Mr. Wicker's Window Part 13

"Keep an eye out, Amos!" Chris called back over his shoulder as he went ahead. It was no time before Amos's voice came huskily up to his friend.

"Chris! Chris--hold on! There's a boat with four men in it just left the last wharf, and they're headin' this way! Get in those rushes quick--my clothes is mighty bright!"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Rus.h.i.+ng and panting, they shoved their way into the dusty rushes, groping back until they could barely see the river through the stalks.

And it was just in time, for barely were they hidden when they heard, carried over the water, the dip and splash of two pairs of oars and the creak of oarlocks. Then, in another moment, came the high-pitched voice of Osterbridge Hawsey. Chris gave a s.h.i.+ver as it reached him.

"Claggett," came the voice of the fop, who with Claggett Chew was sitting in the stern of the boat, "Claggett--I find myself quite, quite fatigued. A little wine, I fancy, might revive me when we reach the s.h.i.+p. Heated, I think, and spiced, to ward off the night chill.

And Claggett," went on the voice, almost upon them now it was so clear, "what do you think of this muslin for my new s.h.i.+rts? Is it not delicate? Irish, _cela va sans dire_, as the dear French say. I feel sure it will be satisfactory."

From Claggett Chew the two boys heard not a word, and peering out, they saw the boat shoot by. Osterbridge Hawsey, wrapped in a great cloak, was admiring a bolt of muslin that he held, but Claggett Chew, his face shadowed by a hat, was holding his whip upon his knees and glowering at the water.

The boat pa.s.sed, and some time after, the two boys heard from across the water the echo of wood against wood as the dinghy reached the _Venture's_ hull. After a while, as the boys were about to move along, a heavy dropping sound, and the shuddering of the marshy ground, made the two in hiding look at one another in concern.

"What in the world?" Chris murmured.

The sound, accompanied by steps, oaths, and a rhythmical drop and shudder, continued farther along the sh.o.r.e. Stealthily, trying not to shake the rushes and so show where they might be, Chris and Amos pushed through the marsh.

The sun was setting as they came near the steps and voices. Pus.h.i.+ng through the reeds towards the river, Chris found that they were nearly opposite where the _Venture_ floated, below Mr. Mason's island, and at a desolate part of the river.

Chris gestured Amos forward, and they went on step by step until, in a pause of the thundering dropping sound, they knew themselves to be near its origin and parted the reeds enough to see.

There, within a few yards of them and at the edge of a hard-beaten track from the main sh.o.r.e, lay a ma.s.s of cannon b.a.l.l.s and shot for guns of various sizes, such as are used on men-of-war. The crew of the _Venture_, able to carry but one at a time, kept a line going from sh.o.r.e to pile, and this, as they dropped the cannon b.a.l.l.s from their shoulders, was the sound and shaking of the ground the boys had heard and felt. Seeing the red caps and kerchiefed heads of men above the rushes, the boys let the reeds fall back.

"I'm going to have a look at the s.h.i.+p through the gla.s.s," Chris whispered, and moved forward closer to the sh.o.r.e.

Parting the stalks, he trained the gla.s.s on Claggett Chew's s.h.i.+p. It was a fine, rich vessel, that was evident, and swarming with activity.

At this hour of dusk, other boats along the river had stopped their commerce for the day and there were none to observe what Claggett Chew might be about. Chris and Amos were the only watchers.

The cannon b.a.l.l.s and ammunition were taken out in boats and hoisted up in nets. Chris observed everything closely, and saw still other crewmen disappearing with their burdens down the hold. Then something caught his eye and he examined the name along the side through the spygla.s.s.

Curious, thought Chris, that all the letters of the s.h.i.+p's name seemed exact except the second and third. Among the other letters of carved and gilded wood, the _E_ and _N_ were not quite as straight in line as the rest.

Oh well, Chris thought, it's doubtless a custom of the time for all I know.

