The Ocean Cats Paw | Page 4

taken him."
"Yes--may, may, may!" cried Rodd angrily. "But I don't believe our soldiers would be such brutes. It's only Frenchmen that do such things as that."
"What!" cried the lad, struggling to his feet. "How dare you speak so of our brave fellows! I appealed to you for help, and you insult me. Do you think if you were in France and flying for your life with your father--"
"Haven't got one," said Rodd shortly. "Died before I was born."
"Do you think then that if you alone had appealed to me for help I would have treated a poor escaping prisoner like this?"
"Oh, come, I say, don't go on like that. Any one would think you were a great girl. How can I help you? I daren't. What would my uncle say if he knew I'd helped a French prisoner to escape from his guards? You shouldn't, you know. It isn't right nor fair. Just because you have got into trouble, that's no reason why you should drag another fellow down too. Look here, what are you running away for?"
"Why?" cried the lad bitterly. "Because I am a prisoner, and I wanted to see my poor father free."
"Well, look here," said Rodd huskily; "I am very sorry, you know, and I'd help you if I could, but it's against the law, and--I say! Quick! Don't speak aloud. I can hear some one coming. Yes, it's the soldiers, I think."
"Oh!" cried the French lad wildly, and he gazed about him with every nerve quivering, his whole aspect being that of some hunted beast with the dogs close upon his track.
"Don't get up," cried Rodd. "I tell you, I mustn't help you; it's against the law; but if I were in your fix I know what I should do. Not afraid of the water, are you?"
"What, swim for my life? Nonsense! In a stream like this!"
"No, no. Wade into that hole opposite yonder, and hide there till the soldiers are gone."
"But they'd be sure to look there."
"Not they! They'd be afraid of spoiling their breeches and gaiters and washing out the pipe-clay."
"Ready for you to betray me to them," whispered the lad bitterly. "No; I'll surrender like a man."
"Oh!" growled Rodd, between his teeth. "If you weren't such a poor, weak, helpless-looking chap I'd hit you on the nose. How dare you speak to me like that?"
He raised his hand as if to strike, but there was a ring in his words which had thrilled the fugitive, who to Rodd's astonishment caught the hand in his, and quick as thought pressed it to his lips, and then dashed into the water and splashed his way to the mouth of the hole. The next moment the disturbed stream was the only trace left, for the fugitive had disappeared.
The young fisher stood gazing blankly at the low dark mouth of the hole, listening with every nerve on the strain for some sound from the hiding-place to strike his ear; but there was none. From behind, though, there came a loud voice, shouting--
"Here, this way; up by the stream!"
In an instant Rodd was full of action. Turning his back to the hole across the pool, he began to whip the surface with such effect that at the third cast there was a quick rise and he was fast in by far the biggest trout he had caught that day, though small enough all the same; and with knit brows he was playing it carefully just as a redcoat, followed by three or four more, came up at the double to the exit end of the pool and halted to stare at him wonderingly.
"Hi, young fellow!" shouted the leader, whose stripes betokened the sergeant. "What are you doing here?"
Rodd, whose heart was thumping against his ribs from excitement, did not so much as raise his eyes from the surface of the pool, but with teeth set, lips pursed up, and brows heavily knit, kept on playing his fish, paying not the slightest heed to the speaker and his companions.
"Fishing, eh?" said the sergeant, who, in spite of his important errand, could not take his eyes from the darting trout. "I say, we are after an escaped prisoner, and he came somewhere up here. Which way has he gone?"
Rodd did not take his eyes from the frantic darting of the fish, but gave line in silence as it flashed through the water to the far side of the pool, while the soldiers grounded arms and looked on with the deepest interest.
"Prisoners escaped," said the sergeant loudly, as he, too, still gazed at the rushings of the trout--"Frenchman--came up this way--Yes, a big 'un, youngster--Mind! You'll lose him!--One was quite a lad, and--Well done! You have got him yet!--We saw him run up this way, and--Well done!--You have handled a