THE REAPPEARANCE OF DIGBY'S EVIL GENIUS--A TRAWLING EXPEDITION--HOW THE
GUNS OF THE OLD FORT WENT OFF.
Digby was to all appearance getting on very well with Mr Nugent; a
watchful eye was upon him; he had steady companions, older than himself,
who were not inclined to lead him into temptation, while old Toby
contributed much to keep him out of harm's way. It may very well be
doubted whether this was the best sort of training for a lad of his
disposition and the style of life for which he was intended. He would
be called upon to mix with the world, to associate with all sorts of
people, and to go through the ordeal of a public school and college.
One important point was in his favour; his uncle was endeavouring to
instil into him good principles, and to make him love, and comprehend,
and follow the only light which could guide him on his onward path
through life--the Bible. Digby listened oftentimes earnestly, always
complaisantly, to what his uncle said to him, and thinking that
listening to what was good was of itself a virtuous act, he began to
fancy that he had grown into a reformed and very steady character. He
might not have found out his mistake, had not a new boy come to his
tutor's; his coming was spoken of some time before he made his
appearance. Who he could be was the question. At length a carriage
drove up to the door, and out of it stepped Julian Langley.
"Ah, Digby, how de ye do, how de ye do?" exclaimed Julian in an affected
way, putting out his hand. "Introduce me to your friends. We are to be
companions for some time, I'm told, so we may as well become intimate at
once."
Digby welcomed his old friend, and mentioned his name, but Easton and
the other boys could not resist imitating his affected way of talking.
"How de ye do, how de ye do, Langley?" they exclaimed, laughing; while
Marshall turned away, somewhat disgusted with the little jackanapes as
he called him.
Julian, however, soon made himself at home. He had never held Digby in
very high estimation, simply because he found that he could so easily
lead him, and he therefore fancied that he should have a good right to
look down upon his new companions. His reasoning was not very sound,
and they were in no way inclined to be looked down upon. On the
contrary, though they were all well disposed to treat him civilly, they
showed no disposition to allow him to become very intimate with them.
Marshall, indeed, very soon let him know what he thought of him, but it
took a great deal to make Master Julian in any way dissatisfied with
himself, or any of his belongings, or anything that he had done. It
appeared unfortunate for Digby that Julian Langley should have been sent
to Mr Nugent's. Mr Langley finding at last that his son was getting
into mischief at home, and hearing that his friend Heathcote had sent
his boy to Mr Nugent, wrote to ask if he would take charge of him. Mr
Nugent only knew that he was a friend of his brother-in-law, and without
making any inquiries as to the character of the boy, at once agreed to
receive him under his roof. One afternoon, a few days after Julian's
arrival, Mr Nugent announced that he had engaged a vessel for the
following morning, and that he hoped the long talked-of trawling
expedition would at length take place. The weather was fine, the sea
was smooth, and there appeared every prospect of their enjoying a
pleasant day.
"I don't think that you have been much on the water, Julian," said
Digby. "I wonder how you will like it."
"Very much, as you all seem to do," answered Julian, superciliously.
"You don't suppose that I should be afraid of the water?"
"Not afraid of it exactly; but it makes people who are not often on it
feel very queer, I know," observed Digby.
"It might such a fellow as you," replied Julian, who never lost an
opportunity of showing how superior he thought himself to Digby. "I'll
tell you what though, I should take very good care that it doesn't upset
me. I'm above that sort of thing."
Had Marshall, or Easton, or Power overheard him, how they would have
laughed at the nonsense he was talking. All the evening Mr Nugent and
Marshal were preparing the jars, and bottles, and boxes for preserving
the specimens of marine zoology which they hoped to dredge up. The next
morning proved as bright and beautiful as it had promised to be, and a
very merry party embarked on board the Mermaid, a cutter of thirty tons,
with a crew of six men besides Toby Tubb, who went as master. The
fishing ground selected for the day was about four miles off the mouth
of the harbour, and they had a fair though a light breeze to take them
there.
"It may at first appear strange that one spot of ground should be
suitable for trawling and not another," observed Mr Nugent, as they
sailed away from the shore. "There are several reasons for this. One
is, that the flat fish which are to be caught feed only among certain
weeds, to which their prey is attached, or among which they live; then,
again, the trawl cannot be used over rough and rocky ground. Trawlers,
therefore, generally drag their nets over smooth and shallow spots,
where there is little chance of their being lost. They of course also
prefer shallow places, where the net has not so far to descend. Besides
the trawl-net, I am going to use a dredge, with which I hope to bring up
shells and various specimens of marine zoology, which might be spoilt in
the net."
