Part 21 (1/2)
I think it's best to go on and get your Grandpapa to write about the poor boy.”
But now the idea of rescuing Tim was in the children's heads it was not so easy to get rid of it. They stood still looking at each other and at Mrs. Twiss with tears in their eyes; they had come by this time perhaps half a mile from where they had met their friends. The high-road was here shadier and less dusty, and it was anything but inviting to think of retracing the long stretch to Monkhaven, though from where they stood, a turn in the road hid it from them. All at once a whistle caught their ears--a whistle two or three times repeated in a particular way--Toby p.r.i.c.ked up his ears, put himself in a very valiant att.i.tude, and barked with a great show of importance, as much as to say, ”Just you look out now, whoever you are. _I_ am on guard now.” But his bark did not seem to strike awe into the whistler, whoever he was. Again his note sounded clear and cheery. And this time, with a cry of ”It's Tim, it's Tim,” off flew Duke and Pam down the road, followed by Barbara--Toby of course keeping up a running accompaniment of flying circles round the whole party till at last the sight of his beloved little master and mistress hugging and kissing a bright-eyed, clean-faced, but sadly ragged boy was altogether too much for his refined feelings, and he began barking with real fury, flinging himself upon Tim as if he really meant to bite him.
Duke caught him up.
”Silly Toby,” he cried, ”it's Tim. You must learn to know Tim;” and old Barbara coming up by this time and speaking to the boy in a friendly tone, poor Toby's misgivings were satisfied, and he set to work to wagging his tail in a slightly subdued manner.
Then came explanations on both sides. Tim had to tell how he had slipped himself out through the window, narrow as it was, and how, thanks to an old water-b.u.t.t and some loose bricks in the wall, he had scrambled down like a cat, and made off as fast as his legs would carry him to the place where he had left the children.
”And when you wasn't there I was fairly beat--I was,” he said. ”I knowed they hadn't had time to find you--perlice I mean--but I saw as you must have got tired waiting so long. So off I set till I met a woman who told me the way to the Sandle'ham road. I had a fancy you'd ask for it rather than come into the town if you thought they'd cotched me, and I was about right you see.”
”Is this the Sandle'ham road? Oh yes, Barbara told us it was,” said the children. ”But us didn't know it was. Us just runned and runned when us saw the policeman, us was so frightened.”
”But us _was_ going back to try to get you out of prison if Barbara would have let us,” added Pamela.
Then all about Barbara and Toby had to be explained, and a great weight fell from Tim's heart when he quite understood that the old woman was a real home friend--that there would no longer be any puzzle or difficulty as to how to do or which way to go, now that they had fallen in with this trusty protector.
”To be sure--well now this _are_ a piece of luck, and no mistake,” he repeated, one big smile lighting up all his pleasant face. But suddenly it clouded over.
”Then, ma'am, if you please, would it be better for me not to come no further? Would I be in the way, maybe?”
The children set up a cry before Barbara had time to reply.
”No, no, Tim; you _must_ come. Grandpapa and Grandmamma will always take care of Tim, 'cos he's been so good to us--won't they, Barbara?”
Barbara looked rather anxious. Her own heart had warmed to the orphan boy, but she did not know how far she was justified in making promises for other people.
”I dursn't go back to Monkhaven,” said Tim; ”they'd be sure to cotch me, and they'd give it me for a-climbing out o' window and a-running away.
Nor I dursn't go back to Mick. But you've only to say the word, ma'am, and I'm off. I'll hide about, and mayhap somehow I might get a chance among the boat-people. It's all I can think of; for I've no money--leastways this is master's and missy's, and you'd best take it for them,” he went on, as he pulled out the little packet from the inside of his jacket which he had already vainly offered to Peter. ”And about Peter, p'raps you'd say a word to the old gentleman about sending him something. He were very good to us, he were; and he can always get a letter that's sent to----” but here the lump that had kept rising in the poor boy's throat all the time he was speaking, and that he had gone on choking down, got altogether too big; he suddenly broke off and burst out sobbing. It was too much--not only to have to leave the dear little master and missy, but to have to say good-bye to all his beautiful plans and hopes--of learning to be a good and respectable boy--of leading a settled and decent life such as mother--”poor mother”--could look down upon with pleasure from her home up there somewhere near the sun, in the heaven about which her child knew so little, but in which he still most fervently believed.
”I'm a great fool,” he sobbed, ”but I did--I did want to be a good lad, and to give up gipsying.”
Barbara's heart by this time was completely melted, and Duke's and Pam's tears were flowing.
”Tim, dear Tim, you must come with us,” they said. ”Oh, Barbara, do tell him he's to come. Why, even Toby sees how good Tim is; he's not barking a bit, and he's sniffing at him to show he's a friend.”
And Toby, hearing his own name, looked up in the old woman's face as if he too were pleading poor Tim's cause. She hesitated no longer.
”Come with us my poor boy,” she said, ”it'll go hard if we can't find a place for you somewheres. And the General and the old lady is good and kind as can be. Don't ye be a-feared, but come with us. You must help me to get master and missy home, for it's a good bit we have to get over, you know.”
So Tim dried his eyes, and his hopes revived. And this time the little cavalcade set out in good earnest to make the best of their way to Brigslade, with no lookings back towards Monkhaven; for, indeed, their greatest wish was to leave it as quickly as possible far behind them.
They were a good way off fortunately before clever Superintendent Boyds and his a.s.sistants found out that their bird was flown, and when they did find it out they went after him in the wrong direction; and it was not till three days after the children had been safe at home that formal information, which doubtless _would_ have been very cheering to poor Grandpapa, came to him that the police at Monkhaven were believed to be on the track!
How can I describe to you that coming home? If I could take you back with me some thirty years or so and let you hear it as I did then--direct from the lips of a very old lady and gentleman, who still spoke to each other as ”brother” and ”sister,” whose white hair was of the soft silvery kind which one sees at a glance was _once_ flaxen--oh how much more interesting it would be, and how much better it would be told! But that cannot be. My dear old friends long ago told the story of their childish adventure for the last time; though I am very sure nothing would please them better than to know it had helped to amuse for an hour or two some of the Marmadukes and Pamelas of to-day. So I will do my best.
It was a long stretch for the little legs to Brigslade; without Tim I doubt if poor old Mrs. Twiss and Toby would have got them there. But the boy was not to be tired; his strength seemed ”like the strength of ten”
Tims, thanks to the happy hopes with which his heart was filled. He carried Pamela and even Duke turn about on his back, he told stories and sang songs to make them forget their aching legs and smarting feet. And fortunately there still remained enough home-made cake and currant wine for every one to have a little refreshment, especially as Tim found a beautifully clear spring of water to mix with the wine when the children complained of thirst.
They got to the cross-roads before Farmer Carson, for Barbara was one of those sensible people who always take time by the forelock; so they rested there till the old gray mare came jogging up, and her master, on the look-out for one old woman, but not for a party of four--five I should say, counting Toby--could not believe his eyes, and scarcely his ears, when Mrs. Twiss told him the whole story. How they all got into the spring-cart I couldn't explain, but they did somehow, and the mare did not seem to mind it at all. And at last, late on that lovely early summer evening, Farmer Carson drew up in the lane at the back of the house; and, after helping the whole party out, drove off with a hearty Good-night, and hopes that they'd find the old gentleman and lady in good health, and able to bear the happy surprise.