CHAPTER VI

THE KING'S MAN

I sprang out of bed feeling very much ashamed of myself for my stupid terror of the night. Daylight makes our fears seem so foolish that we wonder how we could ever have been afraid. My head was still a little dizzy and uncertain, so I scrambled into my clothes and ran downstairs and into the yard for a cooling drench under the pump. I was longer than usual, for as a rule I wasn't too attentive to this part of my toilet; but this morning there was a clinging vapoury hotness about my brow which wouldn't be readily washed away. When at length, refreshened, and doubtless with rosy cheeks and dishevelled hair, I broke back into the kitchen, I stopped short in sudden consternation to find it full of men. I at once recognized them as Dirk's fellows, but a quick glance round showed me that Dirk himself wasn't there. Now I had always thought of these rough strangers as pirates, not in the least doing them disparagement in my thoughts on that account, rather in my imagination framing them romantically in adventures on far seas; but something, I suppose, of last night's story was still beating in my head, and forgetting utterly my father's warning to steer clear of these men, I was seized by a stupid madness, and unwittingly blurted out, "The smugglers!"

I was dumbfounded as soon as the words were out of my mouth, for there was a sudden stillness in the room. Talk stopped, cannikins were arrested half-way to the lips and every eye was ferociously bent on me in a sort of savage questioning.

Then one fierce fellow strode up to me, and taking me by the shoulders said, "Do'st mind repeating that theer?"

But I had no word to say, and only looked up at him blankly, and shook my head.

He dug his fingers into my flesh and spoke more harshly, "Come now, who's been telling ee they tales?"

I had it in my head to explain how I had merely fitted the fellows into my father's stories, and I began fatally as though in answer to his question, "My father..."

But he broke in with, "Thy father, eh?"

"No, no, no," I cried in dismay, but a general burst of oaths drowned my protest. A discussion was raging fiercely, but I could make little of its drift; I only caught such expressions as "I told thee now," and some one answering, "That's ee; that's the cove." More ominously sounded the grating whisper of one harsh voice, "The King's Man, freeze un!" and again I heard the same voice muttering, "Spy!"

How all this applied to my father I couldn't guess, but I had sense enough to realize that he was in danger, and my part was to warn him. A jerk away from my captor only set me in firmer imprisonment, with a kick on my shin to put me on my best behaviour. I began to be frightened.

Soon they had me in the midst of them, and their menacing bloodshot eyes terrified me more than the fists they held to my face. I was cowed by their brutality, and gave no thought even to the precious knife in my belt. I must have whimpered, for some one caught me a buffet across the face and said, "Here, stop they waterworks, and speak to what th'art bid." And then came a question to which probably only my blubbering saved me from betraying the true answer. For a voice was saying in a husky attempt at a whisper, "Thy father, him be the cove with the burn accrosst his hand, eh?"

The question startled me, and I heaved out a further burst of tears to cover my confusion.

"Here, hearken," I was bidden again in the same grating tones, "an' Gawd help ee if thee don't speak up true. Be thy father the cove with the burn accrosst his hand?"

"Left hand," somebody added.

I raised my face, biting at my lips to check my tears, and shook my head as foolishly as I could to express my utter failure to comprehend. In my mind, bewildered as I was, I was busily wondering how to warn my father. I felt thankful when I remembered it was only a few days ago that he had last treated his scar, and it would still be invisible to these men even if they caught him and examined him. I had no thought to spare for the mystery which had set them on his track by this tell-tale sign. So when the question was repeated to me, instead of shaking my head I stamped my foot in childish petulance, and shouted so that my father if he were listening above us might hear, "Burn? Haven't I said there's no burn? Fools!"

I was caught a sounding cuff for my pains and sent reeling, and as a hand gripped me I cowered, expecting the blow to be repeated; but my heart gave a strange jump of relief as I heard Dirk's voice above me. He had entered the kitchen and was cursing volubly. When his oaths were exhausted he thundered, "What the blazes 're you doing with the kid, anyway?"

Explanations broke out confusedly, but he cut them short with, "Stow yer gab, the lot o' you," and when the room was silent he turned to the ruffian who had first seized me and demanded, "Speak up, Davie; what's it about?"

Davie explained, and Dirk glowered at me darkly and said, "So that's it, eh? Told you we were smugglers, eh?"

"No," I cried, "no. Yarns; that's all. I told you...."

