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Updated: June 11, 2025
Bob and Bigley were to come over; but I felt that it would be twelve o'clock before Bob came, and that I should meet Bigley; so no harm would be done in the way of breaking faith in the appointment. We walked sharply across the hill and descended into the Gap, but before we had gone far we met old Jonas Uggleston. "Morning!" he said pleasantly. "Morning, squire!" to me. "Seen my Bigley yet?"
Now there was very little done during the rest of our holidays; all I remember was, that instead of old Jonas Uggleston being very disagreeable, and making himself my father's enemy, he grew very civil and pleasant, and nodded to my father when they met, and called him "Captain."
We had no more visits from the French, not even from Captain Gualtiere, and we saw no more of old Jonas Uggleston. He had settled in Dunquerque, he told his son in his letters, and these always contained the advice that he was on no account to leave the service of Captain Duncan, but to do his duty by him as an honest man.
"And he wanted to keep them in his charge unsigned, with the chance of making more of the estate to somebody else if that somebody else turned up." "Jonas Uggleston to wit?" said my father. "Exactly. Duncan, old fellow, you see that you were just in time." "That's what I felt, Chowne; but there the deeds are safe and sound; the Gap is thoroughly mine my freehold."
Now, though I am, as I may say, still in the king's service, and I feel it my duty to go and inform the officers of what I have seen, on the other hand there is a horrible feeling of self-interest keeps tugging at me, and saying, `mind your own business. You are bad friends enough with Jonas Uggleston as it is, so let matters rest for your own sake and for your son's." "Oh, father!" I exclaimed.
"But they haven't taken the boat," cried Bob, "so it don't matter." "Yes, it does," said Bigley gravely, "because I shouldn't like to take the boat without leave." "Why, of course you wouldn't if your father was at home," said Bob quickly; "but I'm quite sure Mr Uggleston wouldn't like us two to be disappointed when we'd come on purpose to go." "Oh, I don't think he'd mind," said Bigley.
I was for hanging back, and so was Bob, who was jealous of the extra notice taken of me; but old Jonas Uggleston took hold of us both by the shoulders and marched us before him as if we were prisoners, and regularly pushed us in at the low door and into the low rustic-looking room, with its floor formed of big rough slabs of slate, and its whitewashed walls hung with all kinds of fishing gear and odds and ends, that looked very much as if they had come from different wrecks, so out of keeping were they with the plain, homely room, smelling strangely of sea-weed with a dash of fish.
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.
"Yes, father," I said sadly. "Then you must understand that, though Jonas Uggleston is my tenant here, he is not a very satisfactory one, for there can be no doubt that he carries on rather a risky trade; but, so long as the authorities do not interfere with him, and he behaves himself, I am not going to take upon myself the task of being his judge." "No, father."
I meant smuggler Uggleston. He's got away, and it don't matter; we're bound to have a lot o' prize-money out of the cargo we're going to seize." "Are you going to seize it this morning?" I asked. "Yes, my lad; and here comes the skipper back along o' the old cappen."
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