"This is prevarication, sir," cried the lieutenant; "but I am not to be
put off like this. Come, sir, I received information about a very
valuable contraband cargo that has been run from Dunquerque. It has
been landed here successfully during the past night or the night before.
Now, sir, if you please, where was that cargo landed?"
My father was silent, but his face was flushed, and I saw Jonas
Uggleston dart a curious look at him as he screwed up his face, and at
the same moment Bigley grasped my hand.
"I see," said the officer, "I shall have to question the boys. Once
more, sir, I ask you as an officer and a gentleman, do you not know
where that cargo was landed?"
"Sir," said my father, "your manner is dictatorial and offensive to a
man of higher rank than yourself; but you ask me this question as one of
his majesty's servants, and I am bound to reply. I do know where a
cargo was landed, but it was not from this man's boat."
"But he was in the business, captain," said the lieutenant with a laugh.
"Now, sir, if you please, where was it?"
"In the second bay to the westward, sir," said my father coldly; and
Jonas Uggleston gave his foot a stamp, and uttered a fierce oath.
"You see, he is in the business," said the lieutenant laughing. "There,
Uggleston, you have betrayed yourself."
I heard Bigley utter a piteous sigh, and I looked round at him to see
the great drops standing on his forehead.
"I am so sorry, Big," I whispered; but he did not reply. He went and
took hold of his father's arm.
Old Jonas turned round fiercely, but he smiled directly, and whispered
something to Bigley, who fell back with his head drooping, and in a
dejected way.
"Now, Captain Duncan, if you please, you will come with us on board the
lugger, and we'll run along to the second bay," said the lieutenant; "it
will not take long."
"Sir," said my father, "I have replied to your questions as I was bound,
but I am not bound to act as your pilot."
"Sir," said the lieutenant, "I demand this service of you as his
majesty's servant. Kindly step on board the boat. Now, Uggleston."
I shall never forget old Jonas's fierce scowl as he walked down to the
boat, into which he stepped, and remained in the bows, while my father
went into the stern-sheets, and was followed by the lieutenant. The
bare-legged sailors ran the light gig out, and sprang over the side,
seized their oars and backed water, turned her, and began to row with a
light springy stroke for the lugger.
"Big, old mate," I said, "I am so, so sorry."
"Don't talk to me," he groaned. "I never said anything: but I was
always afraid of this."
"Don't be angry with father," I said appealingly. "He was obliged to
speak."
"I can't talk to you now--I can't talk to you now," the poor lad groaned
more than spoke, as we stood there close to where the waves came running
in.
The lugger had a good many men on board as she lay out there, quite
three hundred yards away, though it had seemed only one from high up in
the Gap, and the cutter was quite half a mile from where we stood, and
more to the east.
All at once Bigley lifted up both his arms, and stood with them
outstretched for quite a minute.
"What are you doing that for?" I said.
He made no answer but remained in the same position, and kept so while I
watched the boat rising and falling on the heaving tide, with every one
distinctly visible in the evening sun.
As I have said the lugger lay with her bows straight towards the Gap;
but all of a sudden she began to change her position, the bows swinging
slowly round, and I realised that the rope by which she had swung had
been cast off, for the buoy was plainly to be seen now several fathoms
away.
Just then I saw old Jonas start up in the bows of the boat and clap his
hands to his mouth, his voice coming clearly to us over the wave.
"You, Bill! You're adrift! Lower down that foresail, you swab, lower
down that foresail! Throw her up in the wind!"
This sail had begun to fill, but a man ran to the tiller, and the
lugger's position changed slowly, the sails flapping and the bows
pointing gradually in our direction again.
All this while the men in the cutter's gig were pulling with all their
might, and rapidly shortened the distance, till the bow man picked up a
boat-hook, and stood ready to hold on.
It was all so clear against the black side of the lugger, that we missed
nothing, and to my surprise, I saw old Jonas draw back as if to let the
bow man pass him, and then there was a tremendous splash, the bow man
was overboard, and old Jonas had made a leap driving the light gig away
with his feet, catching the side of the lugger, and swinging himself
aboard.
It was so quickly and deftly done that the cutter's gig was driven yards
away, and Jonas was aboard before the lieutenant had recovered from his
surprise.
Then the men pulled their hardest, and the distance between lugger and
boat diminished fast, but as it did the sails began to fill, and the
position altered, for a man had run to the tiller, while half a dozen
more stood at the side, one of whom was old Jonas.
Bigley uttered a curious hissing noise as he caught my hand, while we
stood straining our eyes, and as we stared wildly there was a cheer, and
we saw the boat touch the lugger's side, the sailors and the lieutenant
spring up, and they made a dash to leap on board.