CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
AGAINST THE LAW.
The next day, after recounting plenty of my adventures to my mother,but, I am afraid, dressing some of them up so that they should not alarmher, a letter reached me from Uncle Bob.
It was very short. He hoped I had reached town safely, and found allwell. The night had passed quite quietly at the works, and he ended bysaying:
"I took up the trap. All right!"
That was a great relief to me, and made my stay in town quite pleasant.
I went down to the old works with my father, and it made me smile to seehow quiet and orderly everything was, and how different to the new lineof business we had taken up. The men here never thought of committingoutrages or interfering with those who employed them, and I could nothelp thinking what a contrast there was between them and the Arrowfieldrough independence of mien.
My father questioned me a great deal about matters upon which my uncleshad dwelt lightly, but I found that he thoroughly appreciated ourposition there and its risks.
"Not for another six months, Cob," he said in answer to an inquiry as towhen he was coming down.
"You four must pacify the country first," he added laughing, "and havethe business in good going order."
My visit was very pleasant, and I could not help feeling proud of thetreatment I received at home; but all the same I was glad to start againfor Arrowfield and join my uncles in their battle for success.
For there was something very exciting in these struggles with the men,and now I was away all this seemed to be plainer, and the attractiongrew so that there was a disposition on my part to make those at homequite at their ease as to the life I was leading down at Arrowfield.
At last the day came for me to start on my return journey, when oncemore I had a packet to bear.
"I need not tell you that it is of great value, Cob," said my father."Button it up in your pocket, and then forget all about it. That is thesafest way. It takes off all the consciousness."
"I don't suppose I shall meet my friend this time," I said.
My father shuddered slightly.
"It is not likely," he said; "but I should strongly advise you to changecarriages if you find yourself being left alone with a stranger."
Word had been sent down as to the train I should travel by, and in duetime I found myself on the Arrowfield platform and back at our new home,where Mrs Stephenson and Tattsey were ready with the most friendly ofsmiles.
"Everything has been going on splendidly," was the report given to me.Piter had been carefully attended to, and the works watched as well asif I had been at Arrowfield.
I felt annoyed, and, I suppose, showed it, for it seemed as if my uncleswere bantering me, but the annoyance passed off directly under theinfluence of the warmth displayed by all three.
"I'm beginning to be hopeful now that work will go on steadily, thatthis watching can be given up, and that we can take to a few countryexcursions, some fishing, and the like."
That was Uncle Dick's expressed opinion; and I was glad enough to hearit, for though I did not mind the work I liked some play.
Uncle Jack was just as hopeful; but Uncle Bob evidently was not, for hesaid very little.
This time I had travelled by a day train, and I was quite ready to takemy turn at the watching that night. Uncle Jack, whose turn it was,opposed my going, as I had been travelling so far; but I insisted,saying that I had had my regular night's rest ever since I had leftthem, and was consequently quite fresh.
I wanted to ask Uncle Bob where he had hidden the trap, but I had noopportunity, and as neither Uncle Dick nor Uncle Jack made any allusionto it I did not start the subject.
Perhaps Uncle Bob had not told them, meaning to have a few words with mefirst.
It almost seemed like coming home to enter the works again, where Piterwas most demonstrative in his affection, and carried it to such anextent that I could hardly get away.
I had a look round the gloomy old place at once, and felt quite a thrillof pride in the faintly glowing furnaces and machinery as I thought ofthe endless things the place was destined to produce.
"Look here, Cob," said Uncle Jack, "I shall lie down for three hours,mind; and at the end of that time you are to wake me. It is only nineo'clock now, and you can get over that time with a book. There will beno need to walk round the place."
"Would Piter warn us, do you think?" I said.
"Oh, yes! It is getting quite a form our being here. The men aretoning down."
He threw himself on the bed, and I took up a book and read for an hour,after which I had a walk through the gloomy workshops, and in and out ofthe furnace-houses and smithies, where all was quiet as could be.