But his great hand came slapping over my mouth, and I felt my shoulder severely wrenched. I had nearly betrayed our earlier meeting.

"Ah," Dirk took me up sarcastically, "he tells yarns, does he? One of these poetical chaps, I reckon. Heard of poetical license, come to think of it. Seems like a case of it. Wull," he ended unexpectedly, "we _are_ smugglers. Now how d'you like it?"

"Really?" I cried with such genuine admiration that there was a general guffaw, and all at once the strained atmosphere was wonderfully relieved.

"Yus, really," said Dirk. "Have a good look at us. Handsome lot, aren't we? An' if you ever write one o' them yarns like what your dad does, wull, put us all in, an' we'll take it kindly of you; and hang us all at the end for warnings like, same as they done to Jem an' Roger last year. Poor devils!"

The grins changed to oaths at the mention of Jem and Roger, and Dirk's face became hard. But just then my father was heard running down the stairs singing gaily to himself, and every form froze in rigid expectation. He was singing a song I delighted in, but I was appalled to hear it now:

"Dance to your daddy, My little laddy, Dance to your daddy, My little man...."

He had got so far when he swung open the door, and stopped short with well-feigned surprise to see the kitchen crowded with silent men, all with eyes fixed intently upon him. His hands were in his pockets, and I knew how those eyes were waiting for them to be withdrawn.

"Company! Splendid!" cried my father, and called for the mugs to be filled; and then catching sight of me still struggling against my tears, "Why, what's this, Tommy?" he said, and laid his hands upon my shoulders, holding me out at arm's length.

"Nothing, daddy, nothing," I answered, smiling back as well as I might.

But I knew that both his thought and mine was that his hands were free to the view of all. For a half moment the silence seemed to freeze in the air; then there was a low muttering, and voices broke out again.

They had looked their fill, and had seen nothing.

My father gave me a little push to hint to me my course, and I slipped from the room, while the business of drinking was resumed; and before I left the inn I heard bursts of laughter, and my father's voice raised above the rest. I understood well enough that he had made all easy there, and was regaling the company with his racy chaff.

I made for Ebb-Tide Pool, intending to hide before the smugglers should be back there. I meant to learn the secret of the gate this day.

* * * * *

It was still early morning, and the tide was coming in. There might just be keel-way for a boat, I thought, to steer in through the channel. If I were quick I might be in time to see a boat enter or row away; so I made no circuits in my route this day but took the shortest path I knew. But I did throw one sop to make-believe, carrying my knife in my mouth. And the result was, clambering down the cliff with too little regard to safe footing I slipped on a rock just above the pool, and being child enough to exclaim at the slight twist it gave to my ankle, the knife fell from my mouth, and I watched it strike on a ledge and splash into the water.

I knew it was deep where the knife had fallen, and quickly slipping off my clothes I dived in to recover it. I thought it would be an easy matter, but three times I rose unsuccessfully to the surface. I crawled out to regain my breath, and noticed that the current had carried me away from the spot close in to the very edge of the cliff. I reasoned that that explained my failure, and when my breath was sufficiently restored I plunged in again, but this time farther out to allow for drift. Even so I had to grope along the bottom of the pool till my breath was nearly exhausted before my hand touched the knife, buried in the sand almost up to the hilt. I tugged it free, and made for the surface, but the water grew strangely dark around me, and my head came crack against a rock. I struggled desperately, for my lungs were bursting, but I seemed to be imprisoned beneath an immovable roof. I tried to reason out my position, how I had come there, and which was the right way to turn. I remembered how the current had carried me towards the cliff, and in a dim, distracted sort of way knew quite well that all I had to do was to push out and up. But though I knew quite well what to do, an unreasonable panic had control of my limbs, and I kicked and beat frenziedly against my prison, while a voice seemed to be saying to me from far away, "Keep cool, Tommy; always keep cool." I was in an agony, knowing myself in the grip of a stupid terror, when deliverance lay in calmness; but I couldn't shake off the terror, and my temples were hammering and my ears throbbing. And suddenly there seemed to be only water about me again, and lashing out with arms and legs I found myself at the surface gulping in the air with great choking sobs.

Mechanically I trod water till I could regain my breath, and only gradually it dawned upon me that it was strange that all about me should be pitch dark. I rubbed the water out of my eyes, I tried to remember whether I had been bathing at night-time, for I was still confused. Then growing a little clearer in mind I told myself it was the blood that had rushed to my head, and I should soon be able to see again. But still everything was dark around me, and the realization that it actually was so came like a shock. Where was I?

