In the King's Name Part 44

"No, sir; I don't think that would be better," said Hilary.

"I have eight prisoners on board, and they must be well guarded."

"Yes, sir, of course."

"Then I am obliged to have four or five men in the lugger."

"Yes, sir; so under the circ.u.mstances I think it will be best to place the eight prisoners in the lugger's boat, and send them ash.o.r.e."

"What! to join the others?"

"No, sir; I should take care to land them after the expedition party were well on the way."

"Bless me, Mr Leigh! this is beyond bearing. How dare you dictate to me in this way?" cried the lieutenant.

"And," continued Hilary, "I would disable them for a few hours by means of the irons. There are five or six sets on board."

"Ah! yes, yes; but what do you mean?"

"I'd let the gunner rivet them on, sir, joining the men two and two.

They could not get them off without a blacksmith; and it would disable them for some hours."

"Well, yes, I had some such an idea as that," replied the lieutenant.

"Under the circ.u.mstances, Mr Leigh, I will humour you in this."

"Thank you, sir," said Hilary quietly, for he was so much in earnest as to the duty required at this special moment, that he would not let his annoyance keep him back.

"Perhaps, too, you had better take command of the expedition, Mr Leigh.

Duty to the king stands first, you know."

"Certainly, sir."

"And, by the way, Mr Leigh, I would certainly change my uniform; for, you will excuse my saying so, you look more like a scarecrow than an officer."

Hilary bowed, and soon after he was inspecting the men detailed for the duty in hand, one and all of whom saluted him with a grin of satisfaction.

"Well, Tom Tully," he said, "how is your shoulder?"

"Feels as if it was shov'd out, sir," growled the big sailor; "but lor'

bless your 'art, sir, I don't mind."

"Tom wishes you'd fell on his head, sir," said Billy Waters, laughing; "it's so thick, it wouldn't have hurt him a bit."

"I'll try to manage better next time," said the young officer; "but I had to look sharp to get away the best fashion I could."

"Well, sir, the lads say as they're all werry glad to see you again,"

continued the gunner; "and they hopes you're going to give them some fun."

"I hope I am," replied Hilary; "but I can't feel sure, for they are slippery fellows we are after, and we may get there to find them gone."

Meanwhile, in accordance with Hilary's advice, which the lieutenant had adopted as his own idea, the cutter was sailing east in search of an opening in the cliff, through which the party could reach the higher ground; and, after going four or five miles, this was found, the party landed, and the cutter then sailed on to get rid of the boatload of prisoners she towed behind, some eight or ten miles farther away.

Hilary felt himself again, as, after he had said a few words to his men, they started off inland, mounting a rugged pathway, and then journeying due north.

It was rather puzzling, and the young officer did not antic.i.p.ate finding the old hall without some trouble; but he had an idea that it lay to the east of the smugglers' landing-place, as well as some miles inland.

Hilary's first idea was to get upon one of the ridges, from which he hoped to recognise the hills which he had looked upon from his prison.

Failing this he meant to search until he did find it, when a happy thought struck him.

He remembered the dam he had seen, and the great plashing water-wheel.

There was, of course, the little river, and if he could find that he could track it up to the mill, from whence the old hall would be visible.

The place seemed singularly uncultivated, and it was some time before they came upon a cottage, where an old woman looked at them curiously.

"River? Oh, yes, there's the little river runs down in the hollow," she replied, in answer to Hilary's questions. It was upon his tongue's end to ask the old woman about the hall; but a moment's reflection told him the cottagers anywhere near the sea would be either favourable to the smugglers, or would hold them in such dread that they would be certain to refuse all information. Even then he was not sure that the old woman was not sending them upon a false scent.

This did not, however, prove to be the case, for after a walk of about a couple of miles, through patches of woodland and along dells, where the men seemed as happy as a pack of schoolboys, a ridge was reached, from which the little streamlet could be seen; and making their way down to it, Hilary found that they were on the wrong side, a fact which necessitated wading, though he went over dry-shod, Tom Tully insisting upon carrying him upon his back.

Another couple of miles along the winding course brought them to the mill, where a heavy-looking man stood watching the unwonted appearance of a dozen well-armed sailors; but neither party spoke, and after a bit of a rest for the discussion of a few biscuits, Hilary prepared for his advance to the old hall.

They were just about to start when the heavy-looking man lounged up.

"Going by Rorley Place?" he said.

"Rorley Place?" said Hilary; "where's that?"

"Yon old house," was the reply. "Don't go in; she's harnted!"

"Oh! is she?" said Hilary.

"Ay, that she be," said the man. "She's been empty this hundred year; but you can see the lights shining in the windows of a night, and hear the groans down by the gate and by the little bridge over Rorley stream."

"Thank you," said Hilary, "we'll take care. Now, my lads, forward.

Now, Tom Tully, what's the matter?"

"I'm a man as 'll fight any man or any body any day," said the big sailor; "but if we're going again that there place I'm done. I can't abide ghosts and them sort o' things."

"Stuff!" said Hilary. "Forward. Why, what are you thinking about, man?

That's where I was shut up night after night."

"And did you see 'em, sir?"

"See what?" replied Hilary.

"Them there as yon chap talked about, sir."

"I saw a good many very substantial smugglers, and I saw a cellar full of kegs and packages, and those are what we are going to get."