*CHAPTER XIX*
*SOME APPOINTMENTS*
Jack had but just reached the road above the cliff when he was somewhatstartled to hear the regular clickety-click of a large number of horsestrotting toward him. And surely, amid the clatter of their hoofs, therewas the clash of steel!
He stood at the edge of the road, waiting. In a few moments, round thecorner from the direction of Wickham, came two horsemen at a rapid trot,and behind them a troop, whose polished accoutrements gleamed in thelight of the rising moon.
They rode on rapidly, and Jack had just recognized the uniform of theDorsetshire yeomanry when the officer at their head caught sight of him,shouted "Halt!" and reined up his horse on its haunches.
"Where are they, my lad?" he asked in a tone of subdued excitement.
"Who, Cousin Humfrey?"
"Eh! Who are you? Why, bless me, 'tis Jack! Where are the ruffians?"
"Who, cousin?"
"Why, the French! Have they got a footing?"
"Most of 'em a wetting, cousin. But we've beat the whole crew and gotthe lugger."
"The lugger! Hang the lugger! What about the praams?"
"The praams!" Jack was puzzled; then a light dawned on him and he beganto laugh.
"Come, come, 'tis no joke. Are they beaten back?"
"Oh, cousin, no joke! Did you really think it was Boney? Oh, I can'thelp it; excuse me, cousin."
It came out that Mr. Bastable had been awakened by one of his men, whodeclared that he heard cannons firing most horribly, and was sure 'twasBoney had come over at last. The squire got up, sent a rider post-hasteto Wickham Ferrers for his troop of yeomen, and hurried into hisuniform, which he kept always at hand by his bedside.
"And here we are, my lad, in an hour from the first alarm. There'squick work for you. But I'm glad 'tis no worse than a brush withsmugglers. 'Twas a false alarm, my lads," he added, turning to his men."Boney has thought better of it. Didn't care to tackle us Dorset men.You can get back and sleep sound. Now Jack, you'll come with me to theGrange. Arthur told me he'd seen you--the young rascal, stealing out atdead of night! But a good plucked 'un too, eh, Jack?"
"A chip of the old block, cousin. Just the sort of fellow we middieslike."
"And that villain De Fronsac, now! What of him?"
"He's dead, cousin," said Jack gravely.
"Ha! He's got his deserts. The villain, playing his double game foreighteen months in my house! And his humbug about the Monster, too. Itmakes me red in the face when I think of it. But you must tell me allabout it when we get home."
They found the Grange almost in a state of siege. The windows wereclose-shuttered, the doors were double locked, and when Mr. Bastablerapped, the voice of old William, the gardener, was heard, threateningin accents of unmistakable terror that he'd b-blow out the b-b-brains ofany Frenchman with his b-b-blunderbuss. When admittance was obtained,shrieks were heard from the top of the house.
"The maids in hysterics!" growled the squire. "Here, Molly and Betty,"he shouted, "don't be a couple of geese. 'Tis not Boney--'tis MasterJack!"
A door above flew open; Kate and Arthur came bounding down the stairs,with Mrs. Bastable a pace or two behind them.
"Lawk a mussy! Only to think o't, now!" giggled Molly above. "MeasterJack! Well, I never did!"
Kate impulsively threw her arms round Jack's neck and kissed himheartily. A middy is not easily taken by surprise, but Jack was onlyjust in time to return the kiss before Mrs. Bastable came and encircledhim.
"My dear boy, this is delightful."
"So it is, cousin--if it wasn't so smothery!"
"Mothery!" shouted the squire in high good humor. "Now, you'll comealong to my den and tell me all about everything that's happened sinceyou were kidnapped by those villains, confound them!"
"But my dear Humfrey, Jack looks dead-beat."
"We'll cure that by any by. The fire isn't out; we'll make it up; andI'm sure you women won't sleep a wink till you've heard the story."
"Hurray!" shouted Arthur, capering.
So they trooped into the snuggery, and there Jack, fortified with aglass of hot cordial brought by Molly, related his adventures from thetime when he was carried to France against his will.
"There are two things I can't make out," he said in conclusion. "Oneis, how Gudgeon is mixed up in this. 'Twas his boat, I'm sure, thatcarried me in the tub to the lugger; and he drove to Gumley's the othernight to hear what had been done. Where does he come in, cousin?"
Mr. Bastable laughed a little awkwardly.
"Go to bed, Arthur," he said.
"I know, father," said the boy, grinning.
