Long before daybreak we boys were up, called by Sam Barnby, and, having
breakfasted, and by his advice, filled our pockets with bread and ham
and tongue and brawn, set off while the first streaks of dawn were still
in the sky, to commence our search through the forest. The sky was
cloudless, the stars shining brightly at first, but one by one they
disappeared as the light streaming through the leafless trees on the one
hand, seemed to be rolling back the gloom of night on the other. The
air was pure, but keen as razor-blades, as Sam observed, and would have
saved us shaving, if we had had beards to shave. The crisply frozen
grass crackled under our feet as we trod rapidly over it, with
difficulty restraining our inclination to sing and shout out, so high
were our spirits raised by the exhilarating atmosphere.
We walked on rapidly, covering, by Sam Barnby's directions, as much
ground as possible, while, however, keeping each other in sight, which
could be more easily done at that time of the year than in the summer.
Every now and then we came on a herd of forest ponies, which went
scampering away, shaking the hoar frost from the bushes as their shaggy
coats brushed them in passing. Less frequently we encountered herds of
the fallow deer, once so numerous. They would stand for an instant
gazing at us, as if wondering why we had invaded their domains, and
then, fleet as the wind, they would fly, following one after the other,
till they reached some knoll or thicker wood, where they would stop and
scrutinise us as we passed. We were all soon in a thorough glow from
the exercise we were taking, for the ground was far from level. Now we
had to ascend a height, now descend into a valley, circuit a marsh, or
leap across a stream--a feat not always easily accomplished.
We passed many spots of historic fame which I cannot here stop to
describe. Many were highly picturesque and beautiful, and had
attracted, I doubt not, the pencil of Gilpin, who was minister of
Boldre, not far off. On we went, hour after hour, unflaggingly, till
Sam called a halt, and each of us produced the provender we had brought.
Sam had strapped a large fishing-basket to his back, and to our
infinite satisfaction, when we found that our own supplies were totally
inadequate to satisfy the cravings of our keen appetites, he brought
forth an abundance of eatables and a bottle or two of the stoutest of
stout ales, that, as he remarked, a little might go a long way. There
must have been real stuff in it, for, though he gave us each but a few
thimblefuls, it set us up amazingly, and away we went as full of spirit
and strength as when we first started.
I cannot describe all the adventures we met with. Jack was on the right
of the line, I was next to him. Suddenly I heard him cry out. I ran up
to him, calling to the others to halt. Jack pointed to an object under
a bush. It was the body of a man.
"Is he asleep?" I asked.
"He is very quiet," said Jack.
Indeed he was quiet. All our shouting did not arouse him. He was
dressed in a smock frock and long brown gaiters; but his hands were
white, and his face fair. "He is dead, young gentlemen!" said Sam
Barnby, gravely, when he came up. "Who can he be?"
We all stood aloof. None of us had ever seen a dead mail. It was a sad
object. Sam, stooping down, examined the body.
"To my mind, this is no other than the unfortunate gentleman we are
looking for. He is no carter, and under his smock his dress is that of
a gentleman."
This was indeed valuable information to carry home. Sam wanted as to
help him remove the body, but we had no fancy to do that. What,
however, had become of little Hugh? If the miserable man had really
carried him off, where had he bestowed him? Could he have murdered the
child first, and then destroyed himself? The thought was too dreadful
to be entertained. How had he met with his death? That was another
question. Again Sam examined the body.
"This tells a tale, at all events," he exclaimed, holding up a little
shoe.
It was evidently Hugh's. This man had carried him off--of that there
was no longer a shadow of doubt. What had become of him though? We
searched round and round the spot, under every bush, and in the hollow
of every tree. Not a further sign of the child could we discover.
There would be still daylight sufficient for us to go to the Hall with
the information, and to return. The question was who should go and who
should stay by the dead body, which we considered that we ought not to
leave. Without Sam we could not find our way, so it was necessary that
he should go, at all events. At last my brother Jack asked me if I
would remain with him. I own that I did not like it. There was
something terrible at the thought of being out alone with the dead body
of our wicked kinsman, as we supposed the man to be. Yet I did not wish
to exhibit any fear, and put as bold a face on the matter as I could.
"Yes, of course, if you wish it, Jack, I'll stay with you," I answered
at once. "Somebody must stay, and I suppose that we are the right
people to do so. We can run about to keep ourselves warm. I shan't, of
course, mind it a bit, if you don't. You'll not be long gone, will you,
Sam?"
"Oh, no fear, Master William," answered Sam Barnby; "we'll be at the
Hall and back in no time. We've come a long round to get here."
This answer encouraged me a little, and I managed, I flatter myself, to
look thoroughly unconcerned. We had each of us thick sticks: not that
there was anything to fight with; for even wild hogs don't attack people
who let them alone; but I know that I clutched mine very tightly as the
rest of the party disappeared among the trees of the forest, and Jack
and I were left on guard. As to looking on the dead man, that was more
than I dared do; so I walked about, flourishing my stick and talking to
Jack, as far as I could get from the spot where the dead man lay,
consistently with my undertaking to keep guard over it. Jack did not
seem to care very much about the matter. Now he walked close up to the
spot; then he joined me and talked on indifferent subjects, though I
don't think that even he cared to look directly at the dead man. We
began at last to become very tired of our guard, and to wish that our
friends would return and relieve us. I had no watch. Jack had
forgotten to wind up his, so we could not tell how time sped.
Not far off was a dark clump of hollies, to which I had extended my
walk. As I was turning round, I heard a slight rustling of the leaves,
and, to my inexpressible horror, I caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes
gleaming out at me through an opening in the boughs. I instantly
connected them somehow with the man supposed to be dead, and, when I
hurried back to Jack, I half expected to find that the body had got up,
and, by some means or other, gone round into the holly-bush. No; there
it lay, quiet enough, never more to move of its own accord. But to what
could those eyes belong?
