Held Fast For England | Page 9

better go back to bed again.
"Jackson, you stand guard over these two villains here, and split their
heads open, if they venture to move.
"Now, let us go and see to this other fellow."

The admiral proceeded downstairs, followed by the boys. The other
two servants were standing beside the third robber, who was still
insensible.
"You keep watch over him, John," the admiral said.
"William, you come with us. There is another man in the drawing room,
but he is tied."
"There is the key, sir," Bob said, producing it. "We thought it safest to
lock him up."
"Upon my word, young gentlemen, you seem to have thought of
everything. If I were in command of a ship, I should like to have you
all as midshipmen."
The door was opened. The man was still lying on the ground, but had
rolled some distance from where they had left him. He had succeeded
in getting his feet loosened from the handkerchief, but the whipcord
round his wrists had resisted all his efforts to break or slacken it. He
was panting heavily from the exertions he had made.
"It is Harper," the admiral said, in a tone of indignation and disgust.
"So, you treacherous scoundrel, it was you who let these men in, was it?
Well, it is a hanging matter, my lad; and if any fellow deserves the rope,
you do.
"You had better go and get some more cord, Williams, and tie all these
four fellows up, securely. Let Jackson see to the knots.
"Where did the scoundrels get in?" he asked, turning to the boys.
"At the door at the end of the passage, sir, where the plate chests are
standing. We found it open--here is the key of it. We locked it, after we
came in, so as to prevent anyone from getting away.
"There is another man, with a cart, in the road."

"We will see to him, directly we have got the others all tied up safely,"
the admiral said. "That is the first thing to see to."
In five minutes, the four men were laid side by side in the hall, securely
bound hand and foot.
"Now, Williams, you keep guard over them.
"Jackson, do you and John sally out. There is a cart standing outside the
gate, and a fellow in it. Bring him in, and lay him alongside the others."
The boys followed the two men, to see the capture. The light had
broadened out over the sky, and it was almost sunrise as they sallied
out. They went quietly along, until they reached the gate--which stood
ajar--then they flung it open and rushed out. To their disappointment,
the cart was standing about fifty yards lower down the hill. The man
was in it, with his whip in one hand and the reins in another, and was
looking back; and the moment he saw them, he struck the horse and
drove off at the top of his speed. The pace was such that it was hopeless
for them to think of following him.
"I expect he heard the pistol shots," Jackson said, "and sheered off a bit,
so as to be able to cut and run if he found his consorts were in trouble.
Well, we cannot help it; we have taken four prizes out of the five, and I
call that pretty fair."
"I think we had better go, now," Bob said. "We have got a friend
waiting for us."
"Then he must wait a bit longer," Jackson said. "The admiral will want
to ask you some more questions. But if your friend is anywhere near,
one of you might run and tell him to back and fill a bit, till you come to
him."
"Tell him to do what?" Jim Sankey asked.
"Tell him to wait a bit, lad."

"I will run up," Wharton said.
"Shall I tell him we shan't want him at all, today, Bob?"
"I think so, Wharton. You see it is four o'clock, now; and we mayn't be
able to get away for half an hour, and it will be too late, then. Besides,
Jim and I have been knocked about too much to care for rabbit hunting,
now. You tell him we will go some other day."
"You needn't tell him that, Wharton," Fullarton put in. "It will be some
time before we get a chance, you may be sure."
"All right! Tell him to go home then, Wharton. Tell him I will make it
all right with him, for losing his morning's work. Of course, you will
come in here, when you come down the hill again."
Wharton nodded, and started at a run up the hill; while his companions
accompanied the two men into the house. The admiral was down in the
hall again.