sir?"
"No! Yes," cried Fred, changing his tone from one full of despondencyto the very reverse. "He has been here, Samson. The food is all gone."
"Don't shout, sir. We may be heard. But that don't prove nothing.Rabbits and rats and field mice and all sorts of things may have beenand eaten it. Cake and chicken! What waste! I might as well haveeaten it myself," he muttered. Then, once more aloud, "We may as welldrink what's in the bottle, sir."
"But it's gone, Samson," cried Fred, from the end of the tunnel.
"Gone, sir? The rabbits couldn't have--"
"And your jerkin is gone, too."
"Hooray! Then the poor old--"
Samson checked his jubilant speech before it was half ended, andcontinued, in a grumbling tone--
"That's just like Nat I told you how awk'ard he could be."
Fred came struggling back out of the verdant tunnel, and rose to hisfeet. Then, looking round, he said--
"We must try and follow his track, Samson. Which way is he likely tomove--"
He, too, stopped short, staring wildly before him; and then he caughtSamson's arm, unable to speak, so sudden was the hope which had flashedin upon his brain.
"See him, sir?" whispered Samson, as he stood gazing in a startledfashion in the same direction. "Oh, Master Fred, sir," he burst out,"don't, don't say the poor lad's dead. Nat, Nat, old chap, not withoutone good-bye grip of the hand."
"No, no, no," gasped Fred, half dragging his companion back.
"Not dead, sir?" panted Samson.
"No, no, no!"
"And you couldn't see him, sir?"
"No."
"Then what do you mean by serving a fellow like that?" muttered Samsonto himself. "I didn't think I could make such a fool of myself--aboutan enemy, too."
"Samson," whispered Fred, excitedly, "can I trust you?"
"No, sir. 'Tarn't likely," growled the man, morosely. "I'm sartain togo and tell tales everywhere, and blab it all out, whatever it is."
"No, no; I don't believe you, lad. You always were true as steel,Samson."
"Master Fred, lad, I'd die for you!" half sobbed Samson, with his faceworking; and he clung now to the hand extended to him. "But do, dospeak, sir. Poor Nat aren't dead?"
"No, no! How could I have been such an idiot!"
"Such a what, sir? Here, who says so?" cried Samson, truculently.
"I can't think how it was I never thought of it before."
"Here, sir, 'pon my head, I don't know which hole you're coming out of.What do you mean?"
"They're alive, Samson; they're alive!"
"_He's_ alive, sir--_he's_ alive, you mean."
"No; I mean they must be alive."
"But there never was but one Nat, sir; and that was quite enough."
"You don't understand me, man."
"No, sir, and nobody else could, talking like that."
"No, of course not. That's why I said could I trust you. Scar and SirGodfrey and Nat must be all safe."
"Do you know what you are talking about, sir, or are you a bit off yourhead?"
"I'm as clear-headed as you are, man. Look there!"
"Yes, sir, I'm a-looking, and there's a heap o' sere 'ood with a bit ofa hole in it."
"Yes; some one has been through there."
"What, do you think he has made himself another hole?"
"Yes, Samson."
Fred gave a quick, excited look round, but they were alone in the patchof forest.
"Yes, sir, I'm a-listening."
"There's a secret passage leads from there right up to the Hall."
"Secret grandmother, sir!"
"There is, I tell you," cried Fred, with his voice trembling fromexcitement. "Scar and I found it one day, and traced it right to theedge of the lake."
"Not gammoning me, are you, sir?"
"No, no, Samson."
"You didn't dream all this?"
"No, I tell you. We found it by accident, and when we were looking forthe end we found that hole where that fallen tree had broken a way intothe passage. We piled up all those branches to hide the place."
"Well, you stun me, Master Fred. And you think our Nat heard 'em there,and has gone to jine 'em?"
"He found them, or they found him. Hist!"
Fred crept close to the heap of dead wood, a portion of which,sufficient for a man to creep through, had been removed, and pressing asfar in as he could, he made a trumpet of his hands and cried softly--
"Any one there?"
Samson had followed close to him, and he listened to his master's voiceas it seemed to go in a hollow whisper echoing along under the earth.
"Well, it do stun me," he said, taking off his morion for a freshscratch.
"Is any one there?" cried Fred again, as loudly as he dared; and therewas no response. "Scar! Nat! Sir Godfrey!" he cried again; and afterpausing to listen each time for a reply which did not come, he turned atlast to encounter Samson's dubious face.
"Hope you're right, sir!" he said.
"Yes, man, certain. You see? You can hear?"
"Yes, sir, I can hear; and I suppose there's a sort of drain there."
"Drain, man? I tell you it's a secret passage."
"Maybe, sir; but that don't prove they are hiding in it."
"But they must be," cried Fred, excitedly. "Scar knew of it. They werecut off by the fire. They took refuge there, and I am sure they arehiding now; and, thank Heaven, safe."
"Well, sir, they're all mortal enemies, but I'm so glad to hear it thatI say _Amen_ with all my heart; but is it true?"
"Oh, yes, I am sure; it's true enough!" cried Fred, with his eyes fullof the joy he felt. "Samson, I don't know how to contain myself--how tobe thankful enough! Poor old Scar! I should never have felt happyagain."
Samson's iron pot-like cap was tilted off again, and he scratched hishead on the other side as he looked at Fred with a quaint smile upon hiscountenance.
"Well, sir, all this here puzzles me. It do--it do really. These hereare our enemies, and we've been taught to smite 'em hip and thigh; andbecause we find they're living, instead of dead, here's you ready tojump out of your skin, and me feeling as if I could shake hands with oldNat. Of course I wouldn't; you see, I couldn't do it. Indeed, if hewas here I should hit him, but I feel as if I should shake hands all thesame."
"What will be best to do, Samson?"
"Do, sir? If you're right, get off as soon as we can."
"And them wanting our help."
"Tchah! They don't want our help. They want us to be out of their way.If they come and catch us here, sir, how do we know but what they mayturn savage, and try to serve us out?"
"Samson, you are talking nonsense," said Fred, angrily; and he ran tothe hole again and called aloud the names of those he believed to be inhiding, his words echoing and whispering along the dark passage, tillSamson made him jump by touching him on the shoulder just as he waslistening vainly for a reply.
"Don't do that, sir."
"Why not?"
"If that there passage goes right up to the Hall, the men yonder by theruins on dooty will hear you hollering and find out all about it."
Fred started away as if he had been stung.
"You are right, Samson," he said; "I did not think of that."
"You didn't, sir?"
"No."
"Then that shows you that I am not so stoopid as you tell me I amsometimes."
"Oh, but I don't always mean it."
"Then you shouldn't say it, sir. Well, hadn't we better get back now?"
"But I want to make perfectly sure that they are hiding there, Samson,my good fellow; and how can we find out without waiting and watching?"
"Oh, I can soon do that for you, sir."
"How?"
"Set a trap."
"What?"
"Set a trap, and bait it same as you would for a fox, or a polecat, orone of them big hawks we see on the moor."
"I don't understand you. Pray do
speak out. What trap could we set?"
"Oh, I'll soon show you that, sir. Here's the bait for it."
Samson opened his wallet, and drew therefrom a round flat cake, whichhad been cut open; and as he held it on his hand he raised the