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The squire understood the hint, but he scorned to notice it, and went on talking sternly to the engineer; but Thorpeley was not to be put down like that, for he continued: "Mebbe theer's people in it old people and young people as wouldn't like to be exposed, but who hev got to be exposed, and " "Look here," said Dick boldly, "if my father won't speak, I will.
There was no answer, in fact none was needed, for at that moment Tom's eyes fell upon the object which had arrested his companion's action, to wit, the flabby, unpleasant-looking face of Thorpeley, the constable, that individual being seated by the low bushes smoking his pipe in a position where he must have been watching the lads ever since they started.
For Thorpeley stuck to his first story, that he suspected the two boys to be engaged in some nefarious trick, and he had watched them from the time they borrowed the wheelwright's punt.
But there was no answer; and though as far as was possible Dick walked in the direction of the sound, the guidance was of the most unsatisfactory nature, and at the end of a minute or two they listened again. "It must be that Thorpeley regularly bogged," said Dick at last, and a curious shiver ran through him. "I hope he hasn't sunk in." "He couldn't," said Tom. "I know this part.
"Why, Tom, it's Thorpeley!" cried Dick, as he went down on one knee and peered into the upturned face. "Mr Thorpeley, Mr Thorpeley!" he cried; "what's the matter?" There was no reply. "It must have been him," whispered Dick. "He had lost his way." "Then let him find it again," grumbled Tom, "instead of watching us." "But perhaps there is something the matter. Mr Thorpeley, Mr Thorpeley!"
"I did it to get away from that Thorpeley. What shall we do?" "Pst! Look there! What's that?" "Snake!" "No; it's an adder. Look!" "'Tisn't," said Dick; "it's a snake. Adders aren't so long as that. No, no; don't throw at it. Let's see what it's going to do."
I had forgotten that," said the squire sharply. "And that shows us that our enemies belong to a party somewhere at a distance, and that we should be wasting time in searching here. Hallo! who's this?" The exclamation was caused by the appearance of a dark figure coming towards them from the direction of the Toft. "Why, it's Thorpeley, the constable!" said Dick in a whisper to his companion.
This constable's name was Thorpeley, and he did a great deal of business with a brass box and a short black clay-pipe, in which he smoked short black tobacco.
"I don't know," said Dick one day as he stood with his arms folded, leaning upon Solomon, talking to Tom Tallington and staring at Thorpeley the constable, who was leaning against a post smoking and staring with one eye at the fen, while with the other he watched the group of three in the Toft farm-yard. "Well, I'm sure I don't," said Tom. "He never goes over to the town to buy any."
"It's his nature," said Dick coolly, as he resumed his position and leaned over the donkey's back. "He always was so from a foal! Father's always kind to dumb beasts, and feeds them well, and nurses them when they're ill; but he often gives Solomon a crack. I say, look at old Thorpeley; he's watching you now." "He isn't; he's looking all round. I say, Dick, you can't tell where he is looking.
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