After this I felt disposed to go and open the big door and look downinto the wheel-pit. I don't know why, only that the place attracted me.I did not, however, but walked back to the doorway to look at the glowwhich overhung the town, with the heavy canopy of ruddy smoke, whileaway behind me the stars were shining brightly, and all was clear.
I patted Piter, who came to the full length of his chain, and then I hada look about with the lantern to see if I could find where Uncle Bob hadput the trap.
I felt that it must be under lock and key somewhere, but the cupboardshad nothing to show, and, try how I would, I could think of no likelyplace for it to be hidden in. So I gave up the task of trying to findit, and walked back to the door, where I found Piter lying down hard atwork trying to push his collar over his head.
The patient, persevering way in which he tried, getting both hisfore-paws against it, was most amusing, the more so that there was notthe slightest possibility of success attending his efforts, for hisneck, which the collar fitted pretty closely, was small, and his bullethead enormous by comparison.
"Come," I said, as I bent over him; "shall I undo it for you?"
He looked up at me as I put the dark lantern down, and whined softly.Then he began working at the collar again.
"Look here," I said, as I sat on the bottom step. "Shall I undo it?"
Dogs must have a good deal of reason, for Piter leaped up and laid hishead in my lap directly, holding it perfectly still while I unbuckledthe strap collar, when he gave a sniff or two at my hands, licked them,and bounded off to have a regular good run all over the place before hecame back and settled down close to me in the little office where I wastrying to read.
Twelve o'clock at last, and I awoke Uncle Jack, who rose at once, freshand clear as if he were amply rested, and soon after I was fast asleep,dreaming away and fancying I could hear the rattle and the throb of thetrain. Then I was talking to that man again, and then swinging out onthe carriage-door with the wind rushing by, and the bluff man leaningout over me, and Piter on the carriage with him, barking at myaggressor, who was shrieking for mercy.
Then I was awake, to see that it was Uncle Jack who was leaning over me,and the window was open, admitting a stream of cold air and a curiousyelling noise, mingled with the barking of a dog.
"What is the matter?" I cried.
"That's what I want to know," said Uncle Jack. "I went with a candle,but the wind puffed it out. Where did you put the lantern?"
"Lantern--lantern!" I said in a confused way, "did I have it?"
"Yes; you must have had it. Can't you think? Gracious, what a noise!Piter must have got someone by the throat."
"Oh, I know!" I cried as I grew more fully awake. "On the shelf in theentry."
We ran down together, and a faint glow showed its whereabouts, stillalight, but with the dark shade turned over the bull's-eye.
"Where does the noise come from?" I said, feeling startled at thealarming nature of the cries, freshly awakened as I was from sleep.
"I can hardly tell," he said, seizing the lantern and taking a sharphold, of his stick. "Bring a stick with you, my boy, for there may beenemies in the way."
"Why, uncle," I cried, "some poor creature has fallen from the side pathinto the dam."
; "Some wretched drunken workman then," he said, as we hurried in thedirection, and there seemed to be no doubt about it now, for there wasthe splashing of water, and the cry of "Help!" while Piter barked morefuriously than ever.
We ran down to the edge of the dam, the light of the bull's-eye flashingand dancing over the ground, so that we were able to avoid the differentobjects lying about; and directly after the light played on the water,and then threw into full view the figure of the bull-dog as he stood onthe stone edge of the dam barking furiously at a man's head that wasjust above the surface of the water.
"Help! Help!" he cried as we drew near, and then I uttered a prolonged"Oh!" and stood still.
"Quiet, Piter! Down, dog! Can't you see it is a friend!"
But the dog seemed to deny it, and barked more furiously than ever.
"Quiet, sir! Here, Cob, lay hold of the lantern. Will you be quiet,dog! Lay hold of him, Cob, and hold him."
I obeyed in a half stupid way, holding the lantern with one hand, as Iwent on my knees, putting my arm round Piter's neck to hold him back;and in that way I struggled back from the edge, watching my uncle as Imade the light fall upon the head staring wildly at us, a horrible whiteobject just above the black water of the dam.
