George Manville Fenn

“ It had been a terrible walk in the darkness, for the cliff tops were as if a gigantic storm had taken place when that part of the coast was formed, and a series of mountainous—really mountainous—waves had run along and became suddenly congealed, leaving sharp-crested hill and deeply grooved valley, which had to be climbed and descended in turn, till the men vowed that the distance was double what it would have been by road, and they certainly were not exaggerating much. ”

“ Before the midshipman could recover from his surprise, he felt himself run forward by the two hands which had been dropped on his shoulders, thrust through the door, the farmer whispering savagely, “Work, or I’ll break your neck;” and giving him a fierce push and a kick, which drove him along a passage, where on his left was the open doorway into the dimly lit cellar.
So great was the impetus given, that but for a desperate effort to keep his feet, and a bound or two, the lad would have gone down upon his face. ”

“ I believe it’s a real cow, Dick.”
“Not she, sir. Real cows lives in Lincolnshire, and feeds on grass. I never see ’em go in the sea, only halfway up their legs in ponds, and stand a-waggin’ their tails to keep off the flies. This here’s a sea-cow, sir, sartin.”
“It’s a cow, Dick; and it has tumbled off the cliff, and is swimming for its life,” said the lad, closing the glass.
The sailor chuckled.
“What are you laughing at?”
“At you, sir, beggin’ your pardon. But you don’t think as how a cow would be such a fool as to tumble off a cliff. Humans might, but cows is too cunning.” ”

“ No lad ever sprang to his work with more alacrity, and, as he leaped into the boat, and the men dropped their oars, there was a hearty look of welcome in each smiling face.
“She has just gone into the mist there, Mr Raystoke,” said the lieutenant; “but she’s making straight for that ledge, and you can’t miss her. One moment. If the men seem all right and honest as to what they are going to do, see if you can get any information, but be on your guard, as they’ll send you, perhaps, on some fool’s errand.”
“Ay, ay, sir!” cried Archy again, as he took the handle of the tiller. ”

“ Directly afterwards there was a soft glare, the lanthorn appeared like some creature of light swaying and floating towards him in the darkness till it stopped close by, and Ram’s now familiar voice exclaimed,—
“Hullo there! Getting hungry?”
“Yes,” said Archy, in a voice he wished to sound surly and obstinate, but which in spite of his wishes had a cheerful ring, which affected Ram, who began to laugh and chatter.
“Nice to be you,” he said. “Get all the good things, you do. Fried fish to-day, and pork pie. I say, midshipman, you have got into good quarters, you have.” ”

“ Ram sat there holding out his hand to the midshipman, but it was not taken, and for a space they gazed into each other’s eyes. The silence was broken by Ram.
“Well,” he said at last, “won’t you shake hands?”
“An officer and a gentleman cannot shake hands with one like you,” replied Archy coldly.
“Oh, can’t he?” said Ram quietly. “You’re a gentleman. Was it being a gentleman made you come down and pull me on here.”
“I don’t know whether being a gentleman made me do it,” said Archy coldly. “I saw you would lose your life if I did not get a rope and come to you, and so I did it.” ”

“ There was nothing suspicious in a sailing-boat making for the cove, but, as the middy looked at it, the boat heeled over in a puff of wind, and he fancied that he caught sight of a familiar figure behind the sail.
It was only a momentary glance, and directly after he told himself it was nonsense, for the figure which had started up in the night, away on the cliff was Ram Shackle, and he could not be in two places at once.
“We shall never do it, my lads,” said the master suddenly. “Easy—easy. It’s of no use to break your backs, and your hearts too. She’s sailing two knots to our one. ”

“ The midshipman drew in a long breath of the salt air, as he stood at the opening in the cliff face. He tightened his belt, drew his red cap down on his head, wished that his hands were not so sore, and muttered the words, “Now for liberty!” He began to creep through the hole till his head was well out, and he could look round for enemies.
There was not one. The only thing that he could see was a gull sailing round and round between him and the sea, down to his right. ”

“ Who ever heard of a phantom lobster-boat?”
Dick shook his head, and then sat playing with the handle of his oar.
“You Dick,” cried Archy, “you’re a goose! There, it will not be safe to land, my lads. Here, you two jump ashore as we back in. Mind, just as the sea’s off the ledge; and run up and have a good look round.”
The boat was turned, backed in, and, seizing the right moment, the men jumped on to the rock just as the water was only ankle-deep, had a good search round, and came back, to be picked up again safely, though the boat was within an ace of being capsized. ”

