"Just about as likely as that dogfish he threw at you. Come and look!"
Aleck led the way up the steps, followed by the young officer, and then as they crossed the pier they came in sight directly of the boy, swimming easily, side stroke, for a group of rocks which formed the starting-point of the pier curve, and beyond which were several places where the boy could land.
"He"ll be ash.o.r.e before we could get near him," said Aleck.
"What! Shall I have to let him go?" cried the middy.
"Of course! He got a tremendous crack on the legs from Tom Bodger"s stick--he was nearly frightened to death; and he has had a thorough ducking. Isn"t that enough?"
"Well, it will have to be," said the middy, in a disappointed tone. "I meant him to be treed up and flogged."
Aleck looked at him in rather an amused fashion.
"Well, what are you staring at?" said the middy, importantly.
"I was only wondering whether you would be able to order the boy to be flogged."
"Well--er--that is," said the midshipman, flushing a little; "I--er-- said I should give him--er--report it to the captain, who would give the orders on my statement. It"s the same thing, you know, as if I gave the flogging. "I"ll give a man a flogging" doesn"t, of course, mean that I, as an officer, should give it with my own hands. See?"
"Yes, I see," said Aleck, quietly.
"Sit fast there," cried the middy to his men, as he began to descend the steps. "Let the young scoundrel go."
Just then Aleck glanced round and saw that the officer who had gone ash.o.r.e was returning, followed by the man who had accompanied him, and he turned to Bodger, who stood waiting for orders, before descending again to the boat.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
"I say, Tom," said Aleck, "that was cleverly aimed, but you had better mind or you"ll be breaking one of the boys" legs."
"Well-aimed, sir? Oh, that was nothing tickler. An easy shot that, sir. No fear o" my breaking no legs. I can tell exactly how much powder to fire with. I give it "em just strong enough to hurt; that"s all."
Just then the officer came back, spoke to the young middy, and went off again with the six men who had been unsuccessful in their chase of the red-capped boy, while Aleck and his companion exchanged glances.
"There, Tom, take away the boat," said Aleck; "I must go and get my uncle"s paper."
"Your uncle"s paper, sir?"
"Yes, I"ve run over to get some for him."
"Why, you got some on"y t"other week, sir. Did he have an axdent and burn it?"
"No," said Aleck, laughing. "It"s all used up for writing."
"Wond"ful--wond"ful!" muttered the man. "Here"s me can"t write a word, and him allus going at it. Well, I suppose he was born that way. I"ll take care o" your boat all the same, sir."
"What do you mean with your all the same?" asked Aleck, looking puzzled at the man"s words.
"All the same, sir, though I can"t write a word."
Aleck went off, being saluted by a nod from the middy, who lay back in the stern-sheets of the cutter. It was a nod that might have meant anything--condescension, friendliness, or a hint to keep his distance; but it did not trouble the lad, who trudged along the pier to fulfil his mission, and was soon after in the rugged, ill-paved main street, where he in sight of the naval group from the sloop, evidently busy buying and loading up with fresh provisions from the little shops.
He pa.s.sed on, and was nearing the place where, in company with toys, grocery, and sweetmeats, the shopkeeper kept up a small supply of paper, for which the captain was his main customer, when a dark-bearded fisherman-like man suddenly turned out of a public-house, caught him by the arm, and hurried him sharply down a narrow alley which ran by the side of the little inn.
The man"s sudden action, coupled with the fact that he was the last person in the county he would have expected to see, took away the lad"s breath for a moment or two while he gazed up in the fierce searching eyes that seemed to be reading his thoughts.
"You, Eben?" he said at last.
"Me it is, youngster. What game do you call this?"
"I don"t call it a game at all. What are you doing here?"
"Never you mind what I"m a-doing here. P"raps I"m watching you. I want to know what your game is."
"I"m playing at no game," cried the boy, speaking rather indignantly.
"Let go of my arm."
"When you"ve told me what you"re a-doing of with them sailor chaps."
"I? I"m doing nothing with them. I"ve come over in my own boat. I"m not along with them."
"I know. I"ve had my eye on yer, my lad. But let"s have the truth.
You come over to meet these chaps from the boats lying off there."
"Not I. If you must know, I"ve come over to fetch some paper for my uncle."
"And what else, my lad?"
"Nothing else," cried Aleck; "but I don"t know what right you have to question me."
"You soon will, my lad. You say you"re not with these folk. Why, I saw you talking for ever so long to the chaps in the boat that come ash.o.r.e to lie there by the harbour wall, and afore it had been there long you come into port and run your boat close alongside."
"Of course I did, to get up to the steps and land. Look here; what are you thinking about?"
"Well," said the man, fiercely, "if you want to know over again what you knew before, I"m just going to tell you, so as to let you see that I"m not such a fool as you take me for, and also to let you know that I can see right through you, clever as you think yourself."
"Go on," said Aleck. "Let"s have it all then."
"Well, here you are, my lad. I s"pose you know that"s a man-o"-war sloop?"
"Yes, I know that, Eben."
"Yes, I s"pose so, my lad, and you know what she"s hanging about this coast for?"
"I don"t for certain," replied Aleck, "but I shouldn"t be a bit surprised if the captain wanted to press a few likely lads, if he could get hold of them."
"Oh, you wouldn"t, wouldn"t you? I s"pose not," said the man, in a sneering tone.