"Take no notice," said Uncle Dick.
We listened, and I laughed as I heard the rattling noise made by a key
as if our friend was trying to get in, after which he seemed to realise
what had been done, and went away grumbling fiercely.
"Now for a quiet look round upstairs," said Uncle Dick; and all being
quiet and we in possession we turned in at the dark door to inspect our
fort.
There was something creepy and yet thoroughly attractive in the
business. The place looked dark and romantic in the gloom; there was a
spice of danger in the work, and the excitement made my blood seem to
dance in my veins.
"Hallo!" I cried, as we were entering the door; "there's something
wrong," for I heard a rustling noise and a dull thud as if someone had
jumped down from a little height.
At the same moment we found out how useful Piter was going to be, for he
started off with a furious rush, barking tremendously, and as we
followed him to the end of the yard we were in time for a scuffle, a
savage burst of expressions, and then my heart, which had been throbbing
furiously, seemed to stand still, for there was a howl, a tremendous
splash, then silence.
"Quick, boys!" cried Uncle Jack. "Here, join hands. I'll go in and
fetch him out. Take the light, Cob."
I gladly seized the lantern and made the light play on the surface of
the water where it was disturbed, and as I did so Piter came up from the
edge whining softly and twitching his little stump of a tail.
Then a head and shoulders appeared, and the surface of the dam was
beaten tremendously, but so close to the edge that by standing on the
stonework and holding by Uncle Bob's hand Uncle Jack was able to stretch
out his stick to the struggling man, to have it clutched directly, and
the fellow was drawn ashore.
He gave himself a shake like a dog as soon as he was on dry land, and
stood for a moment or two growling and using ugly language that seemed
to agree with his mouth.
Then he turned upon us.
"Aw right!" he said, "I'll pay thee for this. Set the dawg on me, you
did, and then pitched me into the watter. Aw reight! I'll pay thee for
this."
"Open the gate, Bob," said Uncle Jack, who now took the fellow by the
collar and thrust him forward while I held the light as the man went on
threatening and telling us what he meant to do.
But the cold water had pretty well quenched his fierce anger, and though
he threatened a great deal he did not attempt to do anything till he was
by the gate, where a buzz of voices outside seemed to inspirit him.
"Hey, lads!" he cried, "in wi' you when gate's opened."
"Take care," whispered Uncle Dick. "Be ready to bang the gate. We must
have him out. Here, Piter."
The dog answered with a bark, and then our invader being held ready the
gate was opened by me, and the three brothers thrust the prisoner they
were going to set at liberty half-way out.
Only half-way, for he was driven back by a rush of his companions, who
had been aroused by his shouting.
The stronger outside party would have prevailed no doubt had not our
four-footed companion made a savage charge among the rough legs, with
such effect that there was a series of yells from the front men, who
became at once on our side to the extent of driving their friends back;
and before they could recover from the surprise consequent upon the
dog's assault, the gate was banged to and locked.
"Show the light, and see where that fellow came over the wall, Cob,"
whispered Uncle Dick; and I made the light play along the top, expecting
to see a head every moment. But instead of a head a pair of hands
appeared over the coping-stones--a pair of great black hands, whose
nails showed thick and stubby in the lantern light.
"There, take that," said Uncle Dick, giving the hands a quick tap with
his stick. "I don't want to hurt you, though I could."
By that he meant do serious injury, for he certainly hurt the owner of
the hands to the extent of giving pain, for there was a savage yell and
the hands disappeared.
Then there was a loud scuffling noise and a fresh pair of hands
appeared, but they shared the fate of the others and went out of sight.
"Nice place this," said Uncle Bob suddenly. "Didn't take return
tickets, did you?"
"Return tickets! No," said Uncle Jack in a low angry voice. "What!
Are you tired of it already?"
"Tired! Well, I don't know, but certainly this is more lively than
Canonbury. There's something cheerful about the place. Put up your
umbrellas, it hails."
I was nervous and excited, but I could not help laughing at this, for
Uncle Bob's ideas of hailstones were peculiar. The first that fell was
a paving-stone as big as a half-quartern loaf, and it was followed by
quite a shower of the round cobbles or pebbles nearly the size of a fist
that are used so much in some country places for paths.
Fortunately no one was hit, while this bombardment was succeeded by
another assault or attempt to carry the place by what soldiers call a
_coup de main_.
But this failed, for the hands that were to deal the _coup_ received
such ugly taps from sticks as they appeared on the top of the wall that
their owners dropped back and began throwing over stones and angry words
again.
Only one of our assailants seemed to have the courage to persevere, and
this proved to be our old friend. For as I directed the light along the
top of the wall a pair of hands appeared accompanied by the usual
scuffing.
Uncle Dick only tapped them, but possibly not hard enough, for the arms
followed the hands, then appeared the head and fierce eyes of the man we
had found asleep.
"Coom on, lads; we've got un now," he shouted, and in another minute he
would have been over; but Uncle Dick felt it was time for stronger
measures than tapping hands, and he let his stick come down with such a
sharp rap on the great coarse head that it disappeared directly, and a
yelling chorus was succeeded by another shower of stones.
We went into shelter in the doorway, with Piter playing the part of
sentry in front, the dog walking up and down looking at the top of the
wall growling as he went, and now and then opening and shutting his
teeth with a loud snap like a trap.
On the other side of the wall we could hear the talking of the men,
quite a little crowd having apparently assembled, and being harangued by
one of their party.
"So it makes you think of Canonbury, does it, Bob?" said Uncle Jack.
"Well, yes," said my uncle.
"It makes me feel angry," said Uncle Jack, "and as if the more these
scoundrels are obstinate and interfere with me, the more determined I
shall grow."
"We must call in the help of the police," said Uncle Dick.
"And they will be watched away," said Uncle Jack. "No, we must depend
upon ourselves, and I dare say we can win. What's that?"