"You do, do you, you young rascal! Well, Jack, I'll tell you. Gudgeonis a sly old dog. He's the smuggler hereabouts--but behind the scenes.His smoking chimney was the signal by day, as Fronsac's, it seems, wasby night. But he's not a traitor; he knew nothing of Fronsac's doublescheme, I warrant. He's a smuggler simply. Why, Jack, he has suppliedme with smuggled brandy for years; so he does the parson at Wickham.The stuff you're drinking was smuggled; the lace your cousin Sylvia iswearing came from Valenciennes, and paid no duty. I'm afraid I mustgive it up now, my boy. There's not a squire on the seaboard but thinksit no harm; but with a cousin a gallant king's officer--yes, I must giveit up." He sighed. "And I think I'd better go and see Gudgeon in themorning."
"He'll be transported, as sure as a gun," said Jack.
"Well, I don't think we'll go that length. You can't prove anythingagainst him, you see. He's too sly for that--and--well, it might beawkward for more than one of us."
"All right, cousin," said Jack, laughing. "But there's another thing.That fellow who was wounded in the Hollow! De Fronsac shot him, I'msure; I never told you that Arthur and I saw him bundled into a luggerthat night we followed De Fronsac from the house."
"That's a mystery. I can't explain it. And it doesn't matter much, nowthat De Fronsac is gone. By George, Jack! I fancy you've killedsmuggling at Luscombe--for some time, at any rate. Now to bed. We'llhave another talk in the morning."
Jack was up early, in spite of the lateness of the hour when he went tobed. He was at breakfast alone with Mr. Bastable when Mr. Goodman wasannounced.
"Good morning, sir. Good morning, Mr. Hardy. I've come to you as ajustice of the peace, Mr. Bastable. You've heard of our little exploitlast night?"
"You were in at the death, I believe. Well, sir?"
"Well, sir, we went to the Hollow this morning to seize the goods weunderstood were hidden there. In the summer-house we found a man, sir;I have him outside now. He tried to run away; but we collared him, andas he wouldn't give an account of himself I've brought him along.Perhaps you'll commit him as a rogue and vagabond."
"Bring him in, Mr. Goodman."
The riding-officer returned with a heavy, undersized, beetle-browedfellow, in very tattered garb.
"Why, 'tis the very man!" cried Jack. "This is the man De Fronsacshot."
"De Fronsac!" growled the man, with gleaming eyes. "Where is he?"
"No longer in this world, my man," said Mr. Bastable. "Now, who areyou? Give a good account of yourself, or I shall have to commit you."
The man showed no hesitation now. He explained that he had beenemployed in London by a French family through whom De Fronsac obtainedmuch of the information he signaled to France. Having discovered thisfact, he had come down to Luscombe to levy blackmail on the spy; theconsequences were as Jack had related. He had returned to England--therewere means of coming and going between the two countries even in thattime of war--to wreak vengeance on De Fronsac, and was lying in wait atthe summer-house when the preventives appeared on the scene.
"There's your mystery unraveled," said Mr. Bastable, turning to Jack.Then to the Frenchman he said: "We'll send you off to London, my man;'tis for folk there to deal with you."
After breakfast, Jack walked over to Gumley's cottage. He wanted t
oknow how De Fronsac had escaped, and was prepared to read Gumley alecture for his lax guardianship. But he found the old sailor sodesperately upset at the trick played upon him, that he had not theheart to add to his chagrin.
"Only to think of it, sir!" said Gumley, thumping the table. "Poetry!All my eye and Betty Martin! Why, when he got that there candle, hestood upon this here table"--another thump--"and burned away the ends o'the matchboards up aloft where they was nailed to the beams. No wonder Ismelled smoke! And he showed me a hole in the tablecloth! Then hepried up the boards, got up into the attic, out by the trap-door on tothe roof, and when Comely and me was a-nosing round here in the smoke,chok' it all! Mounseer was down the rain-pipe and under full sail forthe road. Never have I bin so done afore, sir, and in the king's name,too."
"Never mind, Joe. You came after him like a Briton, and if you andComely hadn't arrived on the scene when you did, I'm afraid there wouldhave been a different story to tell the admiral to-day. I'm going toPortsmouth this afternoon. And I'll take care the admiral knows aboutyour pluck and your stanchness as a king's man under persecution."
"Thank 'ee kindly, sir. And you won't forget to say a word for Comely,sir?"
"Not I. Comely and Gumley--a fine pair of warriors. Good-by."
When Jack got back to the Grange, he found that the squire had paid hispromised visit to Mr. Gudgeon. Mr. Bastable laughed as he related theinterview.
