The Adventures of Don Lavington Part 6

"Enough for Mr Christmas to charge you with robbing his desk, my lad; and this and what I've got against you will send you to Botany Bay."

"What, me? Rob a good master? Not a penny."

"What have you done with the rest?" continued the constable.

"Never had no more, and wouldn't have had that if I'd knowed."

"This will do, sir," said the constable. "You charge him here with stealing money from your desk?"

"I am afraid I must," said Uncle Josiah.

"What, me? Charge me?" cried the man, angrily.

"Yes, Bannock, reluctantly; but it seems that you are the thief."

"No: not me!" cried the man, fiercely. "It warn't me. It was him."

Don started and turned pale, as the man stood pointing at him.

"What do you mean?" cried Uncle Josiah.

"Mean? Why, I ketched him a-helping hisself to the money, and he give me three guineas to hold my tongue."

"What?"

"And when I wouldn't take 'em he said if I didn't he'd say it was me; and that's the whole truth, and nothing else."

"Lindon, what have you to say to this?" cried Uncle Josiah.

Don thought of the guinea he had picked up, of his uncle's curious look when he gave it to him, and as he turned red and white with terror and dismay, mingled with confusion, he tried to speak, but try how he would, no words would come.

CHAPTER FOUR.

MIKE BANNOCK HAS A RIDE.

"You wretch!"

Those two words were a long time coming, but when they did escape from Lindon's lips, they made up in emphasis and force for their brevity.

"Steady, Master Don, steady," said Jem, throwing his arms round the boy's waist, and holding him back. "You arn't strong enough to fight him."

"Wretch? Oh! Well, I like that. Why, some men would ha' gone straight to your uncle here, and told him all about it; but I didn't, and I'd made up my mind to send him the money back, only I met two or three mates, and I had to change one of 'em to give the poor lads a drink o'

ale."

"You own, then, that you had my money, sir?" cried the old merchant.

"Well--some on it, master. He give it me. S'pose I oughtn't to have took it, but I didn't like to come and tell you, and get the poor lad into trouble. He's so young, you see."

"Uncle, it is not true!" cried Lindon, excitedly.

"But you had one of the guineas in your pocket, sir."

"Yes, uncle, but--"

"Course he had," interrupted Mike sharply. "I told you it wouldn't do, Master Don. I begged you not to."

"You villain!" cried Don, grinding his teeth, while his uncle watched him with a sidelong look.

"Calling names won't mend it, my lad. I knowed it was wrong. I telled him not to, sir, but he would."

This was to the constable in a confidential tone, and that functionary responded with a solemn wink.

"It is not true, uncle!" cried Don again.

"Oh, come now," said Mike, shaking his head with half tipsy reproach, "I wouldn't make worse on it, my lad, by telling a lot o' lies. You did wrong, as I says to you at the time; but you was so orbst'nate you would. Says as you'd got such lots of money, master, as you'd never miss it."

Uncle Josiah gave vent to a sound resembling a disgusted grunt, and turned from the speaker, who continued reproachfully to Don,--

"What you've got to do, my lad, is to go down on your bended knees to your uncle, as is a good master as ever lived--and I will say that, come what may--and ask him to let you off this time, and you won't do so any more."

"Uncle, you won't believe what he says?" cried Don wildly.

Uncle Josiah did not reply, only looked at him searchingly.

"He can't help believing it, my lad," said Mike sadly. "It's werry shocking in one so young."

Don made a desperate struggle to free himself from Jem's encircling arms, but the man held fast.

"No, no, my lad; keep quiet," growled Jem. "I'm going to spoil the shape of his nose for him before he goes."

"Then you don't believe it, Jem?" cried Don, pa.s.sionately.

"Believe it, my lad? Why, I couldn't believe it if he swore it 'fore a hundred million magistrits."

"No, that's allus the way with higgerant chaps like you, Jem Wimble,"

said Mike; "but it's all true, genelmen, and I'm sorry I didn't speak out afore like a man, for he don't deserve what I did for him."

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Uncle Josiah, and Don's face was full of despair.

"You charge Mike Bannock, then, with stealing this money, sir," said the constable.

"Yes, certainly."

"What?" roared Mike, savagely, "charge me?"

"That will do," said the constable, taking a little staff with a bra.s.s crown on the end from his pocket. "No nonsense, or I shall call in help. In the King's name, my lad. Do you give in?"