CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
THE TROUBLE GROWS.
Dexter got down out of the willow-tree with a seed in his brain.
Bob Dimsted had dropped that seed into his young mind, and there it hadstruck root directly, and continued to grow. A hard fight nowcommenced.
So long as he was with Helen or the doctor, he could think of nothingbut the fact that they were so kind to him, and took so much interest inhis welfare, that it would be horribly ungrateful to go away withoutleave, and he vowed that he would not go.
But so sure as he was alone, a series of dissolving views began to floatbefore his vivid imagination, and he saw Sir James Danby's boat managedby Bob Dimsted and himself, gliding rapidly along through river andalong by sunlit shores, where, after catching wonderfully tinted fish,he and the boy landed to light a fire, cook their food, and partake ofit in a delightful gipsy fashion. Then they put to sea again, andglided on past wondrous isles where cocoa-nut palms waved in the softbreeze.
Try how he would, Dexter could not keep these ideas out of his head, andthe more he thought, the brighter and more attractive they became; andday after day found him, whenever he had an opportunity, waiting aboutby the river-side in the expectation of seeing Bob Dimsted.
Bob did not come, but as Dexter climbed up into his nest in the willowpollard his vivid imagination supplied the words he had said, and heseemed to see himself sailing away, with the boy for his companion, downthe river, and out into the open sea; a portion of this globe which heformed out of his own fancy, the result being wonderfully unlike thetruth.
Bob did not come, but Helen noticed how quiet and thoughtful the boyseemed, and also how he affected that portion of the garden.
"Why don't you fish, Dexter?" she said to him one day, as she saw himgazing disconsolately at the river.
He had not thought of this as an excuse for staying down by the river,but he snatched at the idea now, and for the next week, whenever hecould get away from his lessons or their preparation, he was down on thebank, dividing his time between watching his float and the oppositeshore.
But still Bob Dimsted did not come; and at last Dexter began to settledown seriously to his fishing, as the impressions made grew more faint.
Then all at once back they came; for as he sat watching his float oneday, a voice said sharply--
"Now then! why don't you strike!"
But Dexter did not strike, and the fish went off with the bait as theholder of the rod exclaimed--
"Why haven't you been fishing all this time!"
"What was the good?" said Bob, "I was getting ready to go, and talkingto my mate, who's going with me."
"Your mate!" exclaimed Dexter, whose heart sank at those words.
"Yes, I know'd you wouldn't go, so. I began to look out for a chap whowould."
"But I didn't say that I really would not go," said Dexter, as he laidhis tackle under the bushes.
"Oh yes, you did; I could see what you meant. Do they bite to-day!"
"I don't know," said Dexter dolefully. "But, I say, you couldn't havethat boat if you wanted to."
"Oh yes, I could if I liked."
"But it isn't yours."
"Tchah! couldn't you borrow it!"
Dexter did not see how, and he climbed into the willow, while Bob wenton fishing.
"I hate a chap who is always trying to find out things to stop a fellowfrom doing anything. Why don't you say you won't go and ha' done withit?"
Dexter sighed as he thought of the wonderful fish to be caught, and thegreat nuts on the trees, each of which nuts would make a meal. Then ofthe delight of sailing away in that beautiful boat down the river, andthen out to sea, where they could land upon the sands and light theirfire; and it seemed to him that such a life would be one long time ofdelight.
He sat in his nest picking the buds off the willow twigs, and bendingand lacing them together, furtively glancing at grubby-looking BobDimsted, whose appearance was not attractive; but what were appearancesto a boy who possessed such gifts of knowledge in fishing and managing aboat, and had learned so much about foreign lands?
Dexter sighed again, and Bob gave him a furtive look, as with evidentenjoyment he took a red worm out of some moss and stuck his sharp hookinto it, drew the writhing creature over the shank, and then passed thepoint through again and again.
So to speak, he had impaled Dexter on a moral hook as well, the barb hadgone right in so that it could not be drawn out without tearing; andDexter writhed and twined, and felt as if he would have given anythingto get away.
Bob went on fishing, throwing the twisting worm just down among theroots of a willow-tree, and the float told directly after that the castwas not without avail, for there was a quick bobbing movement, then asharp snatch, Bob struck, and, after a good deal of rushing about andsplashing, a good-sized perch was landed, with its sharp back fin erect,and its gilded sides, with their black markings, glistening in thesunshine.
"What a beauty!" cried Dexter enthusiastically, as for the moment thewonders of the boating expedition were forgotten.
But they were brought back directly.
"Pooh!" exclaimed Bob contemptuously. "That's nothing; only a littleperch. Why, if we went off fishing in that boat, you'd chuck a fishlike that in again."
But Bob did not "chuck" that perch in again; he placed it in his basket,and directly after caught up his various articles of fishing-gear andran off.
Dexter was about to speak, but just then he heard a harsh cough, and,glancing through the screen of willow twigs which surrounded him, he sawold Dan'l coming hastily down over the grass path towards the tree.
"Yes, I can see yer," he shouted, as he reached the water's edge; and,to Dexter's surprise, he found that it was not he the old gardener wasaddressing. "You come over there fishing again, I'll send the policearter yer."
Bob, safe at a distance, made a derisive gesture.
"None of your sarse, you poaching young vagabond. I know what you camethere for. Be off with you."
"Shan't," cried Bob, as he settled down to fish a hundred yards away.
"Always coming here after that boy," grumbled Dan'l. "If I could havemy way I'd bundle 'em both out of the town together. Young robbers,--that's what they are, the pair of 'em."
Dexter's face flushed, and he was about to respond, but the old gardenerbegan to move away.
"Doctor ought to be ashamed of himself," he grumbled, as he stood for amoment or two looking round in search of Dexter, but never looking abovethe brim of his broad straw hat, and the next moment Dexter was leftalone seated in the crown of the old willow, very low-spirited andthoughtful, as he came down from his perch, brushed the bits of greenfrom his clothes, and then walked slowly up toward the house, taking theother side of the garden; but of course coming right upon Dan'l, whofollowed him about till he took refuge in the doctor's study, with abook whose contents seemed to be a history of foreign lands, and thepictures records of the doings of one Dexter Grayson and his companionBob. For the old effervescence consequent upon his having been keptdown so long was passing off, and a complete change seemed to be comingover the boy.
Quicksilver--by George Manville Fenn
Quicksilver: The Boy With No Skid to His Wheel Page 23