"Help! Help!" it cried. "Save me! Oh!"
"Catch hold of the stick. That's right; now your hand. Well done!What's holding you down? Have you got your foot entangled? That'sbetter: how did you fall in?"
As my uncle rapidly asked these questions he got hold of the man, anddragged him on to the stone edge of the dam, when there was a horribleclanking noise, the rattle of a chain, the man uttered a hideous yell,and as Piter set up a tremendous barking again I turned off the light.
"Here, don't do that," cried my uncle.
I hardly know what induced me to turn off the light, unless it was ashamefaced feeling on being, as I thought, found out. And yet it didnot seem that I was the guilty party. Uncle Bob had said he had takenup the trap, and it was all right. He must have altered his mind andset it again.
"That's better," said my uncle as I turned on the light once more; andthen Piter made such a struggle that I could not hold him. There was abit of a scuffle, and he was free to rush at the man, upon whom he fixedhimself as he lay there howling and dripping with water.
The man yelled again horribly, sprang up with Piter holding on to him;there was the same horrible clanking noise on the stones, and down hefell once more groaning.
"Help! Murder! Take away the dorg. Oh, help!" he cried.
"Good gracious! What is the matter?" cried Uncle Jack, telling me whatI knew. "The man's leg's in a trap."
He sprang up again, for by main force Uncle Jack had dragged Piter awaywith his mouth full of trouser leg; but there were only two clanks and asprawl, for the poor wretch fell headlong again on the stones, prayingfor mercy.
"Why, his leg's in a great trap, and it's held by a chain," cried UncleJack. "Here, how came you in this condition?"
"Eh mester, aw doan know. Deed aw doan know," the fellow groaned."Hey, but it's biting my leg off, and I'll be a lame man to the end o'my days."
"Why, it's Gentles!" cried Uncle Jack, taking the lantern from me, for Ihad enough to do to hold the dog.
"Tek off the thing; tek off the thing," groaned the man. "It'sa-cootin' my leg i' two, I tell'ee."
"Hold your noise, and don't howl like that," cried Uncle Jack angrily,for he seemed to understand now that the man must have climbed over intothe yard and been caught, though he was all the more surprised, forquiet smooth-faced Gentles was the last man anyone would have suspected.
"But I tell'ee its tekkin off my leg," groaned the man, and he madeanother trial to escape, but was checked by the peg driven tightly intothe ground between the stones, and he fell again, hurting himselfhorribly.
"I shall be a dead man--murdered in a minute," he groaned. "Help! Oh,my poor missus and the bairns! Tek off that thing, and keep away yondorg."
"Look here," said Uncle Jack, making the light play on the poor wretch'smiserable face. "How came you here?"
"Your dorg flew at me, mester, and drove me in t'watter."
"Yes, exactly; but how came you in the yard?"
"I d'know, mester, I d'know."
"I suppose not," said Uncle Jack.
"Tek off that thing, mester; tek off that thing. It's most cootin offmy leg."
I was ready to add my supplications, for I knew the poor wretch must bein terrible agony; but I felt as if I could not speak.
"I'll take it off by and by, when I know how you came here."
"I tell'ee it's 'gen the law to set they montraps," cried the fellow ina sudden burst of anger, "and I'll have the law o' thee."
"I would," said Uncle Jack, still making the light play over thedripping figure, and then examining the trap, and tracing the chain tothe peg. "Hullo!" he cried, "what's this?"
He was holding the lantern close to a dark object upon the ground quiteclose, and Gentles uttered a fresh yell, bounded up, made a clankingnoise, and fell again groaning.
"Doan't! Doan't! Thou'lt blow us all to bits."
"Oh, it's powder, then, is it?" cried Uncle Jack.
"Hey, I d'know, mester, I d'know."
"Didn't bring it with you, I suppose?" said Uncle Jack.
"Nay, mester, I didn't bring it wi' me."
"Then how do you know it's powder?"
