CHAPTER TWELVE.
STIRRING EVENTS OF MORE KINDS THAN ONE.
The squall which blew the Kinlossie boat round the Eagle Point was butthe precursor of a succession of heavy squalls which quickly changedinto a furious gale, compelling Ian Anderson to close reef his sails.Even when this was done, the boat rushed through the foaming water withtremendous velocity, and exhibited that tendency to drinking, to whichreference has already been made; for every time she plunged into thetrough of the sea, a little water came over the bow.
Of course, going as they were at such a rate, the traversing of six oreight miles of water occupied but little time, and they were soon closeto the bay, at the head of which Kinlossie House nestled among itstrees.
"Come aft, poys," shouted Ian, whose voice, strong though it was, couldscarcely be heard in the bow owing to the roaring of the gale; "she'strinkin' too much; come aft, an' look sherp!"
The three boys obeyed with alacrity, being well accustomed to boats, andaware of the necessity of prompt obedience in circumstances of danger.
Thus lightened, the boat ceased drinking at the bow, but, being ratheroverweighted at the stern, she now and then took in a little waterthere.
Unfortunately the point of rocks which formed the southern end ofKinlossie Bay obliged Ian to change his course a little in order toweather them. This was a critical operation. Even the girls had somesort of idea of that, as their looks bore witness. John Barret felt astrong inclination to slip his arm round Milly's waist and whisper,"Don't be afraid, beloved, _I'll_ take care of you!" but want ofcourage--to say nothing of a sense of propriety--kept his lips silentand his arm still.
"Noo, keep stiddy, all of ye," said Ian, as he shifted the helm alittle.
An irrepressible shriek burst from Aggy Anderson, for the boat lay overso much that the hissing water rippled almost into her, and seemed aboutto swallow them up.
"Tak anither haul o' the sheet, Maister Mabberly," cried Ian.
Assisted by Jackman, Mabberly obeyed, and the boat went, as Quin said,"snorin'" past the rocks, which were now close under her lee, with thewaves bursting wildly over them. Another minute and the outermost rockwas under their port bow. To the eyes of the girls it seemed as ifdestruction were inevitable. To make matters worse, at that moment avivid flash was succeeded by a loud thunder-clap, which, mingling withthe gale, seemed to intensify its fury, while a deluge of rain camedown. But Ian knew what he was about. With a firm hand on the tillerhe steered past the point, yet so closely that it seemed as if an activeman might have leaped upon the outermost rock, which rose, black andsolid, amid the surging foam.
Another moment and the boat swept safely round into the bay, and wasagain put before the wind.
"We're a' richt noo, what-e-ver," said Ian with a grunt of satisfaction.
Never before did a self-sufficient boatman have his words moreeffectually or promptly falsified than on that occasion. The distancebetween boat and shore at that moment was only a few hundred yards; butthe water all the way was deep, and the waves, in consequence, werelarge and wild. There were great possibilities within the brief spaceof distance and time that lay before them!
"Tak an oar, Maister Quin, an' help Rodereek to fend off," cried theboatman. "Hold ticht to the sheet, sir, an' pe ready to let co themoment I tell ye. Are ye ready wi' the halyards, Muster Airchie?"
"All right, Ian," replied the boy, who stood ready to lower the sail.
They could see that several men were standing on the beach, ready torender assistance, among them Duncan, the butler, and Ivor, thegamekeeper. The latter, who had evidently recovered himself, wasstanding waist-deep in the foam, as if anxious to grasp the boat when itgrounded.
"Ivor is unusually keen to help us to-day," remarked the laird, with apeculiar look; but no one was sufficiently disengaged to listen to oranswer him.
At that critical moment Junkie took it into his unaccountable head toscramble to the fore part of the boat, in order, as he said, to lend ahand with a rope. On reaching the bow he stumbled; the boat plungedheavily, as if to accommodate him, and he went overboard with a suddenlychecked yell, that rose high and sharp above the roaring gale!
Of course every man near him sprang to the side and made a wild grasp athim. The gunwale went down, the sea rushed in, and, in a space of timebrief as the lightning-flash, all the occupants of the boat werestruggling in the waves!
A great cry arose from the shore, and Ivor, plunging into the surf, wasseen to breast the billows with the force of a Hercules. In the momentof upsetting, John Barret's cowardice and scruples vanished. He seizedMilly by the arm, and held her up when they rose from the plunge.
