Its all up with me! cried Bill, with a look of chagrin, on observing the men.
Come, hide in the kitchen; quick! I will show you where, cried Nelly, seizing his hand and leading him into the house, the back door of which she locked and barred.
There, get in, cried the girl, opening a low door in the wall, which revealed the coal-hole of the establishment.
Bills brow flushed. He drew back with a proud stern look and hesitated.
Oh, do! for my sake, implored Nell.
A thundering rap on the front door resounded through the cottage; the sailor put his pride in his pocket, stooped low and darted in. Nelly shut the door, and leaned a baking-board against it.
Let us in! said a deep voice outside.
Never! replied Bessy, stamping her foot.
You had better, dear, replied the voice, in a conciliatory tone; we wont do you any harm.
Go along with youbrutes! said the girl.
Well have to force the door if you dont open it, my dear.
Youd better not! cried Bessy through the keyhole.
At the same time she applied her eye to that orifice, and instantly started back, for she saw the leader of the gang retire a few paces preparatory to making a rush. There was short time for action, nevertheless Bessy was quick enough to fling down a large stool in front of the door and place herself in an attitude of defence. Next moment the door flew open with a crash, and a sailor sprang in, cutlass in hand. As a matter of course he tripped over the stool, and fell prostrate at Bessys feet, and the man who followed received such a well-delivered blow from the crutch that he fell on the top of his comrade. While the heroine was in the act of receiving the third she felt both her ankles seized by the man who had fallen first. A piercing yell followed. In attempting to free herself she staggered back and fell, the crutch was wrenched from her grasp, and the whole gang poured over her into the kitchen, where they were met by their comrades, who had just burst in the back door.
Search close, cried one of these; theres a big fellow in the house; we saw him run into it.
You may save yourselves the trouble; theres no man in this house, cried Bessy, who had risen and followed her conquerors, and who now stood, with dishevelled locks, flushed countenance, and gleaming eyes, vowing summary vengeance on the first man she caught off his guard!
As the men believed her, they took care to keep well on their guard while engaged in the search. Poor old Mrs Blyth looked absolutely horror-stricken at this invasion of her cottage, and Nelly stood beside her, pale as marble and trembling with anxiety.
Every hole and corner of the house was searched without success; the floors were examined for trap-doors, and even the ceilings were carefully looked over, but there was no sign of any secret door, and the careless manner in which the bake-board had been leaned against the wall, as well as its small size, prevented suspicion being awakened in that direction. This being the case, the leader of the gang called two of his men aside and engaged in a whispered conversation.
Its quite certain that he is here, said one, but where they have stowed him is the puzzle.
Well, it is indeed a puzzle, replied the leader, but Ive thought of a plan. He may be the father, or brother, or cousin of the household, dye see, and it strikes me if we were to pretend to insult the women, that would draw him out!
But I dont half like that notion, said one of the men.
Why not? asked the other, who wore a huge pair of whiskers, its only pretence, you know. Come, Ill try it.
Saying this he went towards old Mrs Blyth and whispered to NellyDont be frightened, my ducky, were only a-goin to try a dodge, dye see. Stand by, we wont do you no harm.
The man winked solemnly several times with the view of reassuring Nelly, and then raising his voice to a loud pitch exclaimed
Come now, old ooman, its quite plain that theres a feller in this here house, an as we cant find him nowheres, weve come to the conclusion he must be under your big chair. In coorse we must ask you to git up, an as ye dont seem to be able to do that very well, well have to lift you. So here goes.
The man seized the old womans chair and shuffled with his feet as though he were about to lift it. Nelly screamed. Bessy uttered a howl of indignation, and rushed upon the foe with teeth and nails ready, but being arrested by a powerful man in the rear, she vented her wrath in a hideous yell.
The success of the scheme was greatmuch greater, indeed, than had been anticipated. The bake-board fell flat down, the door of the coal-hole burst open, and our hero, springing out, planted a blow on the nose of the big-whiskered man that laid him flat on the floor. Another blow overturned the man who restrained Bessy, and a third was about to be delivered when a general rush was made, and Bill Bowls, being overpowered by numbers, was finally secured.
Now, my fine fellow, said the leader of the gang, you may as well go with us quietly, for ye see resistance is useless, an it only frightens the old woman.
This latter part of the remark had more effect on the unfortunate Bill than the former. He at once resigned himself into the hands of his captors. As he was about to be led away, he turned towards Mrs Blyth, intending to speak, but the poor old woman had fainted, and Nellys fears for her lover were lost for the moment in her anxiety about her mother. It was not until the party had left the room that the poor girl became fully aware of what was going on.
Uttering a loud cry she rushed towards the outer door. Bill heard the cry, and, exerting himself to the utmost, almost succeeded in overturning the five men who held him.
Make your mind easy, said one of them; no harm will come to the women. We aint housebreakers or thieves. All fair an above board we aretrue-blue British tars, as would rather swing at the yard-arm than hurt the feelins of a woman, pretty or ugly, young or old. Its all in the way of dooty, dye see? The Kings orders, young man so belay heavin about like that, else well heave ye on your beam-ends, lash you hand and futt to a handspike, and carry you aboord like a dead pig.
Hold on! cried the man with the big whiskers, who, after having been knocked down, had become emphatically the man with the big nose, Ill go back an comfort them a bit: dont you take on so. I know all about itsee through it like a double patent hextromogriphal spy-glass. Only goin on a short cruise, dye see? Come back soon with lots o prize-money; get spliced right off, buy a noo gown with big flowers all over it for the old mother, pension off the stout gal wi the crutchall straight; thats the thing aint it?
Dont, dont, entreated Bill earnestly; dont go for toto
No fear, young man, replied the sailor, seeing that Bill hesitated; Ben Bolter aint the man to do anything that would bring discredit on His Majestys service, and I bear you no grudge for this, he added, pointing to his swelled nose; it was given in a good cause, and received in the reglar way o business.
Saying this Ben Bolter ran back to the cottage, where he tried to comfort the women to the best of his power. How he accomplished his mission does not remain on record, but it is certain that he rejoined his party, in little more than five minutes, with sundry new marks of violence on his huge honest face, and he was afterwards heard to remark that some creatures of the tiger species must have been born women by mistake, and that stout young females who had a tendency to use crutches, had better be pensioned offor, drownded if possible.