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In the King's Name: The Cruise of the "Kestrel", a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 23. Hilary's Way Of Escape |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. HILARY'S WAY OF ESCAPE Hilary stood in the centre of the old chapel, gazing at the closed door, and listening to the rattle of the bolts. He was full of regrets, for, left early an orphan, he had been in the habit of looking up to Sir Henry somewhat in the way that a boy would regard a father; and he was grieved to the heart to think that so old and dear a friend should look upon him as an ingrate. But at the same time he felt lighter at heart, and there was the knowledge to support him that he had done his duty at a very trying time. "I should have felt that every right-thinking man had looked down upon me," he said, half aloud, "and little Adela would have been ashamed when she knew all, to call me friend." He stood with his eyes still fixed upon the door thinking, and now his thoughts were mingled with bitter feelings, for he was still a prisoner at the mercy of a set of lawless men, Sir Henry being no doubt merely a visitor here, and possessed of but little authority. "And I know too much for them to let me go and bring a few of our lads to rout out their nest," he said, half aloud. "Never mind, they won't dare to kill me, unless it is by accident," he added grimly, and then he ran to the window to see if Adela were in sight. Practice had made him nimble now, and leaping up, he caught the bars, drew himself into the embrasure, and peered between the bars. "Pst! Adela!" he cried eagerly, for he could just see her light dress between the trees. She looked up, and came running towards the window, looking bright and happy, and there was an eager light in her eyes. "Why, Hil!" she cried. "I did not think you would be there now. Papa said he thought you would soon be at liberty, and that perhaps you would stay with us a little while before you went away." "And should you like me to stay with you?" he said, gazing down. "Oh, yes; so much!" she said naively. "This old place is so dull and lonely, and I am so much alone with an old woman who waits upon us. Why don't you come out?" "Because I am a prisoner," he said quietly. "But I thought--I hoped--papa said you were going to give your parole not to escape," said Adela; "or else that you were going to join our cause and fight for the true king." He shook his head mournfully. "No, Addy. I cannot give my word of honour not to escape," he said; "because I hope to get away at the first opportunity." "Then join our cause," cried Adela. "No," he said, shaking his head, "I cannot join your cause, Addy, because I am an officer appointed in the king's name to serve in one of King George's vessels. I should be a traitor if I forsook my colours." "But I want you to come," cried Adela, with the wayward tyranny of a child. "It seems so stupid for you to be shut up there like a wild beast in a cage. Oh, Hil, you must come on our side! Do!" "Adela! Adela!" cried an imperious voice. "Yes, papa, I am coming," she cried; and looking up quickly at the prisoner, she nodded and laughed, and the next moment she had disappeared. Hilary sat watching as if in the hope that she would come back; but he knew in his heart that she would not, and so it proved at the end of quite a couple of hours. "He has told her that she is to hold no communication with such a fellow," he said to himself. "Poor little Addy! what a sweet little thing she is growing, and what an impetuous, commanding way she has!" He sat watching the place still, but without hope. Now and then the girl's words came to him. "I seem like a wild beast in a cage, do I?" he said laughing. "Very good, Miss Addy; then I must gnaw my way out." As he spoke his eyes fell upon the bit of worsted that was secured to the cutlass, and he was about to draw it up when he heard footsteps approaching from the interior, and he leaped lightly down and began walking about the place as the door was opened, and Allstone held it back for some of his men to enter with a couple of trusses of straw, a couple of blankets, a rough three-legged table, and a rougher stool, which were unceremoniously thrown or jerked down, and then, after a suspicious look at his prisoner, Allstone motioned to the men to go. "Is there anything else your lordship would like?" he said with a sneer. "The best feather-beds are damp, and the carpets have been put away by mistake. What wines would your lordship like for your dinner and would you like silver cups or glass?" "Now then, old Allstones, or Allbones, or Nobones, or whatever your name is," cried Hilary, putting his arms akimbo, and taking a step nearer to the jailer, "you are a big and precious ugly man of about forty, and I'm only a boy; but look here, if I had you on board my ship I'd have you triced up and flogged." "But you are not on board your ship, my young cockerel," said the man mockingly. "No," cried Hilary, "but I'm all here, and if you give me any of your sauce when you come in, I'll show you why some fellows are made officers and some keep common seamen to the end of their days." "And how's that?" said the ruffian with a sneer. "Because they know how to deal with bullies and blackguards like you. Now then, this is my room, so walk out." He took another step forward and gazed so fiercely in the man's eyes, that, great as was the disparity in their ages and strength, Allstone shrank back step by step until he reached the doorway, when, if not afraid of Hilary, he was certainly so much taken aback by the young man's manner that he was thoroughly cowed for the moment, and shrank away, slipping through the door and banging it after him, leaving the prisoner to his meditations. "Come, I've got a bed," he said, laughing, "and a chair and a table, and--hurrah! the very thing." He then seized the table and turned it upside down to gaze beneath, and then replacing it, ran to the window, pulled up the cutlass, and going to the table once more, turned it over and inserted the point of the weapon between the side and the top, with the result that it stuck there firmly, and upon the table being replaced upon its legs it was quite concealed. "There!" he cried, "that will be handy, and I daresay safe, for