As I grew calmer a certain interest mingled with my fear; I peered around, and dimly became aware of a faint green glow along the water. I began to swim about to find into what strange place I had stumbled, but the water seemed half choked with drift and refuse, and going wasn't easy. Weeds clung about my legs, sucking hatefully to my flesh, creeping like fingers furtively feeling along my naked body. The water seemed to be alive with slimy things reaching their tendrils hungrily out of the dark. If I moved slowly they slid about my throat, and if I splashed my way through they gripped viciously about my arms and feet. And all the while the green glow intensified along the water, and the floating things showed up vaguely luminous through the dark. It was with a gush of relief that at last I felt the bottom, and with a spasm of fear scrambled out of the infested pool, shuddering at the thought of what horrors lay concealed there; for my mind was full of stories I had heard of the devil-fish and other slow and evil monsters of the caves.

For a while I could do nothing but hug myself into as small a space as possible, trembling and chattering with fright, my eyes intent upon the green and glowing water, expecting momently some clutching tentacle to rise and seize me.

How long I should have remained so I don't know, for I was completely unstrung and had no power to move a finger to help myself; and the startled scurrying of creatures about my back and feet added to my horror. But my fear was lifted from me by a sound that might have added to it: I heard voices. And voices in that dark underworld, which seemed to have shut me right away from the light and air, were like a reassurance that I wasn't hopelessly entombed. I began to listen, but could only make out a low, indistinguishable droning which I couldn't locate. But the effort to locate it nerved me again, and I took control of myself and began to grope through the darkness towards the sound. I slipped often enough, but the voices became louder; and presently I noticed a wavering patch of yellow light against the green iridescence of the cavern. I made towards it, and I think it wasn't till this moment that I became aware by a cramp in my hand that all the while I had been tenaciously clinging to my knife. I was cheered to think that in the struggle under water and the scramble in the cave I hadn't dropped it.

Soon the light was over my head and after a trial or two I succeeded in climbing to a secure perch where I could examine it. But putting up my face I was dazzled by the full glare of a lantern in my eyes, which had by now grown so used to the darkness that the phosphorescent glow of the rotting drift about me was bright enough to show me the rough outline of the rocks.

I hastily withdrew my face from the light of the lantern, which was shining through a crevice in the wall of the cave; and then like a blurred picture focusing to clearness everything took shape and coherence in my mind, and I knew exactly where I was.

The lantern was standing where my father had placed it the day before when he had taken me down the secret passage and together we had examined the great closed doors. The crevice was the one through which I had thrust my hand, clearing it of its rubbish, so that now the lantern could shine right through. But now I was on the other side. Somehow I had dived under the submarine mouth of this cavern, never suspecting its existence. Quickly the thought flashed through my head that now I had found the hiding-place I wanted; but the thought melted as quickly as it came, for I had other matter on hand. For through the cranny I could hear the voices speaking distinctly enough to make out what they were saying, though of course I couldn't see anything as the lantern glared full into my face if I attempted to look into the passage beyond.

And what I heard soon began to have an interest for me.

There were two men, it seemed, and I assumed they were in their boat, probably on guard, for the tide was rising to the full now, and the cave must have been deep in water. I couldn't catch all they were saying; but when I heard the words, "Cut accrosst his hand," I strained my ears to the uttermost.

"Yus," was the reply, "an' a burn too, warn't it?"

"Aye; an' a brat with 'un, they do say."

"Wull, I s'pose they'll nab 'un all right."

"Hope so. Must have been ee what let Jem an' Roger into the trap last year."

"Ah! Wull, Dirk'll see to 'un."

"If he bean't too cute."

"He'll need be if ee can hide they tracks."

There was a short pause, and the last speaker began again:

"But how did Dirk get wind of it?"

"Wind of what?"

"Why, the burn, and the brat, an' that."

"Dunno quite. Some one let on, I spose. Some one what was nabbed, I dessay, an' found 'un out when it was too late. Got word through, I expect. Dirk's sharp."

