CHAPTER NINE.
VISIT TO CAPTAIN TURGOT'S COTTAGE.
As it was growing dusk, Bill had no fear of being seen as he made hisway from the cavern. He felt rather weak, but he had a brave heart, andpushed on. He had some rough rocks to climb over, and others he managedto get round, walking through the water where it was not too deep.Sooner than he expected he reached the bay near which the Turgots'cottage was situated. To avoid the other cottages and huts he had tomake a wide circuit.
He cautiously crept up towards the back of his friends' dwelling; then,keeping close to the wall, he looked in through the window of the roomin which the family generally sat.
Jeannette was alone, spinning as usual, but looking somewhat pensive.
Bill tapped at the window, and Jeannette looked up.
"May I come in?" he asked in French.
Jeannette came to the window.
"Who are you?" she inquired.
"What! don't you know me?" said Bill.
"Ah! one of the young Englishmen!" she exclaimed; and she opened thewindow.
Bill jumped in.
"I am so happy to see you!" she cried. "Where have you come from? Andyour friend Jack, where is he? Have you both escaped from the soldiers?We thought you were in prison long ago;" and Jeannette put so manyquestions that Bill had great difficulty in answering them. He,however, soon contrived to let her know all that had happened, and theninquired for her father and mother and brother.
"Mother is in bed, quite ill," she said; "she was so frightened by thesoldiers, expecting to be carried off to prison, that she has not gotover it. My father and Pierre are out fishing. I expect them homebefore midnight, but they said that they should be out later thanusual."
"I should like to stop and see them," said Bill; "but in the meantime,can you give me something to eat? I am nearly starved."
"Of course," cried Jeannette; and she quickly placed some food beforeBill, which he as quickly attacked.
"Well, you are hungry!" she observed, "but eat away. I wish I had knownbefore how near you were to us, and I would have brought youprovisions."
"Can you bring them to us now?" asked Bill. "If we do not manage to getoff, we shall soon be hungry again."
"Of course I will," she answered; "but it would not be safe for me tobring them all the way to the cave. I know, however, a place muchnearer this where I could hide them, and you can come and fetch them."
"But how am I to know the place?" asked Bill.
"I will describe it to you," answered Jeannette. "You remarked, as youcame along, a break in the cliff, with a stream running down the bottom.On the right side of the stream, about ten feet from high-water mark,there is a small hollow just large enough for one person to creep in. Itook shelter there once when I was a little girl, having been caught ina storm as I was rambling along the sands so I remember it well."
Bill thought he could find the place, and would look for it as he wentback. Jeannette promised to bring a basket every other day, directlythe morning tide went down, so that Bill would know exactly when to goand fetch the food. He thanked her very much, and promised to followher directions.
He then asked her about a boat, but she could say nothing till herfather and Pierre returned. They might know of one, but as there wasvery small chance of her ever being restored to her owner, while theboys were not likely to have the means of paying for her, she wasdoubtful.
"As to that," said Bill, "we shall have plenty of prize-money. I hopeto pay for her over and over again; and I will promise most faithfullyto do so."
Jeannette smiled, for she thought that there was very little probabilityof the two young ship-boys ever getting prize-money sufficient to payfor such a boat as they required, to make a voyage across the Channel.
Bill was anxious to get back to poor Jack, who he remembered waswell-nigh starving. Jeannette would have accompanied him part of theway, but she had to remain at home to receive Captain Turgot and Pierre.She had, in the meantime, packed a basket with provisions for Jack andhimself, that they might be independent for a couple of days. Hetherefore jumped up, and, begging her to remember him very kindly to theothers, he bade her farewell, and, with the basket on his arm, slippedout of the house as cautiously as he had entered.
He had noted every object as he came along, so that he had no difficultyin making his way back. He also easily discovered the small cavedescribed by Jeannette. It was at a convenient distance from the largecavern, and, as a path led near it, should Jeannette be perceived, itmight be supposed that she was making her way to the top of the cliff.
Bill did not stop longer than was necessary to examine the place to becertain of being able to find it again, as he knew that Jack would beanxiously waiting for him. He hurried on, therefore, and in a shorttime reached the beach below the cavern. Climbing up, he called out,"All right, Jack!" But Jack did not answer. He called again, but stillthere was no reply, and he began to feel very anxious.
Had the soldiers been there and carried off his companion? or had Jackdied of starvation?
