The Gold-Stealers A Story Of Waddy, Edward Dyson [best sci fi novels of all time .TXT] 📗

Now You Dare Do This.'

 

Shine'S Slate-Coloured Eyes Slid Up And Fell Again.

 

''Twas Done In The Way O' Duty. He Don'T Deny I Found The Gold On Him.'

 

'No,  But He Denies Ever Havin' Seen It In His Life Before,  An' I Believe

Him.'

 

'An' About That Cunnin' Little Trap In His Boot-Heel,  Ma'Am?'

Chapter 3 Pg 18

'It Was What He Said It Was--The Trick Of Some Enemy.'

 

Mr. Shine Lifted His Right Boot As If Trying Its Weight,  Groaned And Set

It Down Again,  Tried The Other,  And Said:

 

'An' Who Might The Enemy Ha' Been,  D'Ye Think?'

 

I Do Not Know,  But--I Am Frank Hardy'S Friend,  And You May Not Abuse Him

In My House.'

 

'You Have A Chance O' A Respectable Man,  Missus.' Mrs. Haddon Had Risen

From Her Seat And Was Standing Over Her Visitor,  A Buxom Black-Gowned

Little Fury.

 

'An' I Tell Him To Go About His Business,  An' That'S The Way.' The

Gesture The Widow Threw At Her Humble Kitchen Door Was Magnificent. 'But

Stay,' She Cried,  Although The Imperturbable Shine Had Not Shown The

Slightest Intention Of Moving. 'You'Ve Heard I Went With Frank'S Mother

To Visit Him In The Gaol There At The City; P'R'Aps You'Re Curious To

Know What I Said. Well,  I'Ll Tell You,  An' You Can Tell All Waddy From

Yon Platform In The Chapel Nex' Sunday,  If You Like. 'Frank,' I Said,

'You Asked Me To Be Your Wife,  An' I Haven'T Answered. I Do Now. I'Ll

Meet You At The Prison Door When You Come Out,  If You Please,  An' I'Ll

Marry You Straight Away.' Those Were My Very Words,  Mr. Superintendent,

An' I Mean To Keep To Them.'

 

Mrs. Haddon Stood With Flaming Face And Throbbing Bosom,  A Tragedy Queen

In Miniature,  Suffused With Honest Emotion. Ephraim Sat Apparently

Absorbed In His Left Boot,  Thrusting His Finger Into The Hole In The

Sole,  As If Probing A Wound.

 

'You Wouldn'T Think,  Ma'Am,' He Said Presently With The Air Of A Martyr,

'That I Gave Fourteen-And Six For Them Pair O' Boots Not Nine Weeks

Since.'

 

Mrs. Haddon Turned Away With An Impatient Gesture.

 

'If You'Ve Said All You Have To Say,  You Might Let Me Get On With My

Work.'

 

'I Think That'S All,  Mrs. Haddon.' The Searcher Arose,  And Stood For A

Moment Turning Up The Toe Of On Off To Alcantara."

 

"Then He Said Nothing Of His Leaping Out Of The Window?"

 

"Did He Leap Out Of The Window?"

 

"Or Of My Trying To Hold Him Back?"

 

"What!" Exclaimed Lord Strathern,  Starting Up. "Did He Escape By

Jumping Out Of The Window,  And You Try To Detain Him?"

 

"The Height Was So Great,  I Feared He Would Break His Neck."

 

"Damn His Neck!" Said Lord Strathern,  Striding Up And Down The

Room. "Better A Neck Cracked Than A Reputation. Things Have Come To A

Chapter 3 Pg 19

Pretty Pass. You Singing Love-Songs At Him,  He Squeezing And Kissing

Your Hand--Perhaps Going Further. In These Cases,  Women Never Tell The

Whole Truth! When He Would Escape By A Leap From Your Window,  You Try

To Keep Him By Strength Of Arm. You Get On Finely,  Madam! Three Months

In The Army Have Done Wonders For You. Three Months More Will

Accomplish You So Thoroughly,  That You Will Be Fit For No Other

Society Through Life. I Will Tell You What,  Mabel,  I Will Not Lose A

Moment,  But Bundle You Up,  And Pack You Off To Your Aunt,  While You

Are Yet Worth Sending!"

