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For a few minutes after we had sat down Bob Chowne having to be fetched in, after sliding off so that he might be fetched back we could not eat much for feasting our eyes on the bright swords and pistols; but young appetites would have their way, and we were soon eating heartily till the meat pasty and custard and cream were completely destroyed. "A very bold attack," said my father smiling.
So there it was: the keepers at Trusham always felt that Chowne stood against 'em in their valiant endeavours to catch out Chawner; while the officer took his stand on the letter of the law and said that he held the balance of justice as became him, but weren't going to believe no tales nor set the law in motion against Mr. Green until the proofs stood before him.
I whispered as we listened to the beat of the oars which came from out of the gloom. "Doubled back along with the French boat La Belle Hirondelle. They saw her about ten miles away." "Was it the Hirondelle we saw last night!" I said. "Yes," said Bigley shortly. "Be quiet." "I think your father might have said good-bye to me, Bigley Uggleston," said Bob Chowne shortly.
This roused me, and I jumped up to seize a scull, but felt giddy and nearly fell, for Bob Chowne had hold of my wrist. "Take hold of the gunwale, Bob," I panted, as I tried again, and this time felt better, getting an oar over behind, and sending the boat along, as I had learned to years before.
"So would you have run away, doctor," I said warmly, "if half a dozen Frenchmen were after you and firing." "Never, sir!" cried the doctor fiercely, as he probed the wound; "an Englishman never runs. There, I can feel it that's the fellow." "Oh, doctor!" groaned poor Bigley. "Hurt?" said Doctor Chowne. "Ah, well! I suppose it does. And so you, an Englishman, ran away eh?"
They gave us a cheer, and soon afterwards we parted, Bob Chowne to sleep at the smuggler's cottage, while I went back to the Bay. I woke at daylight next morning, and not feeling disposed to sleep, I dressed and started off for the Gap to rouse up Bigley and Bob and propose a bathe; but as I came in sight of the Gap mouth I found Bigley already astir and just going down to the boat.
As soon as Sam had gone off with the pony, my father called Kicksey, our maid, a great, brawny woman of forty, who was quite mistress at our place, my father being, like Doctor Chowne and Jonas Uggleston, a widower. Kicksey came in a great hurry, with her muslin mob-cap flopping and her eyes staring, to know what was the matter. "Light the back kitchen fire," said my father.
The intention was good, but the grapnel refused to be hauled up. The boat's bows were dragged right over it, and Bigley stood up and tugged till the boat was perceptibly pulled down, but not an inch would the grapnel budge. "It has got between a couple of rocks, I suppose," said Bigley. "Here, stand aside!" cried Bob Chowne, "let the doctor come."
We all would, and we were quite ready afterwards to attack and finish off a pot of raspberry jam which Mother Bonnet brought in with a smile; and the raspberry jam, the beautiful butter and bread, and the cream worked such an effect upon Bob Chowne that he exclaimed suddenly: "Oh, don't I wish Dr Stacey would give us dinners like this!"
I could not keep it back, though I had said to myself Bob Chowne was a weak coward, and, dropping on the thwart, I let my face go down in my hands, and tried to keep back my emotion. "Ah, you bigs boys, you speak me," I heard the French skipper say. "How you come from? Come, call yourself." "Uggleston, of the Gap," said Bigley, as boldly as he could. "Blown off shore, sir, in the squall." "Aha!
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