Chapter 19

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_ CHAPTER NINETEEN.

Captain Lawrence listened with knitted brows to his nephew's narration of all that had taken place in the night, and shook his head.

"It's miserable work, my boy," he said; "so piteous for the poor women. Well, perhaps good will come out of evil, and it may be the breaking up of a notorious smuggling gang."

It was just as Aleck was finishing his third cup of coffee, which he set down sharply in the saucer, startled by the sudden rush of the gardener to the open window, through which he thrust his head without ceremony.

"Here's--" he began, excitedly. "Oh!"

For a big heavy hand appeared upon his shoulder, clutching him hard and snatching him away.

"What is the meaning of this, boy?" cried the captain.

Aleck's head was already out of the window, and he drew it back again to answer:

"A lot of sailors, uncle, and their officer."

The lad's words were followed by the appearance of Jane, whose eyes were wide open and staring, her mouth following suit to some extent, so that she had to close her lips before saying:

"Plee, sir, orficer, sir. To see you, sir."

The captain nodded shortly and rose to go, followed by Aleck, out into the little ball, at whose door a naval officer and a boat's crew of men were waiting.

"Good morning," said the officer, shortly; and then turning upon Aleck, "Hallo, young man, I've seen you before!"

"Yes, in Rockabie harbour," said the lad, looking at him wonderingly, while his heart began to beat fast as he glanced at the party of sturdy sailors.

"Ah, to be sure," said the officer; then to the captain again, "You are aware, I suppose, that we made a descent last night upon your nest of smugglers here."

"I have just learned, sir, what took place," said the captain, coldly.

"Of course. Well, sir, in the struggle and after trouble with the women, who resented the taking away of the men, the young officer of the second boat was missed."

"Not the midshipman who was with your boat the other day?" said Aleck, eagerly.

"Eh? Yes," cried the officer. "What do you know about him?"

"Only that we had a few words together."

"And you know that he was missed?"

"I did not know till you told me," said Aleck.

"Didn't know, I suppose, that there was that struggle over yonder by the cove last night, eh?"

"Yes," said Aleck, frankly; "I saw some of it."

"Ah! Then you were with the smugglers, eh?"

"No," replied Aleck; and he briefly related his experience, including his being awakened by shots.

"Ah, to be sure," said the officer; "they're a nice daring set of scoundrels--fired on the King's men; but we got the rascals who did. Well, sir, what's become of our officer?"

"How should I know?" said Aleck, staring.

"You must have seen something of what went on after we started back."

"No," said Aleck. "There seemed to be no one there but the women."

"But you saw them and heard what they said? You heard them talking about him?"

"No, I did not go near the women."

"Why?" said the officer, sharply.

"Because I was afraid they would think I had something to do with the press-gang coming."

"Well, he must be found. He's here somewhere."

"Is there any possibility of the poor young fellow having been knocked overboard during the struggle?"

"Not the slightest," replied the officer, shortly. "He may have been knocked down somewhere on the way between the cottages, where we pounced upon the men, and the landing-place. Well, he must be found."

"Of course," said the captain, quietly. "You will go up, then, and search the smugglers' cottages--fishermen they call themselves?"

"We have searched them thoroughly," said the officer, "and we've come across now, sir, to search your place--what do they call it?--the Den."

Aleck glanced at his uncle's face, and could see the blood gathering in his cheeks.

"Search my house, sir?" he said. "Are you so mad as to suppose that I should entrap one of the King's officers?"

"Possibly, sir," replied the visitor, "on the _quid pro quo_ principle, to hold on ransom. We've got some of your friends; you have snatched at one of ours."

"This is the first time, sir, that I've been led to suppose that I was a friend to the smugglers. Eh, Aleck?"

"What nonsense, uncle!" cried the lad, indignantly.

"Oh, indeed, young gentleman!" said the officer, turning upon him sharply. "No friends of yours neither?"

"Certainly not," cried Aleck.

