Part 15 (2/2)
”Because we are afraid somebody is after us,” answered Julian, almost breathless. ”We've done it, though, and rare fun there will be to-morrow to see what has become of all the boats.”
It was not necessary for Julian to tell Digby to turn back; he had at once done so, and they were running on together. They turned their heads for a moment, and d.i.c.k Owlett had disappeared. His reason for so doing was very evident. Digby thus, very unintentionally, slipped into his shoes. They soon had to cross a meadow; their own footsteps now making but a slight noise, they were able to hear the sound of another person fast approaching them.
”It may be d.i.c.k Owlett,” said Julian, in a low voice. ”Still, if it is one of the coastguard men we shall catch it. Run, Digby, run.”
Digby could have run a great deal faster than he was running, but had he done so he would have left Julian behind. Their pursuer, whoever he was, came on very rapidly. They had scarcely crossed the field when, looking back, they saw him at the other end of it. He must have seen them. It seemed very useless, therefore, to attempt to escape, but their natural impulse was to run on till he put his hand on their shoulder to stop them. Julian wanted to jump into a ditch and hide, as they had before done, but Digby protested against this, and insisted on running on. Across the fields they went--now they thought that they had escaped their pursuer--now they saw him again. Sometimes he got very close to them, and then they distanced him. At last they got up to the garden-wall. The footsteps sounded terribly loud close behind them.
They rushed on. Julian, always most anxious to escape from danger, had first sprung to the top of the wall, and Digby was helping him over, when a person leaped forward, and seizing Julian by the leg, and Digby by the shoulder, exclaimed--
”Hillo, young gentlemen, is it you, then, who have been about this pretty piece of mischief? What will your master say to you, I should like to know? It's lucky we found it out, or there's no saying what damage might have been done; however, that's no excuse for you--so come along with me to the front door, and I'll hand you over to Mr Nugent, or I'll take you to the lock-up house, and let you stay there till the morning.”
Julian nudged Digby, to induce him to speak. He took the hint.
”I have nothing to do with the mischief of which you are talking,” he exclaimed, boldly. ”I don't know by what right you venture to detain me. I had a good reason for being out, which will, I believe, satisfy Mr Nugent, but I do not see that you, whoever you are, or any other man, has a right to call on me to explain it.”
”Tell that to the marines, youngster; you are not going to impose on an old salt,” answered the revenue man, for such he appeared. ”Why, I traced you from the time you jumped on sh.o.r.e every inch of the way to this place.”
”That you could not,” answered Digby; ”I have not been on the water to-night.”
”Well, you are a bold young ruffian,” exclaimed the man, fairly exasperated at Digby's coolness. ”I never have heard anybody, man or boy, tell a lie and stick to it as you can do.”
”You are very impertinent,” said Digby, who, knowing that he really was speaking the truth, forgot that it was not possible for the man to believe him. It did not occur to him that he very naturally was mistaken for d.i.c.k Owlett.
”Well, if it comes to that,” said the man, ”the sooner we go and talk to Mr Nugent the better. I don't suppose that he allows his young gentlemen to be running about at nights for their own amus.e.m.e.nt.”
Saying this their captor, who was a strong stout man, carried them off in spite of their struggles to the front door of the house. He rang and knocked for some time without succeeding in awaking any one.
The feelings of Digby and Julian may more easily be conceived than described, though, as may be supposed from what I have already mentioned of their characters, they were very different. They did not dare to communicate with each other, and so all they could do was to hold their tongues. At last Mr Nugent was aroused, and supposing that some sick paris.h.i.+oner wanted his attendance, he got up, dressed, and came down stairs. What was his astonishment at seeing two of his pupils in the hands of a revenue officer.
”Please, sir, I've brought you these two young gentlemen, to tell you that they have been playing no end of mischief down in the harbour, there, to-night--cutting the fis.h.i.+ng-boats adrift, and letting them run foul of each other. If you like to take charge of them and have them ready when they are wanted, I'll leave them; if not, I'll take them off to the lock-up house, to pa.s.s the rest of the night.”
Poor Mr Nugent could not believe his senses. He stood staring first at one and then at the other, fully believing that he was dreaming. Then he rubbed his eyes and felt his clothes, to a.s.sure himself that he had got up and dressed. ”What is it all about?” he at last exclaimed. ”Out on the river--in the middle of the night--you, Digby--you, Julian Langley. I cannot comprehend it. Come in, though, I am very much grieved; I beg that you, James Sutton, will explain matters more fully.”
Without saying more, Mr Nugent led the way to his study, when lighting the candles he sat down, while the accuser and the two culprits stood before him. ”Now, James Sutton, tell me your story, if you please,” he said, calmly.
”Why, sir, these young gentlemen have been having what I suppose they call a lark. They went down to the river, shoved off in a boat, and went round, and with their knives cut the cables of a number of the fishermen's boats and other small craft lying in the harbour. The ebb was just making, and the boats drove one against another; some went on sh.o.r.e, and others would have gone out to sea and been lost, but our boat was just coming in. Of course we boarded them, and finding no one in them, suspected that something was wrong. As our boat is white, and we pulled with m.u.f.fled oars, and our young gentlemen were very busy, they did not see us. We should have caught them in the act, but that we had to look after some of the boats. We saw them just landing, so our chief boatman put me on sh.o.r.e, and told me to follow them up and see where they went to. I didn't think, you may be sure, that they were your young gentlemen.”
”You acted in every way rightly,” said Mr Nugent. ”And now, Julian, what have you to say to this?”
”That it is a base fabrication,” answered Julian. ”I had no right to be out at night, that I know. I went out for a lark, because I couldn't sleep, and meeting Digby we came back together; but that I did anything else I defy anybody to prove.”
”Oh,” said Mr Nugent. ”What do you say to this, Digby?”
”That I had not been out of the house twenty minutes when this man caught hold of me,” answered Digby, quietly. ”I certainly was not doing any harm, though I ought not to have left the house without leave. I, however, am ready to stand the consequences of doing so.”
”Well!” exclaimed Sutton, ”he is the lad to swear that black is white, and make another believe it.”
”I never knew him tell an untruth, Sutton,” observed Mr Nugent. ”There is a mystery about the matter which I cannot yet fathom.”
”Well, sir, I will leave the young gentlemen with you, and you will be answerable for their appearance when they are wanted,” said Sutton, laying a strong emphasis on that word wanted, which has so much significance to thieves and vagabonds.
<script>