they will never think of searching that after bringing it in." This done, he proceeded to roll up his worsted for future use, and placed it in one pocket, the piece of cord with which he had drawn up the milk being in another. "Why, I might have used that instead of the worsted," he said, as he remembered it for the first time; but he recollected directly after that it would have been too easily seen. Then he inspected the two trusses of straw, and made his bed close beside the opening he hoped to make by raising the slab; and then, having carefully examined the spot, he listened to make sure that he was not heard, and taking out his pocket-knife, went down upon his knees and began to pick out the hard dirt and cement that filled the cracks around the broad, flat stone. It was rough work, but he had the satisfaction of feeling that he was making very fair progress, scraping up the pieces from the place around, and as fast as he secured a handful going to the window and throwing it out with a good jerk, looking out afterwards to see if it showed, and finding it was concealed by the long grass. He was well upon the _qui vive_, having placed the straw close to the place where he was at work, and holding himself in readiness at the slightest alarm to scatter a portion over the slab. But no one came, and he worked steadily on hour after hour till the crack all round was quite clear, and he had no need to do more till he tried to raise the stone by using the cutlass as a lever. To guard against surprise he now scattered about some of the chaff and small scraps that had been shaken out of the two bundles of straw, and after listening attentively, he could not resist the temptation of taking out the heavy sword and trying whether he could lift the slab. The point went in easily, and he was just about to press upon the handle when he snatched the weapon out and hastily thrust it back in its hiding-place, for there was the sound of an opening door, and a minute later Allstone walked in with a small loaf and a jug of water, placing them upon the table with a sour and malicious look at the prisoner, who did not even notice his presence, and then left the place. "Bread and water, eh!" thought Hilary. "Well, the greater need for me to get away, for ship living will be better than this." His hearty young appetite, however, was ready to induce him to look with favour upon food of any kind, and he set to at once, munching the bread and refreshing himself with draughts of water. "If this is Sir Henry's doing," he said, "it is mean; but I'll put it down to the credit of our amiable friend Allstone. Perhaps I may be able some day to return the compliment. We shall see." At his time of life low spirits do not last long, and he was too full of his idea of escape to trouble himself now about the quality of his food. All being well, he hoped to get down into the cellar, where, among other things it was evident that the smugglers kept their store of spirits; he might, perhaps, find firearms as well. At all events he hoped that the exit might prove easier than from the place where he now was. He was obliged to leave off eating to try to raise the slab with the cutlass, so taking the weapon from its hiding-place, he tried the edge of the stone, inserting the point of the sword with the greatest care, and then pressing down the handle he found, to his great delight, that he could easily prise up the slab, raising it now a couple of inches before he lowered it down. This was excellent, and the success of his project was far greater than he had anticipated; in fact, he had expected double the difficulty in loosening the stone. "They are not much accustomed to having prisoners," he said, with a half-laugh, as he replaced the cutlass beneath the table. "Why, any fellow could get out of here." Then, thinking that his remark in his self-communing was too conceited, he added: "Down into the cellar or vaults; whether one could get out afterwards is another thing." Returning to his stool, he worked away at the bread, steadily munching, finding the result quieting to his hungry pains, and also a kind of amusement to pass away the time till he felt that he might set to work in safety, for he did not mean to commence till nearly dusk. As he expected, towards evening Allstone came again, not to bring more food, but to glance sharply round at the place and carefully scrutinise his prisoner as if looking for the missing sword. Hilary looked straight before him, whistling softly the while in the most nonchalant manner, completely ignoring his visitor's presence, to the man's evident annoyance, his anger finding vent in a heavy bang of the door. Hilary did not move for quite half an hour; then, all being perfectly still, and the evening shadows beginning to make his prison very dim, he rose with beating heart, listened, and all being silent as if there was not a soul within hearing, took the cutlass from its hiding-place, and proceeded to put his project in action. Bending down, he once more swept aside the straw, and inserted the point of the sword, to find that this time there was more difficulty in his task, for he had to try several times, and in fresh positions, finding the cutlass bend almost to breaking-point, before success crowned his efforts, and he raised the stone sufficiently far to get his fingers beneath, and then the task was easy, for with a steady lift he raised one side and leaned it right up against the wall. He had hardly accomplished this before he fancied he heard a slight noise outside, beneath the window, and the perspiration began to stand in a dew upon his face as he realised the fact that some one had just placed a ladder against the wall and was ascending to look in. If the stone was seen upraised his chance of escape was at an end, and there was not a moment to spare, nor the slightest chance of closing it. He glanced around, and, to his intense delight, noted that it was getting decidedly dark in the corner where he stood; but still detection seemed to be certain; and he had only one chance, that was--to throw himself down and pretend to be asleep. This he did at once, breathing heavily, and lying perfectly motionless, but with his eyes wide open, and his ears strained to catch the slightest sound. He was quite right; some one was ascending a short ladder placed by his window; and as he watched attentively he saw the opening suddenly darkened, and some man's face gazing straight in. It was too dark now for him to distinguish the features, and he hoped that the obscurity would favour him by preventing the intruder from seeing what had been done. It was a time of terrible suspense, probably only of a minute's duration, but it seemed to Hilary like an hour; and there he lay, with half-closed eyes, gazing at the head so dimly-seen, wondering whether it was Allstone, but unable to make out. Just then a thought flashed through his brain. Might it not be a friend?