CHAPTER THIRTY.
DARK DEEDS.
It was very dark among the trees as Dexter reached the grass plot whichsloped to the willows by the river-side, but he knew his way so wellthat he crept along in silence till he had one hand resting upon thetrunk he had so often climbed, and stood there gazing across the starlitwater, trying to make out the figure of his companion in the boat.
All was silent, save that, now and then, the water as it ran among thetree-roots made a peculiar whispering sound, and once or twice there wasa faint plash in the distance, as if from the feeding of a fish.
"Hist! Bob! Are you there!"
"Hullo!" came from the other side. "I was just a-going."
"Going?"
"Yes. I thought you wasn't a-coming, and I wasn't going to stop hereall night."
"But you said twelve."
"Well, it struck twelve an hour ago."
"No; that was eleven. There--hark!"
As proof of Dexter's assertion the church clock just then began tochime, and the heavy boom of the tenor bell proclaiming midnight seemedto make the soft night air throb.
"Thought it was twelve long enough ago. Ready!"
"Yes," said Dexter, in an excited whisper. "Got the boat?"
"No: course I haven't. It'll take two to get that boat."
"But you said you would have it ready."
"Yes, I know; but we must both of us do that. I waited till you come."
This was a shock; and Dexter said, in a disappointed tone--
"But how am I to get to you!"
"Come across," said Bob coolly.
"Come across--in the dark!"
"Why, of course. You ain't afraid, are you? Well, you are a chap!"
"But it's too deep to wade."
"Well, who said it wasn't!" growled the boy. "You can swim, can't you?"
"But I shall get so wet."
"Yah!" ejaculated Bob in tones of disgust. "You are a fellow. Takeyour clothes off, make 'em in a bundle, and swim over."
Dexter was half-disposed to say, "You swim across to me," but nothingwould have been gained if he had, so, after a few minutes' hesitation,and in genuine dread, he obeyed the wishes of his companion, but only topause when he was half-undressed.
"I say, though," he whispered, "can't you get the boat? It's so coldand dark."
"Well, you are a fellow!" cried Bob. "Beginning to grumble afore westart. It's no use to have a mate who's afraid of a drop of water, anddon't like to get wet."
"But--"
"There, never mind," grumbled Bob; "we won't go."
"But I didn't say I wouldn't come, Bob," whispered Dexter desperately."I'll come."
There was no answer.
"Bob." Still silence.
"I say, don't go, Bob. I'm very sorry. I'm undressing as fast as Ican. You haven't gone, have you?"
Still silence, and Dexter ceased undressing, and stood there in the coldnight air, feeling as desolate, despairing, and forlorn as boy could be.
"What shall I do?" he said to himself; and then, in a despondentwhisper, "Bob!"
"Hullo!"
"Why, you haven't gone!" joyfully.
"No; but I'm going directly. It's no use for me to have a mate whohasn't got any pluck. Now then, are you coming, or are you not!"
"I'm coming," said Dexter. "But stop a moment. I'll be back directly."
"Whatcher going to do!"
"Wait a moment and I'll show you."
Dexter had had a happy thought, and turning and running in his trousersto the tool-shed, he dragged out a small deal box in which seeds hadcome down from London that spring. It was a well-made tight box, andquite light, and with this he ran back.
"Why, what are you doing?" grumbled Bob, as soon as he heard hiscompanion's voice.
"Been getting something to put my clothes in," whispered Dexter. "Idon't want to get them wet."
"Oh," said Bob, in a most unconcerned way; and he began to whistlesoftly, as Dexter finished undressing, tucked all his clothes tightly inthe box, and bore it down to the water's edge, where it floated like alittle boat.
"There!" cried Dexter excitedly. "Now they'll be all dry when I've gotacross. Ugh! how cold the water is," he continued, as he dipped onefoot. "I wish I'd brought a towel."
"Yah! what does a fellow want with a towel? You soon gets dry if yourun about. Going to walk across!"
"I can't," said Dexter; "it's too deep."
"Well, then, swim. I could swim that with one hand tied behind."
"I couldn't," said Dexter, hesitating, for it was no pleasant task toplunge into the little gliding river at midnight, and with all darkaround.
"Now then! Look alive! Don't make a splash."
"Oh!"
"What's the matter?"
"It is cold."
"Yah! Then, get back to bed with you, and let me go alone."
"I'm coming as fast as I can," said Dexter, as he lowered himself intothe stream, and then rapidly climbed out again, as the cold water causeda sudden catching of the breath; and a nervous shrinking from trustinghimself in the dark river made him draw right away from the edge.
"Why, you ain't swimming," said Bob. "Here, look sharp! Why, you ain'tin!"
"N-no, not yet," said Dexter, shivering.
"There's a coward!" sneered Bob.
"I'm not a coward, but it seems so dark and horrible to-night, and as ifsomething might lay hold of you."