And now, for the first time in his life, our hero found the advantage ofhaving trained himself, not only in all manly exercises, but in thenoble art of rescuing life from the water. Instead of rising to thewild discovery of helpless ignorance, as to what was the best way ofusing his great strength, he rose with the comfortable knowledge, first,that he was a powerful swimmer, and second, that he knew exactly what todo--at least to attempt. Instead, therefore, of allowing himself to behugged, and probably drowned, by the girl he loved, he held her off atarm's length until he managed to grasp her by both arms close to theshoulders, and with her back towards him--treading water while doing so.Then, swimming on his own back, he gently drew her upon his breast, sothat her head rested close to his chin. Thus the girl's face was turnedupwards and held well out of the water, and the youth was able to sayalmost in her ear, "Trust in God, dearest, He will save us!" while hestruck out vigorously with his legs. Thus, swimming on his back, heheaded for the shore.
Lest the reader should fancy that we are here merely inventing a mode ofaction, it may be well to state that we have conversed with a man styled"the Rescue," whose duty it was to watch the boys of Aberdeen whilebathing on the dangerous coast there, and who told us that he had savedsome hundreds of lives--many of them in the manner above described.
Every one in the boat was fortunately able to swim, more or less, exceptMilly and Aggie Anderson. With the utmost anxiety to save the latter,her Uncle Ian made a desperate plunge when the boat upset, at the spotwhere, in the confusion, he thought he saw her go down. He graspedsomething under water, which clutched him violently in return. Risingto the surface he found that he had got hold of Giles Jackman, who,animated by the same desire to rescue the same girl, had also made aplunge at her. Flinging each other off almost angrily, they swam wildlyabout in search of her, for Giles had observed that Barret wassufficiently intent on Milly.
But poor Aggie was in even better hands. Ivor Donaldson had kept hiseyes on her from the moment that he could distinguish faces in theapproaching boat. He was a splendid swimmer. Even against wind andwaves he made rapid headway, and in a few seconds caught the girl by thehair. In his case the absence of a plan of rescue was to some extentremedied by sheer strength of body, coupled with determination. Thepoor girl did her best to choke him, as drowning people will, but,happily, she was too weak for the purpose and he too strong! Hesuffered her to do her worst, and, with the arm which she left free madehis way gallantly to the beach, where Duncan and all the domestics wereready to receive them.
Barret and Milly had landed just before them. Immediately after Archieand Eddie were swept in amid the foam, and Junkie himself--who, like hisbrothers, could swim like a cork--came careering in on the top of awave, like a very water-imp! With all the energy of his nature heturned, the moment his feet touched ground, to lend a hand to his friendTonal', who was not far behind him.
Thus, one by one, the whole party got safely to land, for the laird,although old, was still vigorous, and, like the others, able to swim.MacRummle came in last, and they had some difficulty in getting him outof the water, for he was rather sluggish, as well as heavy; but he wasnone the worse for his immersion, and to the anxieties afterwardsexpressed by his friends, he replied quietly that he had become prettywell used to the water by that time. It was a trying experience,
however, for all of them, and, in the opinion of Ian Anderson, as hegave it to his wife when they met, "it was a queer way o' feenishin' offa fery extraor'nar Sawbath tay--what-e-ver!"
One morning, not long after this incident, the gentlemen made up ashooting party to try the summit of the hill for mountain hares--theirhostess having twitted them with their inability to keep the householdsupplied with hare soup.
"I will accompany you, gentlemen, to the shoulder of the first hill,"observed their host, as he finished his breakfast, "but not farther, forI am not so young as I once was, and cannot be expected to keep pacewith a `Woods and Forester.'"
"That is not a good reason for your stopping short, laird," retortedJackman, with a smile, "because it is quite possible for the `Woods andForester' to regulate his pace to that of the Western Isles."
"Well, we shall see," returned his host. "And what does my recklessMilly intend to do with herself?"
"I mean to have a little picnic--all by myself," said Milly; "that is tosay with nobody but me and Aggy Anderson."
"D'you think that quite safe, so soon after her ducking?" asked MrsGordon.
"Quite safe, auntie, for she has not felt a bit the worse for thatducking; indeed, she seems much the better for it, and I am quite surethat hill air is good for her."
"Oh! then, you mean to have your very select picnic on the hills?" saidthe laird.
"Yes, but no one shall know to what part we are going, for, as I havesaid, we mean to have a day of it all to ourselves; only we will takeJunkie to protect us, and carry our provisions."
