CHAPTER IX
DISAPPOINTMENT
Allan looked at Marjorie with his hands in his pockets.
'It's all right,' said Marjorie hastily; 'I won't tell any one, but Icouldn't help finding it out, for I saw Neil. Anyhow, I know so muchalready that I might as well know the rest. To begin with, it wasNeil's knife that you picked up in the Den; I saw the letters on thehandle.'
Allan watched Marjorie narrowly for a minute, and then he seemed tobecome reassured.
'Listen, Marjorie,' he said; 'mind you don't let out a word of this toany one. It would be an awful thing if Neil were taken now. He cameback a few days ago, in a smuggling vessel, to see his mother. Mrs.Macdonnell is very ill, as you know'--Marjorie nodded, a lump being inher throat--'and she thinks she can't live long. Some one who knewwhere Neil was wrote and told him that she was always saying how muchshe wished she could see him before she died, and he came back at once,although the police may get him at any minute and he knows it. In themeanwhile she is much worse, and he refuses to go away until he seeswhether she is going to recover. Mrs. Macdonnell keeps asking him toclear out, but he always says there is no hurry, and that he will waituntil she is better. It's awfully senseless of him, for he might beseen any day; but Neil always was a bit obstinate once he takes a thinginto his head. He hides most of the day and comes out when there isn'tmuch chance of his meeting any one. But if he were found out he wouldbe taken and sent to prison as sure as fate, so you must tell no one,Marjorie, not a soul. Reggie knows, but none of the others.'
Every particle of colour had left Marjorie's face, but her lips setthemselves firmly.
'You needn't be afraid of me, Allan,' she said. 'We must get himpersuaded to go away at once, for his mother would never get over it ifhe were caught.'
'Can't do anything just now,' said Allan; 'there is no way of gettinghim out of the island while the _Heroic_ is here, and this afternoonthe men were declaring that as soon as they got shore leave they wouldsearch the island for the man who they say is "skulking round." We canonly hope that they won't go very far into the caves, or that the shipwill soon be ordered north. But, Marjorie, don't go about with a facelike that, whatever you do, or you'll show people that something's thematter. Remember that if either the Pater or your father were to findout that Neil is here, it would be their duty to let the police know,and they wouldn't like to have to do that.'
Marjorie drew herself together.
'You needn't be afraid of me, Allan,' she said, as she turned away. 'Ican keep a secret as well as you and Reggie, and you know it.'
On the following morning Allan was hardly surprised to encounterMarjorie upon the little hill which commanded a view of the sea nearArdnavoir. Her pony was beside her, and she had evidently risen withthe dawn and ridden over the moors.
'Any news?' she inquired anxiously.
'Nothing at all,' he replied. 'The _Heroic_ is quite quiet yet, as yousee.'
They looked at the dark hull which was lying motionless upon the water.
'Duncan rode over to the caves last night to tell Neil to keep out ofsight while the _Heroic_ is here,' said Allan. 'The only fear is ifthe men should try exploring with torches. There are openings from thecaves on to the moors, but if the island is swarming with men itwouldn't be much good trying to escape by them.'
'Oh,' cried Marjorie, looking at the _Heroic_, 'if only they would goaway. Couldn't we invent some excuse for getting them out of the waywhile we get Neil into safety.'
'No good, I'm afraid,' said Allan. 'They have their orders from theAdmiralty, and they wouldn't attend to anything else.'
Marjorie looked hopeless.
'I shall have to go home now,' she said; 'there's some one moving aboutin your garden, so it must be nearly breakfast-time. Let me know ifthere's any news.'
'Don't go yet,' said Allan decidedly. 'You must stay and havebreakfast with us. I bet you didn't have anything before you left?'
'I had a crust of bread,' said Marjorie reluctantly. 'Elspeth keepseverything locked up at night, and I couldn't wait.'
'Come along,' said Allan. 'You'll be in the best place for seeing whatthe _Heroic_ is about.'
