Brownsmith's Boy Part 36

I was about to appeal to them for help, but my instinct told me that such an application would be in vain, while their first words told me how right I was.

"Give it him, Ned. What's he a-doin' here?" said one.

"See if he's got any tin," said the other.

"Ah! make him pay up," said the first.

"'Ow much have yer got, eh?" said my captor, giving me a shake, which was the signal for the boy to kick at me again with all his might.

"Gahn, will yer," cried the man, "or I'll wrap that rope's end round yer."

The woman just then made a step forward and struck at the boy, who dodged the blow, and retreated to the far end of the room, the woman shrinking away too as the man growled:

"Let him alone; will yer?"

I seized the opportunity to wrench myself partly away, and to catch hold of the rope, which the man had now beneath one of his feet.

"Ah, would yer!" he shouted, tearing the rope away from me. "Comes up here, mates, bold as bra.s.s, and says it's his'n."

I felt more enraged and mortified now than alarmed, and I cried out:

"It is our rope, and that boy stole it; and I'll tell the police."

"Oh! yer will, will yer?" cried my captor. "We'll see about that.

Here, what money have yer got?"

"I've only enough for my breakfast," I cried defiantly. "Give me my rope and let me go."

"Oh yes, I'll let yer go," he cried, as I wrestled to get away, fighting with all my might, and striving to reach the rope at the same moment.

"Look out, Ned," said one of the men at the door, grinning. "He'll be too much for yer;" and the other uttered a hoa.r.s.e laugh.

"Ah, that he will!" cried the big fellow, letting me get hold of the rope, and, tightening his grasp upon my collar, he kicked my legs from under me, so that I fell heavily half across the coil, while he went down on one knee and held me panting and quivering there, perfectly helpless.

The boy made another dart forward, and I saw the woman catch at him by the head, but his shortly-cropped hair glided through her hands, and he would have reached me had not the man kicked out at him and made him stop suddenly and watch for another chance.

"Who's got a knife?" growled the man now savagely as he turned towards the two fellows at the door; "I'll soon show him what it is to come here a-wanting to steal our cart-ropes. Chuck that there knife here."

He rose as he spoke, and planted one foot upon my chest. Then catching the pocket-knife thrown to him by one of the men at the door, he opened it with a great deal of show and menace, bending down to stare savagely in my eyes as he whetted the blade upon the boot resting on my chest.

Of course I was a good deal alarmed, but I knew all the while that this was all show and that the great ruffian was trying to frighten me. I was in a desperately bad state, in an evil place, but it was broad daylight, and people had seen me come in, so that I did not for a moment think he would dare to kill me. All the same, though, I could not help feeling a curious nervous kind of tremor run through my frame as he flourished the knife about and glared at me as if pondering as to what he should do next.

"I wish Ike were here," I thought; and as I did so I could not help thinking how big and strong he was, and how little he would make of seizing this great cowardly ruffian by the throat and making him let me go.

"Now, then," he cried, "out wi' that there money." For answer, I foolishly showed him where it was by clapping my hand upon my pocket, when, with a grin of satisfaction, he tore my hand away, thrust in his great fingers, and dragged it out, spat on the various coins, and thrust them in his own pocket.

"What d'yer say?" he cried, bending down again towards me.

"The police shall make you give that up," I panted.

"Says we're to spend this here in beer, mates," he said, grinning, while the woman stood with her eyes half shut and her arms folded, looking on.

The two men at the door laughed.

"Now, then," said the big fellow, "since he's come out genteel-like with his money, I don't think I'll give him the knife this time. Get up with yer, and be off while your shoes are good."

He took his great boot off my chest, and I started up.

"I wouldn't give much for yer," he growled, "if yer showed yer face here agen."

He accompanied this with such a menacing look that I involuntarily shrank away, but recovering myself directly I seized the coil of rope and made for the door.

"What!" roared the great ruffian, s.n.a.t.c.hing the rope, and, as I held on to it, dragging me back. "Trying to steal, are you?"

"It's mine--it's ours," I cried pa.s.sionately.

"Oh! I'll soon let yer know about that," he cried. "Look here, mates; this is our rope, ain't it?"

"Yes," said one of them: "I'll swear to it."

"It's mine," I cried, tugging at it angrily.

"Let go, will yer--d'yer hear; let go."

He tugged and s.n.a.t.c.hed at it savagely, and just then the boy leaped upon me, b.u.t.ting at me, and striking with all his might, infuriating me so by his cowardly attack, that, holding on to the rope with one hand, I swung round my doubled fist with the other and struck him with all my might.

It must have been a heavy blow right in the face, for he staggered back, caught against a chair, and then fell with a crash, howling dismally.

"Look at that, now," cried the big ruffian. "Now he shall have it."

"Serves him right!" said the woman pa.s.sionately.

"Let the boy go, Ned, or you'll get into trouble."

"I'll get into trouble for something then," cried the fellow savagely, as he hurt me terribly by jerking the rope out of my hand and catching me by the collar, when I saw the two men at the open door look round, and I heard a familiar growl on the stairs that made my heart leap with joy.

"Ike!--Here!--Ike!" I shouted with all my might.

"Hold yer row," hissed the great ruffian in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, and clapping one hand behind my head he placed the other upon my mouth.

He dragged me round, half-choked and helpless, and then he said something over his shoulder to the woman, while I fought and struggled, and tried hard to shout again to Ike, whose heavy feet I could hear in the midst of a good deal of altercation on the stairs.

As I struggled to get free I saw that the window was opened and the rope thrown out. Then the window was quickly shut, and I was dragged towards the door.

"Here, you be off outer this," whispered the great ruffian, with his lips close to my ear. "You cut; and don't you--"

He stopped short, holding me tightly, and seemed to hesitate, his eyes glaring round as if in search of some place where he could hide me, not knowing what to do for the best.

"Shut the door, mates," he said quickly; and the two men dragged the door to after them as they stood outside.