Mr Nugent's dredge was a canvas bag, stretched on an oblong iron frame,
with iron plates attached to it to serve as scrapers. Drawn along the
bottom, as he explained, shells, and crabs, and other slow-moving
animals were easily swept into it.
The trawl-net Digby examined with some curiosity. One end was stretched
along a stout beam, with small but heavy iron triangles at each end.
Just above the beam is a long bag, into which whatever the beam stirs up
is forced. Fish, when touched by the beam, dart into the net, thinking
that it is the way out, and soon get entangled in its meshes. Ropes are
attached to each end of the beam, and they serve also to keep the well
part of the net stretched upwards, and at the same time leaning
forwards. Toby showed him exactly how it would work when it got to the
bottom.
Julian looked on with a supercilious air, as if such matters were
entirely beneath his notice.
"You little think, young gentlemen, of the immense number of vessels
engaged in this work. There are some firms which own from a hundred and
fifty to two hundred vessels, all more than twice the size of this one.
Each vessel carries a hundred men, and they fish in fleets, from twenty
to two hundred miles off the coast. Some go to the mouth of the Texel,
and they remain out six weeks and two months together, fishing every
day. Vessels employed as carriers tiring them provisions, and ice in
which to pack their fish and carry them away. Little do you think, when
you are eating a piece of turbot, how far it has come, and what trouble
it has cost to bring it to you in a fresh state."
By this time they reached the trawling-ground, and the great beam and
its net was cast overboard, and the two ropes which were fastened to it
were secured, one to the fore part and one to the after part of the
vessel. Her peak was lowered, as also was the throat. The tack was
triced up, the foresail hauled down, and a small jib only set. Thus,
under easy sail, she slowly dragged on her net.
If there is any swell, a vessel feels it, thus partially anchored, much
more than when she is under weigh. This Julian discovered to his cost.
At first he was very proud of himself, as he walked about, and talked of
going into the navy. Now, however, he became very silent, and grew
yellower and yellower.
Slowly and gently the little vessel moved to the heaving wave.
"And that same voice which bade the Romans mark him, and write his
sayings in their books, cried, `Give me some drink, Titanus,' like a
sick girl--" said Marshall, who had been watching poor Julian with a
look in which there was very little commiseration.
Julian said nothing, but he showed more and more of the white of his
eyes, and his lips curled in a very peculiar and ominous way.
"Wouldn't you like to come to sea with me?" asked Easton. "It's a jolly
life fellows lead there. Plenty of fat pork and peas pudding."
Julian shut his eyes, and would not reply, but his efforts to ward off
the evidence of the malady from which he was suffering were perfectly
fruitless. He had to rush to the side, and I need not describe what
followed. He threw himself down on the deck, looking the picture of woe
and wretchedness. Had he not already given himself so many airs, and
made himself so disagreeable, he would undoubtedly have obtained the
commiseration of his companions. As it was, no one except Digby pitied
him, and even he could not feel very sorry for his discomforts.
However, he went and sat down by him, and began to speak a few kind
words, but Julian received his attentions in so uncourteous a way that
he was not sorry to get up and watch the proceedings of the fishermen.
The trawl had not been down an hour, when it was resolved to haul it up.
All hands were required for this, and everybody helped except Julian,
who declared that he was too ill to move.
By slow degrees the ropes were hauled in, and at last the beam appeared,
and a considerable portion of the net.
"Why, where are all the fish?" exclaimed Digby, who expected to see them
sticking about in the net.
"Wait till we get the purse aboard, and then we'll see what we have
caught," remarked old Toby, leaning over to secure the mouth of the said
purse, or bag. "I see something big walloping about in it, at all
events."
Now came the most exciting moment--to discover the results of the hour's
trawling.
Fishermen do not always catch fish, but Mr Nugent was sure that
numberless living things would be brought up in which he would be
interested.
"Now see what we've got! see what we've got!" shouted Marshall, with all
the enthusiasm of a naturalist; nor was Mr Nugent much less excited.