What happened next it was impossible for me to know at the time. The voices had stopped, and I was worrying the problem how my father could have become mixed up in all this business. It was clear to me that he was suspected of being a King's Man and spying on the smugglers to betray them. I don't believe I gave a thought to whether he were guilty of the charge or no; the thing that puzzled me was how the burn and the scar and even my presence came into the affair, for these seemed part of another episode altogether. But at any rate my meditations were cut short by a tremendous uproar from the smugglers' cave. There were cries and curses and commands, and the sound of scuffling and splashing, and the lantern was dashed from its place, and through the crevice I saw the light of day. I guessed the gates had been opened. And then there was tumult inconceivable, the volleying of pistols, screams and curses, all echoing in a resounding roar up the rocky corridor. And, after a little, peace.

I was dazed and stupefied. I strained my eyes to see through the cranny, but could distinguish nothing to tell me what had happened. And then again from the distance, very far away as it seemed to me buried there, came the faint echo of a further fight. But beyond the fact that there had been a fight of some kind I could guess nothing.

I waited a long time listening, but all was still again, and the stillness began to press upon me like the dread of some unknown danger. I remembered my strange position, and something of my first fear returned upon me. I was alone, cut off as it seemed in the quietness of the cave from the world I knew. It was dark about me with only a greenish glow to show me the shadowy forms of things. And everything I touched was damp and slippery, and the water smooth and secret and laid over with a luminous green slime. And the thought came to me with a sickening shudder that to escape I must dive again into that putrid pool, through the clinging weeds and the thousand horrible things which I felt were lurking for me there. And then I knew I was cold, and shivered.

I couldn't face it. I stumbled along the slippery edge of the water, searching desperately for some other outlet, but I only seemed to be plunging into deeper darkness, and wherever I trod the crabs scurried away beneath my feet. Then looking back I could no longer see the one gleam of light that bound me to the outside world. At that I was thoroughly terrified, and turning on my tracks I hurried, slipping back along the water's edge, till once more I saw the faint gleam above me, and felt cheered.

So I sat down for a minute or two to get a grip of my courage, and told myself over and over that I was a coward. The lesson of the night before came into my mind, and I knew that it was merely a baseless fear of the dark that possessed me; but the knowledge didn't strengthen me. I sat shaking, my teeth chattering in my head. To dive into that greenness seemed beyond my power; I saw myself struggling in the dark, choked beneath the water, entombed. And all at once, I don't know why, I rose and plunged, and in my eyes the water grew radiant again, and I was puffing safely in Ebb-Tide Pool.

I swam for the shore, and warmed myself in the sun, blinking at the unaccustomed light, and telling myself, as I had done in the morning, that I was a fool to be afraid of nothing. And then I realized that the only way to prove my courage and recover my lost self-esteem was to dive back to the cave and out again till I knew the way by heart and had familiarized it from all terrors. But the thought of returning there wasn't pleasant, and it was only a sudden resolution like the one that had brought me safely to the light again that sent me diving back into the darkness. Yet once there something of my fear revived, and hardly waiting to draw breath I was under and out again.

I told myself that was enough, and so climbed up to my clothes intending to dress and investigate the meaning of the recent battle.

I had just slipped my shirt over my head, when there was a shout above me, and stones and earth came tumbling down the cliff. Looking up I saw three men struggling, and one of them breaking free tottered and came sprawling over the edge. The other two followed with more caution. They were in red uniform, and the man they were chasing was Dirk.

He recovered his footing and came bounding down towards me. I was quick enough to take in the situation. The smugglers had been surprised by the runners, and here was Dirk making his last dash for freedom. So swift a thing is thought that I had time to remember the talk in the cave about the King's Man. Had some one betrayed them? Had my father....

"Dirk!" I cried to him, though taking care to screen myself from the runners who were still far above. "Dirk, come."

"Off, kid," he shouted.

"I'll show you," I said.

But I could never have stopped him if he hadn't slipped and fallen. He lay grasping his ankle and rocking himself in an agony.

"I'm done," he moaned, "done."

"There's a cave," I said.

"I know, kid," he growled, "and they know."

"You don't know," I insisted, "and they don't know. I was there all the time."

The runners, sure of their prize, were taking their time in the descent, not being used to such scrambling, and unwilling, I dare say, to soil their grand uniforms.

"Dirk," I pressed, "see here. It's under the water. You dive and come up. It's all dark."

But he only grinned bitterly at me, still holding his ankle.

"Then see," I cried in desperation, and running dived into the pool, and rising in the cave waited a full two minutes before returning.

I climbed back to Dirk and said, "See, am I puffed? I tell you...."

But now he had grasped my meaning.

"Come," he said excitedly, "show me."

