Here, Bigley."
He caught his son"s arm and they went up to the cottage together at a trot, and in less than a quarter of an hour they were back again, and old Jonas clapped me on the shoulder.
"Look here, Duncan," he said, "I always liked you, my boy, because you and Bigley were such mates."
"Are you going to take Big away, sir?" I said.
"No, boy, but I"m going to ask you to be a true mate to him still. He"s going to stay with Mother Bonnet."
"I will, sir," I said.
"That you will, my lad," he cried, shaking hands. "Now, Bigley, no snivelling--be a man! Good-bye! I"ll write."
He shook hands with his son, seized a bag they had brought down between them, and the next minute he was on board the boat and they disappeared into the darkness.
"How came he back again, Big?" 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. "I"ve done nothing to offend him. But it don"t matter. Never mind."
There seemed to be nothing to wait for, but we hung about the beach till daylight, and then went in and had some breakfast, which Mother Bonnet, who was red-eyed with weeping, had ready for us, and then we went down to the beach again.
By this time the mine people were out once more, and they came and had a look, but there was nothing to see, and no one told the st.u.r.dy fellows or their families that Jonas Uggleston had been back. As for me, I only meant to tell my father when he returned.
So the mining people went to work, and we lads stood gazing out to sea, till suddenly Bob Chowne shouted:
"I can see the cutter."
He was quite right, for it proved to be the cutter, but there was no prize coming slowly behind; and when at last she came close in, the boat was lowered, and we saw my father step in and come ash.o.r.e with the lieutenant, we were ready to meet them.
I wanted to speak to my father about what had happened in the night, but I had no opportunity, and it seemed that he had only been brought ash.o.r.e so that he could go up to the mine, give some orders, and then return, when he was to show the lieutenant where the cave lay to which the smugglers had taken their cargo of contraband goods.
The lieutenant walked up to the mine works with my father, and as he evidently wished me to stop, I remained by the cutter"s boat with my companions, and, boy-like, we began to joke the sailors for not catching the lugger.
They took it very good-temperedly, and laughed and said no one had been much hurt.
"He was too sharp for us," the c.o.xswain said grinning; "and--my! How he did do the skipper over getting away. He"s a cunning old fox, and no mistake."
"How did you lose the lugger?" I said.
"Oh, it was too dark to do any more, and she went right in among the rocks about Stinchcombe, where we were obliged to lie to and wait for daylight. He"s a fine sailor, I will say that of him."
"What, your lieutenant?" I said.
"Oh, he"s right enough. 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."
They were close upon us already, and we boys looked eagerly at the lieutenant, longing to go with them, but not being invited of course.
It was too much for Bob Chowne though, who spoke out.
"I say, officer," he cried, "we three saw the cargo landed night before last."
"You three boys?"
"Yes," said Bob, "we were all there."
"Jump in then, all of you," said the lieutenant.
We wanted no further asking, and the men pushed off and rowed straight for the little bay, where in due time we arrived in face of the caves.
"And a good snug place too," said the lieutenant. "Good sandy bottom for running the lugger ash.o.r.e. Nice game must have been carried on here. Come, Captain Duncan," he continued in a jocular tone, "you knew of this place years ago."
"I give you my word of honour, sir," replied my father coldly, "that I was quite unaware of even the existence of the caverns till a few days ago; and even then I did not know that they were applied to this purpose."
"Humph! And you so near!"
"You forget, sir, that my house is two miles and a half along the coast, and I have only lately purchased the Gap."
My father was evidently very much annoyed, but as a brother officer he felt himself bound in duty to put up with his visitor"s impertinences, and accordingly he said very little that was resentful.
The men rowed on steadily, and as my father grew more reserved in his answers the officer turned to Bob Chowne.
"So you were there when the cargo was landed, were you?" he said.
"Yes," replied Bob coolly.
"Yes, _sir_," said the lieutenant sharply, "recollect that you are addressing an officer."
"Doctors don"t say _sir_ to everybody they meet," retorted Bob quickly.
"Doctors?"
"Well, my father"s a doctor, and I"m going to be one, so it"s all the same. I can make pills."
The lieutenant frowned and looked terribly fierce; but his men had burst into a hearty laugh at the idea of Bob making pills, so he turned it off with a contemptuous "Pooh!"
"Well," he said, "how came you to be there when the cargo was landed?"
"Thought you knew," said Bob; "we were shut in by the tide. Our boat had drifted away."