CHAPTER NINE.
READY FOR ACTION.
"That's about their size, Master Nic," said Solly, as he stood in thecoach-house balancing a heavy cudgel in his hand--one of a couple ofdozen lying on the top of the corn-bin just through the stable door.
"Oh, the size doesn't matter, Bill," said Nic impatiently.
"Begging your pardon, sir, it do," said the old sailor severely. "Youdon't want to kill nobody in a fight such as we're going to have, doye?"
"No, no; of course not."
"There you are, then. Man's sure to hit as hard as he can when hismonkey's up; and that stick's just as heavy as you can have 'em withoutbreaking bones. That's the sort o' stick as'll knock a man silly andgive him the headache for a week, and sarve him right. If it washalf-a-hounce heavier it'd kill him."
"How do you know?" said Nic sharply.
"How do I know, sir?" said the man wonderingly. "Why, I weighed it."
Nic would have asked for further explanations; but just then there weresteps heard in the yard, and the gardener and a couple of labourers cameup in the dusk.
"Oh, there you are," growled Solly. "Here's your weepuns;" and heraised three of the cudgels. "You may hit as hard as you like withthem. Seen any of the others?"
"Yes," said the gardener; "there's two from the village coming along theroad, and three of us taking the short cut over the home field. That'sall I see."
"Humph!" said Solly. "There ought to be five more by this time."
"Sick on it, p'r'aps," grumbled the gardener; "and no wonder. We are."
"What! Are you afraid?" cried Nic.
"No, sir, I aren't afraid; on'y sick on it. I like a good fight, and sodo these here when it's 'bout fair and ekal, but every time we has a goin t'other side seems to be the flails and we only the corn and straw.They're too many for us. I'm sick o' being thrashed, and so's thesehere; and that aren't being afraid."
"Why, you aren't going to sneak out of it, are you?" growled Solly.
"No, I aren't," said the gardener; "not till I've had a good go at thatPete Burge and Master Humpy Dee. But I'm going to sarcumwent 'em thistime."
"Here are the others coming, Bill," cried Nic.--"What are you going todo this time?" he said to the gardener.
"Sarcumwent 'em, Master Nic," said the man, with a grin. "It's no useto hit at their heads and arms or to poke 'em in the carcass--they don'tmind that; so we've been thinking of it out, and we three's going to hit'em low down."
"That's good," said Solly; "same as we used to sarve the black men outin Jay-may-kee. They've all got heads as hard as skittle-balls, buttheir shins are as tender as a dog's foot."
Just then five more men came up and received their cudgels; and directlyafter three more came slouching up; and soon after another couple, andreceived their arms.
"Is this all on us?" said one of the fresh-comers, as the sturdy fellowsstood together.
"Ay, is this all, Master Nic?" cried another.
"Why?" he said sharply.
"Because there aren't enough, sir," said the first man. "I got to hearon it down the village."
"Ah! you heard news?" cried Nic.
"Ay, sir, if you call such ugly stuff as that news. There's been a bitof a row among 'em, all along o' Pete Burge."
"Quarrelling among themselves?"
"That's right, sir; 'cause Pete Burge said he wouldn't have no more todo with it; and they've been at him--some on 'em from over yonder at thetown. I hear say as there was a fight, and then Pete kep' on saying hewould jyne 'em; and then there was another fight, and Pete Burge lickedthe second man, and then he says he wouldn't go. And then there wasanother fight, and Pete Burge licked Humpy Dee, and Humpy says Pete wasa coward, and Pete knocked him flat on the back. `I'll show you whetherI'm a coward,' he says. `I didn't mean to have no more to do wi' SquireRevel's zammon,' he says; `but I will go to-night, for the last time,just to show you as I aren't a cowards,' he says, `and then I'm done.'"
"Ay; and he zays," cried another man from the village, "`If any onethinks I'm a coward, then let him come and tell me.'"
"Then they are coming to-night?" cried Nic, who somehow felt a kind ofsatisfaction in his adversary's prowess.
"Oh, ay," said the other man who had grumbled; "they're a-comingto-night. There's a big gang coming from the town, and I hear they'regoing to bring a cart for the zammon. There'll be a good thirty on 'em,Master Nic, zir; and I zay we aren't enough."
"No," said Nic quietly; "we are not enough, but we are going to have ourrevenge to-night for all the knocking about we've had."
"But we're not enough, Master Nic. We're ready to fight, all on us--eh,mates?"
"Ay!" came in a deep growl.
"But there aren't enough on us."
"There will be," said Nic in an eager whisper, "for a strong party ofJack-tars from the king's ship that was lying off this evening are bythis time marching up to help us, and we're going to give thesescoundrels such a thrashing as will sicken them from ever meddling againwith my father's fish."