There were two of the gentlemen who declined the shooting expedition.John Barret said he would start with them, but would at a certain pointdrop behind and botanise. MacRummle also preferred to make _one more_effort to catch that grilse which had risen so often to him of late, butwas still at large in the big pool under the fall. The result of themorning's discussion was that only Mabberly and Jackman proceeded toassault the hares on the mountain-top, accompanied by Archie and Eddie,with Ivor Donaldson to guide them.
Up in the nursery--that devastated region which suggested the idea of anhospital for broken furniture and toys--poor little neglected Flo satdown on the floor, and, propping her favourite doll up against theremnant of a drum, asked that sable friend what she would like to do.Receiving no answer, she said, in a cheery, confidential tone, which shehad acquired from her mother, "I'll tell you what, Miss Blackie, you an'I will go for a picnic too. Zere's plenty places for you an' me, aswell as for Cuzn Miwy to go to, an' we will let muzzer go wid us--ifshe's dood. So go, like a dood chile', an' get your things on."
As the day was particularly bright and warm, this minor picnic wassplendidly carried into effect, in a little coppice close to the house.There Mrs Gordon knitted and sometimes read, and behaved altogetherlike a particularly "dood chile," while Flo and Blackie carried on highjinks around her.
The Eagle Cliff was the spot which Milly Moss had fixed on for herselect little picnic with the niece of the fisherman. Strange to say,and without the slightest knowledge or suspicion of this fact (so hesaid), John Barret had selected the very same spot for his botanicalramble. It must be remembered, however, that it was a wide spot.
Seated in a secluded nook, not long after noon, Milly and Aggy, withJunkie, enjoyed the good things which were spread on a mass of flat rockin front of them.
"Now I call this jolly!" said Junkie, as well as he could, with a massof jam-tart stopping the way.
"It is indeed," returned Milly; "but I don't feel quite sure whether yourefer to the splendour of the scenery or the goodness of the tart."
"To both," returned the boy, inarticulately.
"Do you think you could eat any more?" asked Milly with a grave, earnestlook that made Aggy giggle--for Aggy was a facile giggler!
"No, I don't," said Junkie. "I'm stuffed!"
"Well, then, you are at leisure to fill the cup again at the spring; sorun, like a good boy, and do it."
"How hard you are on a fellow, Cousin Milly," grumbled the youngster,rising to do as he was bid; but the expression of his jammy face showedthat he was no unwilling slave.
"How old are you, Aggy?" asked Milly when he was gone.
"Sixteen last birthday," returned the girl.
"Ah! how I wish I was sixteen again!" said Milly, with a profound sigh,as she gazed over the rim of a tartlet she happened to be eating, at theglittering sea and the far-off horizon. She was evidently recallingsome very sad and ancient memories.
"Why?" asked her companion, who exhibited a very slight tendency tolaugh.
"Because I was so light-hearted and happy at that age."
"How old are you now, Miss Milly?" asked Aggy, in a tone of increasedrespect.
"Nineteen," replied the other with a sigh.
Again Aggy's pretty round face was rippled by a suppressed giggle, andit is highly probable that she would have given way altogether if Junkiehad not returned at the moment and rescued her.
"Here's the water, Milly. Now, Aggy, have you had enough?"
"Yes, quite enough," laughed the highly convalescent invalid.
"Well, then, come along wi' me and I'll show you the place where CousinMilly fell down. You needn't come, Milly. I want to show it to Aggyall by herself, an' we won't be long away."
"Very well, Junkie, as you please. I daresay I shall manage to pass thetime pleasantly enough till you return."
She leant back on a thick heather bush as she spoke, and indulgedherself in that most enjoyable and restful of occupations, on a brightwarm day, namely, looking straight up into the sunny sky andcontemplating the soft fleecy clouds that float there, changing theirforms slowly but continually.
Now it so happened that John Barret, in his botanical wanderings aboutthe Eagle Cliff, in quest of the "rare specimens" that Milly loved,discovered Milly herself! This was not such a matter-of-coursediscovery as the reader may suppose, for the Eagle Cliff occupied a vastspace of the mountain-side, among the rugged ramparts and knolls ofwhich several persons might have wandered for hours without much chanceof observing each other, unless they were to shout or discharge theecho-disturbing gun.
Whether it was the mysterious attraction or the occult discernment oflove that drew him, we cannot tell, but certain it is that when Barret,standing on the upper edge of the cliff, glanced from the eagle--whichwas watching him suspiciously--downward to the base of the cliff, wherethe sheep appeared like little buff spots on the green grass, hisstartled eyes alighted on Milly, lying on her back, contemplating theheavens!