Up came the purse, with a mass of living things floundering and
wriggling, and twisting about, with one huge monster in the centre. A
part of the deck was sunk for the purpose, and into it the whole living
mass was turned.
"Well, it isn't often I've seen such a haul as this," exclaimed Toby;
"but take care, young gentlemen, that big fellow don't catch hold of any
of your fingers. He'd have them off in no time. We'll haul him up out
of that, or he'll be knocking all Mr Nugent's curiosities to pieces
with his tail."
"What is it, what is it?" was the question asked by all. Even Mr
Nugent could not tell.
The monster at which they were gazing was fully six feet long, almost
flat, of a dark brown colour, and a rough shark-like skin, with a huge
broad head, and very widely-extended side fins.
Toby replied, "Some calls him an angel, and others a monk-fish, or a
flat shark; but to my mind he's very little of the angel about him, and
if he's a monk he's a very ugly monk, you'll all allow. He is very
strong. If you were to stand on him, master Digby, he would lift you
up."
Digby did stand on him, and the huge fish gave a heave, and a snap with
his jaws which made him jump off at a great rate.
"What, did you think the monk was going to leap overboard with you?"
exclaimed Power, laughing.
"Indeed I did," answered Digby, "I'm sure he felt as if he would."
Meantime Mr Nugent was examining the rest of the contents of the purse,
while the trawl, having been once more let down, was towing astern.
Two large skates were hauled out, and Digby came aft to look at them.
They were perfectly flat, and had long thin tails, with spines on them,
their pectoral or side fins being very wide. "It would puzzle any one
to cut their heads off," he observed.
"Why, Digby?" asked his uncle.
"Because they have not the slightest approach to a neck," he answered.
"If I had to describe one, I should say that it was more like a toy-shop
kite than any other thing in shape. But I see there's something else
below all the seaweed and crabs, and other things. Stay, I'll get it
out."
Mr Nugent was examining some of the living things he had picked out.
Digby stooped down to get hold of what he saw, but very quickly drew
back his hand. "Some one has hit me on the arm," he exclaimed, "or I
have been stung, or something or other has happened. I cannot make out
what, but it's very disagreeable, that I know."
"Let me see," said Mr Nugent, taking the boat-hook and clearing away
the weeds and mud. "Ah, we are indeed fortunate. We have caught a fine
specimen of a somewhat rare fish. It is the torpedo, or electric ray.
See, the body forms an almost circular disc; the tail, too, is much
shorter than that possessed by the other skate we have got. You may
well say that it has no neck. It gave you, Digby, the shock you
complained of. We will examine its galvanic apparatus. We shall find
it on either side, consisting of a number of tubes, having much the
appearance of a honeycomb. Its peculiar property is given to it that it
may benumb its prey, and, perhaps, digest it more easily. Animals
killed by lightning more quickly decompose than those destroyed in other
ways, and they do not grow stiff. This electric skate can emit the very
same substance as lightning, and though a very small quantity entered
into your body, it caused you some pain. When in the water, possessed
of all its vigour, it may be supposed that it can very easily destroy
the smaller fry on which it feeds."
"I am very glad that the brute hadn't its full vigour, for it has hurt
me considerably as it is," answered Digby.
Besides the skates, the net had brought up half a dozen good soles and a
large supply of crabs of various sizes and descriptions, star-fish,
jelly-fish, shrimps, and other crustacea, all of which were examined by
Mr Nugent, and the best specimens transferred to his jars, and pots,
and bottles. There were some hermit crabs among them, who had taken
possession of various shells, but one or two unfortunate fellows had
been caught while in the act of changing their homes, and had no
covering for their nakedness. The head and shoulders were like those of
a lobster, but the lower extremities were perfectly soft.
Mr Nugent explained how they have to look out for an unoccupied shell,
or perhaps eat up the occupant, and then wriggle in their own tails.
The hermit crab grows bigger, but the shell does not, so, when he feels
his tail pinched, he has to look out for a larger home. It is amusing
to watch him crawling along, examining shell after shell, till he has
discovered one to his satisfaction. Then, when he has ascertained that
it is unoccupied, he whisks his tail out of one and as rapidly pops it
into the new one.
Mr Nugent pointed out that one claw was much larger than the other, and
he showed how, when the hermit wishes to withdraw itself into its shell,
he can perfectly coil himself away by doubling up the little claw and
closing the larger one over it.
