Part 89 (1/2)

”Hold your tongue, will you?” he roared. ”You so much as say another word, and I'll make you fight it put.”

Bob's jaw dropped, and he stared in astonishment at the fierce face before him, reading therein so much determination to carry the threat into effect that he subsided sulkily in his corner, and turned away his face, for every time he glanced at the other end of the carriage it was to see Peter grinning at him.

”Ah!” said Peter at last; ”it's a good job for us as Dan'l held you back. You made me s.h.i.+ver.”

Bob scowled.

”He's thoroughbred game, he is, Dan'l.”

Dan'l chuckled.

”He'd be a terrible chap when his monkey was up. Oh, I am glad. He'd ha' been sure to win.”

”Let him alone,” growled Dan'l, with a low chuckling noise that sounded something like the slow turning of a weak watchman's rattle; and then muttering something about white-livered he subsided into his corner, and solaced himself with his pipe.

Meanwhile Peter sat opposite, talking in a low tone to Dexter, and began to ask him questions about his adventures, listening with the greatest eagerness to the short answers he received, till Dexter looked up at him piteously.

”Don't talk to me, please, Peter,” he said. ”I want to sit and think.”

”And so you shall, my lad,” said the groom; and he too took out a pipe, and smoked till they reached Coleby.

Dexter s.h.i.+vered as he stepped out upon the platform. It seemed to him that the stationmaster and porters were staring at him as the boy who ran away, and he was looking round for a way of retreat, so as to escape what was to come, when Sir James and the doctor came up to them.

”You can let that boy go,” said the doctor to Dan'l.

”Let him go, sir?” cried the gardener, looking at both the gentlemen in turn.

Sir James nodded.

Bob, whose eyes had been rat-like in their eager peering from face to face, whisked himself free, darted to the end of the platform, and uttered a loud yell before he disappeared.

”Look here, Dexter,” said the doctor coldly; ”I have been talking to Sir James on our way here. Now sir, will you give me your word not to try and escape?”

Dexter looked at him for a moment or two.

”Yes, sir,” he said at last, with a sigh.

”Then come with me.”

”Come with you, sir?”

Dexter looked at his stained and muddy clothes.

”Yes,” said the doctor; ”come with me.”

Sir James shrugged his shoulders slightly, and gave the doctor a meaning look.

”Good-bye, Grayson,” he said, and he shook hands.

”As for you, sir,” he added sternly, as he turned to Dexter, ”you and your companion have had a very narrow escape. If it had not been for your good friend here, matters would have gone ill with you--worse perhaps than you think.”