"Ho! Then, perhaps you will be good enough to explain how it is that the gardener here is the smugglers' chief assistant in signalling, spying, and warning them?"

"He isn't," said Aleck, sharply.

"He is," said the officer. "What is more, I found that cargoes are run down here in a cove or rift upon your coast, where a handy boat is kept."

"We've got a boat down the rift," said Aleck.

"Exactly; one that runs to and fro between here and Rockabie."

"Yes," said Aleck, mockingly; "to fetch fishing-tackle and grocery--and writing paper; eh, uncle?"

The captain nodded, while the young lieutenant went on:

"And to take messages from here to Rockabie."

"No," cried Aleck; but the officer went on, quietly:

"Look here, sir, I am credibly informed that it was your boat that rescued one of the most daring of the smugglers on the night of an encounter we had there--a man whom I was holding with my own hands till I was savagely struck down. It is quite likely that this may be examined into later on, but my business now is to find my messmate. Look here, it will save a good deal of trouble, and make things much easier for you, if you put me up to the place where the prisoner is hidden."

"Perhaps it would," said Aleck, firmly now; "but I tell you I know nothing whatever about your young midshipman. If you think he is hidden somewhere here you are quite wrong."

"Perhaps so," said the officer, sternly, "but we shall see."

Then, turning to the captain, he said, shortly:

"I shall have to search your place, sir," and then rather jeeringly, as if suggesting that it would not matter in the least if the captain objected, he added: "I presume that you will not put difficulties in my way?"

"None whatever, sir," said the captain. "And as an old commissioned officer in his Majesty's service should feel it my duty to help in any way I could."

"Eh? Oh, thank you," said the officer, changing his manner. "I beg your pardon. I heard the people called you captain, but I supposed that you were captain of some fishing or trading boat."

The captain bowed coldly.

"Aleck," he said, "do you know anything about Dunning being intimate with the smugglers?"

"Yes, uncle; I have been suspecting it lately."

"Oh, Master Aleck!" came from outside. "Me? How can you say such a word! When did you ever know me smuggle anything? Oh, my dear lad, tell the truth; when did you--whenever did you know me smuggle anything?"

"Often," said Aleck, bluntly.

"What; tea and sperrits and 'bacco and silk?"

"No," said Aleck; "but fruit."

"Oh, fruit!" said the gardener, contemptuously. "What's a bit of fruit?"

"Perhaps you will have my house and grounds searched at once, sir," said the captain, waving the gardener back. "The house is small, and--"

"Stop a moment, sir," said the young lieutenant, for such he proved to be; "will you give me your word of honour as an officer and a gentleman that my brother officer is not concealed about your premises?"

"Certainly," said the captain. "I give you my word of honour that he is not; and I add to it that I have never had any dealings with the smugglers."

"That is enough, sir. Now, will you tell me where we are to find their hiding-places, for they must have some stowages for the goods they run."

"I assure you, sir, that I have not the slightest knowledge of any such places. I have often suspected the existence of a cave or caves. Aleck, my boy, do you know of any?"

Aleck turned sharply to speak, and as he did so he caught the gardener's eyes fixed upon him with a peculiar glare that might have been threatening or imploring, the lad could not tell which; but he spoke out frankly at once:

"No, uncle. I've often wondered whether there was a smuggler's cave, but I never found one."

"Humph! That seems strange," said the officer. "You have a boat?"

"Yes, I have a boat."

"And go coasting and fishing about close in. Do you mean to tell me you never found anything of the kind?"

"Yes."

"And you never saw a cargo being landed--I mean a cargo of smuggled goods?"

"Never," said Aleck.

"Then you must have been very unobservant, young gentleman. I presume that you have seen smugglers about here?"

Aleck's face lit up, and he once more caught Ness's eyes fixed upon him as he spoke.

"Oh, yes," he said; "several."

"And you could direct us to their cottages?"

"I could," said Aleck, "but I'm not going to."