Digby was really much interested in the number of star-fish, and shells,
and sea-weeds, and many other things, about which his uncle did not
think it wise to enter on long explanations to him.
With the next haul of the trawl they were not nearly so successful,
giving them an idea of the precarious nature of the fisherman's calling;
while in the third there was scarcely a fish, but Mr Nugent pronounced
it more prolific than any of the former ones to him.
It was now time to return home. The net was thoroughly washed, and then
triced up in the rigging, while the beam was lashed alongside.
Julian had begun to recover, but he was very unlike himself, and not at
all inclined to talk and boast; indeed, Power remarked that he had never
seen him so agreeable since he had come to Osberton.
Digby had been examining the crustacea with grave attention, the
lobsters, crabs, and shrimps, when, lifting up one, he exclaimed, "It's
very odd; I always thought they were red. How is it, uncle, that these
are black?"
A loud laugh from his companions was their reply to the question.
"You are thinking of the lobsters you have seen brought to the table
cooked, and ready to be eaten," observed Mr Nugent. "But go on, Digby,
never be ashamed of asking questions, although, now and then, they may
bring down a laugh upon you. It would fare but ill with the poor crabs
and lobsters if they were not black, or rather of the colour of the
rocks and weeds among which they live. Their colour thus enables them
to escape detection from the sharp-sighted fish, which are constantly
swimming rapidly about in search of them, and, in spite of their
coats-of-mail, easily gobble them up. But I was going to show you this
little pea-crab, Pinnotheres. He is said to have established a
friendship with the inhabitant of a bivalve shell, the Pinna, or
Sea-wing. When he wants to go out in search of food, the Pinna opens
her shell, and lets him out. He, argus-eyed, watches the approach of
their mutual enemy, the Polypus, and instantly rushes back, and by his
return giving notice of danger, the shell closes, and both are safe.
Otherwise the Polypus might get one of his rays inside the Pinna, and
destroy its vitality in a moment, or he might touch the crab, and kill
it in the same way. When the pea-crab discovers a supply of food he
brings it to his friend, the Pinna, to be divided equally. I will not
vouch for the truth of this account; and I am afraid that Master
Pinnotheres has some more interested motive in his attachment, and may,
in the end, eat up his friend, the Pinna, out of house and home."
This and many other interesting accounts Mr Nugent gave to his pupils
on the return trip. Sometimes he even won the attention of Julian, who
condescended to smile at his anecdotes. That young gentleman got a good
deal better by the time he reached the shore, but he was not himself all
the evening, and went fast asleep while Mr Nugent and his fellow-pupils
were examining some of the marine insects they had brought home in their
jars, through the microscope.
Several days passed away, and, to all appearance, Julian had gained a
lesson from which he had profited, not to think so much of himself. He
had found out that others could be brisk and sprightly under
circumstances which made him dull and wretched, and that they also knew
a great deal more about all sorts of things than he did. To his
surprise he found that his tutor, and Marshall, and Power, knew even far
more about horses, and dogs, and game of all sorts, than he did. His
knowledge was confined to the limited range of his father's park, and to
such information as the grooms and gamekeepers had given him. They knew
where the various races came from, their habits in their wild state when
they were introduced into England, and they had read about sporting in
all parts of the world. He thus found himself instantly put down, as he
called it, when he began to talk in an authoritative way on what he had
been taught to consider the most important subjects for the attention of
a gentleman.
Bad habits and erroneous notions are not without much difficulty
eradicated; and so Julian Langley very soon forgot the lesson he had
received, and began to think and act very much in his old way. "I say,
Digby, the way we have to go on here is horribly slow work," he observed
one day, when he and his old companion were alone. "Don't you think,
now, we could put each other up to some fun or other. I want to do
something to astonish the natives down here."
Digby said he could not think of anything just then, but that he would
try. They were strolling along the beach; it was a fine autumn day, but
fresh. "I vote we have a run," said Digby. "It's cold."
