CHAPTER FOUR.
THE BURGLARY.
On the night in question, Big Swankie and a likeminded companion, whowent among his comrades by the name of the Badger, had planned to commita burglary in the town, and it chanced that the former was about thatbusiness when Captain Ogilvy unexpectedly ran against him and DavySpink.
Spink, although a smuggler, and by no means a particularly respectableman, had not yet sunk so low in the scale of life as to be willing tocommit burglary. Swankie and the Badger suspected this, and, althoughthey required his assistance much, they were afraid to ask him to join,lest he should not only refuse, but turn against them. In order to getover the difficulty, Swankie had arranged to suggest to him the robberyof a store containing gin, which belonged to a smuggler, and, if heagreed to that, to proceed further and suggest the more important matterin hand. But he found Spink proof against the first attack.
"I tell 'ee, I'll hae naething to do wi't," said he, when the proposalwas made.
"But," urged Swankie, "he's a smuggler, and a cross-grained houndbesides. It's no' like robbin' an honest man."
"An' what are _we_ but smugglers?" retorted Spink; "an' as to bein'cross-grained, you've naethin' to boast o' in that way. Na, na,Swankie, ye may do't yersel, I'll hae nae hand in't. I'll no objec' totak a bit keg o' Auchmithie water [smuggled spirits] noo and then, or topick up what comes to me by the wund and sea, but I'll steal frae naeman."
"Ay, man, but ye've turned awfu' honest all of a suddent," said theother with a sneer. "I wonder the thretty sovereigns I gied ye theother day, when we tossed for them and the case o' kickshaws, havena'brunt yer pooches."
Davy Spink looked a little confused.
"Aweel," said he, "it's o' nae use greetin' ower spilt milk, the thing'sdone and past noo, and I canna help it. Sae guidnight to 'ee."
Swankie, seeing that it was useless to attempt to gain over his comrade,and knowing that the Badger was waiting impatiently for him near theappointed house, hurried away without another word, and Davy Spinkstrolled towards his home, which was an extremely dirty little hut, nearthe harbour.
At the time of which we write, the town of Arbroath was neither so welllighted nor so well guarded as it now is. The two burglars foundnothing to interfere with their deeds of darkness, except a few boltsand bars, which did not stand long before their expert hands.Nevertheless, they met with a check from an unexpected quarter.
The house they had resolved to break into was inhabited by a widow lady,who was said to be wealthy, and who was known to possess a considerablequantity of plate and jewels. She lived alone, having only one oldservant and a little girl to attend upon her. The house stood on apiece of ground not far from the ruins of the stately abbey whichoriginated and gave celebrity to the ancient town of Aberbrothoc. MrsStewart's house was full of Eastern curiosities, some of them of greatvalue, which had been sent to her by her son, then a major in the EastIndia Company's service.
Now, it chanced that Major Stewart had arrived from India that very day,on leave of absence, all unknown to the burglars, who, had they beenaware of the fact, would undoubtedly have postponed their visit to amore convenient season.
As it was, supposing they had to deal only with the old lady and her twoservants, they began their work between twelve and one that night, withconsiderable confidence, and in great hopes of a rich booty.
A small garden surrounded the old house. It was guarded by a wall abouteight feet high, the top of which bristled with bottle-glass. The oldlady and her domestics regarded this terrible-looking defence with muchsatisfaction, believing in their innocence that no human creature couldsucceed in getting over it. Boys, however, were their only dread, andfruit their only care, when they looked complacently at the bottle-glasson the wall, and, so far, they were right in their feeling of security,for boys found the labour, risk, and danger to be greater than the worthof the apples and pears.
But it was otherwise with men. Swankie and the Badger threw a piece ofthick matting on the wall; the former bent down, the latter stepped uponhis back, and thence upon the mat; then he hauled his comrade up, andboth leaped into the garden.
Advancing stealthily to the door, they tried it and found it locked.The windows were all carefully bolted, and the shutters barred. Thisthey expected, but thought it as well to try each possible point ofentrance, in the hope of finding an unguarded spot before havingrecourse to their tools. Such a point was soon found, in the shape of asmall window, opening into a sort of scullery at the back of the house.It had been left open by accident. An entrance was easily effected bythe Badger, who was a small man, and who went through the house with thesilence of a cat, towards the front door. There were two lobbies, aninner and an outer, separated from each other by a glass door.Cautiously opening both doors, the Badger admitted his comrade, and thenthey set to work.
A lantern, which could be uncovered or concealed in a moment, enabledthem to see their way.
"That's the dinin'-room door," whispered the Badger.
"Hist! haud yer jaw," muttered Swankie; "I ken that as weel as you."
Opening the door, they entered and found the plate-chest under thesideboard.
It was open, and a grin of triumph crossed the sweet countenances of thefriends as they exchanged glances, and began to put silver forks andspoons by the dozen into a bag which they had brought for the purpose.
When they had emptied the plate-chest, they carried the bag into thegarden, and, climbing over the wall, deposited it outside. Then theyreturned for more.
Now, old Mrs Stewart was an invalid, and was in the habit of taking alittle weak wine and water before retiring to rest at night. It chancedthat the bottle containing the port wine had been left on the sideboard,a fact which was soon discovered by Swankie, who put the bottle to hismouth, and took a long pull.