Jeannette had thoughtfully put a tinder-box, flint and steel, and acouple of candles into the basket. After feeling his way on for somedistance, he stopped and lighted one of the candles.
The faint light gave the cavern a wild, strange appearance, so that hecould scarcely have known where he was. He looked round on every side,but could nowhere see Jack; he became more and more alarmed; still hedid not give up all hope of finding him.
Again and again he called out "Jack!"
At length a faint voice came from the interior. He hurried on. Therelay Jack on the ground.
"Is that you, Bill?" he asked, in a low voice. "I was afraid you werecaught. I fancied I heard voices, and crept away, intending to get intoour hiding-place, when I fell down, and I suppose I must have gone tosleep, for I remember nothing more till I heard you calling to me. Haveyou brought any food?"
"Yes," said Bill; "sit up and eat as much as you can; it will do yougood, and you will soon be all to rights."
Jack did not require a second invitation, but munched away at the breadand cheese, and dried fish and figs, with right good will, showing thathe could not have been so very ill after all. He quickly regained hisstrength and spirits, and listened eagerly to what Bill had to tell him.
"Well, it's a comfort to think that we are not likely to be starved," heobserved; "and I will bless Miss Jeannette as long as I live. I wish wecould do something to show her how much obliged we are. And now, Bill,what about the boat? Is there a chance of our getting one?"
"A very poor chance at present, I am afraid," answered Bill."Jeannette, however, will let us know if her father and brother can findone to suit our purpose, or if a smuggling lugger comes into theharbour."
"We'll have, after all, to do as I proposed, and take one without askingthe owner's leave," said Jack. "I tell you it will be perfectly fair.The French are at war with us, and we have a right to take any of theirproperty we can find, whether afloat or on shore."
"That may be, but I can't get it out of my head that we shall be robbingsome poor fellow who may have to depend on his boat for supportinghimself and his family," answered Bill.
They argued the point as before, till Bill proposed that they should liedown and go to sleep, as he felt tired after his long walk.
They allowed two days to pass, when Bill set off as agreed on to obtainthe provisions he hoped Jeannette would have brought.
She had not deceived him; there was an ample supply, and two or threemore candles.
Several more days passed by. Jeannette regularly brought themprovisions, but she left no note to tell them of any arrangements whichher father had made. They were becoming very weary of their life, forthey had nothing whatever to do--no books to read, and not even a stickto whittle.
The weather had hitherto been fine, the cavern was warm and comfortable,and the dry sand afforded them soft beds. They might certainly havebeen very much worse off.
"I don't quite like the look of the weather," observed Bill one day toJack, just before the time Jeannette was due at the little cave, and alltheir provisions were expended. "If it comes on very bad she may bestopped, and we shall be pressed. I'll slip down the moment the wateris shallow enough, and try to get along the shore; and if she has notreached the cave, I'll go on and meet her."
Bill at once put his resolution into practice. He did not mind wettinghis feet; but he had here and there a hard job to save himself frombeing carried off by the sea, which rolled up the beach to the very footof the cliff. Twice he had to cling to a rock, and frequently to wadefor some distance, till he began to regret that he had ventured so soon;but having made up his mind to do a thing, he was not to be defeated bythe fear of danger; so waiting till the wave had receded, he rushed onto another rock. The sky had become overcast. The leaden seas,foam-crested, came rolling in with increasing force, and had not thetide been on the ebb his position would have been perilous in theextreme.
He knew, however, that every minute would make his progress lessdifficult; so with a brave heart he pushed on. At last he reached thelittle cave by the side of the gorge. It was empty! He knew,therefore, that Jeannette had not been there.
According to his previous determination, he went on to meet her, hopingthat before this she might have set out.
The rain now began to fall, and the wind blew with fitful gusts. He didnot care for either himself, but he was sorry that Jeannette should beexposed to the storm. He felt nearly sure that she would come, in spiteof it. If not, he made up his mind to wait till dark, and then to go onto her cottage. There was no great risk in doing so, as the soldierswould long before this have given up their search for him and Jack.
He had gone some distance, and the fishing village would soon be insight, when he saw a figure coming towards him, wrapped in a cloak.Hoping that it was Jeannette, he hurried forward to meet her. He wasnot mistaken.
Bill told her that he had come on that she might be saved from a longerexposure to the rain than was necessary.