 

Between Shame And Indignation At This Unjust Assault From Such A

Quarter,  Poor Lady Mabel Burst Into Tears,  And Rushed Off To Her Room,

Where She Locked Herself Up,  Resolving Never Again To Leave It Until

She Commenced Her Journey Homeward. It Was Not Long Before Her Hasty

Father Repented Of His Coarse And Violent Attack On Her,  In a Case In

Which The Heaviest Fault Was His Own. He Came Rapping At Her Door,  And

By Dint Of Apologies,  Remonstrance,  And Commands,  Brought Her Out,  And

Induced Her To Spend The Evening In His Company. And A Very

Uncomfortable Evening It Was To Both Of Them.

 

Two Days After This,  L'Isle Rode Into Elvas,  And Brought Orders With

Him That Set The Town Astir. Such A Breaking Up Of All The Comfortable

And Luxurious Arrangements Of Messes And Quarters Had Not Been Lately

Seen. For Elvas Was The Capua Of The Brigade,  Which Had To Lighten

Itself Of Many An Incumbrance,  Including Much Of What Shortridge

Termed Its Heavy Baggage,  In Order To Bring Itself To A Condition To

March. There Was Many A Woeful Parting,  Too,  And Scandal Says That The

Ladies Of Elvas Might Have Laid The Dust With Their Tears. But We Will

Leave These Stories To Colonel Bradshawe.

 

All Was Confusion In The Household At Headquarters. Lord Strathern Had

To Bestir Himself,  To Get Both His Brigade And Himself Ready To March

By One Route,  And Lady Mabel Had To Prepare For Her Journey By

Another. It Was Now That Moodie'S Worth Shone Manifestly Forth. The

Old Coach And Harness Were Overhauled And Put In Order. He Secured,  We

Believe,  By Impressment,  Another Pair Of Mules And Two Postillions.

Every Leaf Of The _Hortus Siccus_ Was Carefully Packed,  And Put Into

The Hands Of An _Arriero_,  Bound For Lisbon,  And Jenny Aiken And

William,  The Footman,  Were Pulled And Shoved About In a Way That

Convinced Them That It Was Time To Be Moving; Yet He Found Plenty Of

Time To Spur Up My Lord'S Own Servants,  And Push Forward Their

Preparations. Busy As Lord Strathern Was,  He Failed Not To Remark

Moodie'S Prompt,  Methodical,  And Energetic Labors. He Pronounced Him

The Prince Of Quartermasters,  And A Heavy Loss To The Army. "The Old

Fellow Would Evacuate A Fortress,  Or Conduct A Retreat With The

Precision Of A Parade,  And Not Leave Even A Dropped Cartridge To The

Enemy Behind Him." In Fact,  Had Marshal Soult Sworn To Sack Elvas

To-Morrow,  Moodie Could Not Have Been More On The Alert In Getting

Lady Mabel Ready To Leave It. Not That He Was Afraid Of A

Frenchman--He Would Willingly Have Faced Him,  And Made His Mark Upon

Him--But When All Might Be Lost,  And Nothing Gained By Staying,

Moodie,  Like Xenophon,  Was Proving His Soldiership By A Speedy,  Yet

Orderly Retreat. He Was Carrying Off Lady Mabel,  _Via_ The Villages Of

Lisbon And London,  To His Stronghold Of Craggy-Side,  Where,  He

Trusted,  She Would Be Safe From L'Isle And Popery.

 

Many Signs Of A Speedy Flitting Were Now Seen About Head-Quarters.

