"I say, Tom," said Aleck, "that was cleverly aimed, but you had better
mind or you'll be breaking one of the boys' legs."
"Well-aimed, sir? Oh, that was nothing tickler. An easy shot that,
sir. No fear o' my breaking no legs. I can tell exactly how much
powder to fire with. I give it 'em just strong enough to hurt; that's
all."
Just then the officer came back, spoke to the young middy, and went off
again with the six men who had been unsuccessful in their chase of the
red-capped boy, while Aleck and his companion exchanged glances.
"There, Tom, take away the boat," said Aleck; "I must go and get my
uncle's paper."
"Your uncle's paper, sir?"
"Yes, I've run over to get some for him."
"Why, you got some on'y t'other week, sir. Did he have an axdent and
burn it?"
"No," said Aleck, laughing. "It's all used up for writing."
"Wond'ful--wond'ful!" muttered the man. "Here's me can't write a word,
and him allus going at it. Well, I suppose he was born that way. I'll
take care o' your boat all the same, sir."
"What do you mean with your all the same?" asked Aleck, looking puzzled
at the man's words.
"All the same, sir, though I can't write a word."
Aleck went off, being saluted by a nod from the middy, who lay back in
the stern-sheets of the cutter. It was a nod that might have meant
anything--condescension, friendliness, or a hint to keep his distance;
but it did not trouble the lad, who trudged along the pier to fulfil his
mission, and was soon after in the rugged, ill-paved main street, where
he in sight of the naval group from the sloop, evidently busy buying and
loading up with fresh provisions from the little shops.
He passed on, and was nearing the place where, in company with toys,
grocery, and sweetmeats, the shopkeeper kept up a small supply of paper,
for which the captain was his main customer, when a dark-bearded
fisherman-like man suddenly turned out of a public-house, caught him by
the arm, and hurried him sharply down a narrow alley which ran by the
side of the little inn.
The man's sudden action, coupled with the fact that he was the last
person in the county he would have expected to see, took away the lad's
breath for a moment or two while he gazed up in the fierce searching
eyes that seemed to be reading his thoughts.
"You, Eben?" he said at last.
"Me it is, youngster. What game do you call this?"
"I don't call it a game at all. What are you doing here?"
"Never you mind what I'm a-doing here. P'raps I'm watching you. I want
to know what your game is."
"I'm playing at no game," cried the boy, speaking rather indignantly.
"Let go of my arm."
"When you've told me what you're a-doing of with them sailor chaps."
"I? I'm doing nothing with them. I've come over in my own boat. I'm
not along with them."
"I know. I've had my eye on yer, my lad. But let's have the truth.
You come over to meet these chaps from the boats lying off there."
"Not I. If you must know, I've come over to fetch some paper for my
uncle."
"And what else, my lad?"
"Nothing else," cried Aleck; "but I don't know what right you have to
question me."
"You soon will, my lad. You say you're not with these folk. Why, I saw
you talking for ever so long to the chaps in the boat that come ashore
to lie there by the harbour wall, and afore it had been there long you
come into port and run your boat close alongside."
"Of course I did, to get up to the steps and land. Look here; what are
you thinking about?"
"Well," said the man, fiercely, "if you want to know over again what you
knew before, I'm just going to tell you, so as to let you see that I'm
not such a fool as you take me for, and also to let you know that I can
see right through you, clever as you think yourself."
"Go on," said Aleck. "Let's have it all then."
"Well, here you are, my lad. I s'pose you know that's a man-o'-war
sloop?"
"Yes, I know that, Eben."
"Yes, I s'pose so, my lad, and you know what she's hanging about this
coast for?"
"I don't for certain," replied Aleck, "but I shouldn't be a bit
surprised if the captain wanted to press a few likely lads, if he could
get hold of them."
"Oh, you wouldn't, wouldn't you? I s'pose not," said the man, in a
sneering tone.
"Why, anybody would guess that."
"P'raps they would and p'raps they wouldn't, my lad; but, of course, you
don't know that there's the little Revenue cutter that's looking out for
any little bit of smuggling going on?"
"Why, what nonsense you're talking, Eben! Of course I knew."
"Yes, of course you did, my lad; and you've got a spy-glass, haven't
you!"
"No; but I use my uncle's."
"That's right; and when them two vessels come into sight 'smorning you
got the glass out to see what they were?"
"Yes; directly."
"And then you went down to your boat-hole and ran over here as fast as
you could?"
"Yes; but it wasn't fast, for the wind kept dropping. But how did you
know this?"
"Never you mind how I knowed. You knowed that me and four mates came
over here last night."
"That I didn't," cried Aleck. "What for--to run a cargo?"
"Never you mind what for, my lad. You knowed we'd come."
"That I didn't. I hadn't the least idea you had. But how did you know
I got out the glass to have a look at the vessels? Bah! You couldn't
know if you were over here. No one saw me but old Dunning. It's
impossible."
"Is it?" said the man, with a sneer. "Then we arn't got a glass at
Eilygugg, of course, eh, and nobody left behind to look out for squalls
and run across to tell us to look out when they see the wind changing?
So, you see, clever as you think yourself, you're found out, my lad.
Now do you see?"
"I see that you're on the wrong tack, Eben," said the lad, scornfully,
"and let me tell you that you've been talking a lot of nonsense. I
don't see why I should tell you. It's absurd to accuse me of being a
spy and informer. Do you suppose we up at the Den want to be on bad
terms with all the fishermen and--and people about?"
"You mean to say you haven't put the boat's crew yonder up to taking me
and my mates?"
"Of course I do. Why, I haven't even spoken to the officer, only to the
midshipman."
"Well, it looks very bad," growled the man, gazing at the lad,
searchingly.
"If you think a press-gang is likely to come ashore to get hold of you
and your mates, why don't you slip off into the hills for a bit?"
The man stared, and his features relaxed a little and a little more, and
he caught Aleck by the sleeve.
"Look here, Master Aleck," he said; "the captain yonder's a gentleman,
though we arn't very good friends, but he never did anything to get any
of us took."
"Of course he didn't."
"Wouldn't like you to, p'raps."
"Why, of course he wouldn't. If the fleet want men they'll get them
somehow, and the Revenue cutter will hunt out the smugglers sooner or
later; but for you to think that I'm on the look-out always to do you a
bad turn--why, it's downright foolishness, Eben."
"Well, I'm beginning to think it is, my lad," said the man, smiling;
"but that's just what they thought at home, and my young brother Bill
ran across to give us the warning. I put that and that together, and I
felt as sure as sure that you'd come over to inform agen us."
"But you don't believe it now?"
"No, my lad, I don't believe it now," said Eben, "and I'm glad on it,
because it would be a pity for a smart young chap like you to be in for
it."
"In for what?" said Aleck.
"For what? Ah, you'd soon know if you did blow upon us, my lad. But,
there, I don't believe it a bit now, and I got some'at else to do but
stand talking to you, so I'm off. Only, you know, my lad, as it's the
best thing for a chap like you as wants to live peaceable like with his
neighbours to keep his mouth shut--_mum--plop_."
The two last words were sounds made by slapping the mouth closely shut
and half open with the open hand, after doing which Eben Megg stepped
down the narrow turning and mysteriously disappeared.
"Bother him and his bullyings and threats," cried Aleck. "Such
insolence! But, there, I must see about my paper and get back."