To The West Part 29

"So do I now," I said hotly. "You did buy it to learn to smoke, and we've lost our pa.s.sage through you."

Esau was silent for a few moments, and then he came towards me and whispered--

"Don't say that, sir. I saw what a shabby old clay pipe Mr Gunson had got, and I thought a good noo clean briar-root one would be a nice present for him, and I ran off to get it, and bought a big strong one as wouldn't break. And then, as I was out, I thought I'd look in at some of the stores, and see if there wasn't something that would do for you."

"And you went off to buy me a pipe, my lad?" said Gunson, who had heard every word.

"Didn't know you was listening," said Esau, awkwardly.

"I could not help hearing. You were excited and spoke louder than you thought. Thank you, my lad, though I haven't got the pipe. Well, how did you get on then?"

"That's what I hardly know, sir. I s'pose those chaps we had the tussle with had seen me, and I was going stoopidly along after I'd bought your pipe--and it was such a good one--staring in at the windows thinking of what I could buy for him, for there don't seem to be anything you can buy for a boy or a young fellow but a knife, and he'd got two already, when in one of the narrow streets, Shove! bang!"

"What?" I said.

"Shove! bang! Some one seemed to jump right on me, and drove me up against a door--bang, and I was knocked into a pa.s.sage. 'Course I turned sharply to hit out, but five or six fellows had rushed in after me, and they shoved me along that pa.s.sage and out into a yard, and then through another door, and before I knew where I was they'd got me down and were sitting on me."

"But didn't you holler out, or cry for help?"

"He says didn't I holler out, or shout for help! I should just think I did; but before I'd opened my mouth more than twice they'd stuffed some dirty old rag in,--I believe it was some one's pocket-hankychy,--and then they tied another over it and behind my head to keep it in, right over my nose too, and there I was."

"But you saw the men," said Gunson, who was deeply interested.

"Oh yes, I saw 'em. One of 'em was that long-haired chap; and it was him whose hands run so easy into my pockets, and who got off my coat and weskit, and slit up my shirt like this so as to get at the belt I had on with my money in it. He had that in a moment, the beggar! and then if he didn't say my braces were good 'uns and he'd change. They were good 'uns too, real leather, as a saddler--"

"Well?" said Gunson. "What took place then?"

"Nothing; only that long-haired chap grinned at me and kicked me twice.

'Member that policeman as took us up, Mr Gordon?"

"Yes."

"I only wish I could hand that long-haired chap over to him. Strikes me they'd cut his hair very short for him before they let him go."

"But what happened next?"

"Nothing, sir; only they tied my hands behind me, and then put a rope round my ankles, and then one took hold of my head and another of my feet, and they give me a swing, and pitched me on to a heap of them dry leaves like we used to see put round the oranges down in Thames Street."

"Indian corn," said Gunson, shortly.

"Yes; and then they went out, and I heard 'em lock the door, leaving me in the half dark place nearly choked with that hankychy in my mouth."

"Yes; go on, Esau," I said eagerly. And just then the master of the boat spoke--

"Say, youngster, you was in for it. They meant to hit you over the head to-night, and chuck you into the harbour after dark."

"Yes," said Gunson.

"Well, I saved 'em the trouble," said Esau. "Oh, I just was mad about that pipe; and I seemed to think more about them braces than I did about the money, because, you see, being sewed up like in a belt I never saw the money, and I used to see the braces, and think what good ones they was, every day."

"Go on, Esau," I said. "How did you get away?"

"Well, I lay there a bit frightened at first and listened, and all was still; and then I began to wonder what you and Mr Gunson would think about me, and last of all, as I couldn't hardly breathe, and that great rag thing in my mouth half choked me, I turned over on my face, and began pushing and pushing like a pig, running my nose along till I got the hankychy that was tight round my face down over my nose, and then lower and lower over my mouth and chin, till it was loose round my neck."

I glanced round and saw that the man who was forward had crept back, and that the other who held the sheet of the sail, and the master who was steering, were all listening attentively, while the boat rushed swiftly through the water.

"Next job," said Esau, "was to get that choking rag out of my mouth; and hard work it was, for they'd rammed it in tight, and all the time I was trying I was listening too, so as to hear if they were coming. I say, ought one to feel so frightened as I did then?"

"Most people do," said Gunson quietly.