They ran on till they reached the old castle, of which I have before
spoken. Julian never liked running, so he proposed going in and sitting
down in a sunny sheltered spot under the walls. There were six or eight
cannon of large size mounted on very rotten honeycombed carriages in the
fort. They had not been fired within the memory of man, but they every
few years received a coat of paint, which prevented them turning into
rust; and a superannuated gunner from the Royal Artillery, with much
ceremony, cleaned them out of the stones and rubbish which the children
in the neighbourhood had thrown into them. Once upon a time they might
have proved very serviceable weapons for defending the entrance to the
harbour.
"I say, Digby, what do you say to letting off one of those big fellows
one of these days? It would make a great row, and astonish people not a
little," exclaimed Julian, after eyeing the guns for some time.
"We should get into a great row if we did, I suspect," answered Digby.
"I don't think that it would be worth while to try."
"Oh, nonsense," said Julian. "I mean that no one should find out who
did it; that would be the great fun. We should hear people talking of
the explosion, and what it was, and how it could have happened, and all
that sort of thing, and we should be laughing in our sleeves all the
time. Oh, it would be rare fun. Besides, it is not going to do anybody
any harm, you know."
It did not occur to either of the boys that it might do them a very
great deal of harm, and perhaps kill them.
Digby was very soon won over to agree to Julian's proposal. It suited
his taste, and he also thought that it would be rare fun. How to carry
out their scheme was the question. Their great difficulty was to
procure gunpowder in sufficient quantities to load the gun without
leading suspicions on themselves.
When mischief was to be done Julian was very acute, so indeed was Digby.
They agreed to buy half a pound at a time at different places; Julian
was to go to one place, Digby to another. They were both amply supplied
with money; and as Digby did not care very much for cakes, he generally
had some to spare. Julian was always ready, by the by, to borrow it of
him. Their plans were soon arranged. The event which was to astonish
the natives was to be brought about on as early a day as possible.
Instead of going home together they separated. Julian went to one shop,
Digby to another, to make their first purchase of gunpowder.
Fortunately for Digby, the master of the shop was absent, and a shop-boy
served him out the powder without asking any questions, merely
remarking, "I suppose you young gentlemen want to let off fireworks on
the fifth of November? This won't make many, though." Had the master
asked him, he would have answered probably, "Give me the powder, and
I'll pay you for it;" or he would have held his tongue, and perhaps by
his looks betrayed himself.
Julian, meantime, went to the great shop of the place, where groceries,
hardware, ironmongery, and even chemical drugs, soaps, and perfumery,
were sold; indeed, it would have been difficult to point out what Mr
Simson did not sell.
"What do you want all this gunpowder for, young gentleman?" asked Mr
Simson.
"To make fireworks, to be sure," answered Julian, in an angry tone. "I
wonder you ask."
"No offence, sir, but I like to know when young gentlemen get things of
a dangerous character that they will do no harm with them. I should
never forgive myself if I hadn't warned you, and you blew yourself up.
Remember, a spark falling into that paper of powder would kill any one
near, and, perhaps, set the house on fire. You are at Mr Nugent's, I
presume?"
"Yes, I am," answered Julian, in an angry tone. "Is there anything else
you want to know?"
"Oh, I beg pardon, young gentleman; I did not want to offend you," said
the kind-hearted Mr Simson. "You know that I cannot be too cautious
about these matters."
"You can be too officious," growled Julian, as he left the shop.
Digby and Julian met at Mr Nugent's door. They had now got a pound of
powder between them; but Julian said that was not nearly enough.
The next day they would go again, and each to ask in the other's name
for another half pound.
Julian walked boldly into Mr Simson's shop as if nothing had happened,
and said that one of his fellow-pupils wanted to manufacture some
fireworks, and begged to have another small quantity--half a pound would
not be too much. He got it; not, however, without creating some
suspicion in Mr Simson's mind that Mr Nugent would not approve of what
his pupils were about. This feeling was increased when, a day or two
afterwards, Digby appeared, and asked for another half pound. Three
half pounds were likewise procured from Mr Jones's small shop. Mr
Jones made some remarks, however, to Julian which, at first, rather
frightened him.
"I suppose, sir, you wouldn't mind Mr Nugent knowing that you have all
that powder now, would you?" said the shopkeeper, eyeing him keenly;
"well, I didn't say that I was going to talk about it to him, and I hope
that I may have the pleasure of your custom."
Julian assured Mr Jones that he would patronise him, and, with his
usual dignified air, strutted out of the shop.
