Part 21 (2/2)
”Say your say, friends”
Dan did so, in his own roundabout fashi+on He casuallyinterest to anyon the shores of Plymouth Sound Then he came to the real reason for his visit He described the two sailors he had uessed as much, but he wanted to be sure Then he sketched Basil The fisherht in a st us, off and on, for more than a month I'll take you to him”
But Dan would not trouble any one to do that
”He knows h,” he replied, ”and I would rather take hiether last Christmas”
So the fisher, and his two callers took their leave, pro
Apart froes stood the house in which Brother Basil was staying At one time the place had hout and tiled In the rear was an orchard of apple-trees; and a herb garden, now choked eeds, separated the front of the house from the roadway The place was in the occupation of a oman, whose late husband had once been a ht was sufficiently starlit for a sailor to pick his ith certainty, and the two ate in the fence stood ajar, and Dan went first to spy out the land The front as heavily shuttered, an unusual precaution to take on a fine night
Putting his eye to a chink, the sailor could just discern the shadowy outline of a ht stood beside hi on to the door, he found that the latch-string was pulled in through the latch-hole; the door was secure
Steadily, Dan pressed against it; it was fire ”Bolted,” he muttered, and stole back to the fence, in whose shadow Nick was still standing He whispered his report, and the two consulted together for a ap in the straggling hedge, and caht shone through the unshuttered
”Ah!” exclaimed Dan, ”this looks more like the home of honest people
Yon thief in front is bolted and barred I warrantWeto our ather sound quicker than doth a rabbit's”
”Hoill thetake our incoht hath fallen Should she cry out, we are undone; for the fishers would come upon us, and maybe lay us loithout a chance to explain our errand Thy e Should he sound an alarhbours took us for thieves and him for an honest man”
Dan paused ”Shrewdly spoken, coo round the place and prove that we be honest Protestants and good sailors, whilst the littlePapist and ive hiet within Thou wilt stay with the , and keep her fro us a mischief I will see to my man alone”
”If thou shouldst want help?”
”I will cry out for it quickly enough”
As Dan predicted, the latch-string still hung out A gentle pull, and the well-used door swung open The as in her kitchen, raking together the red e to bed The noise of her scraping was sufficient to cover up the sounds at the door, and Dan was at her side, his fingers on her lips, ere she are of his presence
”sh!+” he whispered in warning; ”not a sound, good er; thy life depends on thy silence”
The poor woly, and reasped
Nick brought forward a stool and gently placed her upon it
”Have no fear,” he said; ”I will stay with thee”
”Who are ye?”
”Friends and protectors, mother; honest sons of Devon, who have discovered a deadly plot Lean thou on , his face was honest; the 's brain was bewildered She believed hi to him in white terror
Dan saw that she was safe fro, enjoined silence on both, and passed on towards the parlour where Basil was sitting He paused for aagainst the oaken post, he heard the rustling of paper He set his teeth; there was a flash of light; the door had been opened and shut again, and the sailor and the Spanish agent stood face to face