Here and there, a hand or a ghastly face appearing above the mud showed how many must be hidden altogether, and Ransome hurried home to get more a.s.sistance to disinter the dead.
Just before the suburb of Allerton the ground is a dead flat, and here the flying lake had covered a s.p.a.ce a mile broad, doing frightful damage to property but not much to life, because wherever it expanded it shallowed in proportion.
In part of this flat a gentleman had a beautiful garden and pleasure-grounds overnight: they were now under water, and their appearance was incredible; the flood expanding here and then contracting, had grounded large objects and left small ones floating. In one part of the garden it had landed a large wheat-rick, which now stood as if it belonged there, though it had been built five miles off.
In another part was an inverted summer-house and a huge water-wheel, both of them great travelers that night.
In the large fish-pond, now much fuller than usual, floated a wheel-barrow, a hair mattress, an old wooden cradle, and an enormous box or chest.
Little went splashing through the water to examine the cradle: he was richly rewarded. He found a little child in it awake but perfectly happy, and enjoying the fluttering birds above and the buoyant bed below, whose treacherous nature was unknown to him. This incident the genius of my friend Mr. Millais is about to render immortal.
Little"s shout of delight brought Ransome splashing over directly. They took up the cradle and contents to carry it home, when all of a sudden Ransome"s eye detected a finger protruding through a hole in the box.
"Hallo!" said he. "Why, there"s a body inside that box."
"Good heavens!" said Little, "he may be alive."
With that he made a rush and went in over head and ears.
"Confound it" said he as soon as he got his breath. But, being in for it now, he swam to the box, and getting behind it, shoved it before him to Ransome"s feet.
Ransome tried to open it, but it shut with a spring. However, there were air-holes, and still this finger sticking out of one--for a signal no doubt.
"Are ye alive or dead?" shouted Ransome to the box. "Let me out and you"ll see," replied the box; and the sound seemed to issue from the bowels of the earth.
Little had his hatchet in his pocket and set to work to try and open it. The occupant a.s.sisted him with advice how to proceed, all of which sounded subterraneous.
"Hold your jaw!" said Little. "Do you think you can teach me?"
By a considerable exertion of strength as well as skill, he at last got the box open, and discovered the occupant seated pale and chattering, with knees tucked up.
The two men lent him a hand to help him up; Ransome gave a slight start, and then expressed the warmest satisfaction.
"Thank Heaven!" said he. "Shake hands, old fellow. I"m downright glad.
I"ve been groaning over you: but I might have known you"d find some way to slip out of trouble. Mr. Little, this is Shifty himself. Please put your arm under his; he is as strong as iron, and as slippery as an eel."
The Shifty, hearing this account given of himself, instantly collapsed, and made himself weak as water, and tottered from one of his guards to the other in turn.
"I was all that once, Mr. Ransome," said he, in a voice that became suddenly as feeble as his body, "but this fearful night has changed me.
Miraculously preserved from destruction, I have renounced my errors, and vowed to lead a new life. Conduct me at once to a clergyman, that I may confess and repent, and disown my past life with horror; then swear me in a special constable, and let me have the honor of acting under your orders, and of co-operating with you, sir" (to Little), "in your Christian and charitable acts. Let me go about with you, gentlemen, and relieve the sufferings of others, as you have relieved mine."
"There," said Ransome, proudly; "there"s a man for you. He knows every move of the game--can patter like an archbishop." So saying, he handcuffed the Shifty with such enthusiasm that the convert swore a horrible oath at him.
Ransome apologized, and beckoning a constable, handed him the Shifty.
"Take him to the Town Hall, and give him every comfort. He is Number One."
This man"s escape was not so strange as it appeared. The flood never bombarded his house--he was only on the hem of it. It rose and filled his house, whereupon he bored three holes in his great chest, and got in. He washed about the room till the abating flood contracted, and then it sucked him and his box out of the window. He got frightened, and let the lid down, and so drifted about till at last he floated into the hands of justice.
Little and Ransome carried the child away, and it was conveyed to the hospital and a healthy nurse a.s.signed it.
Ransome prevailed on Little to go home, change his wet clothes and lie down for an hour or two. He consented, but first gave Ransome an order to lay out a thousand pounds, at his expense, in relief of the sufferers.
Then he went home, sent a message to Raby Hall, that he was all right, took off his clothes, rolled exhausted into bed, and slept till the afternoon.
At four o"clock he rose, got into a hansom, and drove up to Woodbine Villa, the happiest man in England.
He inquired for Miss Carden. The man said he believed she was not up, but would inquire.
"Do," said Little. "Tell her who it is. I"ll wait in the dining-room."
He walked into the dining-room before the man could object, and there he found a sick gentleman, with Dr. Amboyne and a surgeon examining him.
The patient lay on a sofa, extremely pale, and groaning with pain.
One glance sufficed. It was Frederick Coventry.
CHAPTER XLVII.
"What! you alive?" said Little, staring.
"Alive, and that is all," said Coventry. "Pray excuse me for not dying to please you."
Ere Little could reply, Mr. Carden, who had heard of his arrival, looked in from the library, and beckoned him in.
When they were alone, he began by giving the young man his hand, and then thanked him warmly for his daughter. "You have shown yourself a hero in courage. Now go one step further; be a hero in fort.i.tude and self-denial; that unhappy man in the next room is her husband; like you, he risked his life to save her. He tells me he heard the dam was going to burst, and came instantly with a ladder to rescue her. He was less fortunate than you, and failed to rescue her; less fortunate than you again, he has received a mortal injury in that attempt. It was I who found him; I went down distracted with anxiety, to look for my daughter; I found this poor creature jammed tight between the tree he was upon and a quant.i.ty of heavy timber that had acc.u.mulated and rested against a bank. We released him with great difficulty. It was a long time before he could speak; and then, his first inquiry was after HER. Show some pity for an erring man, Mr. Little; some consideration for my daughter"s reputation. Let him die in peace: his spine is broken; he can"t live many days."
Little heard all this and looked down on the ground for some time in silence. At last he said firmly, "Mr. Carden, I would not be inhuman to a dying man; but you were always his friend, and never mine. Let me see HER, and I"ll tell her what you say, and take her advice."
"You shall see her, of course; but not just now. She is in bed, attended by a Sister of Charity, whom she telegraphed for."
"Can I see that lady?"
"Certainly."
Sister Gratiosa was sent for, and, in reply to Little"s anxious inquiries, told him that Sister Amata had been very much shaken by the terrible events of the night, and absolute repose was necessary to her.
In further conversation she told him she was aware of Sister Amata"s unhappy story, and had approved her retirement from Hillsborough, under all the circ.u.mstances; but that now, after much prayer to G.o.d for enlightenment, she could not but think it was the Sister"s duty, as a Christian woman, to stay at home and nurse the afflicted man whose name she bore, and above all devote herself to his spiritual welfare.
"Oh, that is your notion, is it?" said Henry. "Then you are no friend of mine."
"I am no enemy of yours, nor of any man, I hope. May I ask you one question, without offense?"
"Certainly."
"Have you prayed to G.o.d to guide you in this difficulty?"