Putting the gla.s.s in his pocket, he rejoined Amos, but as he did so the last two sailors put down their cannon b.a.l.l.s and wiped the sweat off their foreheads with their arms. In the ensuing silence the rustle of the rushes as Chris and Amos moved away was plainly to be heard.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"What's that?" one man cried out. "Is a spy there? Here--take this club and beat about--we'll catch 'em!"

The two men charged into the marsh so fast that Chris barely had time to whisper to Amos: "Hurry Amos--run! I'll be all right. I'll draw them off! I'll meet you where we ford the stream!"

Amos safely out of sight, the men came only on a stray dog foraging for rats, wagging its tail and letting out a yip or two as it followed a scent along the ground.

"Give it a kick--there--it's only a stray dog," one said.

"Oh--devil take it--what do I care?" answered the other, turning back.

The dog lay panting at the river's edge. Looking past the s.h.i.+p as it rested, it saw what it thought was snow upon the water and the banks.

But it was just thousands of ducks migrating south, and when they rose to move farther away, the sky was overcast and thunderous with their wings.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Long after dark, cold, dirty, and quite wet, the two boys reached the house on Water Street.

"Where did you go?" Becky inquired, frowning with solicitude at the bedraggled pair.

"Oh, no place much," Chris answered, yawning.

CHAPTER 17

The following morning while Chris was telling Mr. Wicker of the ammunition being loaded on the _Venture_, Becky Boozer announced a visit from Captain Blizzard and Elisha Finney.

"Show them in, Becky," Mr. Wicker told her. To Chris he said, "I wonder what brings them here so early? It must be a matter of some importance. Stay with me, Christopher. I shall present you to the Captain."

The extraordinary pair came in and Chris was introduced to Captain Blizzard and Mr. Finney. The Captain was all smiles except for his eyes; Chris noted that his eyes did not smile at all. Mr. Finney, true to form, cast down his eyes, sighed, and let the corners of his wide thin lips droop almost to his chin.

When a chair large enough and solid enough had been found for Captain Blizzard, and Becky had brought in a decanter of sherry and gla.s.ses to set before the visitors, Chris shut the study door and sat down on the floor where he could observe the three faces before him.

Mr. Wicker spoke first.

"Well, Captain, what brings you here so betimes? No trouble of any kind, I trust?"

Captain Blizzard set down his gla.s.s of sherry and cleared his throat.

"Now, sir, needs must I come with unpleasant news, and sorry I am to bring it. I have heard that the _Venture_ plans to sail at any time, and you well know she is a fast-sailing s.h.i.+p." He folded his plump hands over his paunch and twiddled his thumbs with agitation. "Sir, it has been noised about that the _Venture_ is headed for the West Indies."

He paused and glanced at Mr. Finney who nodded forlornly, his mouth drooping.

"But 'tis not so." The Captain looked with anxious eyes at Mr. Wicker.

"Early this morning Ned Cilley brought me the information that the _Venture_ is to sail to the China seas."

Mr. Wicker's face was grave but showed no surprise. "I knew some trouble was ahead," he said slowly, "but did not know what form it was to take." He paused. "News of sailings and destinations get about so rapidly, it is more than likely that someone overheard the destination of the _Mirabelle_, and sold his knowledge to Captain Chew. Although,"

he added thoughtfully, "I think Claggett Chew guessed it. Well," and Mr. Wicker looked alertly at the two men, "what advice do you give me?"

Captain Blizzard wagged his head. "Nay sir, 'tis for orders that I came to you. It is for you to say."

"How soon can the _Mirabelle_ put to sea?" Mr. Wicker asked, and Chris's heart skipped a beat.

"At any time, sir," the Captain at once replied. "We have nearly water enough, and quite sufficient stores. The men are all a.s.sembled."

The Captain fell silent and no one spoke for several minutes. Mr.

Wicker leaning his chin on his folded hands was lost in thought.