The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch

by Talbot Baines Reed

  CHAPTER NINE.

  HOW MY MASTER AND I HAD QUITE AS MUCH EXCITEMENT IN ONE AFTERNOON AS WASGOOD FOR US.

  Just as they were turning to go, a sudden shout and rush of peoplearrested them. The crowd on the course had been immense, and of theroughest and lowest description: sharpers, thieves, and roughs werethere by the hundred, attracted from the neighbouring villages by theopportunity of plunder and riot which Gurley races always afforded. Assoon as the serious business of the racing was over, this low mobnaturally sought excitement of their own making, and increasing indisorder and intemperance as the day wore on, had become beyond controljust about the time when Mr Belsham, junior, took it into his muddledhead to make a start in the direction of home. The shout which kept himwhere he was, was occasioned by that spectacle dear to the eyes of allblackguards, a fight. Round the two blood and dust-stained combatants,the mob surged and yelled. Every moment it grew denser and wilder; andevery moment it swayed nearer and nearer to the spot where theRandlebury boys stood in their waggonette; and before they could move orget clear, they found themselves in the very centre of the mob. Shouts,shrieks, and wild laughter rose on every side of them; some of the crowdscrambled up onto their wheels to get a glimpse of the pugilists; someabused and swore at them for getting in the way; some tried to invadetheir waggonette, and struck at them when they resisted.

  In the midst of all, Belsham's horse took fright. There was a wildplunge, a shriek from the crowd in front, and next moment the five boyswere thrown down among the crowd, while the horse, with the shatteredand overturned vehicle behind him, forced for himself a ghastly lanethrough the mob.

  Of Gus and his three friends, Charlie, whom the shock roused to suddenconsciousness, could see nothing. He tried to rise, but the crowdpressed too wildly to give him the chance. For some moments he layamong a host of crowding, struggling feet, expecting every moment to bestunned, if not killed. But by a wonderful providence he escaped theperil. The crowd gave a sudden swing in a new direction, and he wasleft unhurt, though stupefied and almost unable to stir.

  Presently he was conscious of a man standing in front of him.

  "Oh, help me!" gasped my poor master.

  The man seized him roughly by the arm and raised him to his feet.

  "That's worth a tip," he growled; "come, hand over."

  Charlie put his hand in his pocket and drew out a shilling.

  The man scowled.

  "Do you suppose I'll take a dirty shilling? Come, young swell, emptyout them pockets. Look sharp, I've no time to waste on the like ofyou."

  Tremblingly Charlie obeyed, and gave the man all the little stock ofmoney he possessed.

  But he was not yet to escape. From under his jacket the greedy eye ofthe thief had caught a glimpse of a chain. With a rough hand he toreopen the coat. "What, a ticker? Here's luck; out with it, come."

  "Oh," cried Charlie, "take anything but that! Take my chain and myknife, but not my watch?"

  Hardly and brutally laughed the man as he snatched me out of the poorboy's hand, and administering a parting cuff on the head of his victim,turned to walk off with me in the recesses of one of his filthy pockets.

  Scarcely, however, had he turned, when three men appeared in front ofhim, coming in the direction of Charlie. The boy saw them, and imaginehis joy when in one of the party he recognised his old acquaintance, thecabman Jim! With a sudden bound and cry of delight he rushed towardshim, shouting and pointing to the robber. "Oh, Jim, he's taken mywatch; get my watch back, Jim."

  Jim took in the state of affairs in an instant, and calling on his twocompanions to follow him, rushed upon and secured the thief before thelatter was even aware of their intention. It was vain for one man toresist three. He was forced to disgorge first me, then the knife, andthen the money. Charlie indeed pleaded that they should leave him themoney, or some of it, but this proposal Jim scouted, and in his zealrelieved the robber of a good deal more than he had stolen from Charlie.Then with kicks and blows they drove the wretch away as fast as hislegs could carry him.

  This done, Jim the cabman had an opportunity of renewing hisacquaintance with my master.

  "Well," said he, "who'd have thought of seeing _you_ here? And what anice mess you're in. You look as if--"

  "Oh, don't," cried Charlie, holding him by the arm; "it's bad enough asit is, without you thinking ill of me."

