CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
CONTINUES TO TREAT OF SPIRITS, AND SHOWS THE VALUE OF HOSPITALITY.
Having accomplished the feat narrated in the last chapter Maggotproceeded with his friend towards the town. On their way they had topass the mouth of an old shaft in which both of them chanced to be muchinterested at that time, inasmuch as it contained the produce of arecent smuggling expedition on a large scale, consisting of nearly ahundred tubs of brandy. The liquor had been successfully brought ashoreand concealed in the mine, and that night had been fixed on for itsremoval. Mules had been provided, and about fifty men were appointed tomeet at a certain spot, at a fixed hour, to carry the whole away intothe neighbouring towns.
Maggot and his comrade began to converse about the subject that wasuppermost in their minds, and the former increased his pace, when JohnCock drew his attention to the fact that the sun was getting low.
"The boys will be mustering now," said John, "an' them theere daws havekep' us late enough already."
"They do say that the boatsmen are informed about the toobs," observedMaggot.
"More need to look alive," said John.
"Hallo!" exclaimed Maggot suddenly; "there's some wan in the shaft!"
He pointed to a neighbouring mound of rubbish, on which, just as hespoke, a man made his appearance.
Without uttering a word the smugglers sauntered towards the mound,assuming a careless air, as though they were passing that way by chance.On drawing near they recognised Ebenezer Trezise, the coastguard-man.
"Good-hevening, sur," said Maggot; "semmen as if you'd found a keenlylode."
"Why, iss, we've diskivered a noo vein," said Trezise with a sly smile,"and we're sinkin' a shaft here in the hope o' raisin' tin, or_somethin'_."
"Ha! hope you'll let John an' me have a pitch in the noo bal, won't'ee?" said Maggot with a laugh.
"Oh, cer'nly, cer'nly," replied the boatsman; "if you'll lend us a handto sink the shaft. You appear to have been in the water, and 'twillwarm 'ee."
"No, thank 'ee," replied Maggot; "I've bin stroobin' a daw's nest undercliff, an' I fell into the say, so I'm goin' hum to dry myself, as I'mafeared o' kitchin' cold, being of a delikit constitootion. But I'llp'raps lend thee a hand afterwards."
Maggot nodded as he spoke, and left the place at a slow saunter with hiscomrade, followed by the thanks and good-wishes of the boatsman, whoimmediately returned to the laborious task of clearing out the oldshaft.
"They've got the scent," said Maggot when out of earshot; "but we'll do'em yet. Whenever thee gets on the leeside o' that hedge, John, do 'eeclap on all sail for Balaswidden, where the boys are waitin', an' tell'em to be ready for a call. I'll send Zackey, or wan o' the child'n to'ee."
John went off on his errand the moment he was out of sight of theboatsmen, and Maggot walked smartly to his cottage.
"Owld ooman," he said, commencing to unbutton his wet garments, "do 'eegit ready a cup o' tay, as fast as you can, lass; we shall have companyto-night."
"Company!" exclaimed Mrs Maggot in surprise; "what sort o' company?"
"Oh! the best, the best," said Maggot with a laugh; "boatsmen no less--so look sharp. Zackey booy, come here."
Zackey put down the unfortunate black kitten (which immediately soughtcomfort in repose) and obeyed his father's summons, while his mother,knowing that her husband had some plot in his wise head, set aboutpreparing a sumptuous meal, which consisted of bread and butter, tea andfried mackerel, and Cornish pasty.
"Zackey, my son," said Maggot while he continued his toilet.
"Iss, father."
"I want 'ee to come down to the owld shaft with me, an' when I give 'eethe ward cut away as hard as thee legs can spank to Balaswidden, an'fetch the lads that are theere to the owld shaft. They knaw what to do,but tell 'em to make so little noise as they can. Dost a hear, my son?"
"Iss, faither," replied Zackey, with a wink of such profound meaningthat his sire felt quite satisfied he was equal to the duty assignedhim.
"Now, doan't 'ee wag tongue more than enough," continued Maggot; "and goplay with the chet till I'm ready."
The urchin at once descended like a thunderbolt on the black kitten, butthat marvellous animal had succeeded in snatching five minutes' repose,which seemed to be amply sufficient to recruit its energies, for itbegan instantly to play--in other words to worry and scratch the boy'shand--with the utmost glee and good-humour.
In a few minutes Maggot and his son went out and hastened to the oldshaft, where they found the boatsmen still hard at work with pick andshovel clearing away the rubbish.