Chapter 3 Pg 20

Lady Mabel Sat Melancholy And Alone In Her Half-Dismantled

Drawing-Room. ToFar Down In The

Rock. This Was Waved Twice And Then Withdrawn.

 

'Righto!' Said Jacker In a Hoarse Piratical Tone. 'Gimme The Tucker,

Black Douglas; I'Ll Go Down. You Coves Keep Watch,  An' No Talkin',  Mind.'

 

Phil Grumbled Inarticulately,  And Jacker'S Tone Became Hoarser And More

Piratical Still.

 

'Who'S Commandin' Here?' He Growled. 'D'Ye Mean Mutiny?

 

'Oh,  Shut Up!' Said Doon,  Bitterly. 'No One'S Goin' T' Mutiny,  But There

Ain'T No Fun Campin' Here.'

 

Mcknight Relented.

 

'All Right,' He Said,  'Come Down If You Wanter. S'Pose You'Ll On'Y Be

Makin' Some Kind Of A Row 'F I Leave You.'

 

Jacker Put The Growth Aside Carefully,  And Going Feet First Gradually

Disappeared. Within There In The Formless Darkness He Stood Upon A Ladder

Made Of The Long Stem Of A Sapling To Which Cleats Were Nailed. The

Sapling Was Suspended In a Black Abyss. The Boy,  With His Bundle Hanging

From His Shoulder,  Started Down Fearlessly. Presently He Came To Where A

Second Prop Was Fastened To The First With Spikes And Strong Rope. Here

He Paused A Moment,  And Called:

 

'Hello,  Be-E-Low There!'

 

Jacker'S Character Had Undergone A Rapid Change; He Was Now Quite An

Innocent And Law-Abiding Person,  A Working Shareholder In The Mount Of

Gold Quartz-Mining Company.

 

'On Top!' Answered A Cautious Voice From The Depths.

 

'Look Up--Man On!

 

And Now,  Having Observed The Formalities,  Jacker Continued His Descent,

And In a Few Moments Dropped From The Primitive Ladder And Found A

Footing On A Few Planks Thrown From One Drive To Another,  Across What Was

Really An Old Shaft. At His Back Was A Drive Running Into Darkness;

Before Him Was A Small Irregular Excavation Lit With A Single Candle,  And

Sitting In This,  Dressed,  Or,  More Correctly,  Undressed,  Like Miners At

Their Work,  Were Dick Haddon And Ted Mcknight.

 

Jacker Threw His Bundle On The Floor Of The Drive.

 

'Crib,' He Said Carelessly; And Then,  After Examining The Face Of The

Excavation: 'S'Pose We Ain'T Likely To Cut The Lode This Shift,  Dick?

 

Dick Shook His Head Thoughtfully.

Chapter 3 Pg 21

'No,' He Said. 'Allowin' For The Underlay,  We Should Strike Her About

Fifteen Feet In.'

 

The Other Boys Had Now Joined Their Mates. Each On His Way Down Had

Gravely Followed The Example Of Jacker,  Who Was Supposed To Be The Boss

Of The Incoming Shift. As The Fathers Labour Their Sons Play,  And For

Months These Boys Had Been Digging In This Old Mine,  Off And On,  With

Enthralling Mystery. The Excavation In Which Dick And Ted Were Seated

Represented The Joint Labour Of The Members Of The Mount Of Gold

Quartz-Mining Company,  Though The Very Existence Of The Mine Was Unknown

To A Single Soul Outside The Juvenile Syndicate.

 

On The Surface All Signs Of The Shaft Had Long Since Been Obliterated.

The Quarrymen Blasting Into The Side Of The Hill Years Back Had Made A

Small Opening Into The Disused Pit At Some Distance From The Top,  And

This Opening Was Accidentally Discovered By Dick And Jacker One Day

During A Hunt For A Wounded Rabbit. Investigation Proved The Mine To Be

Of No Great Depth,  And,  Thanks To The Pumps Of The Silver Stream,