  And then he told him as well as he could how he had been decoyed tothese vile races; how he had been kept there by main force; how he hadbeen made senseless by their rough treatment, and how, but for Jim'stimely help, he would now have been robbed and helpless.

  Jim listened in astonishment, not unmingled with many an ejaculation ofindignation at the poor boy's persecutors.

  "And where are they now?" he asked, when Charlie had done.

  "I don't know. We were all thrown out, you know, among the crowd. Ionly hope they've not been killed."

  "Well, if I was you," said the downright cabman, "I wouldn't break myheart over them. I know _I'd_ like to have a chance of a quiet talkwith the young swells; _I'd_ give them something to take home with them,I would."

  Charlie said nothing, but gratefully put himself under the protection ofhis deliverer, who, making a considerable round to avoid the crush, ledhim safely to Gurley.

  "There's no trap to be got for love or money, so you'll just have towalk if you want to get back to Randlebury to-night."

  Anything to get away from that odious crowd. If the distance had beentwice as far, Charlie would have undertaken it.

  It was long enough, however, before they got away from the crowd. Theroad from Gurley to Sharle Bridge was alive for a mile and more withvehicles, drunken men and women, beggars and pickpockets. On eitherside of the road were jugglers, and thimble-riggers, and card-sharpers,who each attracted their crowd of simpletons. Many were the fights andriots that attended these eager assemblages. As they passed one booth,the headquarters of a blustering card-sharper, a sudden disturbancearose which threatened to block the entire road. The man had offered asovereign to any one of his audience who could tell which of three cardshe held uppermost in his hand. One voice called out a number. The manshuffled his cards, and by some slip on his part the guess of thespeculator turned out correct. Instantly that youth demanded hissovereign, which the man refused, vowing and calling others to witnessthat another number had been guessed.

  "I'll bring the police," cried the voice, and instantly there was amovement in the group as of some one endeavouring to force his way out.

  "Knock him over!" some one cried; "he's only one of them donkeyschoolboys. What business have they here at all?" And at the signaltwo or three of the juggler's accomplices made a dash at the retreatingyouth and seized him.

  "Souse him in the river!" cried somebody else.

  "Sit on him!" shouted a third.

  In the midst of these contradictory advices the roughs lifted theirstruggling victim from his feet, and proceeded to carry him in thedirection of the bridge.

  In the momentary glimpse which Charlie got of the wretched object ofthis persecution, he recognised, to his horror and astonishment, TomDrift, livid with terror, frantic with rage, and yelling with pain.

  "Jim," cried Charlie, "that's Tom Drift! Oh! can't we help him? Willyou try, Jim! Poor Tom!"

  "Is he one of them four as brought you here?" asked Jim, not offering tomove.

  "Yes; but never mind that; they will drown him; see how furious theyare! Will you help him, Jim?"

  "Not a bit of me," replied the stubborn Jim, who was well content to seethe tables turned on one who had so brutally ill-treated his youngcompanion.

  "Then I must try myself;" and so saying, the boy of thirteen rushed inamong the crowd, and wildly tried to make his way to where hisschoolfellow was being dragged by his persecutors.

  Of course Jim had nothing for it but to back him up, and in a moment hewas beside my young master.

  "Let the boy be!" he shouted to those
who carried Drift, in a voice soloud that for a moment the rabble stood quiet to hear.

  In the midst of this silence Charlie shouted,--

  "Hold on, Tom Drift, we'll help you if we can."

  Instantly the crowd took up the name.

  "Tom Drift! Yah! Souse Tom Drift! Roll Tom Drift in the mud! Yah!Tom Drift!"

  And sure enough Tom Drift would have suffered the penalty prepared forhim, despite Charlie's attempt at rescue, had not help come at thatmoment from a most unexpected quarter.

  It will be remembered that Joe Halliday and his friend Walcot hadplanned a long walk on this holiday to Whitstone Woods, some ten milesbeyond Gurley.

  This plan they had duly carried out, and were now making the best oftheir way back to Randlebury along the crowded highway, when the suddencry of a schoolfellow's name startled them.

  "Tom Drift! Yah! Beggarly schoolboy!"

