Pannell told me afterwards that he had to carry me all along the narrow stone ledge to the window of his smithy, and thrust me through there before climbing in after me, for it was impossible to get into the yard the other way without a boat.
I must have fainted, I suppose, for when I opened my eyes again, though it was in darkness, the icy water was not round me, but I was lying on the warm ashes down in one of the stoke-holes; and the faint glow of the half-extinct fire was shining upon the shiny brown forehead of the big smith.
"Pannell!" I exclaimed, "where am I?"
"Get out!" he growled. "Just as if yow didn" know."
"Did you save me?"
""Sh, will yo"!" he whispered. "How do we know who"s a-watching an"
listening? Yow want to get me k.n.o.b-sticked, that"s what yow want."
"No, no," I said, shivering.
"Yow know where we are, o" course. Down in the big stokul; but be quiet. Don"t shout."
"How did you know I was in there?"
"What, in yonder?"
"Yes, of course; oh how my arms ache and throb!"
"Let me give "em a roob, my lad," he said; and strongly, but not unkindly, he rubbed and seemed to knead my arms, especially the muscles above my elbows, talking softly in a gruff murmur all the while.
"I did give you a wink, lad," he said, "for I know"d that some"at was on the way. I didn" know what, nor that it was so bad as that theer. Lor"
how can chaps do it! Yow might hev been drowned."
"Yes," I said with a shiver. "The cowards!"
"Eh! Don"t speak aloud, lad. How did you get in? Some un push thee?"
"Push me! No; the platform was broken loose, and a trap set for me, baited with a wheel-band," I added angrily.
Pannell burst into a laugh, and then checked himself.
"I weer not laughing at yow, lad," he whispered, "but at owd Gentles.
So yow got in trap too?"
"Trapped! Yes; the cowardly wretches!"
"Ay, "twere cowardly. Lucky I came. Couldn"t feel bottom, eh?"
"No."
"Nay, yow wouldn"t; there"s seven foot o" watter there, wi"out mood."
"How did you know I was there?"
"What! Didn" I tell ye?"
"No."
"I were hanging about like, as nigh as I could for chaps, a waitin" to see yow go home; but yow didn"t coom, and yow didn"t coom; and I got crooked like wi" waiting, and wondering whether yow"d gone another way, when all at once oop comes the bull-p.o.o.p fierce like, and lays holt o"
me by the leg, and shakes it hard. I was going to kick un, but he"d on"y got holt of my trowsis, and he kep on" shacking. Then he lets go and barks and looks at me, and takes holt o" my trowsis agin, and hangs away, pulling like, till I seemed to see as he wanted me to coom, and I followed him."
"Good old Piter!" I said; and there was a whine. I did not know it, but Piter was curled up on the warm ashes close by me, and as soon as he heard his name he put up his head, whined, and rapped the ashes with his stumpy tail.
"He went to the wucks fast as he could, and slipped in under the gate; but I couldn"t do that, you see, Mester, and the gate was locked, so I was just thinking what I"d best do, and wondering where you might be, when I see Stivens come along, looking as if he"d like to howd my nose down again his grindstone, and that made me feel as if I"d like to get one of his ears in my tongs, and his head on my st.i.thy. He looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I come away and waited till he"d gone."
"It seemed as if help would never come," I said.
"Ay, it weer long time," said Pannell; "but I found no one about at last, and I slipped over the wall."
"Yes, and I know where," I said.
"And there was Piter waiting and wanting me to follow him. But there was no getting in--the doors were locked. I seemed to know, though, that the dog wanted to get me to the wheel-pit, and when I tried to think how to get to you I found there was no way "cept through my forge.
So I got out o" my window, and put the dorg down, and--well, I came.
Arn"t much of a fire here, but if I blow it up Stivens or some on "em will hear it, or see it, or something; and I s"pose I shall have it for to-night"s work."
I did feel warmer and better able to move, and at last I rose to make the best of my way back.
"n.o.body will notice my wet things," I said, "now it"s dark. I don"t know what to say to thank you, Pannell."
"Say I was a big boompkin for meddling ower what didn"t consarn me. If I don"t come to wuck to-morrow you"ll know why."
"No; I shall not," I cried wonderingly.
"Ah, then, you"ll have time to find out," he muttered. "Good-night, lad!"
"Stop a moment and I"ll open the gate," I cried.
"Nay, I shall go out as I come in. Mayn"t be seen then. Mebbe the lads"ll be watching by the gate."
He stalked out, and as I followed him I saw his tall gaunt figure going to the corner of the yard where the trap was set, and then there was a scuffling noise, and he had gone.
I left the place soon after, and as I fastened the gate I fancied I saw Stevens and a man who limped in his walk; but I could not be sure, for the gas lamp cast but a very feeble light, and I was too eager to get home and change my things to stop and watch.
The run did me good, and by the time I had on a dry suit I was very little the worse for my immersion, being able to smile as I told my uncles at their return.
They looked serious enough, though, and Uncle Jack said it was all owing to the trap.
The question of putting the matter in the hands of the police was again well debated, but not carried out--my uncles concluding that it would do no good even if the right man were caught, for in punishing him we should only have the rest who were banded together more bitter against us.
"Better carry on the war alone," said Uncle d.i.c.k; "we must win in the end."
"If we are not first worn-out," said the others.
"Which we shall not be," cried Uncle d.i.c.k, laughing. "There are three of us to wear out, and as one gets tired it will enrage the others; while when all three of us are worn-out we can depute Cob to carry on the war, and he is as obstinate as all three of us put together."