"I'll tell you what, Digby," said he, when the two fellow-pupils next
met, "we must not be in too great a hurry to fire the gun. If we do, we
shall be found out. Old Simson and that fellow Jones already smell a
rat, so we must be cautious; I'll tell you another thing, too, I've been
thinking, that it won't do to fire it by daytime, we should be seen by
somebody near the place and suspected. It will have much greater effect
if we let it off in the middle of the night. We can easily get out of
window and be back again in a few minutes. What say you? there will be
great fun in it."
The spice of danger in the adventure had especial charms for Digby, and
without taking anything else into consideration, he willingly consented
to all Julian proposed.
It is extraordinary how quiet and out of mischief this notable scheme of
the two young gentlemen kept them. They could think of nothing else.
Whenever they thought no one was observing them, they went together to
the old castle, and ascertained the best means of entering it and
escaping again over the ramparts. There was no great difficulty or
danger in doing that, even on a dark night.
Three or four weeks passed away--The Holidays were approaching--They
could no longer resist their desire to make the attempt.
"Digby," said Julian, as they were walking out together, "we must do it
to-night. It will be dark, but it is perfectly calm and dry. Are you
ready to do it?"
Digby answered that he was.
"Then to-night the affair shall come off," exclaimed Julian. "I've got
the rope we knotted all ready; I'll get it out of my box, and stow it
away under my bed. I wish the time was come; it will be glorious fun."
How very demurely the two young gentlemen sat up that evening in the
drawing-room, and pretended to be busily reading, though their thoughts
were certainly not on their books; indeed, had Mr Nugent asked them
what they were reading about, they would have been puzzled to give a
satisfactory reply.
At last bed-time came, and the whole family retired to their rooms.
Mr Nugent made a practice of getting up early and never sat up late,
except in a case of necessity, when he had some work of importance to
finish. The boys, therefore, calculated that he would be asleep soon
after eleven. The house was a large one, the elder boys had, therefore,
rooms to themselves; but Julian and Digby slept in the same room on the
first floor, and their window looked into the garden. All these
circumstances were favourable to their design. Finding that there was a
bolt on the door, they secured it. They did not undress, but, having
put out their light, sat upon the foot of their beds whispering to each
other till they thought everybody would be asleep. They then relighted
their candle, and Julian, wetting some of their gunpowder, made a
compound well known by the name of a Vesuvius; this he did up in a piece
of paper. They then poured most of their powder into a
pocket-handkerchief. It was a mercy that they did not blow themselves
and indeed the house up. They stuffed their pockets full of paper, the
rest of the powder, and some old handkerchiefs. Julian had not
forgotten to provide a thick stick to serve as a rammer. The next thing
they did was to fasten one end of their knotted rope to a bar across
their window.
"Now all's ready. Come along, Digby," exclaimed Julian.
Digby descended first at the request of his companion, who wanted to
ascertain whether the rope was properly secured before he trusted
himself on it; finding it was safe, he followed. They looked about them
as if they had been young thieves, to ascertain that they were not
watched, and then crossing the lawn, they scrambled over a high wall,
and ran on as hard as they could go towards the old fort.
It was close upon midnight when they reached the walls. They clambered
in, and having selected a gun which pointed down directly on the
harbour, they commenced the operation of loading.
"We must put in the handkerchief and all," whispered Julian.
This was done, taking care to allow the powder to escape sufficiently at
the upper side to communicate with the touch-hole. Then they rammed in
a quantity of paper.
"Now let's have some shot," said Julian, "saw yesterday a pile of large
gravel-stones, they will do famously."
Some gravel-stones, or rather some large lumps of flint were found and
rammed in, and the remainder of their paper was rammed in after them.
Never before, probably, had the old gun been so fully charged. The
nervous time was approaching. They filled the touch-hole with
gunpowder, and on the top of it Julian placed his Vesuvius.
"We've got powder enough for another gun," said he, feeling in his
pockets; "haven't you more?"
"Yes," answered Digby, "I've got enough to load a gun almost."
So they poured nearly all that they had remaining into Julian's silk
pocket-handkerchief, and rammed it into another gun. They filled it up
with stones, and then rammed in what little paper they could collect,
and as that was not enough, Julian insisted on Digby's sacrificing his
pocket-handkerchief also. Digby did so without a murmur, though I do
not know what Mrs Barker or Mrs Carter would have said to the
proceeding. He filled up the touch-hole of that gun also, and placed a
Vesuvius over it.