"What is't?" enquired the Badger, in a low tone.
"Prime!" replied Swankie, handing over the bottle, and wiping his mouthwith the cuff of his coat.
The Badger put the bottle to his mouth, but unfortunately for him, partof the liquid went down the "wrong throat". The result was that thepoor man coughed, once, rather loudly. Swankie, frowning fiercely, andshaking his fist, looked at him in horror; and well he might, for theBadger became first red and then purple in the face, and seemed as if hewere about to burst with his efforts to keep down the cough. It came,however, three times, in spite of him,--not violently, but withsufficient noise to alarm them, and cause them to listen for fiveminutes intently ere they ventured to go on with their work, in thebelief that no one had been disturbed.
But Major Stewart had been awakened by the first cough. He was asoldier who had seen much service, and who slept lightly. He raisedhimself in his bed, and listened intently on hearing the first cough.The second cough caused him to spring up and pull on his trousers; thethird cough found him halfway downstairs, with a boot-jack in his hand,and when the burglars resumed work he was peeping at them through thehalf-open door.
Both men were stooping over the plate-chest, the Badger with his back tothe door, Swankie with his head towards it. The major raised theboot-jack and took aim. At the same moment the door squeaked, BigSwankie looked up hastily, and, in technical phraseology, "doused theglim." All was dark in an instant, but the boot-jack sped on its waynotwithstanding. The burglars were accustomed to fighting, however, anddipped their heads. The boot-jack whizzed past, and smashed thepier-glass on the mantelpiece to a thousand atoms. Major Stewart beingexpert in all the devices of warfare, knew what to expect, and drewaside. He was not a moment too soon, for the dark lantern flew throughthe doorway, hit the opposite wall, and fell with a loud clatter on thestone floor of the lobby. The Badger followed at once, and received arandom blow from the major that hurled him head over heels after thelantern.
There was no mistaking the heavy tread and rush of Big Swankie as hemade for the door. Major Stewart put out his foot, and the burglarnaturally tripped over it; before he could rise the major
had him by thethroat. There was a long, fierce struggle, both being powerful men; atlast Swankie was hurled completely through the glass door. In the fallhe disengaged himself from the major, and, leaping up, made for thegarden wall, over which he succeeded in clambering before the lattercould seize him. Thus both burglars escaped, and Major Stewart returnedto the house half-naked,--his shirt having been torn off his back,--andbleeding freely from cuts caused by the glass door.
Just as he re-entered the house, the old cook, under the impression thatthe cat had got into the pantry, and was smashing the crockery, enteredthe lobby in her nightdress, shrieked "Mercy on us!" on beholding themajor, and fainted dead away.
Major Stewart was too much annoyed at having failed to capture theburglars to take any notice of her. He relocked the door, and assuringhis mother that it was only robbers, and that they had been beaten off,retired to his room, washed and dressed his wounds, and went to bed.
Meanwhile Big Swankie and the Badger, laden with silver, made for theshore, where they hid their treasure in a hole.
"I'll tell 'ee a dodge," said the Badger.
"What may that be?" enquired Swankie.
"You said ye saw Ruby Brand slinking down the market-gate, and that'she's off to sea?"
"Ay, and twa or three more folk saw him as weel as me."
"Weel, let's tak' up a siller spoon, or somethin', an' put it in theauld wife's garden, an' they'll think it was him that did it."
"No' that bad!" said Swankie, with a chuckle.
A silver fork and a pair of sugar-tongs bearing old Mrs Stewart'sinitials were accordingly selected for this purpose, and placed in thelittle garden in the front of Widow Brand's cottage.
Here they were found in the morning by Captain Ogilvy, who examined themfor at least half-an-hour in a state of the utmost perplexity. While hewas thus engaged one of the detectives of the town happened to pass,apparently in some haste.
"Hallo! shipmate," shouted the captain.
"Well?" responded the detective.
"Did ye ever see silver forks an' sugar-tongs growin' in a gardenbefore?"
"Eh?" exclaimed the other, entering the garden hastily; "let me see.Oho! this may throw some light on the matter. Did you find them here?"
"Ay, on this very spot."
"Hum. Ruby went away last night, I believe?"
"He did."
"Some time after midnight?" enquired the detective.
"Likely enough," said the captain, "but my chronometer ain't quite soreg'lar since we left the sea; it might ha' bin more,--mayhap less."
"Just so. You saw him off?"
"Ay; but you seem more than or'nar inquisitive to-day--"
"Did he carry a bundle?" interrupted the detective.
"Ay, no doubt."
"A large one?"
"Ay, a goodish big 'un."
"Do you know what was in it?" enquired the detective, with a knowinglook.
"I do, for I packed it," replied the captain; "his kit was in it."
"Nothing more?"
"Nothin' as I knows of."
"Well, I'll take these with me just now," said the officer, placing thefork and sugar-tongs in his pocket. "I'm afraid, old man, that yournephew has been up to mischief before he went away. A burglary wascommitted in the town last night, and this is some of the plate. You'llhear more about it before long, I dare say. Good day to ye."
So saying, the detective walked quickly away, and left the captain inthe centre of the garden staring vacantly before him in speechlessamazement.