"Well done, Master Aleck!" shouted the gardener.

"Silence, sir," said the captain, sternly. "Go on, Aleck."

"I've no more to say, uncle," replied the lad, "only that I'm not going to lead people to take and press men by force for sailors. Besides, the lieutenant does not need showing--he has been to the men's cottages, and taken some of them."

"To be sure," said the officer, good-humouredly; "and I don't want to be hard on you. It is not the thing to ask a gentleman to do. But please understand, sir, that I am not seeking for men to press now, but to find my brother officer who is missing. Can you help me in that?"

"I'm afraid I can't," said Aleck, frankly; "but I will do all I can."

"Thank you; that's right," said the officer. "Come, Captain Lawrence, we are making some progress after all."

"I'm glad of it, sir," replied the captain; "but, tell me, you pressed some men last night?"

"Yes, we got seven sturdy fellows to the boats, in spite of a vigorous resistance."

"Seven?" said the captain. "Well, surely that must be quite as many as we have living in the little cluster of cliff cottages! Of course there are their wives and children!"

"Yes," said the lieutenant, drily; "we learned to our cost that they had wives, and strapping daughters too."

"Then how can it be possible that your brother officer can be here? There is no one to keep him a prisoner."

"Well, it doesn't seem likely," said the officer, in a disappointed tone. "Unless," he added, "these viragoes of women are keeping him, out of spite."

"There's not the slightest probability of that," said the captain. "I'm afraid, sir, that you will find an accident has befallen him."

The lieutenant shook his head, and then turned to Aleck.

"You have a boat and a wonderfully retired nook where you keep her! Where is it--down below here?"

"Your men came to the mouth of it last time you were here."

"What, last night?"

"No, no; a fortnight ago."

"Ah, yes, I remember. You mean that narrow split in the rock; but surely no boat could go in there?"

"Mine goes in, and out too," said Aleck; "and it's nearly as big as yours. But what of that?"

"Is it likely that my brother officer, finding himself left behind, may have hidden himself there?"

"Not a bit likely," said Aleck; "but, let's go and see!"

"By all means," said the captain; and Aleck led them off at once through the sunken garden and down to the slope which led into the chasm.

"My word, what a place!" said the officer, in his admiration. "Wonderful! And this is your boat-house, eh?" he added, when, followed by his boat's crew, they reached sea level and gazed into the great niche in which the kittiwake was securely moored.

"Not a bad place," said Aleck; "and it's easy enough to get in and out when you know how."

"One moment," said the officer; "here are plenty of cracks and crevices in the sides of this rift or cave, or whatever you call it, where a fellow might hide. Here, my lads, give a good loud hail or two! Raven--ahoy!"

The hail rang out, the men shouting together, their powerful voices raising up a broadside of echoes as if the shout ran along zigzag to the mouth of the place before the hail passed out to sea, while at the first roar a multitude of sea-birds flung themselves off the shelf and flew up to the surface and away over the cliffs, shrieking and screaming in hundreds to add to the din.

The men shouted again, and as soon as the echoes had died out sent forth a louder roar than ever; but there was no answering cry, and the lieutenant turned disappointed away.

"He is evidently not here," he said. "Forward, my lads, back up to the house. We're on the wrong tack, squire," he continued, speaking to Aleck. "Look here; I'm going back to our boat in the smugglers' cove to coast along each way as close in as we can get for the rocks. He may have gone off a rock into deep water during one of the scuffles and then swum to some nook or cavern, out of which he can't get on account of deep water."

"That seems likely," said Aleck. "Like me to come and show you some of the caves?"

"Smugglers' caves?"

"Oh, no; little places where you couldn't row in, but where anyone might hide."

"Ah, that's better," said the officer. "You'll do that?"

"Of course I will," said Aleck; and after a short visit to the house Aleck led the boat's crew and their leader across the cliff and down the rough descent, feeling greatly relieved on finding that there was not a fisherman's wife in sight, for he was pretty certain that his appearance in company with their enemies might prove to be a very uncomfortable thing.

