Quicksilver Part 33

Further behind was Dan'l Copestake, who came panting up with the longest handled rake just as Dexter was nearing the bank.

"Will he be drowned?" whispered Helen, as she held tightly by her father's arm.

"No; he swims like a water-rat," said the doctor.

"No, no," shouted Dexter, beginning to splash the water, and sheering off as he saw Dan'l about to make a dab at him with the rake.

There was more zeal than discretion in the gardener's use of this implement, for it splashed down into the water heavily, the teeth nearly catching the boy's head.

"Here, catch hold of this," cried Peter Cribb.

"No, no; let me be," cried Dexter, declining the offer of the clothes-prop, as he had avoided it before when he was on the top of the wall. "I can swim ash.o.r.e if you'll let me be."

This was so self-evident that the doctor checked Dan'l as he was about to make another skull-fracturing dash with the rake; and the next minute Dexter's hand clutched the gra.s.s on the bank, and he crawled out, with the water streaming down out of his clothes, and his short hair gummed, as it were, to his head.

"Here!" he cried; "where's my fish?"

"Fish, sir!" cried the doctor; "you ought to be very thankful that you've saved your life."

"O Dexter!" cried Helen.

"I say, don't touch me," cried the boy, as she caught at his hand. "I'm so jolly wet."

He was like a sponge just lifted out of a pail, and already about him there was a pool.

"Here, quick, sir; run up to the house and change your clothes," cried the doctor.

"But I must get my fish, sir."

"Fish!" cried the doctor angrily; "that's not the way to fish."

"Yes, it was, sir; and I caught one."

"You caught one!"

"Yes, sir; a beauty."

"Look here, Dexter," cried the doctor, catching him by his wet arm; "do you mean to tell me that you dived into the river like that and caught a fish!"

"No, sir; I fell in when I was getting my line out of the tree."

"Oh, I see."

"Beg pardon, sir," said Dan'l sourly; "but he've broke a great branch off this here tree."

"Well, I couldn't help it," said Dexter, in an ill-used tone. "I caught my line in the tree, and was obliged to get up and fetch it, and--stop a minute. I can see it. All right."

He ran off along the river-bank till they saw him stoop just where the wall dipped down into the river. There he found the rod floating close to the edge, and, securing it, he soon after drew in the loose branch he had cut off the tree, and disentangled his line, with the little roach still on the hook.

"There!" he cried in triumph, as he ran back with rod, line, and fish; "look at that, Miss Grayson, isn't it a beauty, and--What are you laughing at!"

This was at Peter Cribb, who was grinning hugely, but who turned away, followed by Dan'l.

"Them as is born to be hanged'll never be drowned," grumbled the old gardener sourly, as the two men went away.

"No fear of him being drowned," said Peter. "Swims like a cork."

"It's disgusting; that's what I say it is," growled Dan'l; "disgusting."

"What's disgusting?" said Peter.

"Why, they cuddles and makes a fuss over a boy as is a reg'lar noosance about the place, just as any other varmint would be. Wish he had drowned himself. What call was there for me to come and bring a rake!"

"Ah, he's a rum un, that he is," said Peter. "And master's a rum un; and how they can take to that boy, Miss Helen specially, and have him here's more'n I can understand. It caps me, that it do."

"Wait a bit, my lad, and you'll see," cried the old gardener. "He's begun his games just as such a boy would, and afore long this here garden will be turned into such a wreck as'll make the doctor tear his hair, and wish as he'd never seen the young rascal. He's a bad un; you can see it in his eye. He's got bad blood in him, and bad blood allus comes out sooner or later. Peter Cribb, my lad--"

"Yes."

"We're getting old fellow-servants, though you're only young. Peter, my lad, I'm beginning to tremble for my fruit."

"Eh?"

"Yes; that I am, my lad," said Dan'l in a whisper. "Just as I expected--I was watching of him--that rip's took up with bad company, Poacher Dimsted's boy; and that means evil. They was talking together, and then young Dimsted see me, and run away."

"Did he?"

"Did he? Yes, he just did; and you mark my words, Peter Cribb, it will not be long before the gov'ner gets rid of him."

"Oh yes; it's a very beautiful fish," said the doctor testily; "but make haste in. There, run and get all your wet things off as quickly as you can."

Dexter was so deeply interested in the silvery scales and graceful shape of his fish that he hardly heard the doctor's words, which had to be repeated before the boy started, nodded shortly, and ran off toward the house, while his patron walked to a garden chair, sat down, and gazed up at Helen in a perplexed way.

Helen did not speak, but gazed back at her father with a suppressed laugh twinkling about the corners of her lips.

"You're laughing at me, my dear," said the doctor at last; "but you mark my words--what I say is true. All this is merely the froth of the boy's nature, of which he is getting rid. But tut, tut, tut! All this must be stopped. First a new cap destroyed by being turned into a bucket, and now a suit of clothes gone."

"They will do for a garden suit, papa," said Helen, speaking as if she had had charge of boys for years.

"Well, yes: I suppose so," said the doctor. "But there: I am not going to worry myself about trifles. The cost of a few suits of clothes are as nothing compared to the success of my scheme. Now let's go in and see if the young dog has gone to work to change his things."

The doctor rose and walked up the garden, making comments to his daughter about the course of instruction he intended to pursue with Dexter, and on reaching the house and finding that the object of his thoughts was in his bedroom, he went on to the study just as Maria came from the front door with a letter.

"Letter, eh? Oh, I see. From Lady Danby!"

The doctor opened the letter.

"Any one waiting!" he said.