then, however; we were in far too great ahurry to put as many miles as the day would admit of between us and thescenes of our wild piratical escapades. For we had not a doubt that, assoon as the _Thunderbolt_ was once safely moored, the hue and cry wouldgo out for the capture of the daring pirates who had threatened to blowone of Her Majesty's flag-ships, with a tame admiral on board of it, outof the water.
So we went on, and on, and on, bearing away to the north, the countrybecoming wilder and more desolate at every turn of the road. When itwas long past midday we began to feel very hungry, and, spying smokerising from a little roadside inn not far off, we determined to halt andrefresh ourselves.
A very quiet-looking, motherly sort of woman showed us into a neatlittle parlour, and making her acquainted with our desires, she went outand soon returned with a dinner fit for a king. Indeed I am sure thatKing Charles, when he was in hiding, did not fare half so well. Herewere new potatoes, and boiled bacon and beans, and a jug of table beer,to say nothing of the white cloth and the wild flowers. What more coulda king desire?
We felt exceedingly comfortable after dinner, and much bolder. Indeedwe felt so far braced up that I determined forthwith to write to AuntieSerapheema and our darling mother. We had brought with us our littlewriting-cases, so, with Jill looking over my shoulder, I began writing.
Auntie's letter did not take long. We expressed our sorrow, thanked herfor all her kindness, and told her we were determined to be sailors ifnot captured; and that we hoped one day to return to England laden withjewels and gold, and come back and live happy ever after in TrafalgarCottage. We sent our love to Sally and Robert, and our very dearestlove to little Mattie; and we signed the letter with our names in full.
That last was a stroke of policy, we thought.
Next we commenced writing to papa and mamma. I wrote letter afterletter and tore them all up, carefully stowing away the pieces in ourbag, lest if left about they might lead to our capture.
I hardly remember what sort of a tear-blotched, loving, and penitentepistle the last was, but perhaps it would have answered as well as alonger one. Just then a postman hove in sight. He stopped to refreshhimself, and I ran out and gave him the letters. I had not evenforgotten to put the correct number of stamps on poor mamma's.
So we had crossed the Rubicon.
But having sent the letter to mamma, a load appeared to have fallen offmy mind, all in a heap as it were.
When we asked the landlady how much was to pay, she looked at us andsaid, "Sixpence each."
"Which way are you going?" she added.
"North," I answered.
"You'll be on a walking tour, young sirs?"
I nodded.
"Well, you better not walk farther the night. There isn't another housenow for seven miles. You're on the moor. I can give you a clean, nicebed, and breakfast any time you like in the morning."
I consulted with Jill and we concluded to stay.
When alone again we counted our money. Financial ruin did not stare usin the face, for our united fund from the savings of many a luckypenny--dear aunt was so good to us--came to a few shillings over sevenpounds. We thought ourselves rich, but determined to be very cautiousnevertheless.
We slept well and did not dream once. Our bedroom was a little attic,the window of which looked over the front causeway. The sound of manyvoices awoke us next morning. I sprang out of bed, and peepedcautiously out from under a corner of the blind.
To my horror and dismay the roadway was crowded with soldiers, and Icould distinctly see the glitter of fixed bayonets. Pale and tremblingwere both of us now, but we dressed and waited. After about an hour'sterrible suspense the party broke up, one half--who, by the way, had aprisoner--going south, and the rest going on in the direction of themoor.
The men were only hunting for deserters, after all, so our appetitereturned, and we did ample justice to the good things set before us bythe kind landlady. Then we bade her good-bye, and started.
We had to move with great caution now, for we knew the soldiers were onahead, and we did not know what might happen. However, nothing didhappen all that forenoon. We must have missed our way somehow, forinstead of coming to the one house the woman spoke of, we came to quitea little hamlet, with a shop or two, and here, not knowing what might bebefore us, we bought provisions enough in the shape of bacon, butter,bread, and red herrings--we were not dainty--to last us for a week atleast.
