The Bittermeads Mystery | Page 9

nor the condition for running unnecessary risks.
The big man, Mr. John, as the others called him, seemed little inclined
for speech, but the others talked a good deal, subsiding sometimes
when he told them gruffly to be quiet but invariably soon beginning
again their expressions of sympathy and vows of vengeance against his
unknown assailant.
"How many of them do you think there were, Mr. John, sir?" one asked
presently. "I'll lay you marked a fair sight of the villains."
"There was only one man," Mr. John answered briefly.
"Only one?" the other repeated in great surprise. "For the Lord's sake,
Mr. John - only one? Why, there ain't any one man between here and
Lunnon town could stand up to you, sir, in a fair tussle.
"Well, he did," Mr. John answered. "He had the advantage, he took me
by surprise, but I never felt such a grip in my life."
"Lor', now, think of that," said the other in tones in which surprise
seemed mingled with a certain incredulity. "It don't seem possible, but
for sure, then, he don't come from these here parts, that I'll stand to."
"I knew that much before," retorted Mr. John. "I said all the time they
were outsiders, a London gang very likely. You'll have to get Dr.
Rawson, Bates. I don't know what's up, but I've a beast of a pain in my
side. I can hardly breathe."

Bates murmured respectful sympathy as they came out of the shelter of
the trees, and crossing some open ground, reached a road along the
further side of which ran a high brick wall.
In this, nearly opposite the spot where they emerged on the road, was a
small door which one of the men opened and through which they
passed and locked it behind them, leaving Dunn without.
He hesitated for a moment, half-minded to scale the wall and continue
on the other side of it to follow them.
Calculating the direction in which the village of Ramsdon must lie, he
turned that way and had gone only a short distance when he was
overtaken by a pedestrian with whom he began conversation by asking
for a light for his pipe.
The man seemed inclined to be conversational, and after a few casual
remarks, Dunn made an observation on the length of the wall they were
passing and to the end of which they had just come.
"Must be a goodish-sized place in there," he said. "Whose is it?"
"Oh, that there's Ramsdon Place," the other answered. "Mr. John Clive
lives there now his father's dead."
Dunn stood still in the middle of the road.
"Who? What?" he stammered. "Who - who did you say?"
"Mr. John Clive," the other repeated. "Why - what's wrong about that?"
"Nothing, nothing," Dunn answered, but his voice shook a little with
what seemed almost fear, and behind the darkness of the friendly night
his face had become very pale. "Clive - John Clive, you say? Oh, that's
impossible."
"Needn't believe it if you don't want to," grumbled the other. "Only
what do you want asking questions for if you thinks folks tells lies
when they answers them?"

"I didn't mean that, of course not," exclaimed Dunn hurriedly, by no
means anxious to offend the other. "I'm very sorry, I only meant it was
impossible it should be the same Mr. John Clive I knew once, though I
think he came from about here somewhere. A little, middle-aged man, I
mean, quite bald and wears glasses?"
"Oh, that ain't this 'un," answered the other, his good humour quite
restored. "This is a young man and tremendous big. I ain't so small
myself, but he tops me by a head and shoulders and so he does most
hereabouts. Strong, too, with it, there ain't so many would care to stand
up against him, I can tell you. Why, they do say he caught two
poachers in the wood there last month and brought 'em out one under
each arm like a pair of squealing babes."
"Did he, though?" said Dunn. "Take some doing, that, and I daresay the
rest of the gang will try to get even with him for it."
"Well, they do say as there's been threats," the other agreed. "But what
I says is as Mr. John can look after hisself all right. There was a tale as
a man had been dodging after him at night, but all he said when they
told him, was as if he caught any one after him he would thrash them
within an inch of their lives."
"Serve them right, too," exclaimed Dunn warmly.
Evidently this explained, in part at least, what had recently happened.
Mr. Clive, finding himself being followed, had supposed it was one of
his poaching