The argument was irresistible and Marjorie yielded.
'Never mind Cheeky,' said Allan; 'he won't wander far.'
The bridle was taken off the shaggy little pony whom Marjorie had notwaited to saddle, and Marjorie and Allan went down the hill.
Reggie and Harry were already out of doors, Harry addressing himselfwith sparkling eyes to Reggie, who was unusually silent. When Allancame in view together with Marjorie, Reggie studied the pairinquiringly and received a reassuring nod from Allan.
'Seen the _Heroic_?' began Harry; 'I say, if the men get their leaveto-day do you think they will let us come with them?'
'We might show them the interesting places on the island,' said Reggie,with a sidelong glance at Allan.
'Oh, I say, what fun,' exclaimed Harry; 'I'd take them to theSmugglers' Caves and let them explore.'
Reggie looked at Allan again.
'I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Harry,' said Allan. 'You don'tknow much about the caves yourself yet, you know, and they're mostawfully dangerous; great holes full of water where you don't expectthem, and rocks that might fall on the top of you and crush you topieces; and then the smugglers might be lying in ambush round thecorners, you know.'
Tricksy, who had come out to join the others, opened her eyes verywidely at this account of the hidden perils of the caves.
'Look,' cried Reggie, 'they're signalling something from the _Heroic_.'
A string of flags had suddenly floated out from the _Heroic's_ masthead.
'Wait, and I'll fetch a spy-glass,' said Allan, running towards thehouse.
'Something about telling something to Father,' he said, after studyingthe signals for awhile; 'I can't make out the rest.'
They looked at each other with frightened eyes.
'Here, Reggie,' said Allan, handing him the glass, 'you try.'
Reggie looked, then shook his head.
'Can't make anything of it,' he said.
'Perhaps they want us to come on board again,' said Harry. 'You mightgive me the glass for a minute, Reggie.'
'They can't have been exploring already?' suggested Marjorie, in avoice designed only for Allan's and Reggie's ears.
'Don't know,' said Allan. 'If only they hadn't gone and made Father aJ.P.!' he added, with a judiciously suppressed groan.
'They're signalling from the coastguard station, do you see?' criedTricksy.
'Where's Gerald?' said Harry; 'he ought to be here to see this. Lazybeggar, if I don't remember to wake him at four in the morning healways oversleeps.'
He flew into the house, and returned shortly, followed by Gerald, whocame rubbing his eyes and trying to seem grateful to his brother forhaving roused him out of the first good sleep he had enjoyed for weeks.
'There's a coastguard just coming up the drive,' said Reggie.
'Perhaps all the men are going to ask us to a picnic or something,'suggested Harry; while Marjorie, Allan, and Reggie watched themessenger.
Nothing was to be gathered from the demeanour of the coastguard, andafter he had gone down the avenue all the young people crowded into thehall.
'A letter,' said Allan, looking at an envelope lying on the hall table;'Allan Stewart, Esq. that doesn't tell us much, and Father has goneout.'
'Perhaps it's for you,' suggested Tricksy.
'Not it,' said Allan unwillingly; 'they'd never address me as esquire,especially as Father is Allan too. Can't do anything until he comesback.'
'What do you think he can have gone out for?' inquired Marjorie, andthe faces of the others were as anxious as her own.
'Now, young people,' cried Mrs. Stewart's voice, 'come to breakfast;the _Heroic_ will wait while you have some food.'
Marjorie, Allan, and Reggie tore themselves unwillingly away from theletter.
'Mother,' said Allan p
ersuasively, 'there's a letter for Father outthere on the hall table; it's some message from the _Heroic_; don't youthink you might open it and see what they say?'
Mrs. Stewart looked surprised.
'I can't open a letter addressed to your father,' she said. 'Havepatience a little while; he may not be long.'
'But, Mother, perhaps it's something very important,' persisted Allan;'they may be waiting for an answer, you know.'
'I don't think it can be so important as all that,' said Mrs. Stewart.'Take your places, Allan and Reggie, everything is getting cold.'
