"Can't you hear me there? I says, how are you getting on?"
"Bob Hampton!" I cried excitedly.
"Pst! Steady, my lad. Bob Hampton it is. But don't shout, or some 'un
'll hear you, and 'll come along the deck overhead and cut me adrift."
"But what are you doing there?"
"Hanging on to a bit o' line made fast to a belaying-pin."
"But why? What do you want, sir?"
"Will yer keep quiet, my lad?" whispered the man, excitedly. "I don't
want to hear old Jarette sawing through this rope. What do I want?
Come, I like that, arter risking all this here to get a word with you."
"Go back to your friends, you scoundrel," whispered Mr Frewen; "you
have come to spy upon us!"
"Wheer's my lantern, then? Man can't spy a night like this, when it's
as black as inside a water-cask in a ship's hold."
"Mr Frewen is right," I said. "Go back to your friends."
"Arn't got none forrard, leastwise only two; I've come to say `how de
do.'"
"Don't trust him, Mr Frewen, he's a traitor," I whispered; only Hampton
evidently heard.
"Come, I like that, Mr Dale, sir. But I say, how could you be so
easily took in? Theer was nothing else for a man to do but to go with
the bad beggars, and when I seemed to jyne 'em, why of course Neb Dumlow
and old Barney joined at once."
"Bob!" I ejaculated, as a feeling of delight sent a flush of blood to
my cheeks, and I felt hot and excited once more, "you don't mean to say
that--"
"But I just do, sir. 'Tarn't likely I should run all this risk if I
didn't mean it."
"You hear, Mr Frewen," I whispered.
"Yes, but--"
"Look here," said Bob Hampton, angrily, "am I to creep in and stuff
something into your mouth, Mr Dale, sir? You don't know how sounds run
on a still night like this. It's grim death for me if I'm found out."
"Then you are true to us all the same, Bob?" I cried, reaching out to
lay my hand upon the man's shoulder.
"True as gorspel, sir; and ready along with Neb Dumlow and Barney Blane
to pitch old Frenchy overboard, or drown him in a water-cask, if you say
the word, or Mr Frewen either, though I'd rayther take it from you, my
lad, as you're one of the officers of the Burgh Castle and it'd come
better like than from our doctor, and no disrespectment either."
"How are we to know that we are to trust you, Hampton?" said Mr Frewen.
"Tell you dreckly, sir, soon as I can get foot-hold. I'm pretty strong
in the arms, but you can't hang by them as long as you can stand on your
legs, 'less you're born a monkey, which I warn't. You see there's no
board nor nothing to get a foot on, and I knows without trying that I
couldn't get through that window."
"How can we help him, Dale?" whispered Mr Frewen. "I suppose we must
trust him?"
"Trust him? Yes, of course. Stop a moment. Yes, I know." Then
thrusting my arms out--"Hold hard a minute, Bob," I whispered. "Let me
get hold of the rope and haul up the end."
"What for, lad?"
"For us to draw in here and make fast, then you can stand in the bight
like a stirrup."
"Well, you are a wunner, Mr Dale, sir," he replied. "Haul away,
there's plenty down below; I should never have thought of that."
In a very few seconds I had pulled in the lower part of the rope by
which he was swinging, got hold of the dripping end and passed it to Mr
Frewen, letting the rest fall back like a big loop, but not so quietly
as I could have wished. Then we hauled in slowly, till after a little
management we had the bight so exactly adjusted that Bob Hampton's feet
rested upon it while we held the rope tight.
"Hah!" he whispered, with his face close to the cabin-window, "that
rests my flippers. Mind, I'm going to ease off a bit now, but if you
two slacken down I shall go, and there won't be time to say good-bye."
"You may trust us, Bob," I said.
"Ay, ay, my lad, I will, and the least thing as you can do is to trust
me and my mates."
"I will, Bob, and I'm sure Mr Frewen will, but we couldn't help
thinking you were a traitor."
"Course you couldn't, lad. On'y nat'ral. But you see now as it was
on'y make-believe."
"There's my hand, Hampton," said Mr Frewen.
"Thankye kindly, sir. That sounds English, on'y I can't give it a grip,
'cause I'm holding on. But if you'd just stuff one finger in my mouth
I'll bite it if you like, to show I mean square and honest by you all."
"Never mind that, Hampton," said Mr Frewen; "we'll take it as being all
right."
"Right it is then," said Bob Hampton, with a satisfied grunt, "on'y
let's speak gently."
"Can you help us to escape, Bob?" I whispered. "Can't we re-take the
ship?"
"Steady, my lad, don't get out o' breath. That's what we come about,
and Neb Dumlow's bylin' over to do it."
"Tell us first what is the state of affairs," said Mr Frewen.
"State of affairs is, that all the orficers and you the doctor, along
with the passengers, is prisoners, and Frenchy Jarette's skipper of the
Burgh Castle, with that there rat of a 'prentice or middy, or whatever
he calls hisself, first mate."
"But where are we going?" said Mr Frewen.
"Nobody knows but Frenchy, and there is times when I think he don't
know. For he's as mad as a whole cargo o' hatters or he'd never ha'
done what he has. But look sharp, sir, I can't stop long. If he found
out, he'd cut the rope and send me adrift as soon as look at me, and
that would be a pity, 'cause if there's one man as I do respeck and like
it's Bob Hampton, mariner, spite of his looks."
"Yes, we'll be quick," said Mr Frewen.
"Is anything the matter?" came in a loud whisper.
"Oh lor'! Here I goes," groaned Bob Hampton.
"No, no; it's all right," I whispered. "That was only Mr Preddle."
"I thought it was Frenchy, sir."
"Hush! No, nothing wrong. Help come," whispered Mr Frewen. "Wait!"