Dick o' the Fens: A Tale of the Great East Swamp
Page 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
UNDER CLOUDS.
Thorpeley was not badly hurt, so the doctor said when he came; but, asusual, he added, "If it had been an inch or two more to the right animportant vessel would have been divided, and he would have bled todeath."
But if the constable was not badly wounded, though the injury caused bya bullet passing through his leg was an ugly one, the reputations ofDick Winthorpe and Tom Tallington had received such ugly wounds thattheir fathers found it difficult to get them cured.
For Thorpeley stuck to his first story, that he suspected the two boysto be engaged in some nefarious trick, and he had watched them from thetime they borrowed the wheelwright's punt. He went on to describe howhe had offended them by keeping his eye upon their movements, and toldhow they had tried to smother him by leading him into a dangerousmorass, while just at dusk, as he was watching their boat, he saw themstart towards him, and evidently believing that they were unseen fromwhere they had tied their punt, they had deliberately taken aim at himand shot him.
The squire questioned him very sharply, but he adhered to everything.He swore that he saw them thrust the punt away, and go into the mistydarkness; and then when they had heard his cries, they came back andlanded, evidently repentant and frightened, and then helped him down tothe boat.
"But," said the squire, "it might have been two other people in a puntwho shot at you."
"Two others!" shouted the man; "it weer they, and I heered 'em laughingand bragging about it as I lay theer in the bottom o' the boat nearly ina swownd, bud I could hear what they said."
This charge was so serious that, as a matter of course, there was amagisterial inquiry, which was repeated as soon as the constable wassufficiently well to limp into the justice-room in the little town wherehe had been removed as soon as the doctor gave permission, theneighbourhood of the Toft and Hickathrift having grown uncomfortablywarm.
At that last examination the magistrates shook their heads, and, afterhearing a great deal of speaking, decided that Thorpeley must have beendeceived in the darkness, and the charge was dismissed.
In those days the law had two qualities in an out-of-the-way place thathave pretty well died out now. These qualities were laxity andseverity--the disposition to go to extremes; and in this case some ideaof the way in which the work of petty sessions was carried on will begrasped when it is told that after the examination the chairman of thebench of magistrates, an old landholder of the neighbourhood, shookhands with the squire, and then less freely with Farmer Tallington.
"Look here, you two," he said; "we've let off these two young scamps;but you had better send them to sea, or at all events away from here."
"I don't understand you, sir," said the squire hotly.
"I can't help that," was the gruff reply. "You take my advice. Send'em away before there's more mischief done. I sha'n't let 'em off nexttime."
Hickathrift, who had watched all the proceedings, heard these words; andas the two lads trudged home beside him, with the squire and FarmerTallington in front, he told them all that had been said.
Dick said nothing, but Tom fired up and exclaimed angrily, while thewheelwright kept on talking quietly to the former.
"Niver yow mind, lad; we don't think you shot at him. It's some o' theylads t'other side o' the fen. They comes acrost and waits their chance,and then goes back, and nobody's none the wiser. Niver you mind whatowd magistrit said. Magistrit indeed! Why, I'd mak' a better magistritout of owd Solomon any day o' the week."
It was kindly spoken; but if there is a difficult thing to do it is to"never mind" when the heart is sore through some accusation that ranklesfrom its injustice.
"Yes, Tom," said Dick, when they were about half-way home; "they'dbetter send us away."
He looked longingly across the fen with its gleaming waters, wavingreeds, and many-tinted flowers; and as he gazed in the bright afternoonsunshine it seemed as if it had never looked so beautiful before. To anagricultural-minded man it was a watery waste; but to a boy who hadpassed his life there, and found it the home of bird, insect, fish, andflower, and an ever-changing scene of pleasure, it was all that could becalled attractive and bright.
"I'm ready to go," said Tom sturdily; "only I don't know which to do."
"Which to do!" cried Dick, with his face growing red, and his eyesflashing. "Why, what do you mean?"
"Whether to go for a soldier or a sailor."
"Haw! haw!"
Hickathrift's was a curious laugh. At a distance it might have beentaken for a hail; but a fine heron standing heel-deep in the shallowwater took it to be a cry to scare him, so spreading his great flapwings, and stooping so as to get a spring, he flew slowly off withoutstretched legs, while the squire and Farmer Tallington looked back tosee if they had been called.
"What are you laughing at?" said Tom angrily.
"Yow, lad, yow. Why, you arn't big enew to carry a goon; and as forsailing, do you think a ship's like a punt, and shoved along wi' apole!"
"Never mind," grumbled Tom. "I'm not going to stop here and besuspected for nothing."
"Nay, nay, don't you lads talk nonsense."
"It's no nonsense, Hicky," said Dick bitterly. "I've made up my mind togo."
"Nay, nay, I tell thee. Thou wean't goo, lads."
"Indeed but we will," cried Dick energetically.
"What, goo?"
"Yes."
"Height awayer?"
"Yes, right away."
"Then what's to become of me?" cried the wheelwright excitedly.
"Become of you! Why, what's it got to do with you?" cried Tom surlily.
"Do wi' me! Why, iverything. What's the good o' my punt? what's thegood o' me laying up a couple o' good ash-poles for you, and putting abit o' wood up chimney to season, so as to hev it ready for new solesfor your pattens [skates] next winter. Good, indeed! What call hev youto talk that clat?"
"You're a good old chap, Hicky," said Dick, smiling up at the bigfellow; "but you can't understand what I feel over this."
"Hey, bud I can," cried the wheelwright quickly; "you feel just the sameas I did when Farmer Tallington--Tom's father here--said I'd sent him inhis bill after he'd sattled it; and as I did when my missus said I'dtook half a guinea outer money-box to spend i' town. I know, lads.Yes, I know."
"Well, I suppose it is something like that, Hicky," said Dick sadly.
"Ay, joost the same; bud I didn't tell Farmer Tallington as I should gofor a soldier, and I didn't turn on my wife and tell her I should go tosea."
Dick was silent the rest of the way home, but he shook hands verysolemnly with Tom, and Tom pressed his hand hard as they parted at thefarm. Then Dick went on beside the wheelwright, while the squire walkedswiftly ahead, evidently thinking deeply.
There was a meaning in that grip of the hand which Hickathrift did notunderstand; but he kept on talking cheerily to the lad till they wereclose up to the Toft, when, just as the squire turned in and stopped forDick to join him, the wheelwright shook hands with the lad.
"Good day, Mester Dick!" he said aloud; and then in a whisper:
"Don't you go away, lad, for if you do they'll be sure to say it was yowas fired the shot."