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Updated: June 22, 2025
The remainder of their conversation was lost to the ears of the driver, but seemed to consist mainly of a series of attempts on the part of Mugford to say something, which were always interrupted by a chorus of groans, and shouts of "Shut up!" from his two companions.
"'Tisn't witchcraft," said Mrs. Mugford very loudly in Mrs. Fry's hearing, "'tis a jidgment on evil tongues, and the sins of parents that's visited on the children. The mother goeth back and vor biting and slandering, and the mouth of the innocent child is stopped." Mrs. Fry wept with rage as she heard the words, for she had no answer ready.
"You cowards, you hang-dogs, you scum of the sea, you dark-hearted blackguards take that! Aye, villains! and that!" Two pistol shots were heard. Harry jumped to open the door for Captain Mugford. Walter stood ready beside him with the gun.
It was well for the Triple Alliance that at least one of their number was blessed with the faculty of quick decision and prompt action, or the history of their friendship might have had a tragic ending. Diggory wheeled round, and catching hold of Mugford, cried in a voice loud enough to be heard above the ever-increasing din, "Quick! get into the six-foot way, and lie down!"
The truth was that he was bitterly hurt and indignant at the hard words that Mrs. Mugford had used towards him, of having betrayed the children to the witch on the moor. The bare idea that he should have been false to his mistress and to the children, whom he worshipped, made him furious; and he went out with the determination of giving Mrs.
She did not dare actually to stop him, but she so confused him that in another few yards the drummer and fifer had caught him each by an arm. The idiot cowered abject and trembling between them, and the three stood panting and breathless, while Mrs. Mugford exhorted at the top of her voice,
Mugford, who was always rather slow at grasping a new idea, opened his eyes in astonishment. "But," he exclaimed, "how about the paper and the screw-driver?" "Pooh!" answered Diggory, "how about that cipher note that said, 'To-night'?" "Of course," added Jack Vance, "they'd evidently arranged it beforehand, and that paper was to say when they were to do the trick."
During the season we took a seven-pounder, one of eight, and one of ten pounds, and Captain Mugford, alone on the rocks, one stormy morning, when we boys were in school, captured a royal fellow of twelve pounds, and brought it for our admiring gaze as we went to dinner. Mr Clare promised to beat that, but he never did.
Let's see," he continued, taking up the slate: "I appear to have three boys' names down already 'Vance, 'Mugford, and 'Trevanock. What's the meaning of this? This is not my writing. How came these names here?" "Please, sir," faltered Mugford, "we put them there ourselves." "Put them there yourselves! What d'you want to put your names down on my punishment slate for?
"Oh, I'll go," answered Mugford, laughing; and accordingly, after performing some complicated gymnastic feats in getting off his boots, he slid from the seat into the water, and so hauled the "coffee-mill" back to terra firma. It would be impossible to describe in detail all the alarming incidents which happened during the outward passage.
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