"Thank you," she answered. "I was delayed, or I should have set offearlier, but a party of soldiers came to the village pretending thatthey wanted to buy fish. I, however, suspected that they came to lookfor you, and I waited till they had gone away again. We sold them allthe fish they asked for, and put on an unconcerned look, as ifsuspecting nothing, I saw them, however, prying about, and I recognisedone of them as the sergeant who came in command of the party whichcarried you off. I am not at all certain, either, that they will notreturn, and I should not have ventured out, had I not known that youmust be greatly in want of food, and that, perhaps, should the stormwhich is now beginning increase, many days might pass before I couldsupply you."
The information given by Jeannette made Bill very glad that he had comeon to meet her. He, of course, thanked her warmly, and then asked whatchance there was of obtaining a boat.
"My father wishes you well, but is afraid to interfere in the matter,"she answered. "He does not, perhaps, enter into your feelings aboutgetting back to England, because he thinks France the best country ofthe two, and sees no reason why you should not become Frenchmen. As thedetachment of soldiers quartered in the neighbourhood will soon,probably, be removed, you may then come back without fear, and resumethe clothes you before wore, and live with us, and help my father andbrother; then who knows what may happen? You will not have to fightyour own countrymen, and the war may some day come to an end, or perhapsthe French may conquer the English, and then we shall all be very goodfriends again."
"Never! Jeannette; that will never happen," exclaimed Bill. "You arevery kind to us, and we are very fond of you, and would do anything toserve you, and show our gratitude, but don't say that again."
Jeannette laughed. "Dear me, how fiery you are!" she exclaimed."However, it's foolish to stop talking here, and I ought to hurry home,in case the soldiers should pay us another visit and suspect something.Do not be angry, my dear Bill. I did not wish to offend you; only, youknow, we each think our own country the best."
Bill assured Jeannette that he was not angry, and again thanked her verymuch, though he could not help saying that he was sorry her father wouldnot obtain the boat for them.
"Well, well, you must have patience," she answered. "Now go back toyour cave as fast as you can, or you will be wet to the skin."
"I am that already," answered Bill, laughing; "but it's a trifle towhich I am well accustomed."
Once more they shook hands, and exchanging baskets. Jeannette, drawingher cloak around her, hurried back to the village, while Bill made thebest of his way to the cavern.
He was now able, in spite of the wind, to get along where he had beforefound it difficult to pass. In one or two places only did the wavesrolling up wash round his feet, but the water was not of sufficientdepth to carry him off, and he gained the mouth of the cavern in safety.Jack was eagerly looking out for him, and both of them being very sharpset, they lost no time in discussing some of the contents of the basket.
As they looked out they saw that the wind had greatly increased. Aheavy north-westerly gale was blowing. It rushed into the cavern filledwith spray from off the now distant foam-tipped waves. What it would dowhen the tide was again high was a matter of serious consideration.
"We shall have to go as far back as we can," observed Bill, "and thesooner we pick out a safe berth the better. I should like, too, to getmy wet clothes off, for the wind makes me feel very cold."
Jack was of the same opinion, and he taking up the basket, they gropedtheir way to the inner cave round the rock, where it turned, as beforedescribed, to the left. Here they were completely sheltered from thewind, and had it not been for the loud roar of the waves beating on theshore, and the howling of the gale in the outer cavern, they would nothave been aware that a storm was raging outside.
They had, it should have been said, collected a quantity of drift wood,which Jack had thoughtfully employed himself in carrying to the spotwhere they were now seated. As they could not possibly run any risk ofbeing detected, they agreed to light a fire, which they had hithertoavoided doing.
They soon had a cheerful one blazing up, and it made them feel much morecomfortable. Bill was able to dry his wet clothes, and by its lightthey could now take a better survey of their abode than they hadhitherto done.
The cavern was here not more than eight or ten feet in height, but itwas nearly thirty broad, and penetrated, so it seemed to them, far awayinto the interior of the cliff.
"I vote we have a look and see where the cave leads to," said Bill,taking up a long piece of fir-wood which burnt like a torch.
Jack provided himself with another of a similar character, and, bywaving them about, they found that they could keep them alight. Theyalso took one of their candles and their match-box in case their torchesshould go out.
Having raked their fire together, so that it might serve as a beacon toassist them in their return, they set out.
The ground rose as they had before supposed when they explored it in thedark, but the roof continued of the same height above it.
Suddenly Jack started.
"What is that?" he exclaimed, seizing his companion's arm. "There's aman! or is it a ghost? Oh Bill!"
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