The young people felt that their patience would give way in anotherminute.
'Come here, Gerald,' said Mrs. Stewart, 'beside Tricksy; and Harry, youcan sit by Marjorie.'
Harry looked unwilling.
'Oh, Mother,' cried Tricksy, 'you are putting him with his back to thewindow!'
Mrs. Stewart looked mystified.
'He wants to see the _Heroic_,' explained Tricksy; 'we are watching tosee when the boats leave.'
Mrs. Stewart gave Harry a seat on the other side of the table, anarrangement which placed Allan where he could not see what was goingon. He and Marjorie and Reggie had to rest satisfied with thediscovery that they were able to communicate by means of kicking oneanother's shins under the table, although this method of intelligencemade them feel if possible more distracted than before.
'Look how the men are running about on board,' said Tricksy. 'Theylook like little black ants! They must be going to launch the boatsnow.'
Harry's bright eyes did not leave the vessel for an instant. Of asudden his jaw dropped and his face became blank.
'What's the matter?' cried every one.
'They're going away,' cried Harry.
Every one sprang from table and looked.
'They can't be going round to the caves,' said Marjorie. 'Oh, dear,how can we stop them. I'll take Cheeky and go and warn him.'
Fortunately this remark passed unnoticed amid the hubbub.
'They aren't going away altogether, are they?' asked Tricksy, her eyesbecoming large with dismay.
Allan made a rush for the door, and ran up against his father, who wascoming in.
'Hard luck,' said Mr. Stewart, holding out the letter; 'the _Heroic_has received unexpected orders, and they have to sail northward withoutdelay. No shore leave, so they take this opportunity of sayinggood-bye.'
'Aw--w--w,' said Harry, Gerald, and Tricksy, while the others haddifficulty in repressing an inclination to cheer.
'When are they coming back again?' asked Gerald.
'Next year, perhaps,' said Mr. Stewart, smiling.
The faces became if possible more blank than before.
'She's out of sight,' said Harry in a dejected tone, going to thewindow.
'Is she?' said Gerald, looking out too; 'why, so she is.'
'If you fellows want to see her,' said Allan, 'why don't you go to thetop of the hill? You'll get a first-class view from there.'
Without a word the boys darted from the room and out at the front door,Harry with his bootlaces untied and flapping about his ankles, andGerald without a hat. In scrambling over the wall Harry became caught,and fell sprawling on the ground, but picked himself up and ran on asif nothing had happened.
'Come, you two,' said Allan, 'now that we've got them safely out of theway we've got to do something.'
Marjorie ran for her bridle and put it on Cheeky, who was croppinggrass by the stream.
'Go on,' shouted Allan; 'don't wait for us, we'll soon catch you up.Let's go and catch Dewdrop and Daisy, Reggie; bicycles are no good forthe moors.'
In a short time Marjorie was overtaken by the two boys, perched uponbridleless, bare-backed ponies.
The wind whistled past as they galloped over the level ground, and theywere almost too breathless to speak as they urged their ponies up theslopes of the hill.
'Oh, gee up, Daisy; gee-up!' cried Allan, 'we have no time to loseto-day!'
'Glad we got away all right,' he panted as they stood breathing theirponies on the summit; 'it would never do to have these two draggingabout and asking questions. We've just got to get Neil out of therebefore anything more happens,' he continued. 'The boat is waitingabout, watching for an opportunity to leave as soon as the _Heroic_goes; and we must make Neil promise to leave with her.'
The sturdy little ponies descended the slopes with the sure-footednessof cats; then sprang pluckily over the moss-hags which covered thegreater part of the peninsula.
Suddenly, without warning, they became entangled in a treacherous pieceof bog, from which they did not struggle into safety until Marjorie'spony had lost a shoe.
'Look out,' cried Allan, as they were about to spring forward oncemore; 'it's here that there are those holes that go down into thecaves, and you don't see them until you've nearly fallen into them.'