"Yah!" growled a voice out of the gloom.
"Who said that?" cried Nic.
"I did, Master Nic," said the gardener sharply; "and you can tell theCaptain if you like. I say it aren't fair to try and humbug a lot o'men as is ready to fight for you. It's like saying `rats' to a dog whenthere aren't none."
"Is it?" cried Nic, laughing. "How can that be? You heard just nowthat there will be about thirty rats for our bulldogs to worry."
"I meant t'other way on, sir," growled the man sulkily. "No sailorbulldogs to come and help us."
"How dare you say that?" cried Nic angrily.
"'Cause I've lived off and on about Plymouth all my life and close tothe sea, and if I don't know a king's ship by this time I ought to.That's only a lubberly old merchantman. Why, her yards were all anyhow,with not half men enough to keep 'em square."
"Bah!" cried Solly angrily. "Hold your mouth, you one-eyed oldtater-grubber. What do you mean by giving the young master the lie?"
"That will do, Solly," cried Nic. "He means right. Look here, my lads;that is a king's ship, the one commanded by my father's friend; and hehas made her look all rough like that so as to cheat the salmon-gang,and it will have cheated them if it has cheated you."
A cheer was bursting forth, but Nic checked it, and the gardener saidhuskily:
"Master Nic, I beg your pardon. I oughtn't to ha' said such a word. Itwas the king's ship as humbugged me, and not you. Say, lads, we'regoing to have a night of it, eh?"
A low buzz of satisfaction arose; and Nic hurried out, to walk in thedirection of the signal-staff, where the Captain had gone to look outfor their allies.
"Who goes there?" came in the old officer's deep voice.
"Only I, father."
"Bah!" cried the Captain in a low, angry voice. "Give the word,sir--`Tails.'"
"The word?--`Tails!'" said Nic, wonderingly.
"Of course. I told you we must have a password, to tell friends fromfoes."
"Not a word, father."
"What, sir? Humph, no! I remember--I meant to give it to all at once.The word is `Tails' and the countersign is `Heads,' and any one whocannot give it is to have heads. Do you see?"
"Oh yes, father, I see; but are the sailors coming?"
"Can't hear anything of them, my boy, and it's too dark to see; but theymust be here soon."
"I hope they will be, father," said Nic.
"Don't say you hope they will be, as if you felt that they weren'tcoming. They're sure to come, my boy. Jack Lawrence never broke faith.Now, look here; those scoundrels will be here by ten o'clock, some ofthem, for certain, and we must have our men in ambush first--our men,Nic. Jack Lawrence's lads I shall place so as to cut off the enemy'sretreat, ready to close in upon them and take them in the rear. Do yousee?"
"Yes, father; excellent."
"Then I propose that as soon as we hear our reinforcement coming you gooff and plant your men in the wood b
ehind the fall. I shall lead thesailors right round you to the other side of the pool; place them; andthen there must be perfect silence till the enemy has lit up his torchesand got well to work. Then I shall give a shrill whistle on the Frenchbo'sun's pipe I have in my pocket, you will advance your men and fallto, and we shall come upon them from the other side."
"I see, father."
"But look here, Nic--did you change your things?"
"Yes, father; got on the old fishing and wading suit."
"That's right, boy, for you've got your work cut out, and it may meanwater as well as land."
"Yes, I expect to be in a pretty pickle," said Nic, laughing, andbeginning to feel excited now. "But do you think the sailors will findtheir way here in the dark?"
"Of course," cried the Captain sharply. "Jack Lawrence will head them."
"Hist!" whispered Nic, placing his hand to his ear and gazing seaward.
"Hear 'em?"
Nic was silent for a few moments.
"Yes," he said. "I can hear their soft, easy tramp over the shortgrass. Listen."
"Right," said the Captain, as from below them there came out of thedarkness the regular _thrup_, _thrup_ of a body of men marchingtogether. Then, loudly, "king's men?"
"Captain Revel?" came back in reply.
"Right. Captain Lawrence there?"
"No, sir; he had a sudden summons from the port admiral, and is atPlymouth. He gave me my instructions, sir--Lieutenant Kershaw. I havethirty men here."
"Bravo, my lad!" cried the Captain. "Forward, and follow me to thehouse. Your men will take a bit of refreshment before we get to work."
"Forward," said the lieutenant in a low voice, and the _thrup_, _thrup_of the footsteps began again, not a man being visible in the gloom.
"Off with you, Nic," whispered the Captain. "Get your men in hiding atonce. This is going to be a grand night, my boy. Good luck to you; andI say, Nic, my boy--"
"Yes, father."
"No prisoners, but tell the men to hit hard." Nic went off at a run,and the lieutenant directly after joined the Captain, his men close athand following behind.