"He had the flutters very badly, Jack. I put it to him as delicately asI could. Said that recent events had given the neighborhood a bad name,especially as it had been found that some one had been sellinginformation to the French. Suspicion might easily fall on the wrongperson, I said; and I wound up by suggesting that when next winter comeshe should see that his chimneys are swept regularly. The old rascal!'Oh dear me!' says he, 'to think that a quiet law-abiding village likeLuscombe should have harbored a French spy! It puts me in a terribleflutter, Cognac is the best cure I know, sir; maybe you'll do me thehonor to take a sip with me?' and the rascal gave me a glass, Jack;contraband--capital stuff!"
"He'll be careful in future, I reckon, cousin. I must run over toPortsmouth after lunch and report to Admiral Horniman. I suppose I'dbetter keep Gudgeon's name out?"
"Certainly, my lad. You've snuffed out smuggling here--for the present;it is bound to begin again some day; but you may depend upon it that fora long time to come we're all king's men here, Gudgeon included."
It was a fortnight before Jack returned to the Grange. Then he came ina high state of excitement.
"Admiral Horniman is a jolly old brick!" he cried, after greeting hiscousins. "What do you think he's done?"
"Resigned in your favor, Jack?"
"Pretty nearly!" returned Jack with a laugh. "No, he's written up athumping report to the lords of the Admiralty, and got 'em to 'do athing that's as rare as--as--"
"As Jack Hardys. Well!"
"Why, to let me off three years' service as a mid, and also theexamination for lieutenant. Look here! here's my commission!" Heflourished a paper, and cried for three cheers for Admiral Horniman."And that's not all. I've got no end of prize-money for capturing theFrench brig, and retaking the _Fury_, and collaring the smugglers'stuff. My share alone comes to over a thousand pounds. And they'vetaken two French privateers and sunk another off Fowey. The signalsworked splendidly; they were trying to cut out a disabled ship thatwasn't there! The admiral's going to put in a claim to prize-money forme. He is a brick!"
"Oh, I say!" cried Arthur. "Don't I wish I was you!"
"I'm glad for dad's sake. He hasn't been over well off since he had toretire from the East India Company's service, owing to that wretchedillness of his, and I'm afraid he had to pinch a bit for me. But nowthat's all changed. I shan't cost him another penny piece."
"Bravo! Arthur, you young dog, remember that, and hand over a thousandpounds to me when I'm bound for the poorhouse. Well, Jack, Icongratulate you, my boy."
"But that's not all, cousin. I've kept the best for the last. Openyour eyes! I'm appointed to the _Victory_, and sail to join Nelson in aweek! Won't we pepper the French! Won't we win a glorious victory! Oh!cousin, isn't it the finest thing in the world to serve your king andcountry!"
"If you please, sir," said the butler, putting his head in at the door,"Joe Gumley is outside, asking for Mr. Hardy."
"Show him in," cried Mr. Bastable.
"Arternoon, sir," said Gumley, stumping in with the bulldog at hisheels. He held his glazed hat clumsily, and looked not quite at ease."I be come over for two things, Squire; number one, to say thank'ee toMr. Hardy; number two, to axe a question."
"Never mind about number one, Gumley," said Jack. "Heave away at numbertwo."
"Begging your pardon, sir, one always comes afore two, and ye can'talter nature. I take it kindly, sir, and I thank 'ee from the bottom ofmy heart, for your goodness to a' old mariner what has only one legsound and rheumatiz in both. Here I've got, sir, a paper, and as nearas I can make it out--'tis terrible writing for a admiral, to besure--Admiral Horniman says he has great pleasure in app'inting JosephGumley watchman at the dockyard, ten shillings a week, cottage and rumfree. I know who done that: Admiral Horniman would never ha' heard o'Joe Gumley but for Mr. Hardy. God bless 'ee, sir, for remembering of apoor wooden-legged old sailor what had to take to growing artichokes andother landlubbers' thingummies in the king's name."
"The admiral couldn't have found a better man," said Mr. Bastable, tocover Jack's confusion. "But what's number two?"
"Number two is this, sir. Do this here app'intment take in Comely?'Cos if it don't with all respecks to Mr. Hardy and the admiral, Isticks to artichokes. Comely and Gumley--they sign on together."
"And nobody wants to split you, Gumley," said Jack. "Go and see theadmiral, and take Comely with you--only hold him in, because theadmiral's rather peppery, and Comely might made a mistake. He will knowthat with Comely and Gumley to watch it, the dockyard will be as safe asthe rock of Gibraltar."
"Ay, ay, sir. Then we takes on that there app'intment. Comely andme--in the king's name."
THE END
Jack Hardy: A Story of English Smugglers in the Days of Napoleon Page 19
