Part 70 (1/2)

Poor fellows! Just about a dozen of you. Well, there's no mistake about your having made a brave defence, Captain Duncan. Not a man unhurt. Sir, I'm proud to know you.”

”My men behaved better than I did, sir,” said my father modestly.

”Oh, of course, sir,” cried the lieutenant laughing; ”but avast talking.

What can we do for you? I'm here ash.o.r.e with the lugger and prisoners till my s.h.i.+p comes back, so what shall we do? You don't want doctoring, I see?”

”We want covering in first of all, sir,” said the doctor, pointing to the unroofed shed.

”Of course you do,” cried the lieutenant; ”and all your men wounded.

Here, heave ahead, my lads, and half of you run back to the lugger and bring up all the spare sails and spars you can get hold of. If there are no spars bring the sweeps.”

”Ay, ay, sir,” cried the sailors; and half of them went off at the double back along the valley, while the others, under the command of their officer, set to work and shovelled and brushed out all the burnt charcoal and smouldering wood from the long shed, and then from the counting-house, and after that they were busy at work cutting ling and heath with their cutla.s.ses, when the men despatched to the lugger came back loaded with sails and spars.

At it they went, and in a very short time had rigged up a roof over the shed for our poor fellows, carried in a quant.i.ty of ling, and spread over that more sail-cloth, making quite a comfortable bed with room for a dozen men, and ample s.p.a.ce for the doctor to go between.

Then, with the tenderness of women, the great bronzed fellows lifted the wounded men who could not walk, slipped under them a hammock, and one at each corner carried them in and laid them down.

”There you are, messmates,” said the biggest of the men; ”now, then, a quid apiece for you to keep down the pain. Make ready: pockets, 'bacco boxes,” he shouted, and his comrades laughingly obeyed.

”Thank you, my lads, thank you,” cried the doctor, going round and shaking hands with all in turn; ”why, it would be a pleasure to have to do with such men as you. But there, you're safe and sound.”

”At present, sir,” said the big sailor; ”but hark! They're at it yonder.”

We listened and sure enough there was the distant sound of heavy firing coming from the west.

”And we not in it, mates,” said the big sailor dolefully.

The wounded being cared for and the miners' wives beginning to come back, we left them in the doctor's charge, and, in response to the lieutenant's invitation, went back with him to the lugger.

”I'll send your fellows up all I can,” he said, ”but you two come to the lugger cabin, and I think I can sc.r.a.pe you up a bit of a meal.”

We were ready enough to go for many reasons, one of them being curiosity; and having shaken hands with Bigley, and asked my father to do the same, for the poor fellow was very miserable and despondent, away we went.

”The rascals!” said the lieutenant, ”they've got all your silver then?

How much was it worth?”

”Nearly two thousand five hundred pounds' worth,” said my father.

”What a haul!” exclaimed the lieutenant, ”and so compact and handy.

Never mind, captain, hark at our guns talking to them. They'll have to disgorge. But, I say, some one must have told them where to come.”

”I'm afraid so,” said my father.

”Who was likely to know?--this smuggling rascal that we have got in the French lugger?”

”Who is he? An Englishman?”

”No, sir, a Frenchman who speaks English pretty well. The officer on the revenue cutter knows him. A Captain Gualtiere, I believe.”