Part 7 (1/2)

”Think we ought to have sent?” said Esau, as we sat together alone.

”I have no one I could send to but Mr John, and I shouldn't like to do that,” I said, as I wondered the while whether he would be very angry.

”And I've got n.o.body but mother,” said Esau, ”and that's what made it so queer.”

”What do you mean? Queer?”

”Yes, if I sent to her and she knew I was locked up at the station, she'd come running down here in a dreadful fright and be having fits or something.”

”But she'll be horribly frightened now!”

”Not so much frightened. She'll think we've gone to see something, or been asked out to supper.”

”But she'll sit up.”

”That won't matter, because she's sure to go to sleep.”

So no message was sent--no opportunity afforded of our having bail; but after a time this did not trouble us much. In fact, as we were discussing our future in a low tone, wondering what punishment would be meted out to us, and what we could do afterwards, Esau burst into a fit of laughter.

”It was fine,” he said, as he sat afterwards wiping his eyes. ”And you such a quiet, patient fellow!”

”What was fine?”

”To see you go on as you did. I say, I wonder what he'll say to the judge?”

”We shall not go before a judge,” I told him.

”Well, madjistrit then. He'll say anything, and you'll see if we don't get sent to prison.”

I said I hoped not, but I felt pretty sure that we should be punished very severely, and the outlook seemed so bad that I began to think my only chance would be to follow Esau's fortune, and go for a soldier.

All at once, just after he had been wondering how long ”mother” would be before she dropped off to sleep, and what she would say when she found that we had not been home, I became aware of a low dull guttural sound, which told me that Esau had dropped off, and was sleeping soundly.

But I could not follow his example for thinking. What would Mr John say? What would Mrs John think? They would set me down as a reckless lad with a savage temper, and if we were punished they would never know the truth. Then another idea, one which made me s.h.i.+ver, occurred to me; the whole account would be in the newspapers, given as Police Intelligence, and that completely baffled all my attempts to sleep.

It was a very quiet night at the station. I heard doors opened and closed twice over, with a good deal of talking; and once while I was thinking most deeply, I started and stared curiously at a bright blaze of light, beyond which I could not see; but I felt that a constable had that light in his hand, and that he had come to see if we were asleep.

I had not heard the door open, I suppose I was thinking too deeply; but I heard it shut again, and heavy steps in the long stone pa.s.sage outside. Then I began thinking again intently, full of remorse for what I had done, and how soon it would be morning; and then I began to envy Esau, who could sleep so soundly in spite of our position.

I remember it all--the trampling of feet outside, the dull muttering of voices, and the curious guttural sound Esau made as he slept, one that I was often to hear in years to come; and I sat there with my head resting in a corner, envying him, and wis.h.i.+ng that I too could forget. And over and over again came the events of the past day--the struggle in the office, and the savage, malicious look of Mr Dempster as he struck me.

Weary, aching, and with my head throbbing, I sat and wondered now at my daring; and then came all kinds of mental questions as to the amount of punishment I, a poor boy, would receive.

All at once, as these miserable thoughts kept on repeating themselves in a strange, feverish way, that was somehow connected with a throbbing, smarting sensation in one ear, Mr Dempster seemed to have raised me by the arm once more, and to begin shaking me roughly--so vigorously that I made a desperate effort to escape, when he cried--

”Steady, steady! You're all right. Come, rouse up and have a wash, my lad. It's nearly eight. Ready for some coffee and bread and b.u.t.ter?”

I looked up in the dim light to see the big, burly policeman leaning over me, while Esau was giving vent to a noisy yawn. It was morning, indeed, and though not aware of the fact, I must have slept about seven hours.

CHAPTER SIX.