Cutlass and Cudgel Part 68

As to the boats that pa.s.sed under the archway, they were prisoned till the next low water.

"Satisfied?" said the lieutenant, after all were on board, and he had heard the report. "More than satisfied. I was horribly disappointed at losing the lugger, and I made a hard fight for it, but your news--my dear boy--my dear Mr Gurr, this is splendid! What a despatch I can write!"

"It will be the breaking up of the gang, will it not, sir?" asked Archy.

"Yes, my dear boy; and an end to this wretched work. They must promote me now, and draft you, too, into a good ship. If we can be together, Mr Raystoke, I shall be delighted."

That same night, as he was thinking about Ram Shackle, Archy went up to the lieutenant, who was walking up and down rubbing his hands.

"Beg pardon, sir, but may I ask a favour?"

"A dozen if you like, Raystoke, and I'll grant them if I can. Want a run ash.o.r.e?"

"No, sir. I want you to be easy with that boy. He was very kind to me when I was a prisoner."

"Hum! Hah! Well, I don't know what to say to that. Here, my man, fetch that boy on deck."

Ram came up, whistling softly, and looking sharply from one to the other.

"Now, sir, take off your cap," said the lieutenant sternly.

Ram did not look a bit afraid, but he doffed his red cap.

"I suppose you know, sir, that you'll be sent to gaol?"

"Yes.--I knew you wouldn't hang me."

"And pray what have you to say for yourself?"

"Nothing that I knows on," said Ram. "Yes, I have. I say father's gone, and I dessay he won't come back for ever so long, and I don't want to go among the Dutchmen. May I stop here 'long of him? There won't be no more smuggling to do."

"You mean you want to volunteer for His Majesty's service?"

"Yes, that's it," said Ram cheerfully. "May I?"

"Yes," said Lieutenant Brough shortly. "There; you can go below."

Ram waved his red cap, tossed it in the air, and turned to Archy.

"I say, orficer," he said, "I know where your little sword is. You send one of your chaps to-morrow to mother, and tell her I'm aboard and going to be a sailor, and she's to give him your little sword as father put in the top drawer."

Archy's eyes sparkled, for the loss of his dirk was a bitter memory.

"Humph!" said the lieutenant, as Ram went below; "not a bad sort of boy.

Well, Mr Raystoke, will that do?"

Archy shook the hand held out, and went aft to gaze at the cliff, feeling that somehow he liked Ram Shackle.

Then he turned, rather despondent, for he knew that the next day there would be an expedition ash.o.r.e, when visits would be paid to the farm and to the Hoze, and he felt uncomfortable about the Graemes.

CHAPTER FORTY.

"Hullo, young fellow!"

"Hullo, orficer!"

"You must not speak like that," said Archy, as he encountered Ram on deck next morning, whistling softly as he neatly coiled down a rope.

"And you must touch your cap."

"That way?" said Ram.

"Yes; that will do, but you must say 'Sir,' or 'Ay, ay sir.'"

"Ay, ay, sir."

"Well, you seem to be settling down very soon."

"Oh, yes, I'm all right. What's the good of making a fuss. Going ash.o.r.e?"

"Yes. Do you want to go?"

Ram shook his head.

"No; I should only see some of our chaps, and it would look as if I'd been splitting on them; and I didn't, did I?"

"No; you behaved very bravely and well, Ram."

"Mean it--_sir_?"

"Yes, I do, indeed."

"Thank ye--sir," said Ram. "No, don't let the skipper send me ash.o.r.e; and--I say--"

"Yes?"

"Tell mother I'm all right, and that I shan't have to go to prison, and that I'll get some one to tell her how I'm getting on now and then.

She's a good one is mother, that she is."

"I'll tell her you have given up all smuggling, and that you are going to be a good sailor now."

"Yes, do, please--sir. She hates the smuggling, and used to beg father not, but he would do it. And I say, are you going up to the Hoze?"

"Yes; we shall search the farm and the Hoze too."

"Won't find nothing at the farm. Father never had nothing there, not even a keg. And you won't find nothing at the Hoze."

"Not in the cellar?"