--perhaps a party from the _Kestrel_ arrived in search of him; and, full of hope, he gazed intently at the head. But his hopes sank as rapidly as they had risen, for he was compelled to own that, if it had been a friend, he would have spoken or whistled, or in some way have endeavoured to catch his attention. At last, wearied with straining his attention, Hilary felt that he must speak, when it seemed to him that the window grew a little lighter, and as he gazed there was a faint scratching noise, telling that the ladder had been removed. He could bear it no longer, but, softly rising, he made for the window, climbed up, and gently raising his head above the sill, peered out, to be just able to distinguish a dark figure carrying a short ladder, which brushed against the branches of a tree, and then a low, husky cough, which he at once recognised, told him who his visitor had been. "A contemptible spy!" muttered Hilary, as he dropped back into the chapel. "Now then, has he seen or has he not?" If he had it was useless to lower down the slab, so Hilary let it stay, and waited minute after minute to see if he would come. But all remained perfectly still, and, to all appearance, the people who made the old place their rendezvous were now away. Hilary was divided in his mind as to what he should do. To be precipitate might ruin his chance of getting away, while if he left it too long the smugglers might return, and his opportunity would again be gone. He decided, then, on a medium course--to wait, as far as he could judge, for half an hour, and then make his attempt. Meantime he began to think of what course he should pursue when he was free, and it seemed that all he could do would be to strike inland at once, for that would be the safest plan. If he tried to reach the coast the chances were that he would encounter one of the gang, or at all events some cottager who would most probably be in their pay. "The half-hour must be up now," he exclaimed; and, after listening at the door, he thrust the cutlass in his belt, and made for the hole formed by the raised flag. "I wonder how far it is down?" he muttered. "Seven feet at the outside; and if I lower myself gently I shall be able to touch the floor, or perhaps I shall come down on some barrel or package." As he spoke he lowered himself gently down, with a hand on either side of the aperture, and then, swinging his legs about, one of them kicked the side, showing that the cellar or vault was a little smaller in dimensions than the place above. He lowered himself a little more, and a little more, his sea life having made the muscles of his arms as tough almost as iron, and at last, having a good hold of the stones on either side, he let himself steadily go down till his head was beneath the floor and he hung down at the full length of his hands. "Deeper down than I thought for," he muttered, as he swung himself to and fro. "Shall I drop, or sha'n't I? It can't be above a foot; but somehow one don't like to let go of a certainty, to drop no one can tell where--perhaps on to bottles, or no one knows what." He still swung in hesitation, for it seemed cowardly to go back, now he was so far down; but somehow the desire to be upon the safe side obtained the mastery, and he determined to go back. Easier settled upon than done. His muscles were tough enough, but somehow his position was awkward, and his hold upon the stones so slight that, though he drew himself up twice, he did not get well above the opening till he managed to force one toe into the niche between a couple of the stones of the wall, when, by a sharp effort, he drew himself so far out of the hole that he was able to seat himself upon the edge, with his legs dangling down. "What a lot of trouble I am taking!" he said, laughing lightly, though at the same time he felt discomposed. "I might just as well have dropped, but as I am up here again I may as well take soundings." His plan of taking soundings was to fish out his ball of worsted, and, after a moment's thought, to tie it to the handle of the brown water-jug, and this he lowered softly down the hole. "It's deeper down than I thought for," he said to himself, as he let the jug right down to the extent of the worsted thread, and then knelt down and reached as far as he could, but still without result. "Stop a moment," he said, pulling out his piece of line, "it's lucky I didn't leave go. Why, that worsted's at least a dozen feet long." As he spoke he tied the end of the worsted to his piece of cord, and let the jug down lower still, to the extent of the cord as well, quite five yards more. "Phew!" he whistled, as, with the cord round his finger, he reached down as far as he could; "I should have had a drop! and--hang it, there goes the jug!" For at that moment the string suddenly became light, the worsted having parted; and as he knelt there, peering down into the darkness, the perspiration started once more from his forehead, and a curious sensation, as of a comb with teeth of ice passing through his hair, affected him while he listened moment after moment, moment after moment, till there came up a dull whispering splash from below, at a distance that was perfectly horrifying after the risk that Hilary had run. So overcome was he by his discovery that he shrank away from the opening in the floor completely unnerved, and unable for a time to move. He was, in fact, like one who had received a stunning blow, and only after some minutes had elapsed was he able to mutter a few words of thankfulness for his escape, as he now thoroughly realised that he had uncovered an old well of tremendous depth. _ |
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