  "I say, Joe, that's one of our fellows! What's happening?"

  Joe accosted a passer-by.

  "What's going on?" he inquired.

  "They're only going to souse a young chap in the river."

  "What for?"

  "I don't know; 'cause he don't think the same as old Shuffle, the three-card chap."

  "We must do something, Joe," said Walcot.

  "I wish it were any other chap; but come on, we're in for it now," saidJoe.

  And with that these two broad-shouldered, tall fellows dashed into thethick of the fray.

  Tom's bearers were now at the bridge, which was a low one, and wereturning down towards the water's edge, when a new cry arrested them.

  "Now, Randlebury! Put it on, Randlebury! Who backs up Randlebury?"

  It was the old familiar cry of the football field, and at the sound ofthe well-known voices, Charlie's heart leapt for joy.

  "I do!" he shouted, with all his might. "Here you are, Randlebury!"

  And Jim's gruff voice took up the cry too.

  A panic set in among the blackguards. To them it seemed that the schoolwas come in force to rescue their comrade, for on either side the cryrose, and fighting towards them they could, see at any rate two stalwartfigures, who, they concluded, were but the leaders of following force.One of the men was hardy enough to turn at bay at the moment Walcot hadcleared his way at last up to the front. Big bully though he was, hewas no match for the well-conditioned, active athlete who faced him, andWalcot punished him in a manner that made him glad enough to take to hisheels as fast as he could.

  This exploit turned the day. Dropping Tom--how and where they did notstay to consider--they followed their retreating companion with all thespeed they were capable of, and left the enemy without another blowmasters of the situation.

  But if, as a victory, this charge of the Randlebury boys had beensuccessful, as a rescue it had failed; for Tom Drift, being literallydropped from the shoulders of his executioners, had fallen first on tothe parapet of the bridge, and then with a heavy shock into the stonystream beneath. When Walcot, Joe, Charlie, and Jim among them, went topull him out, he was senseless. At first they thought him merelystunned by the fall (the stream was only a few inches deep), butpresently when they began to lift him, they found that his right arm, onwhich he had fallen, was broken.

  Bandaging the limb as well as they could, and bathing his forehead withwater, they succeeded in restoring Tom to consciousness, and then,between them, carried him as gently as possible to the nearest house,when they managed, with some difficulty, to get a vehicle to convey themthe rest of their journey. It was a sad, silent journey. To Tom, thepain caused by every jolt was excruciating. They did their best to easehim, holding him lying across their knees, while Jim drove along thelevel footpath; but by the time the school was reached the sufferer wasagain insensible, and so he remained till the surgeon had set his arm.

  Thus ended the eventful holiday.

  Before Charlie went to bed, the doctor sent for him to his study, andthere required to know the true history of that day's doings. AndCharlie told him all. I need hardly say that, according to his version,the case against the four culprits was far lighter than had theirimpeachment been in other hands. He took to himself whatever blame hecould, and dwelt as little as possible on the plot that had been laid toget him to Gurley, and on the means which had been used to keep him whenonce there. He finished up with a very warm and pathetic appeal for TomDrift.

  "Don't, please, expel Tom Drift," he said, in all the boldness ofgenerosity; "he was led on by the others, sir, and he's punished badlyenough as it is. Oh! sir, if you'd seen his mother cry, when she onlyspoke of him, you couldn't do it."

  "You must leave that to me," said the doctor sternly, "I hope I shall donothing that is unjust or unkind. And now go to bed, and thank God forthe care He has taken of you to-day."

  And Charlie went.

  Tom Drift was not expelled. For weeks he lay ill, and during that timeno nurse was more devoted, and no companion more constant, than CharlieNewcome. A friendship sprang up between the two, strangely in contrastwith the old footing on which they had stood. No longer was Tom thevain, hectoring patron, but the docile penitent, over whose spiritCharlie's character began from that time to exercise an influence which,if in the time to come it could always have worked as it did now, wouldhave gone far to save Tom Drift from many a bitter fall and experience.

  When Tom, a week before the Christmas holidays, left the sick-room andtook his place once more in his class, Gus, Margetson, and Shadbolt wereno longer inmates of Randlebury School.