Part 7 (1/2)

Presentlyto the left, I followed the direction of the wall, which, for a cave, was very regular At length my left hand touched a rock; either I had reached a corner of the cave, or this was a pillar of detached stone

Carefully feeling with both hands, I discovered that I was standing in an angle, and right in the corner my hand came in contact with an object that, on inspection, proved to be a gun; also, by the smoothness of the barrel I knew that it had recently been in use, there being no rust on the ironwork

This discovery cheeredbe visited by the owner of the piece Taking the musket in my hand I felt the pan, removed the powder froer the flash of the flint gave a tolerable illumination This action I repeated several times, till I could form some idea of the cave

In the part opposite where I was standing I saw e casks, and bundles of what looked like woollen and silk goods

Then the truth flashed across my lers!

Replacing the musket where I found it, I made my way cautiously towards the barrels Here I felt about carefully, till hted on an opened box of coarse biscuits, which served as a er Then, after a drink froh the roof of the cave, I resu on, e wooden box Its contents were apparently hay and straw, but curiosity proh the upper surface, and it was no surprise to me to find that underneath was a thick layer of silk The box or crate was soth and three in breadth, the depth being about the same as the breadth; so its contents must have been worth several hundreds of pounds

While engaged in ations I heard the sound of footsteps and voices The s to their storehouse!

There was not aup my mind, I burrowed underneath the hay and straw, and concealedfeet drew nearer, there was a noise like the throwing back of a curtain, and the cave was flooded with a subdued daylight

Thea lusty song in broad Dorset dialect, the chorus of which ran: ”He used to laugh a horrible laugh, His fav'rite cry was 'Priddys', His life he held in his own right arer days had old Henry Martin and Master Collings toldCaptain Kidd and his bloodthirsty henchus Priddys, whose career was ended at Execution Dock; so I forlers were s were not the worst of their accoh a knot hole in the side of the box I could see the whole of the rascally crew

There were about thirty, all well armed and dressed in usual mariner's style, save that two or three wore smocks Several carried beakers on their shoulders, while two bore between them a small but heavy chest They had evidently had a successful haul, for all were in high spirits, and the chorus of their grueso the walls of the cavern The refrain was interrupted by one of thethat their stores had been disturbed, and a search coht have ended with my discovery but for the fact that in the far end of the cave, ih which I had fallen, lay the dead body of a fox, whose body had brokenthis a satisfactory explanation for this interruption, the rogues resu

I could now see how near I had been to regaining my freedom, for just beyond the place where my tour of exploration had abruptly terminated was the entrance to the cave, skilfully hidden by a heavy screen of painted canvas that, even at a short distance, would deceive all ere not acquainted with the secret

For nearly an hour the slers devoted theth their leader called for silence With a discipline that is rare ah stools and awaited their captain's orders

In the broad Dorset dialect their leader recounted the various successful runs they had lorious of their deeds, and finished by de: ”Be there any of ye as be not content with his share?”

Their ansith one voice, was ”No” ”Then,” resumed the speaker, ”if so be as that ye are all content, how coaugers? And how comes it that dree[1] of our'n have been stuck wi' a Bridport dagger?”[2]

[1] Dree=three, still used in Wilts and Dorset

[2] ”Stuck wi' a Bridport dagger”--A local witticis noted for the lers looked at one another in ast the in the farther corner of the cavern, and presently a hly hauled out into the centre of the assembly I could see hiy for aa bird's beak, a loose, weak-natured mouth, and small, shi+fty eyes His complexion was dark, almost of a dirty yellohile his face was covered with blotches and pireyish white, while his thin legs, which strucktoo weak for even his undersized body, were bent and shaking like a reed in a March gale

Several of the rogues hurled i his hand

”I bain't a done nothin'!” cried the miserable wretch

”I don't know as 'ow ye've been taxed wi' aught,” ejaculated the captain, ”but I'll do it now Look you, Ned Crocker, have ye at any time been unfairly done by? No? Then why did ye blab on the run weWill of Corfe were taken?”

”'Tweren't edly, though his bearing did not fit with his manner of speech

”Not ye? Ah, now harken! Know'st Ji's officer at Warehah the accused man shook more violently than before

”No? Then methinks ye'll know him no more on this earth, for he's dead!”

The speaker paused to mark the effect of his words, then he continued: ”An', what's more, we killed him close to Arishmell Gap 'Twas his own doin' But on hi no scholard, I ax Master Fallowfield to read what's on this paaper”

Master Fallowfield, who, as I afterwards learned from the conversation, was the parish clerk of Worth Matravers church on Sabbaths and holydays, and an arrant sler at other tie fro justice to the ill-fated Ja him that the reward due to the informer Crocker would be paid at any time after Martinasps of the doomed wretch, followed this announcement

”And the sentence is----?”

”Death! Death!” shouted the slers with no uncertain voice Crocker made a desperate effort, shook off thehied forupon him and bound him hand and foot, and a scarf was fastened over his eyes One of the men drew a pistol I watched the scene, for the erous position, but drawn by an indescribable feeling to watch the last ue

Slowly the pistol was raised till its muzzle was level with the dooer resting lightly on the trigger, while his eyes were turned towards the leader as if awaiting the signal to fire The rehly used to this kind of rough-and-ready justice

But the fatal signal never caned for the pistol to be lowered, the bandage was removed, and the culprit, already half-dead with fear, was told that he was pardoned conditionally

Without waiting to hear the conditions, Crocker lurched forward and fell heavily to the ground in a dead faint

”Hark ye, George Davies! When yon lubber comes to himself, tell hiues of sea betwixt him and us If he says nay, keep him safely till we return”

Oncechorus, for the h the cave: ”He used to laugh a horrible laugh, His fav'rite cry was 'Priddys'!”

Gradually the diht was falling Torches and lanterns were lighted, and still the sh carnival

Suddenly, above the noise of the revellers, ca gave place to an alain the whistle was repeated--like the cry of solers replied with a sound like the hooting of an owl

Then ca reh the chimneylike aperture

”Now, lers worked with a will The casks were rolled under the tackle, and whipped up to the open air Six in all were sent up, and then the ues laid hands on the box of silks wherein I lay concealed I had a difficulty in restraining reat effort I re every h rip

”Be this one to go?”

”Bide a bit I'll ax”

The footsteps died away and caht!” muttered one man with an oath ”Here, dick, coht as that silk be so weighty?”

”Is the straw agoin' too?”