"Yes, you are a regular coward," sneered Bob. "There, jump in, or I'llshy stones at yer till you do."
Dexter did not speak, but tumbled all of a heap on the short turf,shrinking more and more from his task.
"I shall have to go without you," said Bob.
"I can't help it," said Dexter, in a low, tremulous whisper. "It's toohorrid to get in there and swim across in the dark."
"No, it ain't. I'd do it in a minute. There, jump in."
"No," said Dexter sadly. "I must give it up."
"What, yer won't do it!"
"I can't," said Dexter sadly. "We must try some other way. I'm goingto dress again. Oh!"
"What's the matter now!"
"My clothes!" _Splash_! _Rush_!
Dexter had rapidly lowered himself into the black deep stream and wasswimming hard and fast, for as he rose and sought for his garments hesuddenly recalled the fact that he had turned the box into a tiny barge,laden it with his clothes, and placed them in the river, while now, ashe went to take them out, he found that the stream had borne the boxaway, and it was going down toward the sea.
"Try if you can see them, Bob," said Dexter, as he panted and struggledon through the water.
"See what?"
"My clothes. They're floating down the river."
Bob uttered a low chuckling laugh, and trotted along by the edge of theriver; but it was too dark for him to see anything, and Dexter,forgetting cold and dread, swam bravely on, looking well to right andleft, without avail, till all at once, just in one of the deepesteddies, some fifty yards down below the doctor's house, and where anunusually large willow spread its arms over the stream, he caught sightof something which blotted out the starlight for a moment, and then thestars' reflection beamed out again.
Something was evidently floating there, and he made for it, to find tohis great joy that it was the floating box, which he pushed before himas he swam, and a couple of minutes later he was near enough to the edgeon the meadow-side to ask Bob's help.
"Ain't got 'em, have you?" the latter whispered.
"Yes; all right. I'll come out there. Give me a hand."
Dexter swam to the muddy overhanging bank, and seized the hand which Bobextended toward him.
"Now then, shall I duck yer!" said Bob, who had lain down on the wetgrass to extend his hand to the swimmer.
"No, no, Bob, don't. That would be cowardly," cried Dexter. "Help meto get out my clothes without letting in the wet. It is so cold."
"But you swam over," said Bob sneeringly.
"Yes; but you don't know how chilly it makes you feel. Mind theclothes."
Bob did mind, and the next minute Dexter and the barge of dry clotheswere upon the grass together.
"Oh, isn't it cold?" said Dexter, with his teeth chattering.
"Cold? no. Not a bit," said Bob. "Here, whatcher going to do!"
"Do? Dress myself. Here, give me my shirt. Oh, don't I wish I had atowel!"
"You leave them things alone, stoopid. You can't dress yet."
"Not dress!"
"No," cried Bob loudly.
"What do you mean!"
"You come along and I'll show yer. Why, we haven't got the boat."
"No, but--"
"Well, you're all ready, and you've got to swim across and get it."
"I've got to get it!" cried Dexter in dismay. "Why, you said you wouldget the boat."
"Yes, but I didn't know then that you were going to swim across."
"But you said it would take two to get it," protested Dexter.
"Yes, I thought so then, but you're all ready and can swim across, andget it directly. Here, come along!"
"But--but," stammered Dexter, who was shivering in the chill night air.
"What, you're cold? Well, come along. I'll carry the box. Let's run.It'll warm yer."
Dexter was ready with another protest, but he did not utter it. Hiscompanion seemed to carry him along with the force of his will, but allthe same there was a troublous feeling forcing itself upon him that hehad made a mistake, and he could not help a longing for his room at thedoctor's with its warm bed, comfort, safety, and repose.
But he knew it was too late, and he was too much hurried and confused todo more than try to keep up with Bob Dimsted as he ran by his sidecarrying the box till they had reached the meadow facing Sir JamesDanby's garden; and there, just dimly seen across the river, was the lowgable-end of the boat-house beneath the trees.
"Hush! don't make a row," whispered Bob. "Now then, slip in and fetchit. Why, you could almost jump it."
"But, Bob--I--I don't like to go. I'm so cold."
"I'll precious soon warm yer if you don't look sharp," cried Bobfiercely. "Don't you try to make a fool of me. Now then, in with you!"
He had put the box down and gripped Dexter fiercely by the arm, causinghim so much pain that instead of alarming it roused the boy's flaggingspirit, and he turned fiercely upon his assailant, and wrested his armfree.
"That's right," said Bob. "In with you. And be sharp, and then you candress yerself as we float down."
Dexter's instinct was to resist and give up, but he felt that he hadgone too far, and feeling that his companion might consider him a cowardif he refused to go, he lowered himself down into the water.
"That's yer sort," said Bob, in a loud whisper. "You'll soon do it."
"But suppose the chains are locked!"
"They won't be locked," said Bob. "You go acrost and see."
