Cormorant Crag Part 59

The Frenchman looked at them all in turn fiercely, and then he fixed his eyes on old Daygo again.

"And ze peoples up above, zey are look for zem--ze boy?"

"I dunno," said Daygo. "I didn't know they were here, and I dunno how they come. Dropt down with a rope, young gen'lemen?"

"No, zay come anozaire vay, my friend. It is good luck for you I do not find zey know how of you. But sink no one on ze island know?"

"I dunno," said Daygo. "They don't know from me."

"You can go," said the captain sharply, and the old fisherman thrust his hands very deeply down in the pockets of his huge trousers and was turning slowly away when Mike cried:

"Stop!"

Daygo turned slowly back, and the captain watched the boy with his dark eyes glittering as he sat facing the light.

"Are you going back home?" cried Mike.

"Ay, m'lad, when the skipper's done with me."

"Then never mind what he says: you go straight to the Mount and tell my father everything, and that we are kept here like prisoners."

"Nay, young gen'leman," said Daygo, rolling his head slowly from side to side, "I warnt you both agen it over and over agen, when you 'most downed on your knees, a-beggin' and a-prayin' of me to bring you round by the Scraw; but I never would, now would I, Master Vince?"

"No, you old scoundrel!" cried Vince hotly. "I can see now: because you're a smuggler too."

Old Daygo chuckled.

"Didn't I tell you both never to think about it, because there was awful currents and things as dragged boats under, and that it was as dangerous as it could be? Now speak up like a man, Master Vince, and let Capen Jarks hear the truth."

"Truth!" said Vince scornfully; "do you call that truth, telling us both a pack of lies, when you must have been coming here often yourself?"

"Eh? Well, s'pose I did, young gen'leman: it was on my lorful business, and you fun out fer yourselves as it's no place for boys like you."

"Look here," said Vince fiercely: "you've got to do what Michael Ladelle says, and to tell my father too."

"Nay, my lad; that arn't no lorful business of mine."

"Do you mean to say that you will not tell?"

"Ay, my lad: I'm sorry for you both, proper lads as you are; but you would come, and it's no fault o' mine."

"You Joe," cried Vince angrily: "if you do not warn them above where we are, you'll never be able to live on the island again, and you'll be severely punished."

"Who's to tell agen me?" said the old man sharply.

"Why, I shall, and Mike here, of course."

"When?" said Daygo, in a peculiar tone of voice.

"As soon as ever we get back; and you'll be punished. I suppose Captain Jacques here will have sailed away."

"Soon as you get back, eh, young gen'lemen? Did Capen Jarks say as he was going to send you home?"

"No," said Vince; "but he will have to soon."

"I'm sorry for you, my lads--sorry for you," growled Daygo; and a chill ran through both the boys, as they saw the Frenchman looking at them in a very peculiar way. "Sorry--yes, lads, but I did my best fer you, and so good-bye."

"No, no," cried Mike excitedly; "don't go and leave us, Joe. Tell the captain here that if we say we'll promise not to speak to any one about the place we'll keep our words."

Daygo shook his head.

"It's o' no use for me to say nothin', Master Mike: he's master here, and does what he likes. You hadn't no business to come a-shovin'

yourself into his place."

"It is not his place," cried Mike indignantly; "it is my father's property."

"I arn't got no time to argufy about that, my lad. He says it's his, and all this here stuff as you sees is his too. Here, I must be off, or I shall lose this high tide and be shut-in."

"No, no, Joe--stop!" cried Mike. "I'll--"

"Hold your tongue, Ladle," whispered Vince. "Don't do that; they'll think we're regular cowards. Here you, Joe Daygo, if you go away and don't give notice to Sir Francis or my father about our being kept here by this man--"

"Say the Capen or the skipper, my lad," growled Daygo. "Makes him orkard if he hears people speak dis-speckful of him."

"Pooh!" exclaimed Vince hotly. "I say, you know what the consequences will be."

"Yes, my lad; they won't never know what become of you."

Vince winced, in spite of his determination to be firm, on hearing the cold-blooded way in which the old fisherman talked, but he spoke out boldly.

"Do you mean to say he will dare to keep us here?"

"Yes, my lad, or take you away with him, or get rid of you somehow. You see he's capen and got his crew, and can do just what he likes."

"No, he can't," said Vince; "the law will not let him."

"Bless your 'art, Master Vince, he don't take no notice o' no law. But I hope he won't drownd you both, 'cause you see we've been friendly like. P'r'aps he'll on'y ship you off to Bottonny Bay, or one o' they tother-end-o'-the-world places, where you can't never come back to tell no tales."

"I don't believe it: he dare not. Don't take any notice, Mike; he's only saying this to scare us, and we're not going to be scared."

"Now, _mon ami_," cried the captain, "you vill not get out if you do not depart zis minute. I cannot spare to have you drowned. I sall sail to-night, and you vill be here ready?"

"Ay, ay, I'll be here," growled Daygo.

"Then you are coming back?" said Vince quickly.

"That's so, Master Vince. How's he going to get the _Belle-Marie_ out without me to pilot him? Yes, I'm comin' back to-night, my lad; and I hope I shall see you agen."