“ Archy tried to seem sulky.
“Oh, you needn’t talk without you like, but they didn’t feed you up aboard ship like you’re getting it now, I know; salt beef, then salt pork, and hard biscuits. Why, it’s like fattening up one of our pigs for Christmas. I say, you are quiet. Haven’t been at one of them little kegs, have you? Oh, very well; if you don’t like to talk, I can’t make you.”
“Are you going to let me out of this place?” said the midshipman, so as to keep up the idea of his longing to be set free, and chase any suspicions of his having discovered a way out. ”

“ The suspense in the darkness seemed strained to breaking point, and Archy lay with his heart beating painfully, watching till it seemed as if the case was hopeless, and that if Dick, now nearly off the cliff, could grip hold of the fallen man, they would never be able to get him and his burden back. ”

“ Grip barked fiercely.
“Be quiet, sir!”
“And going to say, little missus, that if that there dog comes hanging about here, he’ll go over them there cliffs as sure as buttons, and never be seen no more.”
“Come away, Grip. Thank you, Mr Dadd,” said Celia, hurrying the dog away, and giving him a run down along the hollow; while Jemmy Dadd threw himself back, rolled over on to his face, and laughed hoarsely.
“I say, young Ram,” he cried, “what a game!”
“What’s a game?” said the boy sharply.
“That there dog; he won’t forget that whack I give him on the ribs for long enough.” ”

“ There was a rush here and there in the darkness, the line being completely broken, and the men who composed it caught sight from time to time of a shadowy figure to which they gave chase as it dodged in and out of the bushes, doubling round masses of weather-worn stone, plunging into hollows, being lost in one place and found in another, but always proving too active for its pursuers, who stumbled about among the rough ground and dangerous slopes. ”

“ Here, Mr Gurr, help Mr Raystoke, and—stop though; I don’t think I can let you go alone, my lad.”
“If I don’t go alone, sir, it’s of no use.”
“You are right. Then we’ll risk it; but if the smugglers kill you, don’t come and blame me. Have the boat ready, Mr Gurr. Here, Raystoke, come down into the cabin at once.” ”

“ He was just in time to save himself from another fall as he heard a dull bang as if a heavy door were closed, followed by a curious rattling sound, as of large pieces of slate falling down and banging against wood. Then came a dull echoing, which died off in whispers, and all was perfectly still.
“The cowards!” cried Archy, as he fully realised that his gaolers had escaped from him. “How brutal to leave a fellow shut up in a hole like this. ’Tis horrible; and enough to drive one mad. ”

“ The men tramped on, exciting the interest of the people of the little villages that were passed—clusters of white rough stone houses by the roadside, whose occupants looked innocence itself, but there was hardly one among them who could not have told tales about busy work on dark nights, carrying kegs and bales, or packages of tobacco from the cliff, to some hiding-place in barn or cave. ”

“ Farmer Shackle was quite right, for it was not long before a boat, well-filled with men, under the command of the midshipman and the master, put off from the cutter, and began to row west to the little cove, through whose narrow entrance a boat could pass to lie on the surface of a cup-shaped depression, at whose head a limpid stream of water gurgled over the cleanly-washed shingle below the great chalk cliffs. ”

“ Hunger is an overmastering desire, and he crept on step by step with outstretched hands, picturing in the darkness slices of ham, yellow butter, brown crusted loaves, and pure sweet milk, till, as he dragged his feet slowly along, half-fainting now with pain, weariness, and despair, his foot suddenly kicked against something which rolled over and over away from him. ”

“ It was brandy, but brandy in smuggled kegs, and the scoundrels of smugglers had shut him up in the vault with their kegs.
“Well, they have not killed me,” he said to himself with a little laugh. “They dared not try that, and all I have to do now is to escape, if Mr Brough does not send the lads to fetch me out.”
He went through the whole time now since his landing; thought of what a disgraceful thing it was for a titled gentleman to mix himself up with smuggling, and what a revelation he would have for the lieutenant and the master who had been so easily deluded by Sir Risdon’s bearing. ”

“ Jack the sailor is easily pleased, for the simple reason that anything is a relief from the tedium of life on ship-board; consequently the coming of the cow was like a half-holiday to them at the wrong end of the day, and they stood about nudging each other, as Dirty Dick trotted up with his bucket, Archy looking on as much amused as the men.
The cow blinked her eyes, and turned her head to smell at the bucket which Dick set down on the deck, and stood scratching his head.
“Well, sir, go on,” said the lieutenant—“Seems to me, now, Mr Raystoke, that we ought to have cream and fresh butter. ”