In due time the beach was reached, and the keepers of the sloop's boat backed in to allow the officer and crew to get aboard, after which there was an order or two given, and then they rowed out a short distance and, keeping in as close as possible, visited cave and crevice for about half a mile, landing wherever it was possible, sometimes climbing over weed-hung slimy rocks, sometimes wading, and then returning to continue the search in the opposite direction far past the entrance to the Den, before rowing back after an exhaustive search.

The officer gave the word to stop as the entrance to Aleck's boat haven was reached, and, under guidance, rowed and poled up till he could land.

"Thank you for all you've done, youngster," said the lieutenant; "it has been a barren search, but I shall give up for to-day. Maybe I shall look you up again. Meantime I hope you'll keep your ears open, and if you can pick up anything worth having hoist a white tablecloth or sheet on your boat's mast on the top of the cliff, if it's by day, and if it's night, burn one of the blue lights I'll leave with you. Neither of these things will be fighting against your neighbours the smugglers, but only helping us to find our midshipman and making more friends than you know. You'll do this for us?"

"Of course," said Aleck, eagerly.

"Hand out three of those blue lights, coxswain! Next time we come, squire, I'll bring you a rocket or two. There; thankye, and good day!"

"Good day," said Aleck; "but can you make your way out?"

"My lads will, never fear," said the lieutenant, and Aleck stood with the blue lights in his hand, watching the boat till it passed round one of the angles and was out of sight, when he turned round, to find that he was not alone.

"You here, Tom?" he said to the sailor, who was standing in the shadow of the boat haven, close up to the dark rocks.

"Me it is, sir."

"What is it--any news?"

"Me, sir? No; on'y what I got when I come across to see what was going on about the press-gang coming here. Say, Master Aleck, I told yer so."

"Yes, Tom, you told me so," replied the lad, warmly. "There, I'm fagged out; let's get up to the house. I want some dinner. You want some too, don't you?"

"Oh, I dunno, sir! I had my braxfus."

"So did I, Tom, hours and hours ago. What time is it?"

"'Bout four, sir."

"Late as that? Come and have some dinner with me. It's a horrible business about that poor midshipman."

"Ay, 'tis, sir. Smart lad as ever I see."

"Where do you think he can be?"

"Carried out by the tide, I should say, sir."

"Oh! Horrible! Then you don't think the smugglers can have taken him prisoner?"

"Tchah! What could they do with prisoners, Master Aleck? May have given him a crack on the head and knocked him into the water. Easy done in a scrimmage, and nobody none the wiser."

"But mightn't he be hid in the smugglers' cave?"

"Well, he might be, sir, if there is one. If he is he's shut up tight and they've took away them as knows how to get in."

"Yes," said Aleck, as they reached the garden and caught sight of the gardener watching them. "I say, Tom, there must be a big cavern somewhere."

"Very like, sir."

"You don't know where it is?"

"Not me, sir."

"Don't look that way, but tell me what you think. Isn't old Ness likely to know?"

"Very likely, sir; but if he did know he wouldn't tell."

"Then you think he is mixed up with the smuggling gang?"

"That's so, sir."

"Then I'll make him tell me," said Aleck, between his teeth.

"Do, sir, for I should like us to find the young gen'leman, he being an officer and me an old Navy man. Make old Ness tell yer. You are good friends with him, arn't yer?"

"Yes, of course," said Aleck. "No, of course not," he cried, angrily, for like a flash came the recollection of the scene that morning, when the gardener had protested against being suspected of having any dealings with such outlawed men. "Oh, Tom, what an unlucky fellow I am!"

"Feel like that, sir?"

"Yes."

"That's because you wants yer dinner very bad, Master Aleck. You get indoors and have your salt beef and biscuit, or whatever your Jane has stowed away, and you'll feel like a noo man." _

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