"Hey, I d'know it's powder," groaned the miserable wretch. "It onlylooks like it. Tek off this trap thing. Tek away the light. Hey, budI'm being killed."
"Let me see," said Uncle Jack with cool deliberation. "You climbed overthe wall with that can of powder and the fuse."
"Nay, nay, mester, not me."
"And fell into a trap."
"Yes, mester. Tek it off."
"Where did you mean to put that can of powder?"
"Nay, mester, I--"
"Tell me directly," cried Uncle Jack, giving the chain a drag and makingGentles yell out; "tell me directly, or I'll pitch you into the dam."
Uncle Jack's manner was so fierce that the man moaned out feebly:
"If I tell'ee wilt tek off the trap?"
"Perhaps I will. Speak out. Where did you mean to put the powder can?"
"Under big watter-wheel, mester."
"And fire the fuse?"
"Yes, mester."
"How long would it have burned?"
"Twenty minutes, mester."
"Same length as the one that was run in the furnace-house?"
"Yes, mester."
"You cowardly scoundrel! You were in that too, then," cried Uncle Jack,going down on one knee and seizing the man by the throat and shaking himtill he realised how horribly he was punishing him, when he loosed hishold.
"Don't kill me, mester. Oh, my wife and bairns!"
"A man with a wife and children, and ready to do such a dastardly act asthat! Here, you shall tell me this, who set you on?"
The man set his teeth fast.
"Who set you on, I say?"
"Nay, mester, I canna tell," groaned Gentles.
"But you shall tell," roared Uncle Jack. "You shall stay here till youdo."
"I can't tell; I weant tell," groaned the man.
"We'll see about that," cried Uncle Jack. "Pah! What a brute I am!Hold the light, Cob. Piter! You touch him if you dare. Let's see ifwe can't get this trap open."
He took hold of it gently, and tried to place it flat upon the stones,but the poor trapped wretch groaned dismally till he was placed in asitting posture with his knee bent, when Piter, having been coerced intoa neutral state, Uncle Jack pressed with all his might upon the springwhile I worked the ring upon it half an inch at a time till the jawsyawned right open and Gentles' leg was at liberty.
He groaned and was evidently in great pain; but as soon as it was off,his face was convulsed with passion, and he shook his fists at UncleJack.
"I'll hev the law of ye for this here. I'll hev the law of ye."
<
br /> "Do," said Uncle Jack, picking up the can of powder; "and I shall bringthis in against you. Let me see. You confessed in the presence of thiswitness that you came over the wall with this can of powder to blow upour water-wheel so as to stop our works. Mr Gentles, I think we shallget the better of you this time."
The man raised himself to his feet, and stood with great difficulty,moaning with pain.
"Now," said Uncle Jack, "will you go back over the wall or out by thegate."
"I'll pay thee for this. I'll pay thee for this," hissed the man.
Uncle Jack took him again by the throat.
"Look here," he said fiercely. "Have a care what you are doing, my finefellow. You have had a narrow escape to-night. If we had not beencarefully watching you would by now have been hanging by that chain--drowned. Mind you and your cowardly sneaking scoundrels of companionsdo not meet with some such fate next time they come to molest us. Nowgo. You can't walk? There's a stick for you. I ought to break yourthick skull with it, but I'm going to be weak enough to give it to youto walk home. Go home and tell your wife and children that you are oneof the most treacherous, canting, hypocritical scoundrels in Arrowfield,and that you have only got your deserts if you are lamed for life."
He gave Gentles his stick and walked with him to the gate, which heunlocked and held open for him to pass out groaning and sufferinghorribly.
"Good-night, honest faithful workman!" he said; "friendly man who onlywanted to be left alone. Do you want your can of powder? No: I'll keepit as a memento of your visit, and for fear you might have an accidentat home."
The man groaned again as he passed out and staggered.
"Poor wretch!" said Uncle Jack, so that I alone heard him. "Ignoranceand brutality. Here," he said aloud, "take my arm. I'll help you on toyour house. One good turn deserves another."
