Part 18 (1/2)
CHAPTER NINE.
A RELEASE.
”Glad you've come, sir,” said the old gardener, telling a tremendous fib. ”Got one on 'em at last.”
”Got one of them?” cried the doctor.
”Why--”
”O papa dear! look!” cried Helen.
”One of them nippers as is always stealing our fruit,” continued Dan'l.
”Why, Dexter,” cried the doctor; ”you there!” He stared wildly at the boy, who, with his legs kicking to and fro in the vinery in search of support, looked down from the roof of the building like a sculptured cherub, with arms instead of wings.
”Yes, it's all right,” said the boy coolly. ”Ain't much on it broken,”
while Dan'l stared and scratched his head, as he felt that he had made some mistake.
”You wicked boy!” cried Helen, with a good deal of excitement. ”How did you get in such a position!”
”I couldn't help it,” said Dexter. ”He chivied me all along the top o'
the wall with that great stick, and there's another chap t'other side.
He was at me too.”
”Is this true, Copestake!” cried the doctor angrily.
”Well, yes, sir; I s'pose it is,” said the gardener. ”Me and Peter see him a-cuttin' his capers atop o' that wall, and when we told him to come down, he wouldn't, and fell through our vinery.”
”Who was going to come down when you was. .h.i.tting at him with that big stick?” said Dexter indignantly.
”You had no business atop of our wall,” said the gardener stoutly. ”And now look at the mischief you've done.”
”Tut--tut--tut--tut!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the doctor.
”Please, sir, I didn't know as he was any one you knew.”
”No, no, of course not,” said the doctor pettishly. ”Tut--tut--tut!
Dear me! dear me!”
”I say, ain't some one coming to help me down?” said Dexter, in an ill-used tone.
”Yes, yes, of course,” said the doctor. ”Keep still, sir, or you'll cut yourself.”
”I have cut myself, and it's a-bleeding,” said the boy. ”Look here, if one of you goes inside this place, and holds up that big long prop, I can put my foot in the fork at the end, and climb up again.”
”Get a ladder quickly, Copestake, and call the groom.”
”Yes, sir,” said Dan'l; and he went off grumbling, while the doctor seized the prop, and went into the vinery.