The Rival Crusoes | Page 4

rises," observed Ben, looking up from his work with a frown on his brow. "Let them try it, and they'll stick fast."
The boat passed the spot where Ben and his companion were at work, and very soon what he had predicted happened. Two of the officers, whom Dick recognised by their uniforms to be midshipmen, were heard abusing the men and ordering them to urge the boat on. But all the efforts of the crew to get her afloat were vain.
They then endeavoured to back her off, and at length four of them, tucking up their trowsers, leaped overboard. The boat thus lightened, the men, by shoving her astern, soon got her again into deep water. When, however, they sprang on board their blackened legs showed the nature of the mud into which they had stepped, and produced a malicious chuckle from Ben, who watched them with half-averted head. By moving their legs about in the water they soon got rid of the black stains, when, having resumed their places, they pulled the boat in close to where Ben and Dick were standing. As she reached the beach the two midshipmen leaped on shore.
"I say, you fellows," shouted one of them, "come along here and carry our portmanteaus to the inn, if there is one in that village there, and tell us if we can find a post-chaise or conveyance of some sort to take us to Elverston Hall."
"Don't you answer," said Ben to Dick, hammering on and pretending not to notice what was said.
"Ahoy, there! don't you hear us? Knock off that work!" cried the younger of the two midshipmen, and he repeated what he had just said.
"Yes, we hear," growled Ben looking up; "but we are not slaves to come and go at your beck, youngster."
"We don't want you to carry our traps for nothing, my man," said the elder midshipman. "We'll give a shilling to each of you for the job, and that's handsome pay."
"To those who want it, it may be," said Ben; "but that youngster there must learn to keep a civil tongue in his head if he expects any one to help him. Hurst beach ain't the deck of a man-of-war, and one chap here is as good as another, so you may just let your own people carry up your traps."
The crew of the boat sat grinning as they heard the smuggler bandying words with their officers, siding probably with the former.
"Do you know to whom you are speaking, my man?" exclaimed the elder midshipman. "This is Lord Reginald Oswald, and his father is the Marquis of Elverston. His lordship will be exceedingly angry when he hears the way you have treated his son."
Ben, turning away his head, muttered loud enough for his companion to hear him, "He might be the marquis himself for what I care; but I'm not his lordship's slave to come and go at his beck any more than I am yours."
Dick looked hard at the young lord, and the recollection of their former intercourse would have made him unwilling to do as he was asked, even had the request been couched in less dictatorial language.
"Come, come, we will pay you a couple of shillings each, if you are extortionate enough to refuse our first offer; but carry up our traps you must, for the boat has to return immediately to the frigate, and we cannot delay her."
"Extortionate or not extortionate, we are not slaves, as some poor fellows are," said Ben, glancing at the boat's crew; "if we don't do what you want for love, we are not going to do it for money, so you may just carry your portmanteaus yourselves."
"Impertinent scoundrels!" exclaimed Lord Reginald to his companion. "Just see, Voules, if that young fellow is more amenable to reason than that sulky old boatman."
"I'll try him," answered Voules. "Come here, you young chap. If you will carry Lord Reginald's portmanteau I will shoulder mine; we must not delay the boat any longer."
"Don't seem as if you heard him," said Ben to Dick in a low voice, then looking round he shouted, "Maybe the `young chap' is deaf, and if he wasn't, he's not a mule or donkey to carry a load on his back. Let Lord Reginald carry his own portmanteau, and just do you understand that I'm not the man to stand any nonsense from him or from any other lord in the land."
"There is no use in bandying words with these scoundrels!" exclaimed Voules. "I'll carry your portmanteau, Oswald, and let my own take its chance. I don't suppose these fellows will dare to steal it, until we can send somebody to bring it on."
"No, no," answered Lord Reginald; "we must get Jennings to allow two of the men to come with us, and