The Lost Middy Part 28

"Then who is this?" said the same sharp voice.

"My young master. We got a hole in the boat's bottom and had to put in for repairs."

"That's right enough, sir; here's the oak.u.m and tools. Been a fire.

Here's the little pitch kettle."

"O' course it's right, messmets. What's yer game--press-gang?"

"Hus.h.!.+" whispered the commanding voice. "You're an old sailor?"

"Nay, not old, your honour," said Tom. "Thirty-two, all but the legs I lost. They warn't so old by some years."

"A joker, eh? Well, look here, my lad. We're on duty, and it's yours as an ex-Navy man to help. Where are the fishermen? There seem to be none hanging about the cliff."

"I d'know, your honour; up at the publics, p'raps, in the town."

"There's a party of smugglers here to-night?"

"Is there, sir? Running a cargo?"

"You know they are."

"That I don't, your honour. I haven't seen one."

Just at that moment there was the sound of yelling, and a couple of shots were fired. Then more shouts arose, and a shrill whistle was heard.

"Answer that, bo'sun," cried the officer in command of the party, and a shrill chirping sound seemed to cut the night air. "Now, my lads, forward!"

"One minute," cried Aleck. "We want to get afloat. Tell your men to give my boat a shove off."

"Hang your boat!" cried the officer, angrily. "Keep together, my lads.

Yes, all right; we're coming."

The party went off after their leader at a run, for another sharp whistle rang out at a distance.

"Well, he might have been civil," said Aleck.

"Haw! haw! haw! Fancy your asking a luff-tenant on duty that, Master Aleck!" said Tom, laughing, and talking with his mouth full, for he had recommenced his unfinished meal.

"It wouldn't have hurt him," said Aleck. "Here, leave off eating, Tom, and let's get away from here. I don't want to be mixed up with this horrid business."

"'Tis horrid, sir, to you, but I got used to it," said the man, rolling off the side to begin swaying the boat, Aleck leaping out on the other side.

"No good, sir. She's fast for another half-hour. Tide rises very slowly round here."

"Then we shall have to stop here and listen. Hark, that's gla.s.s breaking. People struggling too. I say, Tom, try again; push hard."

"Hard as you tells me, sir; but it's no good--her deep keel's right down in this here fine s.h.i.+ngle. We must wait till the tide lifts her."

The sailor stopped short to listen, for the noise which came to them on the still night air increased. Hoa.r.s.e voices ringing out defiance, savage yells and curses, mingled with the shrieks and appeals of angry women, smote upon the listeners' ears, and Aleck stamped one foot with impatient rage.

"Oh, Tom," he cried, "I can't bear it. I never heard anything of this kind before."

"And don't want to hear it again, sir, o' course. Well, it arn't nice.

I didn't like it till I got used to it, and then I didn't seem to mind."

"How brutal!" said Aleck, angrily. "Hark at that!"

"I hear, sir. That's some o' the fishermen's wives letting go."

"Yes; and you speak in that cool way. Aren't you sorry for them?"

"Nay, sir; not me. I'm sorry for the poor sailor boys."

"What!" cried Aleck, angrily. "Tom, I didn't think you could be so brutal."

"You don't understand, sir. That's the women shouting and screaming as they give it to the press-gang. It's the sailors gets. .h.i.ts and scratches and called all sorts o' names, and they're 'bliged to take it all. But, my word, there's getting to be a s.h.i.+ndy to-night and no mistake. Let's try again to get the boat off!"

They tried; but she was immovable, save that they could rock her from side to side.

"We'll do it in another ten minutes, Master Aleck, and then we'd better row till we're outside the harbour. Hark at 'em now! That's not the women now; that's the men. I say, I b'lieve there's a good dozen o' the smuggling lot about the town, Master Aleck, but I hadn't seen one. Did you catch sight o' any on 'em?"

"I saw Eben Megg," said the lad.

"And he's about the worst on 'em, Master Aleck. Well, it strikes me his games are up for a bit. He's a wunner to fight, and he'll stick to his mates; but they won't beat the press-gang off, for when they want men and it comes to a fight it's the sailors who win. Well, it'd do young Megg good. He's too much of a bully and rough 'un for me. Fine-looking chap, but thinks too much of hisself. Make a noo man of him to be aboard a man-o'-war for a few years."

"Pst, Tom! Listen! They're fighting up at the back there."

"And no mistake, my lad."

For fresh shouts, orders, and another whistle rang out, followed by what was evidently a fierce struggle, accompanied by blows, the sounds as they came out of the darkness being singularly weird and strange.

"Let's get away, Tom," said Aleck, huskily; "it's horrible to listen to it."

"Yes, sir. Heave away, both together. Now, then, she moves. No, she's as fast as ever."

"Oh!" groaned Aleck, striking both hands down with a loud smack upon the boat's gunwale and then stopping short as if paralysed, for there were quick steps, then a rush, evidently up the nearest narrow way among the sheds.

Then all was silence, and a sharp voice cried:

"Halt there! Surrender, or I fire."

A rush followed the command, and then a pistol shot rang out, Aleck seeing the flash; but the shot did not stop the man who received the command. As far as Aleck in his excitement could make out he rushed at and closed with him who tried to stop him, when a desperate struggle ensued as of two men wrestling upon the cobble stones, their hoa.r.s.e panting coming strangely to the listeners' ears.

All thought of launching the boat was swept away by the excitement of listening to the struggle, which grew more painful as the voice that had uttered the command rose again in half-stifled tones:

"This way, lads; help!"

A dull thud followed, as of a heavy blow being delivered, followed by a fall and the rush of footsteps again, but this time over the loose s.h.i.+ngle, and the next minute a dimly-seen figure approached, running straight for the water.