Part 44 (1/2)
”Yes, mester.”
”How long would it have burned?”
”Twenty minutes, mester.”
”Same length as the one that was run in the furnace-house?”
”Yes, mester.”
”You cowardly scoundrel! You were in that too, then,” cried Uncle Jack, going down on one knee and seizing the man by the throat and shaking him till he realised how horribly he was punis.h.i.+ng him, when he loosed his hold.
”Don't kill me, mester. Oh, my wife and bairns!”
”A man with a wife and children, and ready to do such a dastardly act as that! Here, you shall tell me this, who set you on?”
The man set his teeth fast.
”Who set you on, I say?”
”Nay, mester, I canna tell,” groaned Gentles.
”But you shall tell,” roared Uncle Jack. ”You shall stay here till you do.”
”I can't tell; I weant tell,” groaned the man.
”We'll see about that,” cried Uncle Jack. ”Pah! What a brute I am!
Hold the light, Cob. Piter! You touch him if you dare. Let's see if we can't get this trap open.”
He took hold of it gently, and tried to place it flat upon the stones, but the poor trapped wretch groaned dismally till he was placed in a sitting posture with his knee bent, when Piter, having been coerced into a neutral state, Uncle Jack pressed with all his might upon the spring while I worked the ring upon it half an inch at a time till the jaws yawned right open and Gentles' leg was at liberty.
He groaned and was evidently in great pain; but as soon as it was off, his face was convulsed with pa.s.sion, and he shook his fists at Uncle Jack.
”I'll hev the law of ye for this here. I'll hev the law of ye.”
”Do,” said Uncle Jack, picking up the can of powder; ”and I shall bring this in against you. Let me see. You confessed in the presence of this witness that you came over the wall with this can of powder to blow up our water-wheel so as to stop our works. Mr Gentles, I think we shall get the better of you this time.”
The man raised himself to his feet, and stood with great difficulty, moaning with pain.
”Now,” said Uncle Jack, ”will you go back over the wall or out by the gate.”
”I'll pay thee for this. I'll pay thee for this,” hissed the man.
Uncle Jack took him again by the throat.
”Look here,” he said fiercely. ”Have a care what you are doing, my fine fellow. You have had a narrow escape to-night. If we had not been carefully watching you would by now have been hanging by that chain-- drowned. Mind you and your cowardly sneaking scoundrels of companions do not meet with some such fate next time they come to molest us. Now go. You can't walk? There's a stick for you. I ought to break your thick skull with it, but I'm going to be weak enough to give it to you to walk home. Go home and tell your wife and children that you are one of the most treacherous, canting, hypocritical scoundrels in Arrowfield, and that you have only got your deserts if you are lamed for life.”
He gave Gentles his stick and walked with him to the gate, which he unlocked and held open for him to pa.s.s out groaning and suffering horribly.
”Good-night, honest faithful workman!” he said; ”friendly man who only wanted to be left alone. Do you want your can of powder? No: I'll keep it as a memento of your visit, and for fear you might have an accident at home.”