Then cautiously inquiring our way north, and after making a hearty lunchat a small inn, we set out once more, and, feeling very buoyant andfresh, walked on as straight as the road would take us till nearlysundown.
We never came to an eminence, however, without getting up and gazinground us, and when we came to a wooded turn in the road we deserted italtogether and took to the bush.
Just about sundown we heard voices on ahead, and Jill and I leapt likedeer behind a hedge, and lay as still as snakes do. We soon saw thegleam of scarlet. It was the soldiers returning, and with them, betweenmen with fixed bayonets, a poor dejected-looking lad with his fatiguejacket open and soiled, and his head bare. He was handcuffed.
When right opposite us they all stopped.
"Give us a light, Bill," said one.
They had only stopped to light their pipes, though Jill and I trembledlike aspen leaves. I noticed that one of the men, after he had taken adraw or two himself, wiped the pipe-stem and thrust it friendly-likeinto the the prisoner's mouth. He must have been a good man.
But we gathered enough from their conversation, brief as it was, toquite frighten us.
"He's on the moor," said one, "and they're bound to have him."
"A desperate character, isn't he?"
"Rather. Kill you as soon as wink."
Then they went on.
Who was this desperate character, abroad on the moor?
"Surely they can't refer to me, Jill?" I said.
"Oh no," said Jill; "certainly not. They would have mentioned me, youknow."
"I don't think so, Jill. You are not such a desperate character as Iam."
"Oh yes; I'm ten times worse," said Jill, awfully.
We soon after came into a country high, bleak, and desolate, with onlyhere and there a clump of trees. Hills there were in plenty, but housesnone.
And night was falling fast, and both of us were getting very tired. Wewould have to sleep out, that was evident, and so determined to take thefirst available shelter. So on coming to a bushy gully, with a tinystreamlet going singing down the centre of it, we left the road andfollowed the water upwards, and were soon at the foot of a rock. To mysurprise, on pulling some bushes aside I found a cave.
Some shepherd's, evidently, we thought, for here was a bed of witheredferns, soft and dry; and not far from the mouth of the cave a placewhere a fire had been.
So we camped at once and lit a fire, for I had forgotten nothing. Wemade the fire between some stones, and placed thereon our tin billy withwater to boil for tea.
We soon had made an excellent supper, and Jill's dear eyes sparkled ashe sipped his tea.
"What a splendid bushman you are, Jack!" he said. "This is a first-ratesort of a life, and, don't you know, I wouldn't mind living this way fora month."
"Well," I said, "it seems pretty safe; and I propose we do stop here fora few days. By that time they will think we are far away, and neverlook here for us."
"Agreed," said Jill.
Then we went and gathered a quantity of fern, so that we had quite adelightful bed in the cave; and as night was now over all the wastesaround us, we determined to retire. The stars were out and glimmeringdown, and bats wheeling about, and every now and then the _tu-whit--tu-whoo_! of the brown owl made us start. It sounded so close to us,and oh, it was so mournful!
Other than that there was not a sound to be heard. We crept in, and Ilit a candle as coolly as if I had been an old campaigner. I stuck itbetween two stones. Then I read a bit from mother's Bible, and down welay after that, leav
ing the candle burning for company's sake. We didnot like to be quite in the dark in so eeriesome a place.
But tired as we were, we lay and talked and planned for hours, and whenI looked at my watch--yes, we each had a watch--I was surprised to findit was nearly twelve o'clock.
"We needn't hurry up in the morning though, Jill."
"Assuredly not," said Jill.
Five minutes after we were sound asleep.
It might have been an hour afterwards, or it might have been two. Iknow not. But I do know we both awoke with a start at the same moment,and sat up shaking and trembling with fear.
A terrible-looking man stood in the cave gazing down at us.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
GOOD ADVICE FROM A STRANGE QUARTER--MIDNIGHT AND ANXIETY.
The state of my mind at this moment must have been akin to that of asnake-charmed bird. I felt utterly, abjectly