The Golden Magnet Part 51

Then saying something in a whisper to his companion they both hurried off, and for the rest of the day, in spite of the aspect I carried before those in the house, I was in no little trepidation.

Late in the afternoon, when we had been expecting a call every moment from some one in authority, and Tom had been waiting ready to run off at the first attack to the British vice-consul, a quiet, firm-looking, sailor-like man came up to where I was standing.

"Are you the Englishman who wants to go with his family to Kingston?"

"Yes," I said, looking at him earnestly, for I was wondering whether it was a trap laid by the Yankee skipper.

"I just heard of it down at the wharf," he said. "I'll take you, only I sail to-night."

I was going to exclaim, "That's just what I want!" but restrained myself, and said quietly, "That's a very short notice."

"Well, 'tis, sir; but I'm all laden, and time's money. If you can be ready I'll take you, and be glad to earn the pa.s.sage money, and do the best I can to make you and the ladies comfortable, but if you can't I must lose the job."

"We will be ready, then," I said; "only I have these heavy chests to go."

"Oh, they're nothing," said the skipper good-humouredly. "I'll bring the boat up abreast here, and four o' my lads. We'll soon have them in."

We soon settled about terms, which were reasonable enough, and promising to be there with the boat in an hour, the man left.

"Well, Tom, what is it?" I said excitedly. "A trap or honesty?"

"Honesty, Mas'r Harry," he cried sharply. "That chap's straight-forrard enough."

"So I think," I cried, "and we'll risk it. To-morrow we may be stopped."

My aunt and Lilla were almost startled at the suddenness of the proposed departure, and my uncle looked anxious; but they said nothing, only made their final preparations, and soon after dark the fresh skipper came up with half a dozen men.

"I thought I'd bring enough," he said. "Now, my lads, be smart. Chest apiece, they ain't big."

It was all so sudden that my breath was almost taken away; but I had said that I would risk it, and there was nothing else to do but go on.

In the darkness, too, it was hard to tell whether our property was all being fairly dealt with, but I watched as keenly as I could, and Tom went down to the boat with the first men, my uncle taking charge of Lilla and my aunt, while I stopped back at the house and sent all the luggage off.

It was pitchy dark now, and matters were carried out with a rapidity that was startling. In fact, in a quarter of an hour everything was on board the heavy boat, the men in their places, my aunt, Lilla, and my uncle in the stern sheets, and Tom and I were about to step in when Lilla exclaimed:

"Oh, Harry! I've left the great cloak in my room!"

I was about to exclaim "Never mind," and, in my excitement to get clear, order the men to push off, but it was Lilla's wish, and without a word I started back to fetch the cloak.

It was the most painful pa.s.sage I ever had in my life. It was only minutes but it seemed hours, and with my heart beating furiously, I tried to crush down the fancies that kept coming into my head.

"Suppose," I thought, "that man is in the American skipper's pay, and that, now they have possession of my treasure, they should carry it off, and I should never see it more." I knew that I might go back and find the boat gone, pursuit would be vain in the darkness; and so tortured was I as I reached the house we had left, that I turned instead of going in, and stepped back to run down again to the boat.

That bit of indecision saved me, for just at my elbow a voice I recognised said:

"Now then, four o' you just go round to the back and stop whoever comes out. Two watch the windows, and we'll go in. I guess it'll make the Englisher star'."

The Englisher did stare as he tried to gaze through the darkness, and then, feeling satisfied that the new skipper had nothing to do with the American, I stepped softly back, trembling with eagerness and excitement, and made my way down to the boat.

"All right," I said in as composed a manner as I could, and jumping in we were soon after being rowed softly down the river, past great vessel after vessel, all showing their mooring lights, till, wondering the while what sort of s.h.i.+p we were to have for our pa.s.sage, we came at last alongside a large schooner, and were soon after safe aboard, treasure and all, of what proved to be a very good swift vessel.

In the morning when the sun rose we were going rapidly down towards the mouth of the great river, but it was not until we were well out at sea that I felt safe from pursuit, and told my uncle of our narrow escape.

"But I have not been able to find the great cloak, Harry," said Lilla.

"No," I replied; "it was a question whether I should leave the cloak or myself, so I left the cloak," and then I told her of my adventure in the dark.

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE.

"HUZZA! WE'RE HOMEWARD BOUND."

And now it seemed as if our difficulties were at an end, for the pa.s.sage to Kingston, Jamaica, was a pleasant one, and we took our berths from there in the mail, which landed us in safety at Southampton, without a soul suspecting the nature of the treasure that we had on board, one which we had gone through so much peril to obtain.

It was a fine evening in July, that, after leaving my uncle and the others at a comfortable London hotel, Tom and I, after a quick run down by rail, found ourselves once more in the streets of the little town which we had left upon our setting off to foreign lands in quest of our fortunes.

How familiar everything seemed and yet how shrunken! Houses that I used to consider large appeared to have grown small, and people that I had been in the habit of considering great and important, somehow looked as if they were of no consequence at all.

"Lor', look ye there, Mas'r Harry, they're practising in the cricket field. What a while it seems since I have handled a bat! Come and give us a few b.a.l.l.s, the chaps would be glad enough to see us."

"No, no, Tom," I said hastily, "I want to see the old people."

"Oh, yes, of course, I forgot all about that, Mas'r Harry. I haven't got no one to see."

"Why, what about Sally?" I said.

"Pooh, it's all nonsense! What stuff! How you do talk, Mas'r Harry!"

he cried indignantly. "Just as if Sally was anything to me!"

"Come, Tom," I said, "you know you were always very great friends."

"Friends, Mas'r Harry! Why, she were allus giving me spanks in the face. I do wish you wouldn't be so foolish, Mas'r Harry."

"All right, Tom," I said, for he was speaking in quite an ill-used tone.

"There, what's that?" I cried, as with beating heart, longing to look into the old home and yet almost afraid, I stopped short at the corner of the lane, and caught Tom by the arm.

"What's that?" cried Tom grinning, as he took a long sniff. "Taller.

Say, Mas'r Harry, after missing it all this long time, it don't smell so very bad after all."

"Well, it is not nice, Tom," I said smiling, "but how familiar it all does seem! What days and nights it does recall! Why, Tom, we hardly seem to have been away."

"Oh, but don't we though?" said Tom, pulling down the front of a new waistcoat and pus.h.i.+ng his hat a little on one side. "We went away n.o.bodies like, at least I did, Mas'r Harry, and I've come back an independent gentleman. I wonder whether Sally's altered."

I did not make any reply, but walked steadily on till I reached the familiar gates leading into our yard, and through which I had seen the laden van pa.s.s so many hundreds of times. There beyond it was the soap-house with its barred window, the tall chimney, and, on looking over, there were the usual litter of old and new boxes, while an unpleasantly scented steam was floating out upon the evening air.

How strange and yet how familiar it all seemed! How old and shabby and forlorn everything looked, and yet how dear! I wanted to creep in and catch my mother in my arms, but something seemed to hold me back, so that I dare not stir.

I walked straight by, with Tom following me slowly, looking across at the opposite side of the road, and whistling softly, and as we walked on I could see into the garden, and my heart gave a throb, for, instead of being neat and well stocked as of old, everything appeared to have been neglected--creepers had run wild, the apple and pear trees were covered with long shoots, and tall thistles and nettles stood in clumps.