"Jack! Jack!" I stammered out, feeling that I must look very pale and
frightened, "I have seen a pair of eyes!"
"Whereabouts?" asked Jack. "I suppose that they are in somebody's head,
then?"
"That's the question," said I; "I am not quite so sure of it."
"Oh, nonsense!" cried Jack; "let's have a look at the place. Where did
you see them?"
I pointed to the spot, and plucking up courage as he walked up to it,
followed him, clutching my stick tightly. The holly-bushes formed a
tolerably large screen, so that we should have to make a wide circuit to
get to the rear. Nothing was to be seen in front. No eyes were visible
where I had caught the glimpse of them. Jack said it was fancy, but
still he had an inclination to examine further. I would rather have
waited till the arrival of our friends, but he, telling me to go round
one end, ran round the other, that we might catch anybody who might be
there. I didn't like it, but still I went, feeling that I was
performing a deed of mighty heroism. I was resolved not to allow Jack
to call me a coward; indeed, he very seldom did so, because anything
that he dared do, I did; the only difference was that he liked it, and I
didn't. I got round therefore as fast as he did, and just behind the
spot where I had seen the eyes, there they were again, but this time I
discerned a head and face into which they were fixed--a face I had seen
before.
"There, there!" I cried, pointing to the face as Jack came up.
It was that of the poor idiot lad, Dicky Green. He was crouching down,
evidently trying to conceal himself from us.
"Why, Dicky, what are you doing here?" cried Jack. "We won't hurt you."
"I was a looking to see what'd happen next. He's a sleeping, bean't
he?" answered the idiot, pointing in the direction of the dead man.
"It's a sleep from which he will never awake, lad," said Jack. "He is
dead, lad."
"Lor', be he? Then you won't go for to tell of I?" exclaimed Dicky,
whimpering. "Mother sent I to look for the little one's shoe, when I
told her how I'd got hold of him and gi'en the man as was a trying to
take him from me a pretty hard clout on the head. I thought I'd made
him quiet, but I ne'er meaned to kill him, that I didn't."
"The little one!" cried Jack, a new light bursting on us. "What do you
know of him? Where is he?"
"Oh, he's all right, and happy as he can be, I wot," said Dicky, with a
grin, which made us doubt the truth of his assertion.
Our fear now, however, was that the idiot would escape from us before we
could ascertain whether or not he really did know where little Hugh was.
Still, we could not help hoping that the child was safe. Jack
therefore did his best to keep him talking till our friends should come
from the Hull. Happily, the poor creature was very fond of keeping his
tongue moving, as other people with a limited supply of brains are apt
to do. Though he talked on, we could not make out more than we had
already. To our great relief, we heard at length the sound of voices
approaching us. Soon Sir Hugh, with Cousin Peter, Mr Strafford, and
several other gentlemen on horseback, with Sam Barnby and a whole posse
of men, appeared in the distance. We shouted to them to come to us. No
sooner did Dicky Green see them, than he began to tremble violently;
then, looking to the right and left, he bolted off through the forest.
Fortunately, Cousin Peter saw him, and gave chase on horseback; Sam
Barnby also followed in the direction we pointed. Still Dicky ran very
fast, dodging in and out among the trees. Meantime, Sir Hugh and Mr
Strafford rode up to where the dead body lay on the grass. As soon as
Sir Hugh saw the features of the corpse, he said in a sad voice:
"It is that unhappy man, cut off in the middle of his career; but my
boy, my boy, where can he be?"
Though Dicky Green ran fast, he was ere long overtaken and brought back.
He stood before the gentlemen with one of his most idiotic looks, which
made it seem hopeless that anything could be got out of him.
"Come, come, Dicky, that will not do for us," said Cousin Peter; "rouse
yourself up and tell us all you know about this matter. No one will do
you any harm, lad."
Thus spoken to kindly, after some time, Dicky looked up and said:
"Thee wants to know about the little chap, and if I tells thee, thee
won't ask how that one there came by his death?"
"If we do ask, it will not be to bring any harm on you, Dicky. You may
be assured of that," said Cousin Peter.
Dicky thought for some time, and then began to move off through the
forest.
"He is going towards his mother's cottage; I shouldn't be surprised if
little Master Hugh be there safe enough," whispered Sam Barnby.
"Bless you, bless you, Sam Barnby, for those words, and I believe that
they are true," exclaimed Sir Hugh, as we all followed the idiot, except
a couple of men, who were left with the dead body.
In a short time we reached a wretched tumble-down hut of mud, with a
roof of thatch, green with age, and full of holes, in which birds had
built their nests. There at one end we found a bed-ridden old woman,
the idiot's mother, and on a little pallet-bed in the further corner lay
a blooming child fast asleep. Sir Hugh stepped forward, signing to us
not to make a noise, and lifting the child in his arms, bestowed a kiss
on its brow. The boy awoke, and seeing his father--for it was our dear
little Hugh--threw his arms round his neck and exclaimed:
"You've come, papa, for Hugh at last; Hugh is so glad, so happy!"
It was a happy meeting we all had at the Hall that evening, and grateful
were the hearts of Sir Hugh and Lady Worsley at the recovery of their
darling boy. I remember that afterwards there was an inquest, and that
the magistrates met, but, except from the ravings of poor Dicky Green,
there was no evidence how the deceased gentleman who was found in the
forest came by his death. He was accordingly buried quietly in the
parish churchyard, and as little fuss as possible made about the matter,
though of course it had the usual run of a nine days' wonder. I am
happy to say that little Hugh grew up, and as he is the father of a
number of boys, there is not much chance of the property going out of
the old line for want of a male heir.