"Here, boy," cried Poynter, "quick! Fetch a policeman. Half-a-crown."
He thrust his hand into his pocket, but at that moment even that
outrageously large sum had not the slightest effect upon the boy, who
looked quickly round from one to the other till his eyes lit upon Mark,
at whom he rushed with the notion of a well-trained dog, seizing him by
the arm and breast of his coat, and clinging tightly.
"I've got him," he said shrilly. "Fetch the perlice. I've got him,
Miss Rich; I see him come that night."
Poynter raised his fist, and struck it into his open hand.
"I knew it!" he cried. "I knew I was right! Now, Mr Mark Heath, what
have you got to say?"
"Hendon, lad, lay hold of this boy. He's mad."
"No, I ain't," cried Bob. "Had 'nuff to make me, though."
"Let go, you dog!" roared Mark.
"All right, I'm a-going to," said the boy, shrinking away as Rich came
to him.
"Bob," she cried, "what is this you're saying?"
"Well, I d'know, Miss," he said, scratching his head; "and I don't think
now it weer him. But I'll sweer he come and told the doctor as the
perlice or some one was after him."
"Yes, boy, yes; I did come, but you were not there."
"Worn't I? Yes, I was," said the boy, grinning. "I see you come, and
you'd got one o' them, long-tail ulcers and a broad-brimmed hat; and the
doctor--I say, Miss, is he better?"
"Yes, yes, Bob; but pray go on."
"I am glad the guvner's better. It scared me. I thought he was a dead
'un."
The boy looked round, and gave everybody a confidential nod, including
"'Lisbeth," who was standing at the door, crying, and smiling with
satisfaction by turns.
"But you say you saw me come!" cried Mark, while Poynter stood looking
on in triumph.
"See you come? Course I did. I know'd you d'reckly, but I don't think
it was you as did it."
"No, boy, it was not I. But where were you?"
"Wheer was I? Ah! you wouldn't know, I was afraid o' the doctor
dropping onto me for being there, and I skipped into the bone box."
"What!" cried Hendon.
"I did, sir, 'strue as goodness. There's lot's o' room, and I could
just lift up the lid and peep, and that's how I see him come."
"You young rascal?" muttered Hendon; while the doctor sat quietly
smiling, as if it were something got up for his special amusement.
"Then the doctor he took you into his room, and you had some bran'-water
hot. I smelt it. And when he come and got down one o' the bottles, and
misked you up a dollop o' physic; and I heared you both a-buzzing away,
and talking about wheer you'd been. The doctor kep' coaxing of you,
like, to go to sleep, and somehow that sent me off."
"What! in that box with those--"
"Oh, yes, I don't mind them. I often nips in there when any one's
coming."
"Did you hear anything else, Bob?" said Rich excitedly, as she held the
boy's hand.
"Not till some one else come, and knocked two or three times; and I was
going to answer the door, when the doctor come and turned down the gas,
and then I lay still, and heard him putting the physic bottles away
afore he'd let 'em in; didn't you, sir?"
The doctor smiled, and shook his head.
"Why, I heared you!" said the boy reproachfully; "and then you turns up
the gas again, and I lifts the lid a bit, and sees it was two men and an
accident."
"An accident?"
"Yes, Miss, a chap as they said had been run over; and they brings him
in, and puts him on the cushion a-top o' the box I was in; and I lay
still and listens, for I says as it was a good chance to hear a
operation if I couldn't see one."
"Go on, boy; go on."
"All right, sir. Well, as I listens--oh, it was good! The chap groans
and hollers about his chest, and then he makes no end of fuss, and the
doctor says he'll soon be all right; and then--_whoosh!--croosh_! I
hears as if some one had been hit, and a big fall--_quelch_! Then I lay
very still, for I was scared. I heard some one get off the box, and a
lot o' whispering and I dursn't move, for fear they should know I was
there. But when I did peep, and lifted the lid softly, there was the
doctor lying close to the box, on his face, and I thought he was dead.