"And 'nuff to make 'em," said the master.

"Well, I kept on working away at it for what seemed to be hours,"

continued Esau, "but all I could do was to get one end of the rag out between my teeth, and I couldn't work it any further, but lay there with my jaws aching, and feeling as if I hadn't got any hands or feet, because they'd tied 'em so tight.

"It was very horrid, for all the time as I lay there I was expecting them to come back, and I thought that if they did, and found me trying to get the things off, they'd half kill me. And didn't I wish you'd been there to help me, and then was sorry I wished it, for I shouldn't have liked anybody to have been in such a fix.

"I got so faint and dizzy at last that things began to go up and down, and round and round, and for ever so long I lay there thinking I was aboard ship again in the storm, just like when I was off my head at home with the fever I had when I was a little chap. But at last I came to again, and lay on my side wondering how I could get that horrible choking thing out of my mouth, for I couldn't move it even now when I tried again, only hold a great piece between my teeth.

"The place was very dark, only light came in here and there through cracks and holes where the knots had been knocked out of some of the boards; and as I thought I said to myself, if I could get that thing out I might call for help; but directly after I felt that I dared not, for it would p'r'aps bring some of those chaps back.

"All at once, where the light came through a hole, I saw something that made my heart jump, and I wondered I had not seen it before. It was a hook fastened up against one of the joists, with some bits of rope hanging upon it. It was a sharp kind of thing, like the meat-hooks you see nailed up against the sides of a butcher's shop; and I began rolling myself over the rustling leaves, over and over, till I was up against the side, and then it was a long time before I could get up on my knees and look up at the hook.

"But I couldn't reach it, and I had to try and get on to my feet. It took a long time, and I went down twice before I was standing, and even then I went down again; for though I did stand up, I didn't know I had any feet, for all the feeling was gone. Then all at once down I went sidewise, and lay there as miserable as could be, for I couldn't hardly move. But at last I had another try, getting on to my knees, and taking tight hold of the edge of one of the side pieces of wood with my teeth; and somehow or other I got on my feet again and worked myself along, nearly falling over and over again, before I could touch the hook with my chin, and there I stood for fear I should fall, and the hook run into me and hold me."

"What did you want the hook for, boy?" said the master, shifting his rudder a little, and leaning forward with his face full in the moonlight, and looking deeply interested.

"What did I want the hook for?" said Esau, with a little laugh. "I'll tell you directly."

The master nodded, and the others drew a little nearer.

"What I wanted was to hold that end of the great rag in my teeth, and see if I couldn't fix it on the hook; and after a lot of tries I did, and then began to hang back from it gently, to see if I couldn't draw the stuff out of my mouth."

"And could you?" I said eagerly.

"Yes; it began to come slowly more and more, till it was about half out, and then the sick feeling that had come over me again got worse and worse, and the hook and the great dark warehouse place swam round, and I didn't know any more till I opened my eyes as I lay on the leaves, staring at a great wet dirty rag hanging on that hook, and I was able to breathe freely now.

"I felt so much better that I could think more easily; but I was very miserable, for I got thinking about you two, and I knew I must have been there a very long time, and that the schooner was to sail at twelve o'clock, so I felt sure that you would go without me, and think I'd been frightened and wouldn't come."

"That's what I did think," said Gunson; "but Mayne Gordon here stuck up for you all through."

"Thankye, Mr Gordon," said Esau, who was gently chafing his wrists.

"That's being a good mate. No, I wouldn't back out. I meant coming when I'd said I would. Well, next thing was to get my hands clear, and that done, of course I could easily do my legs. So I began to get up again, with my feet feeling nowhere; and as I tried, to wonder what I was going to do next, for I couldn't see no way of getting out of a place with no windows in, not even a skylight at the top. But anyhow I meant to have that rope off my hands, and I was thinking then that if the hook could help me get rid of the rag, it might help me to get rid of the tie round my wrists."

"O' course," said the master. "See, lads," he said, turning round to his two companions; "he gets the hook in threw the last knot and hitches the end out. That's easy enough;" and the two men uttered a low growl.

"Oh, is it?" said Esau. "Just you be tied up with your hands behind you for hours, and all pins-and-needles, and numb, and you try behind you to get that hook through the knot in the right place. You wouldn't say it was easy."