Part 15 (1/2)
”Wh'st! Miss Mar-ty!”
”Gracious goodness!” After a moment's hesitation she craned out timorously. ”Cai Tamblyn . . .?”
”Miss Marty!”
”What on earth are you doing there at this time of night?”
”Sentry-go.”
”Nonsense. What do I want of a sentry?”
”You never can tell.”
”Are you here by the Major's order?”
”Ch't!” answered Cai Tamblyn. ”_Him!_”
”Then go away, please, and let me beg you to speak more respectfully of your master.”
”I reckon,” said Cai, slowly, ”you don't know that, barrin' the n.i.g.g.e.r under the stairs, this here town's as empty as my hat.
Well, a man can but die once, and if the French come, let 'em; that's all I say. Good night, miss.”
”The town empty?”
”Males, females and otherwise, down to Miss Jex at the post-office.”
(Cai Tamblyn nursed an inveterate antipathy for the post-mistress.
He alleged no reason for it, save that she wore moustaches, which was no reason at all, and a monstrous exaggeration.) ”There's Miss Pescod gone, and Miss Tregentil with her maid.”
”But where? Why?”
”Up the river. Gallivantin'. That's what I spoke ye for, just now.
Mind you, I don't propose no gallivantin'; but there's safety in numbers, and if you've a mind for it, I've the boat ready by the Broad Slip.”
”But what foolishness!”
”Ay,” Mr. Tamblyn a.s.sented. ”That's what I said to the Doctor when he first mentioned it. 'What foolishness,' I said, 'at _her_ time o'
life!' But then we never reckoned on the whole town goin' crazed.”
”The Doctor?” queried Miss Marty, with a glance down the dark street.
”He thinks of everything,” she murmured.
There was a pause, during which Mr. Tamblyn somewhat ostentatiously tested the lock of his musket.
”You are not going to frighten me, Cai.”
”No, miss.”
”I--I think an expedition up the river would be very pleasant. If, as you say, Miss Pescod has gone--”
”Yes, miss.”