Syd Belton Part 19

He took hold of one leg, and holding the bird down, pulled off one of its joints; then another; after which he placed the pair of legs thoughtfully on the plate.

"May as well give him a wing too," he said; and seizing the one having the liver, he was in the act of tearing it off, when an exclamation behind made him start round and face the captain.

"My dear Tom!" exclaimed the latter. "Why, my dear boy, didn't you speak, and so have ordered a supper-tray?"

"But you seem to be hungry too," growled the admiral, pointing with the wing he had now torn-off at a plate and knife and fork his brother carried.

"Eh? yes," said the captain, starting and looking conscious. "I--er-- that is--"

"Why, Harry!" exclaimed Sir Thomas.

"Tom!" cried the captain. "You don't mean that you have come down to--"

"Yes, I do," cried the admiral, fiercely. "Think I was going to bed after a good dinner to shut my eyes whilst that poor boy was half-starved?"

"But it is a punishment for him," said the captain, sternly.

"Punishment be hanged, sir!" cried Sir Thomas. "Harry, you are my brother, and I am only a guest here, but you are a humbug, sir."

"What do you mean?"

"Mean that you've been bouncing about being strict, and the rest of it, and yet you brought that plate and knife to cut your boy some supper."

"Well, er--I'm afraid I did, Tom."

"I'm not afraid, but I'm very glad you're not such a hard-hearted scoundrel. Poor boy! he must be famished. Here, give me that knife."

The captain handed the knife, but in doing so brushed his sleeve over the flame of the candle he carried, and extinguished it.

"How provoking!"

"Never mind," said his brother; "one must do."

As he spoke, the admiral hacked a great piece off the breast of the pheasant, and added it to the legs and wing.

"There," he said, "that ought to keep him going till breakfast. Must have a bit o' salt, Harry. Hus.h.!.+"

He stooped down and blew out the remaining candle, as the captain caught his arm, and they stood listening.

For the creaking of a door had fallen upon their ears; and partly from involuntary action consequent upon the dread of being caught in so unusual a position, partly from the second thought to which he afterwards gave vent, the admiral sought refuge in the dark.

"Burglars, Harry," he whispered. "They're after your plate."

"Hist! don't speak; we may catch them," was whispered back, and the two old officers stood listening for what seemed an interminable length of time before they saw the dim reflection of a light; heard more whispering, and then the door leading into the larder pa.s.sage was softly opened.

"Coming into the trap," thought the captain, as with his heart beating fast he prepared for the encounter which he foresaw must take place.

"Be ready," he said, with his lips to his brother's ear.

"Right. They're going to board," was whispered back.

They were not long kept in doubt, for the larder door was suddenly thrown open, and three men dashed in armed with bludgeons and a cutla.s.s.

There was a sharp scuffle in the darkness, in which the two brave old officers made desperate efforts to master their a.s.sailants, but only to find that their years were against them, and they were completely overcome.

"You lubbers! Do you give in?" cried a hoa.r.s.e voice--that of the man sitting on the captain's chest, while two men were holding down the admiral, who still heaved and strove to get free.

"Strake, you scoundrel! is it you?" panted the captain.

Barney executed a curious manoeuvre, half bound, half roll, off his master, and brought up close to one of the larder shelves, while one of the other men left the admiral and ran out, to return with a light.

The scene was strange. Barney was standing supporting himself against the larder shelf, with his elbow on the cold sirloin of beef; the footman, in his s.h.i.+rt and breeches, was in a corner; and Captain Belton and his brother, with their clothes half torn-off their backs, were seated on the bare floor, staring angrily at their a.s.sailants; while Broughton, the butler, was in the doorway, with the candle he had fetched held high above his head.

"My last tooth gone," roared the admiral. "You scoundrels, you shall pay for this."

"Strake, you rascal!" cried the captain. "Broughton, is this some plot to rob me?"

The men stared aghast, as the captain struggled up.

"Speak, you ruffians! You, John!" roared the captain, as he got his breath again, and stood trembling with pa.s.sion as he glared at the footman.

"Beg pardon, sir," stammered the frightened servitor.

"No, don't stop for that, sir," cried his master; "tell me what the d.i.c.kens this means."

"Please, sir, I heard noises down-stairs, and I thought it was after the plate; so I told Broughton, sir, and he sent me after the gardener, sir."

"And then you came and attacked us," roared the admiral. "Here, I'm half killed."

"We didn't know it was you, Sir Thomas," growled Barney.

"Then why didn't you know, you idiot?" cried the captain.

"Didn't think anybody could be down-stairs, sir," said the butler, respectfully.

"Why didn't you show your colours, you scoundrel?" cried the admiral, "and not come firing broadsides into your friends. Confound--I say, Harry, my lad, just look at me."

"I'm very sorry, sir," faltered the butler.

"Hang your sorrow, sir! You've broke my watch-gla.s.s, and I can feel the bits p.r.i.c.king me."

"Come to me at ten o'clock to-morrow morning, all of you," cried the captain, fiercely, "and I'll pay you your wages, and you shall go."

"No, no, no," said the admiral; "I think we've given them as much as they gave us, and--haw, haw, haw!" he roared, bursting into a tremendous peal of laughter; "we didn't show our colours either. It's all right, brother Harry; they took us for burglars--but they needn't have hit quite so hard."

"Beg your honour's pardon, sir, sure," growled Barney.

"Beg my pardon, sir!--after planting your ugly great knees on my chest, and then sitting on me with your heavy carcase!"

"Is anything the matter?" said a voice at the door, and Sydney made his appearance, looking startled at the scene.