I pointed to the spot, and limping to the edge he dived. He didn't reappear. And hiding my clothes, for I didn't want the runners to have them, I plunged after Dirk, and rose almost beside him in the weedy water.

"This way," I said, and swam for the side; and soon we were both clinging there, blowing vigorously.

Between gasps he told me of his adventures, and I heard how the smugglers had been surprised. Their sentry had been seized and gagged, and so they hadn't been warned of the King's frigate which had appeared off the coast. Some one had betrayed them.

"Not my dad," I said.

"No, not him, laddie," said Dirk. "He gave us the first warning, but it was too late."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Oh, he's vanished."

"Yes," I said, trusting my father's resources at evasion.

It was some while later when we heard voices in the cave, and I showed Dirk the cranny where he might peep through. Suddenly he uttered a great oath.

"What?" I whispered.

"Shhh!"

Then came a tremendous echoing crash, and the sound of cheering.

When all was quiet again he told me. He had seen the King's Man, the fellow who had betrayed them. "An' it was right what I was told," he said. "He had a burn across his hand, sonny. But it wasn't your dad," he added as I gave a little cry. "I saw his face, an' he's showed them the gates an' how they worked, blast him!"

"How do they work?" I asked.

"They'll never work no more," was all he answered.

* * * * *

It was some days before the coast was clear. And all the while I carried food surreptitiously to Dirk, stuffing it into the cranny from Ebb-Tide Cave. My father had quite established himself with the runners when I first arrived back at the inn. I told him my secret, and he patted me affectionately on the head.

"Always make friends, Tommy," he said.

But he only ventured once down to Ebb-Tide Cave, and that was with a party of runners who went to superintend the destruction of the old haunt. I went too, and saw the great gates wide. The two rocks had been perfectly balanced against each other, and as one sank down into the earth it drew the other up into the roof by a stout steel cable. It was while I was with Dirk that the runners had hacked the cable through, and the huge half of rock that should have been poised above had crashed down, and now lay along the passage. But the tunnel which my father had expected to find, opening into the side of the cave wall, wasn't there. And somehow I think he had lost interest in the place, for he questioned me little enough of the cave I had discovered; and he seemed uneasy too, barring our door strongly at night, and waking at the least scratch.

When the runners at length gave up the search, Dirk came from his hiding-place. In the distance the frigate was fading from sight. I shall never forget that gaunt, dripping figure, slowly dragging himself up the cliff because of the pain at his damaged foot, his clothes clinging to his limbs and oozing with green weed, his long hair with the pig-tail all undone drooping flat down his neck and over his sunken cheeks. The picture still haunts me in my dreams; and I see him as he climbed to a ledge of rock, and slowly turned his face towards the sea, his eyes, still heavy from the long darkness, peering with evil hate at the vanishing ship that was carrying away his mates to their doom. His teeth gnashed with impotent rage, and he tottered to his feet and shook one terrible fist at the frigate, and cried a bitter curse on the spy who had betrayed his comrades. Then laughing brokenly he turned to me, and clambered on up the cliff, saying, "But I saw him, kiddy; I know him; an' I'll follow him to the end of the world, but I'll have his heart's blood."

I was silent, and the giant continued his painful ascent. And breaking from a snarling mutter he said to me, stopping on his path, "See here, kiddy, you don't know what hate means, I dessay. But it means just this: I've made my pile; I can rest an' be comfortable, an' have my seat by the fire an' the drink at my hand; but I'll give every piece I've gathered to hunt that devil to earth. I'll get him. I'll get him."

At the top of the cliff he hurled forth his last threat, as the white square sails faded into the misty air, then slowly stumbled back with me to the inn. And as I walked at his side I thought I began to understand why one man should hunt another over the world. I knew something of the life of the hunted; now for the first time I saw the hunter giving cry. And my father.... But I couldn't imagine my father as a spy and a betrayer. And then the old story of the Mad Captain came back to me. But neither could I see my father as one who had left his men to perish all alone. What was the secret of his flight?

At the inn my father was ready for the road again.

"Come Tommy," he said, "we must tramp."

I held out my hand to Dirk. "Good-bye," I said.

He took my little hand in both his. "Good-bye, kiddy," he said kindly enough. "You're a good brat. You've saved my life; an' maybe I'll do the same for you one day."

He nodded curtly to my father, and rolled into the inn.

But we two plunged into the woodland and travelled far that night, and with the morning struck the highway, and begging a lift of a carter bound for market were soon jolting along the road, fast asleep.