Part 99 (1/2)

”What does he say!” said the doctor.

”Says he'll come down if I'll let go.”

”Don't you trust him, sir,” cried Dan'l excitedly.

”I do not mean to,” said the doctor. ”Will you come down quietly?” he shouted.

There was another murmur.

”Says '_yes_,' sir,” cried Peter.

”Then, look here,” said the doctor, ”you hold him tight, and you,” he continued to the gardener, ”climb up on that beam and push off a few tiles. Then you can draw him down through there.”

”All right, sir,” cried Dan'l; and as Peter held on to the leg, the old gardener, after a good deal of grunting and grumbling, climbed to his side, and began to let in daylight by thrusting off tile after tile, which slid rattling down the side of the roof into the leaden guttering.

The opening let in so much daylight that the appearance of the old loft was quite transformed, but the group on the worm-eaten beam was the princ.i.p.al object of attention till just as Dan'l thrust off the fourth tile, when there was a loud crack, a crash, and gardener, groom, and their prisoner lay in a heap on the floor of the loft, while pieces of lath and tile rattled about their heads.

The old tie had given way, and they came down with a rush, to the intense astonishment of all; but the distance to fall was only about five feet, and the wonder connected with the fall was as nothing to that felt by Helen and her father, as the smallest figure of the trio struggled to his feet, and revealed the dusty, soot-smeared face of Dexter, with his eyes staring wildly from the Doctor to Helen and back again.

”Dexter!” cried Helen.

”You, sir!” cried the doctor.

”Well, I _ham_!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Peter, getting up and giving his thigh a slap.

Dan'l sat on the floor rubbing his back, and he uttered a grunt as his face expanded till he displayed all his front teeth--a dismal array of four, and not worth a bite.

”Are you hurt?” cried Helen.

Dexter shook his head.

”Are either of you hurt?” said the doctor frowning.

”Screwed my off fetlock a bit, sir,” said Peter, stooping to feel his right ankle.

”Hurt?” growled Dan'l. ”Well, sir, them's 'bout the hardest boards as ever I felt.”

”Go and ask Mrs Millett to give you both some ale,” said the doctor; and the two men smiled as they heard their master's prescription. ”Then go on and tell the builder to come and patch up this old roof. Here, Dexter, come in.”

Dexter gave Peter a reproachful look, and limped after the doctor.

”Well, let's go and have that gla.s.s o' beer Peter,” said Dan'l. ”Talk about pickles!”

”My!” said Peter, slapping his leg again. ”Why, it were him we see every night, and as swum across the river. Why, he must ha' swum back when I'd gone. I say, Dan'l, what a game!”

”Hah!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the old gardener, wiping his mouth in antic.i.p.ation.

”It's my b'lief, Peter, as that there boy'll turn out either a reg'lar good un, or 'bout the wust as ever stepped.”