“ Gurr, who looked wonderfully bull-dog like in aspect, made straight for the farm, where the first person he encountered was Mrs Shackle, who, innocent enough, poor woman, came to the door to bob a curtsey to the king’s men, while Jemmy Dadd, who was slowly loading a tumbril in whose shafts was the sleepy grey horse, stuck his fork down into the heap of manure from the cow-sheds, rested his hands on the top and his chin upon his hands, to stare and grin at the sailors he recognised. ”

“ A feeling of misery that he could not have explained came over Archy Raystoke as he grasped the position, and he wished that he had never undertaken the task he had in hand.
For it seemed so shocking that the noble-looking lady and gentleman he had seen that day should be in league with a gang of smugglers, and have lent their out-of-the-way house to be a depository for the contraband goods.
“Oh, it’s impossible,” he said to himself. “They could not. The scoundrels have hidden the things somewhere up in the wood by the house, thinking that nobody would come in there to search.” ”

“ The boat was already surging through the water faster than it had ever gone before, but the men bent lower and the longer, and the blades of the oars made the water flash and foam as they dipped and rose with the greatest of regularity.
For the lieutenant’s anxiety about the young officer of the White Hawk was growing more and more contagious, and the men gave a cheer as they span the boat along, every smart sailor on board thinking about the frank, straightforward lad who had so bravely gone on the risky expedition. ”

“ Every one of the cottages being tried, the men were marched down hill after Archy, and stood for a few moments gazing out over the cliff, to where the cutter lay at anchor, with the farmer’s boat trailing out astern, and the air so clear that he could even see the cow tethered to a belaying pin, just in front of the mast. ”

“ Perhaps Sir Risdon Graeme will be good enough to assure me.”
“No, sir,” said the baronet sternly; “I shall make no obstacle. You have your duty to do; pray proceed.”
The midshipman hesitated, and looked from one to the other, seeing Lady Graeme standing pale, handsome, and statuesque by her husband’s side, while on the other side was Celia, holding her father’s hand, and resting her forehead against his arm.
“I won’t do it, I can’t,” thought Archy. “Why didn’t he say out at once he had no knowledge of the affair, and send us about our business?” ”

“ They made fast the hawser to an iron stanchion, one of several dotted about and pretty well hidden by the water, climbed up on the rock, and sat down in the warm sunshine to wait for the turn of the tide, while after a pull in one direction, the gig’s course was altered, and they saw its course changed again.
“I liked that chap,” said Ram, as he gazed across a few hundred yards of smooth water, at where Archy sat in his uniform, steering.
“What are they up to?” said Jemmy, shading his eyes. Then quite excitedly, “Say, lad, lookye yonder,” he whispered. ”

“ Old Gurr knew that, and he winked solemnly at the young midshipman.
“Nice chickens, Mr Raystoke,” he said.
“Where, Gurr?” cried Archy, who was growing fast, and wanted material to help nature. “Let’s get some eggs to take back.”
“Eggs!” grumbled the weather-beaten officer; “I didn’t mean fowls, I meant people.”
“Oh!”
“Eggs, indeed! Their eggs is kegs o’ brandy. Right Nantes; Hollands gin. I know them. They’re all in the game. Keep on, my lads. Step together like the sogers do. This here road’s not the cutter’s deck.” ”

“ Archy stared at him.
“Yes: I mean it. Of course as an officer you cannot shrink from your duty, but, as you are a mere boy, it is not your duty to go and fight against strong men who are sure to get the better of you.”
“But they are not all men there, sir,” said the midshipman, with a look of disappointment getting heavier in his face. “There’s a boy there—that young rascal who came after the cow. I owe him such a thrashing that I must have a turn at him.”
“Ah, that’s different,” said the lieutenant; “and it will keep up appearances. But take care to confine yourself to fighting with him. ”

“ A derisive laugh came from the smugglers, who pulled their hardest, pretty closely followed by the king’s boat, when, just as they seemed to be coming stem on to the rocks at the foot of the cliff, the four men on the starboard side suddenly plunged their oars down deep, backing water, while the men on the larboard pulled furiously, the result being that the head of the boat swung round, and she glided right out of sight behind a tall rock, which seemed part of the main cliff from a few yards out. ”