"Now's the time," whispered Julian.
The church-clock began to toll forth slowly the hour of midnight. He
lighted a lucifer match, and in another moment had ignited the Vesuvius
of the gun they first loaded, while Digby taking a match lighted the
other. The damp gunpowder fizzed, and spluttered, and flamed up,
occasionally throwing a lurid glare over the interior of the fort, as
well as on their countenances. Julian's face looked very pale and
ghastly, for he already began to tremble for the consequences of what he
had done. Little did he suspect what those consequences were to prove.
"We shall be seen if we stand here," he exclaimed, "let's get away,
Digby, as soon as we can."
Digby thought the advice too good not to follow it, so they both
scampered off to one of the embrasures, and having just got within it
were about to jump down into the ditch, when a loud roar was heard, the
whole fort shook, a bright light burst forth, followed by a crashing and
clashing noise, as if heavy bits of metal were falling on the ground.
"Oh, oh, oh!" cried Julian, in an agony of terror, "what shall we do?"
"The cannon has burst," said Digby, calmly; "there's another to come,
though."
It did not occur to either of them that they had just been mercifully
preserved from a most terrific danger. Digby looked out; the Vesuvius
on the other gun being somewhat wetter than the first was still fizzing
away.
"Oh, come along," cried Julian, recovering somewhat from his fright; "we
must get home as fast as we can, or we shall be discovered to a
certainty. The coastguard men will be up here directly to see what is
the matter. Oh come along! come along!"
Even then they thought that they heard footsteps approaching the fort.
They sprang out of the embrasure, and slid down the bank into the ditch.
Just as they were sliding down, off went the gun with as loud a noise
as the first, while the effects were no less disastrous; a lump of iron
flew directly through the embrasure where they had been sitting, and
just clearing their heads, fell at some distance beyond the ditch.
Digby remembered the circumstance many years afterwards, but it made but
a slight impression at the time.
"We had a narrow escape," said Julian, as they reached the bottom of the
ditch; "it is lucky we were out of that hole, or we should have been
made to squeak out I suspect."
They quickly clambered out of the ditch, and looking about to ascertain
that no one was observing them, ran on as fast as they could move. They
had already marked out the path they were to take, so they lost no time
in having to stop and consider which way they were to go.
On they ran. Digby found no difficulty in keeping up the speed, but
Julian had never ran so fast in his life. They had to scramble through
several hedges and across several stubble fields. Julian's foot caught
in a trailing weed, and down he came on his nose. He cried out with
pain, but Digby helped him up again.
"You can't be much hurt, I hope," said Digby; "let me help you along; we
must make haste, you know, or we shall be caught."
"But I am very much hurt; my nose feels as if it was smashed in,"
answered Julian, sulkily. "You don't care for that though, I suppose.
However, help me along; we must make haste I know."
With Digby's aid he was once more in motion. Their great fear was that
they might be met by some one on his way to the fort to learn what had
occurred. They had nearly reached Mr Nugent's garden-wall, when they
thought they saw some one coming along. A deep ditch was near; Julian
jumped into it, dragging Digby after him. They were only just in time
to escape a person whose footsteps they heard passing by. Then up they
jumped again, and ran on till they reached the wall for which they were
aiming. They scrambled over it, and breathed more freely when they
found themselves concealed in the shrubbery. Great caution was
required, however, to get back into their room.
"Suppose," whispered Digby, "some one should have come to our room, and
tried to awaken us, or found the rope hanging out of the window?"
"Oh, don't let us think of such things," answered Julian, who had the
greatest dread of being found out in any of his tricks, though he had
not the slightest objection to doing what was wrong.
There are, unfortunately, a great number of people in the world like
Julian Langley. They do not comprehend the awful fact that the Almighty
God sees and knows all they do and think, even to their most trivial
acts and thoughts, and that at the great Day of Judgment they will have
to answer for all the evil they have committed, all the evil thoughts in
which they have willingly indulged. Not understanding, or forgetting
this great truth, their only dread is lest their sins should be
discovered by their fellow-men, or should in any way disturb the
equanimity of their own consciences. No greater offence, therefore, can
be committed against them than to speak to them of their vices, or to
try to prove to them that they have done wrong. Ostriches, when chased,
are said to run their heads into a bush, and to fancy that because they
cannot see they are free from pursuit; so men try to shut out their sins
and faults from their own sight, and, as foolishly as the ostrich, to
fancy that they are not perceived by others, or, still more foolishly
and madly, that a due and just punishment, which an all-righteous God
has said he will inflict on evildoers, will not ultimately overtake
them. Unhappy Julian, I would rather not have had to narrate his
career.