At that distance she might have been a mole or a rabbit, as far asregards Barret's power to discern her face or figure or occupation went;nevertheless, Barret knew at once that it was she, as his look andcolour instantly indicated. There is something in such matters which wecannot understand, and, perhaps, had better not attempt to comprehend.It is sufficient to say that the young man instantly forgot hisoccupation, and began to descend the cliff by break-neck routes in a waythat must have surprised--if not alarmed--the very eagle himself. Heeven trod some exceedingly rare "specimens" under foot in his haste. Ina few minutes he drew near to the spot where Milly lay.
Then he suddenly stopped, for he remembered that she had that morningspoken of her picnic as a very private one; and was it not taking abase, unwarrantable advantage of her, thus to intrude on her privacy?But then--ah! how fatally, if not fortunately, that "but then" oftencomes in to seal our fate--"fix our flints," as backwoodsmen are fond ofputting it!--but then, was not the opportunity unsought--quiteaccidental? Would it not be utterly absurd, as well as disingenuous, topass her and pretend not to see her, with his botanical box full of herown favourite plants and flowers?
Love is proverbially blind. The argument was more than sufficient. Heshut his eyes, metaphorically, and rushed upon his fate.
Milly heard him rushing--in reality, walking--and knew his step!Another instance of the amazing--well--She started up in some confusion,just in time to appear as if engage
d in viewing with interest themajestic landscape spread out before her. Swooping downwards, andhovering overhead on grand expanded pinions, the eagle seemed to watchwith keen interest the result of this meeting.
"Pardon this intrusion, Miss Moss. I really did not know you were inthis neighbourhood till a few minutes ago," said Barret, sitting down onthe heather beside her. "I accidentally observed you, and I have beenso very fortunate in finding rare plants this morning, that I thought Imight venture, just for a few minutes, to interrupt the privacy of yourpicnic. See, here!" he added, taking off the botanical box and openingit; "just look at all this!"
"It is _very_ kind of you to take so much trouble on my account, MrBarret," said Milly, becoming deeply, almost too deeply-interested inthe plants. "And, oh, _what_ a splendid specimen of the heliographipod.My dear mother will be so glad to get this, for she is quite as fond ofbotany as I am."
"Indeed! Do you expect her soon?"
"Yes; her last letter leads me to expect her very soon now."
Milly looked up as she said this, but there was an expression onBarret's face which induced her instantly to recur to scientificresearch.
Now, good reader, if you think we are going further, and expect usrudely to draw aside the curtain here, and betray confidences, you aremistaken. But there is no reason against--indeed, the development ofour story supplies every reason in favour of--our taking note of certainfacts which bear indirectly on the subject before us.
Far away on a shoulder of the mountain, which rose on the other side ofthe valley, lying between it and the Eagle Cliff, a grey speck mighthave been seen perched on a rock. Even as the crow flies the distancewas so great that the unassisted human eye could not have distinguishedwhat it was. It might have been a grey cow, or a grew crow, or a greyrabbit, or a grey excrescence of the rock itself; but a telescope wouldhave revealed the fact that it was Allan Gordon, the laird of Kinlossie!
Serenity was stamped on the old man's brow, for he was amiable bynature, and he had been rendered more amiable that morning by having hada pleasant chat, while ascending the mountain, with Mabberly andJackman. The latter he had begun facetiously to style the "Woods andForester." The shooting party had left him there, according to previousarrangement, and the old gentleman had seated himself on the grey rockto rest and commune with nature for a short time, before beginning thedescent of the steep mountain path, and wending his way homeward.
From his commanding point of observation the entire range of the EagleCliff lay spread out before him, with the sea visible on the extreme ofeither hand. The great valley lay between, with impassable gulfs andgorges caused by its wild torrents, and its level patches, strewn withthe fallen _debris_ of ages, out of which the larger masses of rock roselike islands in a grey ocean; but these huge masses became almostinsignificant, owing to the overpowering impression of the cliff itself.For some time the laird gazed at it in silent admiration. Presently asmile beamed on his countenance.
"Ha! my puss, is that you?" he muttered, as he took a binoculartelescope from his pocket and adjusted it. "I guessed as much. TheEagle Cliff has powerful attractions for you, what with its grandeur andthe `rare plants' you are so mad about. I _think_ it is _you_, thoughat such a distance I might easily mistake a sheep or a deer for you--and, after all, that would be no mistake, for you _are_ a dear!"
