I nearly fell headlong down as I reached the stairs, for my foot went
through a hole in the boards, but I recovered myself and began to run
down as fast as I dared, on account of the rickety state of the steps,
while Ike came clumping down after me, and we could hear the big
ruffian's voice saying something loudly as we hurried from flight to
flight.
There were knots of women on the different landings and at the bottom of
the stairs, and they were all talking excitedly; but only to cease and
look curiously at us as we went by.
There was quite a crowd, too, of men, women, and children in the court
below as we left the doorway; but Ike's bold manner and the decided way
in which he strode out with me, looking sharply from one to the other,
put a stop to all opposition, even if it had been intended.
There were plenty of scowling, menacing looks, and there was a little
hooting from the men, but they gave way, and in another minute we were
out of the court and in the dirty street, with a troop of children
following us and the people on either side looking on.
"But, Ike," I said in a despairing tone, "we haven't got the rope after
all."
"No," he said; "but I've got you out o' that place safe, and I haven't
got much hurt myself, and that's saying a deal. Talk about savages and
wild beasts abroad! why, they're nothing."
"I didn't see any policemen, Ike," I said, as I thought of their power.
"More didn't I," he replied with a grim smile. "They don't care much
about going down these sort o' places; no more don't I. We're well out
of that job, my lad. You didn't ought to have gone."
"But that boy was running off with the best cart rope, Ike," I said
despondently, "and I was trying to get it back, and now it's gone. What
will Mr Brownsmith say?"
"Old Brownsmith won't say never a word," said Ike, as we trudged on
along a more respectable street.
"Oh, but he will," I cried. "He is so particular about the ropes."
"So he be, my lad. Here, let's brush you down; you're a bit dirty."
"But he will," I said, as I submitted to the operation.
"Not he," said Ike. "Them police is in the right of it. I'm all of a
shiver, now that bit of a burst's over;" and he wiped his brow.
"You are, Ike?" I said wonderingly.
"To be sure I am, my lad. I was all right there, and ready to fight;
but now it's over and we're well out of it, I feel just as I did when
the cart tipped up and all the baskets come down atop of you."
"I am glad you feel like that," I said.
"Why?" he cried sharply.
"Because it makes me feel that I was not such a terrible coward after
all."
"But you were," he said, giving me a curious look. "Oh, yes: about as
big a coward as ever I see."
I did not understand why I was so very great a coward, but he did not
explain, and I trudged on by him.
"I say, what would you have done if I hadn't come?"
"I don't know," I said. "I suppose they would have let me go at last.
They got all my money."
"They did?"
"Yes," I said dolefully; "and then there's the rope. What will Mr
Brownsmith say?"
"Nothin' at all," said Ike.
"But he will," I cried again.
"No he won't, because we'll buy a new one 'fore we goes back."
"I thought of that," I said, "but I've no money now."
"Oh, all right! I have," he said. "We may think ourselves well out of
a bad mess, my lad; and I don't know as we oughtn't to go to the police,
but we haven't no time for that. There'll be another load o' strawb'ys
ready by the time we get back, and I shall have to come up again
to-night. Strawb'ys sold well to-day. No: we've no time for the
police."
"They deserve to be taken up," I said.
"Ay, they do, my boy; but folks don't get all they deserve."
"Or I should be punished for letting that boy steal the rope."
"Hang the rope!" he said crustily. "I mean, hang the boy or his father,
and that's what some of 'em'll come to," he cried grimly, "if they don't
mind. They're a bad lot down that court. Lor' a mussy me! I'd sooner
live in one of our sheds on some straw, with a sack for a pillow, than
be shut up along o' these folk in them courts."
"But they wouldn't have hurt me, Ike?" I said.
"I dunno, my lad. P'r'aps they would, p'r'aps they wouldn't. They
might have kept you and made a bad un of yer. Frightened you into it
like."