"That give me a turn, Miss," continued the boy, after moistening his
lips, for his voice had become husky, "and I don't think I knowed what
happened till I heerd a skeary kind o' noise, and a loud sort o' whop in
the 'sulting-room; and then the door was opened, and I see the light
shining on you a-lying on the sofa--you, sir--sleep or shamming, and a
man in there too, a-lying down, and--and--I--I can't help it, Miss--I
ain't had much to eat lately, and I--"
Poor Bob let himself sink in a heap upon the floor, covered his face
with his hands, and burst into a fit of sobbing.
There was another fit of sobbing heard, for grimy-faced Elizabeth rushed
forward, plumped down beside the boy, and took his head to her breast,
to rock him to and fro.
"Poor boy!" said Rich softly, and she took his hand.
The touch was like magic; for Bob lifted up his dirty tearful face, all
smiles.
"It's all right, Miss; I'm on'y a bit upset. Only let me get into the
surgery again, and I knows what to take to put me right."
"Can you tell us any more, my lad?" said Mark kindly.
"Course I can, sir; not much, though, for I dunno what come over me. I
see them two a-lying about, and as something horrid was the matter, and
I come over all wet and sick; and then I don't remember any more till I
seemed to wake up with a headache, and couldn't make out what it all
meant; and when I could I lifted up the box-lid, and put out my hand,
and felt to try if it was fancy. But there was the doctor lying on his
face, and though all was very quiet, I knowed the other dead un must be
in the 'sulting-room, and I lay there 'fraid to move, and all of a
pruspiration."
"Did you hear anything else?" said Rich eagerly.
"Yes, Miss; I heared the window broke, and you come, and the perliceman,
and I heared all you said; but I dursn't move, for fear the perlicemen
should think I did it--the perlice is such wunners, you know; and last
of all, I hears the perliceman begin hunting about, and I got scared
again, and tried to hide; and jus' as I picks up that there white skull,
and was trying whether I couldn't get lower, he opens the lid, and bangs
it down."
"Should you know the men again?" asked Mark eagerly.
"Dunno, sir. You see it was all foggy like, and they was wropped up;
but I should know 'em if I heerd 'em speak."
Mark uttered an ejaculation full of disappointment, and signed to the
boy to go on.
"Well, sir, that's all; only I waited till no one was there; and then I
lifted the lid and crep out of the box; and it was very horrid, for
there was the dead chap in the nex' room, and I kep' thinking he'd come
after me, or them others would; and I was that scared, I crawled along
the passage, and down-stairs, and then sat and shivered, list'ning to
you folks talking, and something in my head going buzz."
"Why did you not come to us?" said Rich kindly.
"I did want to, Miss, but I dursn't. I was 'fraid 'bout what you'd say;
and there was the perliceman too, and I'd no business to be there. I
d'know, only I was very frightened, and didn't hardly know what I did.
I never see anybody dead afore."
"Well, what did you do then?"
"Waited a bit, Miss, and then I got out in the area, nipped over the
rails, and went home and told mother."
"But one minute," cried Mark, pressing his hand to his breast; "did
you--did you hear anything said about--about diamonds?"
"Yes," cried the boy. "I heared one on 'em say, `Be cool, and the
diamonds are ours.'"
Mark uttered a groan. His last hope was crushed; and the boy went on:
"Mother said she know'd no good ud come of my being at a doctor's, and
that it all meant body-snatching and 'section, and that I shouldn't get
into trouble for no one. She said if I stopped I should be took up by
the perlice; and I was scared enough, and did as she said, and she took
me with her down in the country."
"In the country?" cried Hendon. "Where did you go?"
"I d'know," said the boy. "Everywhere's, I think. Tramping about, and
sleeping in workusses; and it's been very cold and mis'able, and I'm
very fond o' the old woman; only somehow--"
"Well, Bob, why do you stop?" said Hendon.
"Dunno, sir," said the boy, looking very hard at Rich's white hand. "I
wouldn't ha' done it, on'y she was took bad, and they put her in one of
the workas 'firmaries, and wouldn't let me stop along with her. They
shoved me in a school as was all whitewash, with a lot more boys; and I
got in a row with some on 'em, and we had a fight, and the master caned
me, and I hooked it; and please, Miss, mayn't I stay?"