Uncle Jack went to him and took his stick in his hand, when, fancying Iheard something, I turned on the light just in time to show Uncle Jackhis danger, for half a dozen men armed with sticks came out of theshadow of the wall and rushed at him.
It was fortunate for him that he had taken back the stout oakwalking-stick that he made his companion on watching nights, or he wouldhave been beaten down.
As it was he received several heavy blows, but he parried others, andlaid about him so earnestly that two men went down, and another fellover Gentles.
By that time my uncle had retreated to the gate, darted through, andbanged and locked it in his enemies' face.
"Rather cowardly to retreat, Cob," he panted; "but six to one are longodds. Where's the powder can?"
"I have it, uncle," I said.
"Ah, well, suppose you give it to me, or else the light! The two don'tgo well together. They always quarrel, and it ends in what MrO'Gallagher in _Perceval Keene_ called a blow up."
I gave him the can, and then listened to the muttering of voicesoutside, half expecting that an attempt might be made to scale the wall.
"No," said Uncle Jack; "they will not do that. They don't make openattacks."
"Did you see who the others were?"
"No, it was too dark. There, let's get inside. But about that trap. Iwon't leave it there."
I walked with him in silence, and lighted him while he dragged the ironpeg out of the ground, and carried all back to the office, where heexamined the trap, turning it over and over, and then throwing itheavily on the floor.
He looked hard at me then, and I suppose my face told tales.
"I thought so," he said; "that was your game, Master Cob."
"Yes," I said; "but I thought it was taken up. I told Uncle Bob to takeit up when I went to London."
"He thought you meant the trap of the drain," cried Uncle Jack, roaringwith laughter. "He had the bricklayer to it, and said there was a badsmell, and it was well cleaned out."
"Oh!" I exclaimed; "and I made sure that it was all right again."
"How came you to set the trap there?"
"I had seen marks on the wall," I said, "where someone came over, but Inever thought it could be Gentles."
"No, my lad, one don't know whom to trust here; but how came you tothink of that?"
"It was the rat-trap set me thinking of it, and when I made up my mindto do it I never thought it would be so serious as it was. Are you veryangry with me?"
Uncle Jack looked at me with his forehead all in wrinkles, and sat downon a high stool and tapped the desk.
I felt a curious flinching as he looked so hard at me, for Uncle Jackwas always the most stern and uncompromising of my uncles. Faults thatUncle Dick would shake his head at, and Uncle Bob say, "I say, come,this won't do, you know," Uncle Jack would think over, and talk aboutperhaps for two or three days.
"I ought to be very angry with you, Cob," he said. "This was a veryrash thing to do. These men are leading us a horrible life, and theydeserve any punishment; but there is the law of the land to punishevildoers, and we are not allowed to take that law in our own hands.You might have broken that fellow's leg with the trap."
"Yes, I see now," I said.
"As it is I expect you have done his leg serious injury, and made him aworse enemy than he was before. But that is not the worst part of it.What we want here is co-operation--that's a long word, Cob, but you knowwhat it means."
"Working together," I said.
"Of course. You are only a boy, but you are joined with us three tomutually protect each other, and our strength lies in mutual dependence,each knowing exactly what the other has done."
"Yes, I see that, Uncle," I said humbly.
"How are we to get on then if one of the legs on which we stand--you,sir, gives way? It lets the whole machine down; it's ruin to us, Cob."
"I'm very sorry, uncle."
"We are four. Well, suppose one of us gets springing a mine unknown tothe others, what a position the other three are in!"
"Yes," I said again. "I see it all now."
"You didn't spring a mine upon us, Cob, but you sprang a trap."
I nodded.
"It was a mistake, lad, though it has turned out all right as ithappened, and we have been saved from a terrible danger; but look here,don't do anything of the kind again."
"Shall you go to the police about this?" I said.
"No, and I'm sure the others will agree with me. We must be our ownpolice, Cob, and take care of ourselves; but I'm afraid we have roughtimes coming."
Patience Wins: War in the Works Page 18