Curbing their impatience, they dismounted and walked, leading theponies by the bridle.
'There,' said Marjorie as they neared the cliff, 'the tide's rising,and they're shaking out the sails on the smugglers' vessel.'
'Shall we all go down?' asked Reggie.
'No,' said Allan, 'the fewer the better. You stay here with theponies, and I'll go down with Marjorie.'
'Me?' said Marjorie, surprised.
'Yes, you. You've got to speak to him and get him to leave. Comealong.'
They lowered themselves over the edge of the cliff, and clambered tothe beach.
Two faces scowled at them over the bulwarks of the boat, and thecaptain waiting on the shore, a man of foreign appearance, with ashaggy black beard and a sou'-wester, glanced disapprovingly atMarjorie.
Somewhat alarmed, she turned and discovered Duncan standing beside her.
The butler was more disturbed at the encounter than seemed to Marjorieat all necessary, and her astonishment was completed when Rob MacLeanand the lighthouse-keeper appeared, rolling a heavy barrel between them.
'Here, lend a hand,' they cried to Duncan; then they stopped short onobserving Allan and Marjorie.
'Why, they are _all_ smugglers!' Marjorie was on the point ofexclaiming; but Allan seized her arm and gripped it warningly.
'We've come to see Neil, and to try to make him go with you,' he said,addressing himself to the men in a body.
Immediately the faces became less grim.
'That iss ahl right, Mr. Allan,' said Rob MacLean; 'you will pe findinghim in a cave right opposite. Speak to him, Miss Marjorie; he issferry foolish and he will not pe wanting to come.'
Marjorie was still looking in a surprised way at Duncan, whom shehardly seemed to recognise in his new character of a smuggler; butAllan renewed his pressure upon her arm.
'Tell him he must go, Mr. Allan and Miss Marjorie,' said Duncan, 'andhe must not be long, ta captain cannot be waiting or he will miss thetide. He iss a ferry impatient man iss ta captain, whateffer.'
All right,' said Allan; 'we'll talk to him. You go in first, Marjorie.'
A short way from the entrance Marjorie came upon Neil; but what achange in her old playmate! Pale, and looking still paler in the dimlight; with worn and soiled clothing, and his former bright, pleasantexpression changed into sullen despair.
Marjorie's heart sank.
'Neil,' she began, 'we've come to see you, Allan and I.'
'Indeed, Miss Marjorie, it is ferry good of you,' said the lad, risingand looking down upon her with a grateful expression, 'but wass it notferry unwise of you to come? That sea-captain iss a rough characterand he might----'
'Never mind us, Neil,' said Marjorie, 'we're all right. We only wantedto say that we are your friends, whatever happens, and we hope thatthings will come right for you. And now, Neil, you will go away for alittle while, will you not? Don't stay here while you are in suchdanger of being found.'
Neil looked down upon her, and his face darkened again.
'I cannot be leaving Inchkerra just now, Miss Marjorie,' he said.
'Oh, Neil, do go away. Think wha
t it would be to your mother if youwere found--think what it would be to _all_ of us, Neil----'
'Schooner's beginning to weigh anchor,' cried a gruff voice outside.
'Come, Neil, don't waste time,' said Marjorie.
Neil seated himself determinedly upon a fragment of rock.
'I will not be leaving the island just now, Miss Marjorie,' he said.
Marjorie looked at him, and noted the dulness of his eyes and theobstinate lines round his mouth.
'Neil, do, do go,' she said, clutching him by the arm. 'Come with me,Neil, and don't be foolish.'
'Are you ready, Neil?' said Allan, appearing inside the cave; 'theschooner can't wait much longer.'
Marjorie turned round in despair.
'Oh, this will never do,' said Allan. 'Come along, Neil, there's agood fellow, and don't keep them waiting.'
Neil remained firm and Marjorie felt that it was hopeless.
'Are you not for coming, Neil?' said Duncan, standing in the mouth ofthe cave; 'ta captain says he iss in a hurry to be gone.'
