Cutlass and Cudgel Part 53

"No. Sticks."

"Jemmy there, father? Ah, there you are! Come on. I've been waiting such a time."

Ram looked sharply from one to the other, and knew there was something particular on the way, but he said nothing.

"Get it out of Jemmy," he said to himself.

"I'm ready, lad; I'm ready."

"Look sharp, boy," said the farmer.

"Yes, father," said Ram. "I'll go and get the basket."

"Ay, do, boy. And look here--never mind more to-day; but take double 'lowance to-morrow, so as not to go every day."

"Very well, father. Look sharp, Jemmy!"

The boy ran back to the house, followed by his father, who went on netting, and a minute later Jemmy and Ram were off over the bare pastures in the direction from which the man had come.

"Find that basket you give to father, Jemmy?"

"Ay, lad, half full o' brambrys and masheroons. Wondered whose it was.

Gaffer says it's little missus's, and you're to take it up."

"Oh," thought Ram, "that's what they were talking about;" and he began whistling, quite content, as they went wandering about mushrooming, till, apparently tired, they sat down close to the mouth of the quarry, where Jemmy's eyes rolled round for a good ten minutes before he said, "_Now_."

Then the pair rolled over to left and right, down into the hole, and descended quickly to the bottom, where the man crept right on along the half choked pa.s.sage, took a lanthorn from a great crevice; there was the nicking of flint and steel, a faint blue light, and the snap of the closing lanthorn as the dark pa.s.sage showed a yellow glow.

Meanwhile Ram had been busy removing the pieces of stone, laying bare a trap-door upon which were a big wooden lock and a couple of bolts.

These he unfastened, threw open the door, and descended with his basket; while, after handing down the lanthorn into the black well-like hole, Jemmy climbed up again to the surface and stood with his eyes just above the level, sheltered by blackberry strands and other growth, and slowly made his eyes revolve; till, at the end of half an hour, Ram reappeared, when the business of closing and bolting the door went on, while Jemmy blew out the light, closed the lanthorn, through whose crevices came forth an unpleasant odour, bore it back to its hiding-place; and then the pair departed as cautiously as they came.

"What did he say?" growled Jemmy.

"Oh, not much. Seemed all grumpy, and wouldn't answer a civil question."

"Should ha' kicked him," said Jemmy.

Very little more was said till they reached home, and Ram busied himself about the farm till after supper, wishing that he could help the midshipman to escape without getting his father into trouble.

He was thinking how horribly dark and miserable the old quarry must be, for the first time. The thought had not occurred to him before, through every hole and corner being so familiar, from the fact that scores of times he had held the lanthorn while his father's men carried in smuggled goods landed at the ledge, if there was plenty of time; for, if the landing had been hurried, and the danger near, the things were often carried up to the Hoze for temporary deposit till carts came to bear the things into the interior.

"I do wish he'd be friends," thought Ram, when his musings were interrupted by his father saying,--

"Ah, there's that basket Jemmy found's mornin'. Go and take it up to the Hoze."

"He needn't go to-night, need he?" said Mrs Shackle.

"You mind your own business," said the farmer fiercely. "Be off, boy."

Ram put on his red cap, took the basket, and trotted off toward the Hoze, while Mrs Shackle sighed, for she knew that something particular must be on the way, or Ram would not have been sent off, and her husband have prepared to go out directly after.

"Oh dear me, dear me, dear me!" said the plump, comfortable-looking woman, as the door closed on her husband's back. "If he would only keep to his cows and sheep!"

"Here," said the farmer, reopening the door, "be off to bed. Ramillies need not know that I'm gone out."

"No, dear. But do take care of yourself."

"Yah!"

Bang went the door, and Mrs Shackle, after putting a few things straight, went off obediently to bed, troubling in no wise about the door being left on the latch.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

Archy Raystoke was fast asleep, dreaming about being once more on board the cutter, with the sun shining full in his eyes, because he was lying on the deck, right in everybody's road, and Gurr the master was scolding him for it in a way which was very disrespectful to an officer and a gentleman, while the men grouped around grinned.

He was not surprised, for somehow Mr Brough was not there, and Gurr had a.s.sumed the command of the cutter, and was playing the part of smuggler and pirate, and insulting him, whom he addressed again: "Get up!"

Archy leaped to his feet, and saw at a glance that it was not the sun, but the light of a lanthorn shining in his eyes, while, before he could do more than realise that several men were standing close to him, half of a sack was drawn-down over his head and shoulders, and a thin rope was twisted round and round his arms, fastening him securely, and only leaving his hands free.

"What are you going to do?" he shouted, after a vain struggle to free himself, and his voice sounded m.u.f.fled and thick through the heavy sack.

"Pitch you off the cliff if you make so much as a sound," said a gruff voice by his car. "Keep quiet, and you won't be hurt."

The lad's heart beat heavily, and he felt hot and half suffocated.

"Do you want to smother me?" he said. "Can't breathe."

"Slit the back of the sack, lad," said the same gruff voice, and there was a sharp cutting noise heard, as a breathing-hole was cut right up behind his head.

"Now, then, bring him along."

His hand was grasped, and, as he felt himself led over ground that was quite familiar now, he knew that he was on the way to the entrance.

Were they going to take him out, and set him free?

No; if they had been going to do that, they would not have blindfolded his eyes.

Yes, they would, for, if they were going to set him free, they would do so in a way that would place it beyond his power to betray their secret store.

Quick immatured thoughts which shot through him as he was led along, and he knew directly after that it was only fancy. Of course. He could show the lieutenant where the opening was in the cliff, and by knowing that it would be easy to track out the land entrance.

"No," said the midshipman to himself sadly; "they are going to take me and imprison me somewhere else, for they must now know that I was holding communications with that girl."

"Now then, steady!" said a voice, as he felt that the cool air was coming down on to his head, and he breathed it through the thick sacking. "Make a rope fast round him."

"I must be at the foot of the way in," thought Archy, as he felt a rope pa.s.sed round him, and the next minute it tightened, he was raised from his feet, and the rope cut into him painfully as he felt himself hauled up. Then hands seized him, and he was thrown down on the gra.s.s, while the last rope was cast off.