"Come on, Julian," said Digby, at last. "I hear no one about; we must
make a push for our window and get in. If we are caught, patience! The
thing is done, and can't be undone."
Digby was, in reality, by far the most daring of the two, in cases of
real danger. Off he set across the lawn, Julian following. They
reached the window. The rope was there. Up he climbed.
Julian fancied that he heard some one speak, and then that footsteps
were coming along the gravel walk. He was in an agony of terror. He
could scarcely climb up the rope, and was almost letting go, but Digby
caught his arm, and helped to drag him in. They hauled up the rope, and
Julian stowed it away again in his box. They then shut their window and
unlocked their door.
When they came to undress, they found that their clothes were very
muddy, and that they had got their shoes very wet and dirty in the ditch
into which they had jumped. Even Julian's fertile brain was puzzled as
to how they should account for this, should they be questioned on the
subject. He lay cold and trembling, and very uncomfortable. He was
paying somewhat dear for his lark; people generally do for such like
proceedings.
There is an old French proverb, "The game is not worth the candle,"
meaning, which is burnt while it is played. In a true and Christian
point of view, sin, however delicious, however attractive it may appear,
never is worth a hundredth part of the consequences it is sure to
entail.
Digby was not much less unhappy than Julian. Still, as he was prepared,
with sturdy independence, to undergo whatever consequences his prank
might bring upon him--for a prank only it was, though an unwise one--he
did not trouble himself much more about the matter, but coiled himself
up in his bed to try and get warm, and prepared to go to sleep. He was
just dozing off, when he heard the voices of his uncle, and Marshall,
and Power, passing the door.
"Some people can sleep through a thunder-storm, or a battle at sea; and
so, I suppose, those youngsters were not awoke by all that tremendous
noise," observed Marshall.
"More likely that they were awoke, and that fellow Julian Langley is
lying quaking in his bed, and wondering what all the noise was about,"
answered Power.
"Do not call them now, at all events," said Mr Nugent. "We will ask
them to-morrow what they thought about the matter. What could have
exploded those old guns?"
Julian and Digby would have been fully satisfied had they witnessed the
commotion the explosion of the guns created in the quiet old town. Half
the male population, and even some of the women, turned out of their
beds and ran to the fort. Some thought the Russians or the French, or
some other enemies of England, had come, and were firing away at the
fort--a very useless proceeding it would have been, considering that the
poor old fort could not fire at them. Others, not aware of this latter
fact, thought that a body of artillery had suddenly been transported
there, and that they were defending the place in the most desperate
manner. The braver men who thought this ran to assist them; and others,
and some of the women, ran out of the town to be further from danger.
However, a very large number of people collected in the fort, everybody
asking questions, and nobody being able to give a satisfactory reply.
Some asserted that a dozen guns had been fired off; others even a
greater number. One thing only was evident, when lanterns were brought
to make an examination--that two of the old guns had burst, and had
scattered their fragments far and wide around.
"Some malicious people must have done it," observed the worthy mayor,
who did not at all like being thus rudely summoned out of his bed, as he
had been by the explosion. "High treason, rebellion, and--and--" (he
could not find a third word of sufficient force to express his feelings)
"has been committed in this loyal, respectable, quiet town, and the
villainous perpetrators of the atrocious deed must be brought to condign
punishment."
It was a pity Julian and Digby could not hear these expressions.
Some people in the crowd had their own opinions on the subject. Mr
Simson was there, and he picked up a thick stick, with a thicker head,
and kept it.
The coastguard men thought the smugglers had done it, but with what
object they could not divine. Some wiseacres thought that the guns had
gone off of themselves; others, that Dame Marlow, whose fame had long
been great at Osberton, had had a hand in the work. However, though
everybody looked about and talked, they were not much the wiser, and at
length they retired to their homes, and the old fort was allowed to
sleep on with its usual tranquillity.