'Come, Neil,' said Rob MacLean persuasively, 'it will not pe mekingMistress Macdonnell any better, puir soul, for you to be waiting herewith ta police, silly bodies, at your heels.'
Neil came forward, Marjorie and Allan following him anxiously.
'I will not pe going,' he said briefly.
'Of all ta fulish gomerals!' burst out Duncan, and clenched his fistsand stormed in Gaelic to the lad, who remained unmoved.
'That will be a ferry foolish thing, Neil; gang wi ta captain,' saidBob soothingly.
'Go on board, Neil; it isn't too late yet,' implored Allan.
'Tide's on the turn,' shouted the gruff voice of the captain. 'Come ifyou're coming, and if not, don't keep honest folks waiting.'
Neil leaned against the cliff and looked stubbornly into vacancy. Fromhis attitude it was plain that he was inflexible.
'Yo-ho!' sang out the sailors; 'heave-ho!' and the sails of the littlevessel slowly filled as her bows swung round to the sea.
Marjorie made a bolt towards the cliff, and began to climb.
On the top she turned and looked at Allan, whose face was as white asher own.
'Can't be helped,' he said in a hard voice. 'Some ass went and toldhim that Mrs. Macdonnell was worse.'
'Hullo,' called out Reggie as they came within hearing, 'is he gone?'
'Gone!' echoed the others, and Marjorie sank down on the heather andgasped.
When she looked up the boys were sitting beside her.
'Well?' began Reggie sympathetically.
'He wouldn't go,' said Allan; 'we did all we could. Duncan and Rob arestill storming at him down there.'
There was nothing to be said, and they all sat and reflected.
'The worst of it is,' said Marjorie in a trembling tearless voice,'that in spite of our Compact and everything else, we haven't been ableto do him a bit of good!'
The others assented by their silence.
'And I don't believe we ever shall,' continued Marjorie, 'we don't seemto have set about it the right way, somehow.'
The boys looked so downcast that Marjorie judged it inadvisable topursue the subject further and they mounted their ponies and rodeslowly in the direction of Ardnavoir.
Half-way down the hill they discovered Tricksy sitting on a clump ofheather, with Hamish beside her and Laddie curled at her feet.
'You are nice, kind people,' said Tricksy reproachfully, 'going awaylike that and leaving me all alone!'
'Why, Tricksy,' began Marjorie, 'why didn't you go with the others?'
'Go with the others!' echoed Tricksy, 'do you think I could run up thehill as they did? If it hadn't been for Hamish I shouldn't have seenanything. Then leaving me all alone too.'
'But, Tricksy, where are Harry and Gerald?'
'I don't know, I'm sure. Gone off somewhere by themselves, and I cameto meet you with Hamish. I think you might have let me come with you.'
'Don't be a little silly, Tricksy,' said Reggie irritably; 'you are toolittle to go all that distance.'
'Too little!' cried Tricksy, exasperated; 'I'm not too little to besent messages for the others, and I'm not too little to dig in thegarden and carry stones for the Pirates' Den; I'm only too little whenit's a jolly piece of fun that you want to keep to yourselves. Oh,Laddie, dear,' to the dog who had jumped up and was licking her face,'you are the only nice ones, you and Hamish'--and she threw her armsround the collie's neck to hide a tear. 'Don't lick my face though,'she added, with a change of manner that forced a laugh even from thetired and weary adventurers.
'You haven't shown them what you found, Tricksy,' said Hamish.
'No,' said Tricksy, 'neither I have,' and she fumbled in her pocket anddrew out a crumpled paper which she gave to Allan.
Her brother looked at it.
'What's this?' he said. 'I don't understand.'
'Look at the number, Allan, and the date,' said Hamish.
Allan examined the paper; then flushed to the ears.
'Tricksy, you little owl,' he burst out; 'to think of you going onabout your potty little feelings and wounded dignity and all that whenyou had _this_ to show us.'