"You haven't found a bunch o' copper yet, I dessay?" said Maggot with agrin.
"No, not yet, but we shan't be long," replied Eben Trezise with aknowing smile.
"It's warm work," observed Maggot, as he looked down the hole, and sawthat what the boatsman said was true, and that they would not be long ofreaching the spot where the liquor had been concealed.
Trezise admitted that it _was_ warm work, and paused to wipe his heatedbrow.
"I wish we had a drop o' water here," he said, looking up.
"Ha!" exclaimed Maggot; "not much chance o' findin' water in _that_hole, I do think--no, nor brandy nuther."
"Not so sure o' that," said Trezise, resuming his work.
"Now, et _is_ a shame to let 'ee die here for want of a drop o' water,"said Maggot in a compassionate tone; "I'll send my booy hum for some."
The boatsmen thanked him, and Zackey was ordered off to fetch a jug ofwater; but his father's voice arrested him before he had gone a hundredyards.
"Hold on a bit, my son.--P'raps," he said, turning to Trezise, "you'dcome up hum with me and have a dish o' tay? Missus have got it allready."
The invitation appeared to gratify the boatsmen, who smiled and winkedat each other, as though they thought themselves very clever fellows tohave discovered the whereabouts of a hidden treasure, and to berefreshed in the midst of their toil by one whom they knew to be a notedsmuggler, and whom they strongly suspected of being concerned in the jobthey were at that time endeavouring to frustrate. Throwing down theirtools they laughingly accepted the invitation, and clambered out of theshaft.
"Now's your time," whispered Maggot with a nod to his hopeful son, andthen added aloud--
"Cut away, Zackey booy, an' tell mother to get the tay ready. Run, myson, let us knaw what thee legs are made of."
"He's a smart lad," observed Trezise, as Zackey gave his father anintelligent look, and dashed away at the top of his speed.
"Iss, a clever cheeld," assented Maggot.
"Bin down in the mines, I dessay?" said Trezise.
"Iss, oh iss; he do knaw tin," replied Maggot with much gravity.
In a few minutes the two coastguard-men were seated at Mrs Maggot'swell-supplied board, enjoying the most comfortable meal they had eatenfor many a day. It was seasoned, too, with such racy talk, abounding inanecdote, from Maggot, and such importunate hospitality on the part ofhis better half, that the men felt no disposition to cut it short.Little Grace, too, was charmingly attentive, for she, poor child, beingutterly ignorant of the double parts which her parents were playing,rejoiced, in the native kindliness of her heart, to see them all sohappy. Even the "chet" seemed to enter into the spirit of what wasgoing on, for, regardless of the splendid opportunity that now presenteditself of obtaining repose to its heart's content, that black ball ofconcentrated essence of mischief dashed wildly about the floor and upthe bed-curtains, with its back up and its tail thickened, and its greeneyes glaring defiance at everything animate, inanimate, or otherwise,insomuch that Maggot made sundry efforts to quell it with thethree-legged stool--and Mrs Maggot followed suit with a dish-clout--butin vain!
Meanwhile, men and mules and horses were converging by many paths andlanes towards the old shaft, and the shaft itself was apparently enduedwith the properties of a volcano, for out of its mouth issued acontinuous shower of dust and stones, while many stalwart arms laid barethe mine beneath, a
nd tossed up the precious "tubs" of brandy.
Before the pleasant little tea-party in Maggot's cottage broke up thewhole were scattered abroad, and men and mules and horses sped withtheir ill-gotten gains across the furze-clad moors.
"Sure it's early to break up," said Maggot, when the boatsmen at lastrose to take their leave; "there's no fear o' the bunches o' coppermelting down there, or flyin' away."
"There's no saying," replied Eben Trezise; "you've heerd as well as weof lodes takin' the bit in their teeth an' disappearing--eh?"
"Well, iss, so they do sometimes; I'll not keep 'ee longer;good-hevenin' to 'ee," said Maggot, going outside the door and wishingthem all manner of success as they returned to the old shaft.
Reader, shall we follow the two knowing fellows to that shaft? Shall wemark the bewildered expression of amazement with which they gazed intoit, and listen to the wild fiendish laugh of mingled amusement and wraththat bursts from them in fitful explosions as the truth flashes intotheir unwilling minds? No; vice had triumphed over virtue, and we deemit a kindness to your sensitive nature to draw a veil over the scene ofher discomfiture.