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Sappers and Miners; The Flood beneath the Sea, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 44. Tom Dinass Shows His Teeth |
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_ CHAPTER FORTY FOUR. TOM DINASS SHOWS HIS TEETH
"Grip! Down!" he roared. "Let go--let--go!" He dragged at the furious beast, while Dinass wrenched himself away. Then there was a struggle, and Gwyn roared out,-- "Open the door, Joe. Quick! I can't hold him." The door was flung open, and, with the dog fighting desperately to get free, Gwyn hung on to the collar, passed quickly, and dragged the dog after him right out of the office; then swung him round and round, turning himself as on a pivot, let go, and the animal went flying, while, before he could regain his feet, Gwyn had darted inside and banged-to the door, standing against it panting. "I don't think you need want to come back here, Master Tom Dinass," he cried. _Bang_! The dog had dashed himself at the door, and now stood barking furiously till his master ran to the window and opened it. "Go home, sir!" he roared; but the dog barked and bayed at him, raised his feet to the sill, and would have sprung in, had not Gwyn nearly closed the sash. "Go home, sir!" he shouted again; and after a few more furiously given orders, the dog's anger burned less fiercely. He began to whine as if protesting, and finally, on receiving a blow from a walking cane thrust through the long slit between sash and window-sill, he uttered a piteous yelp, lowered his tail, and went off home. "Don't seem to take to me somehow, Mr Gwyn, sir," said the man. "The chaps used to set him again' me." "Are you hurt?" "No, I aren't hurt, but I wonder he didn't get it. Puts a man's monkey up and makes him forget whose dorg it is." "Look here, Tom Dinass," said Gwyn, quickly. "Did you ever forget whose dog he was, and ill-use him?" "Me, Mr Gwyn, sir? Now is it likely?" protested the man. "Yes; very likely; he flew at you. Did you hurt him that time when he was found down the man-engine?" "Why, that's what Mr Joe Jollivet said, sir, ever so long ago, and I telled him I'd sooner have cut off my right-hand. 'Taren't likely as I'd do such a thing to a good young master's dog." "Now, no cant, sir, because I don't believe in it. Look here, you'd better go somewhere else and get work." "Can't, sir," said the man, bluntly; "and as for the dog, if you'll let me come back and tell him it's friends he'll soon get used to me again. I seem to belong to this mine, and I couldn't be happy nowheres else. Don't say you won't speak for a poor fellow, Mr Gwyn, sir. You know I always did my work, and I was always ready to row or pull at the net or do anything you young gen'lemen wanted me to do. It's hard; sir--it is hard not to have a good word said for a poor man out o' work. I know I hit at Sam Hardock, but any man would after the way he come at me." "We're not going to argue that," said Gwyn, firmly; "perhaps there were faults on both sides; but I must say that I think you had better get work somewhere else." "No good to try, sir. Some o' the mines aren't paying, and some on 'em's not working at all. Ydoll's in full fettle, and you want more men. Ask the guv'nors to take me on again, sir." "Yes, do, Gwyn," said Joe. "It must be very hard for a man to want work, and find that no one will give him a job." "Hard, sir? That aren't the word for it. Makes a man feel as if he'd like to jump off the cliff, so as to be out of his misery. Do ask 'em, sir, and I'll never forget it. If I did wrong, I've paid dear for it. But no one can say I didn't work hard to do good to the mine." "Well, I'll ask my father when he comes back to the office." "Won't you ask him now, sir?" "I don't know where he is. And as for you, I should advise you not to go near my dog; I don't want to hear that he has bitten you." "Oh, he won't bite me, sir, if you tell him not. We shall soon make friends. Do ask soon, and let me stop about to hear, and get out of my misery." "You will not have to stop long, Tom Dinass," said Gwyn, as a step outside was heard--the regular martial tread of the old soldier, who seemed to be so much out of place amongst all the mining business. "Yes; here comes the Colonel," said Joe, quickly; and he went and opened the door to admit the stiff, upright, old officer. "Thank you, Jollivet," he said. "Hallo! What does this man want?" "He has come with his humble petition, father, backed up by Joe Jollivet and by me, for him to be taken on again at the mine." "No," said the Colonel, frowning; "it's impossible, my boy." "Beg pardon, sir, don't say that," said the man. "I have said it, my man," said the Colonel, firmly. "But you'll think better of it, sir. I'll work hard for you." "No," said the Colonel; "you had a fair chance here for doing well, and you failed. The men would be ready to strike if I took you on again." "Oh, but you've no call to listen to what a lot of men says." "I am bound to in a certain way, my man. You made yourself universally unpopular among them, and all that culminated in your savage assault upon the captain. Why, my good fellow, many a man has gone into penal servitude for less than that." "Yes, sir, I know I hit him; but they was all again' me." "I cannot go into that," said the Colonel. "Give him a trial, father," said Gwyn, in answer to Joe's appealing look. "Do, sir. I've been out o' work a long time, and it's precious hard." "Go right away, and try somewhere else, my lad." "I have, sir," said Dinass, imploringly. "I served you well, sir, and I will again." "I have no fault to find with your working, my man, but I cannot re-engage you." "Do, sir; it's for your good. Do take me on, sir. I want to do what's right. It is for your good, sir, indeed." The Colonel shook his head. "No; I cannot alter my decision, my man," said the Colonel. "Do as I said: go right away and get work; but I know it is hard upon a man to be out of work and penniless. You are a good hand, and ought not to be without a job for long, so in remembrance of what you did--" "You'll take me on, sir? I tell you it's for your good." "No," said the Colonel, sternly. "Gwyn, give this man a sovereign for his present necessities, and for the next few weeks, while he is seeking work, he can apply here for help, and you can pay him a pound a week. That will do." "Better do what I said, sir," said Dinass, with a grim look, "I warn you." "I said that will do, sir," cried the Colonel, firmly. "Gwyn, my boy, pay him and let him go." Joe's chin dropped upon his chest, and he rested his hand upon the back of the nearest chair. Then he started and looked at the door wonderingly, for, scowling savagely, Tom Dinass stuck on his hat very much sidewise, and, without pausing to receive the money, strode out of the place and went right away. "Specimen of sturdy British independence," said the Colonel, sternly. "I'm sorry, but he is not a man to have about the place. He is dangerous; and when it comes to covert threats of what he would do if not engaged, one feels that help is out of the question. Be the better for me if I engage him--means all the worse for me if I do not. There, it is not worth troubling about; but if he comes back for the money, when he has cooled down, let him have it." "Yes, father," said Gwyn, and he went on with his letters, but somehow, from time to time the thought of the man's fierce manner came back to him, and he could not help thinking how unpleasant a man Dinass could be if he set himself up for an enemy. _ |
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