In the eager desire to get an unpleasant task done, Dexter let himselfglide down into the swift stream about a dozen yards above theboat-house, and giving himself a good thrust off with his feet, he swamsteadily and easily across, the river there being about thirty yardswide, and in a very short time he managed to touch the post at the outercorner of the long low boat-house. Then, hardly knowing how he managedit, he found bottom as his hand grasped the gunwale of the boat, andwalking along beside it he soon reached the chain which moored it to theend.
Here in his excitement and dread it seemed as if his mission was tofail. It was dark enough outside, but in the boat-house everythingseemed to be of pitchy blackness, and try how he would he could find noway of unfastening the chain.
He tried toward the boat, then downwards, then upwards, and in the boatagain, and again. His teeth were chattering, his chest and shouldersfelt as if they were freezing, and his hands, as they fumbled with thewet chain, began to grow numbed, while, to add to his excitement andconfusion, Bob kept on from time to time sending across the river aquick hissing--
"I say; look sharp."
Then he heard a sound, and he splashed through the water in retreattoward the river, for it seemed that they were discovered, and some onecoming down the garden.
But the sound was repeated, and he realised the fact that it was onlythe side of the boat striking against a post.
"I say, are you a-coming?" whispered Bob.
"I can't undo the chain," Dexter whispered back.
"Yer don't half try."
Just then the clock chimed half-past twelve, and Dexter stoppedinvoluntarily; but a fresh summons from his companion roused him tofurther action, and he passed once more along to the prow of the boat,and seizing the chain felt along it till this time he felt a hook, and,wondering how it was that he had missed it before, he began withtrembling fingers to try and get it out from the link through which itwas thrust.
It was in very tightly, though, for the point being wedge-shaped theswaying about and jerking to and fro of the boat had driven it furtherand further in, so that it was not until he had been ready over and overagain to give up in despair that the boy got the iron free.
Then panting with dread and excitement he found the rest easy; the chainwas passed through a ring-bolt in one of the posts at the head of theboat-house, and through this he drew it back slowly and cautiously onaccount of the rattling it made.
It seemed of interminable length as he drew and drew, piling up thechain in the bows of the boat till he thought he must have obtained all,when there was a sudden check, and it would come no further.
Simple enough in broad daylight, and to a person in the boat, but Dexterwas standing waist deep in the water, and once more he felt that thecase was hopeless.
Another call from Bob roused him, and he followed the chain with hishand till he had waded to the post, and found that the hook had merelycaught in the ring, and only needed lifting out, and the boat was atliberty.
But just at this moment there was a furious barking, and a dog seemed tobe tearing down the garden toward the boat-house.
In an agony of horror Dexter climbed into the boat, and feeling the sideof the long shed he thrust and thrust with so much effect that he sentthe light gig well out into the stream and half-across the river. Thenseizing an oar, as the dog was now down on the bank, snapping andbarking more furiously than ever, he got it over into the water, andafter a great deal of paddling, and confused counter-action of hisefforts, forced the boat onward and along, till it touched the shorewhere Bob was waiting with the box.
"No, no, don't come out," he whispered. "Here, help me get these in."
Dexter crept to the stern of the boat, and in his effort to embark thebox nearly fell overboard, but the treasure was safe. Then Bob handedin a basket, and a bundle of sticks, evidently his rod, and leaping indirectly after, gave the boat sufficient impetus to send it well outinto the stream, down which it began to glide.
"Ah, bark away, old un," said Bob contemptuously, as the sound of thedog's alarm notes grew more distant, and then more distant still, forthey were going round a curve, and the garden side of the river wasthick with trees.
"Is that Danby's dog!" whispered Bob.
"I don't know," said Dexter, with his teeth chattering from cold andexcitement.
"Why! you're a-cold," said Bob coolly. "Here, I'll send her along. Youlook sharp and dress. I say, where's your bundle of things?"
"Do you mean my clothes?"
"No! Your bundle."
"I didn't bring anything," said Dexter, hurriedly slipping on his shirt.
"Well, you are a chap!" said Bob sourly, but Dexter hardly heard him,for he was trying to get his wet body covered from the chill night air;and he could think of nothing but the fact that he had taken a verydesperate step, and the boat was bearing them rapidly away from whatseemed now to have been a very happy home--further out, further awayfrom the doctor and from Helen, downward toward the sea, and over thatthere was a great black cloud, beyond which, according to
Bob Dimsted,there were bright and glorious lands.
At that moment, chill with the cold and damp, Dexter would have givenanything to have been back in his old room, but it was too late, theboat was gliding on, and Bob had now got out the sculls. The townlights were receding, and they were going onward toward that dark cloudwhich Dexter seemed to see more dimly now, for there was a dumbdepressing sensation of despair upon him, and he turned his eyes towardthe river-bank, asking himself if he could leap ashore.