thrown out. Then the window was quickly shut, and I was dragged towards
the door.
"Here, you be off outer this," whispered the great ruffian, with his
lips close to my ear. "You cut; and don't you--"
He stopped short, holding me tightly, and seemed to hesitate, his eyes
glaring round as if in search of some place where he could hide me, not
knowing what to do for the best.
"Shut the door, mates," he said quickly; and the two men dragged the
door to after them as they stood outside.
"Just you make half a sound, and--"
He put his lips close to my ear as he said this, and closed the great
clasp-knife with a sharp click which made me start; while his eyes
seemed to fascinate me as he bent down and glared at me.
It was only for a moment, though, and then I managed to slip my face
aside and shouted aloud:
"Ike!"
There was a rush and a scuffle outside, and the woman said in an
ill-used tone:
"I told yer how it would be."
"You hold--"
He did not finish, for just then one of the men outside growled--plainly
heard through the thin door:
"Now, then, where are yer shovin' to?"
"In here," roared a voice that sent a thrill of joy through me.
"Now, then, what d'yer want?" cried the big fellow, thrusting me behind
him as Ike kicked open the door and strode into the room.
"What do I want?" he roared. "I want him and our cart-rope. Now, then,
where is it?"
There was a fierce muttering among the men, and they drew together while
the boy and the woman cowered into one corner of the attic.
"Oh! you're not going to scare me," cried Ike fiercely. "There's the
police just at hand if I wants help. Now then, where's that rope?"
"What rope?" growled the ruffian. "I don't know about no ropes."
"They threw it out of the window, Ike," I cried.
"That's a lie," snarled the man. "There ain't never been no ropes
here."
"There has been one," I cried, feeling bold now; "but they threw it out
of the window."
"Well, of all--" began one of the men, who had crossed the room with his
companion to the big ruffian's side.
"You go on down, my lad," whispered Ike in a low deep voice. "Go on,
now."
"But are you coming?" I whispered back.
"You may depend on that," he said, as if to himself, "if they'll let me.
Go on."
I moved towards the open door, when one of the men made a dash to stop
me; but Ike threw put one leg, and he fell sprawling. At the same
moment my enemy made a rush at Ike, who stepped back, and then I saw his
great fist fly out straight. There was a dull, heavy sound, and the big
ruffian stopped short, reeled, and then dropped down upon his hands and
knees.
"Quick, boy, quick! You go first," whispered Ike, as I stopped as if
paralysed; "I'll foller."
His words roused me, and I ran out of the room.