He did not condescend to smile at his own mild little joke, as heapplied the telescope to his eyes.
"Yes, I'm right--and very comfortable you seem too, though I can't makeout your party. Both Aggy and Junkie seem to have left you. Perhapsthe rocks may hide them. It's so far off that--hallo!"
A sudden frown clouded the laird's face as he gave vent to that hallo.
"The rascal!" he muttered between his compressed lips. "He heard atbreakfast, as well as the rest of us, that Milly wanted no intruders.Humph! I had given him credit for better taste than this implies. Eh!come, sir, this is quite inexcusable!"
The laird became excited as he continued to gaze, and his indignationdeepened as he hastily wiped the glasses of the binocular. Applyingthem again to his eyes, his frown became still darker.
"For shame, you young scamp!" he continued to mutter, "taking advantageof your contemptible botany to bring your two heads together in a waythat Milly would never have permitted _but_ for that ridiculous science.Ha! they've let the whole concern fall--serves 'em right--and--no!dropped it on purpose. What! Do you _dare_ to grip my niece's hand,and--and--she lets you! Eh! your arm round--Stop!" shouted the wrathfulman, springing up and almost hurling his binocular at the unconsciouspair. But his shout, although fifty times louder, would have failed tocross the valley. Like his anger, it was unavailing. Thrusting theglass into its case with a bang, he strode down the mountain-side inrampant fury, leaving the solemn eagle to watch the lovers as theyplighted their troth under the mighty cliff. Happily they brought themomentous transaction to a close just before Junkie and the highlyconvalescent Aggy Anderson re-appeared upon the scene.
That afternoon, before dinner, John Barret asked Mr Gordon to accordhim the pleasure of a private interview in the library.
"Certainly, sir," said the laird sternly; "and all the more that I hadvery much desired some private conversation with _you_."
Barret was not a little surprised at the old man's tone and manner, buttook no notice of it, and went alone with him into the library, where hemade a full and frank confession of his love for Milly, and of hishaving proposed to her and been accepted--on condition that her motherdid not object.
"And now, Mr Gordon," added the youth, earnestly, "I have come toapologise to you, to ask your forgiveness, in fact, and to express myextreme regret at the precipitancy of my conduct. It had been my fullintention, I do assure you, to wait until I had Mrs Moss' sanction topay my addresses to her daughter, but a--a--sudden opportunity, which Ihad not sought for or expected--for, of course, I knew nothing of theplace where the picnic was to be--this--this--opportunity, I say, tookme by surprise, and threw me off my guard--and--and--in short, love--Oh!_you_ know well enough the power of love, Mr Gordon, and can makeallowance for my acting precipitately!"
The old gentleman was touched on a tenderer spot than the young man wasaware of when he made this appeal to his own experience, for, in daysgone by, young Allan Gordon had himself acted precipitately.
But, although the appeal had touched him, he did not allow the fact tobe seen, nor did he interrupt the youth's confession.
"Observe, Mr Gordon," continued Barret, drawing himself up slightly,"the only wrong-doing for which I ask pardon is undue haste. Myposition, financially and otherwise, entitles me to marry, and darlingMilly has a right to accept whom she will. If it be thought that she istoo young and does not know her own mind, I am willing to wait. If shewere to change her mind in the meantime, I would accept the inevitable--but I have no fear of _that_!"
The laird's features had been relaxing while the enthusiastic youthproceeded, but the last speech upset his gravity altogether.
"Well, well, Barret," he said, "since you have condemned yourself foracting hastily, it would ill become your host to overwhelm you withreproaches, and to say truth, after what you have said, I hope that thecourse of true love will in your case run smooth. But, my youngfriend," he added, in more serious tones, "I must strictly forbid anyfurther reference to this with Milly, till her mother comes. She isunder my care and, being responsible for her, I must see that nothingfurther takes place till I am able to hand her, and all her affairs,over to her mother. I will explain this to Milly, and give her tounderstand that you will behave to her in all respects as you did beforethe occurrence of this unfortunate picnic. Meanwhile it may comfort youto know that her mother is already predisposed in your favour--naturallytoo, for she would be ungrateful, as well as eccentric, if she had noregard for the man who has twice saved her child's life. Ah! there goesthe dinner-bell, and I'm glad of it, for prolonged speaking fatigues me.Come along."