Having accomplished1 the feat2 narrated3 in the last chapter Maggot proceeded with his friend towards the town. On their way they had to pass the mouth of an old shaft5 in which both of them chanced to be much interested at that time, inasmuch as it contained the produce of a recent smuggling6 expedition on a large scale, consisting of nearly a hundred tubs of brandy. The liquor had been successfully brought ashore7 and concealed8 in the mine, and that night had been fixed9 on for its removal. Mules10 had been provided, and about fifty men were appointed to meet at a certain spot, at a fixed hour, to carry the whole away into the neighbouring towns.
Maggot and his comrade began to converse12 about the subject that was uppermost in their minds, and the former increased his pace, when John Cock drew his attention to the fact that the sun was getting low.
“The boys will be mustering13 now,” said John, “an’ them theere daws have kep’ us late enough already.”
“They do say that the boatsmen are informed about the toobs,” observed Maggot.
“More need to look alive,” said John.
“Hallo!” exclaimed Maggot suddenly; “there’s some wan14 in the shaft!”
He pointed11 to a neighbouring mound15 of rubbish, on which, just as he spoke16, a man made his appearance.
Without uttering a word the smugglers sauntered towards the mound, assuming a careless air, as though they were passing that way by chance. On drawing near they recognised Ebenezer Trezise, the coastguard-man.
“Good-hevening, sur,” said Maggot; “semmen as if you’d found a keenly lode18.”
“Why, iss, we’ve diskivered a noo vein,” said Trezise with a sly smile, “and we’re sinkin’ a shaft here in the hope o’ raisin’ tin, or somethin’.”
“Ha! hope you’ll let John an’ me have a pitch in the noo bal, won’t ’ee?” said Maggot with a laugh.
“Oh, cer’nly, cer’nly,” replied the boatsman; “if you’ll lend us a hand to sink the shaft. You appear to have been in the water, and ’twill warm ’ee.”
“No, thank ’ee,” replied Maggot; “I’ve bin19 stroobin’ a daw’s nest under cliff, an’ I fell into the say, so I’m goin’ hum to dry myself, as I’m afeared o’ kitchin’ cold, being of a delikit constitootion. But I’ll p’raps lend thee a hand afterwards.”
Maggot nodded as he spoke, and left the place at a slow saunter with his comrade, followed by the thanks and good-wishes of the boatsman, who immediately returned to the laborious20 task of clearing out the old shaft.
“They’ve got the scent,” said Maggot when out of earshot; “but we’ll do ’em yet. Whenever thee gets on the leeside o’ that hedge, John, do ’ee clap on all sail for Balaswidden, where the boys are waitin’, an’ tell ’em to be ready for a call. I’ll send Zackey, or wan o’ the child’n to ’ee.”
John went off on his errand the moment he was out of sight of the boatsmen, and Maggot walked smartly to his cottage.
“Owld ooman,” he said, commencing to unbutton his wet garments, “do ’ee git ready a cup o’ tay, as fast as you can, lass; we shall have company to-night.”
“Company!” exclaimed Mrs Maggot in surprise; “what sort o’ company?”
“Oh! the best, the best,” said Maggot with a laugh; “boatsmen no less—so look sharp. Zackey booy, come here.”
Zackey put down the unfortunate black kitten (which immediately sought comfort in repose21) and obeyed his father’s summons, while his mother, knowing that her husband had some plot in his wise head, set about preparing a sumptuous22 meal, which consisted of bread and butter, tea and fried mackerel, and Cornish pasty.
“Zackey, my son,” said Maggot while he continued his toilet.
“Iss, father.”
“I want ’ee to come down to the owld shaft with me, an’ when I give ’ee the ward4 cut away as hard as thee legs can spank24 to Balaswidden, an’ fetch the lads that are theere to the owld shaft. They knaw what to do, but tell ’em to make so little noise as they can. Dost a hear, my son?”
“Iss, faither,” replied Zackey, with a wink25 of such profound meaning that his sire felt quite satisfied he was equal to the duty assigned him.
“Now, doan’t ’ee wag tongue more than enough,” continued Maggot; “and go play with the chet till I’m ready.”
The urchin26 at once descended27 like a thunderbolt on the black kitten, but that marvellous animal had succeeded in snatching five minutes’ repose, which seemed to be amply sufficient to recruit its energies, for it began instantly to play—in other words to worry and scratch the boy’s hand—with the utmost glee and good-humour.
In a few minutes Maggot and his son went out and hastened to the old shaft, where they found the boatsmen still hard at work with pick and shovel28 clearing away the rubbish.
“You haven’t found a bunch o’ copper29 yet, I dessay?” said Maggot with a grin.
“No, not yet, but we shan’t be long,” replied Eben Trezise with a knowing smile.
“It’s warm work,” observed Maggot, as he looked down the hole, and saw that what the boatsman said was true, and that they would not be long of reaching the spot where the liquor had been concealed.
Trezise admitted that it was warm work, and paused to wipe his heated brow.
“I wish we had a drop o’ water here,” he said, looking up.
“Ha!” exclaimed Maggot; “not much chance o’ findin’ water in that hole, I do think—no, nor brandy nuther.”
“Not so sure o’ that,” said Trezise, resuming his work.
“Now, et is a shame to let ’ee die here for want of a drop o’ water,” said Maggot in a compassionate30 tone; “I’ll send my booy hum for some.”
The boatsmen thanked him, and Zackey was ordered off to fetch a jug31 of water; but his father’s voice arrested him before he had gone a hundred yards.
“Hold on a bit, my son.—P’raps,” he said, turning to Trezise, “you’d come up hum with me and have a dish o’ tay? Missus have got it all ready.”
The invitation appeared to gratify the boatsmen, who smiled and winked32 at each other, as though they thought themselves very clever fellows to have discovered the whereabouts of a hidden treasure, and to be refreshed in the midst of their toil23 by one whom they knew to be a noted33 smuggler17, and whom they strongly suspected of being concerned in the job they were at that time endeavouring to frustrate34. Throwing down their tools they laughingly accepted the invitation, and clambered out of the shaft.
“Now’s your time,” whispered Maggot with a nod to his hopeful son, and then added aloud—
“Cut away, Zackey booy, an’ tell mother to get the tay ready. Run, my son, let us knaw what thee legs are made of.”
“He’s a smart lad,” observed Trezise, as Zackey gave his father an intelligent look, and dashed away at the top of his speed.
“Iss, a clever cheeld,” assented35 Maggot.
“Bin down in the mines, I dessay?” said Trezise.
“Iss, oh iss; he do knaw tin,” replied Maggot with much gravity.
In a few minutes the two coastguard-men were seated at Mrs Maggot’s well-supplied board, enjoying the most comfortable meal they had eaten for many a day. It was seasoned, too, with such racy talk, abounding36 in anecdote37, from Maggot, and such importunate38 hospitality on the part of his better half, that the men felt no disposition39 to cut it short. Little Grace, too, was charmingly attentive40, for she, poor child, being utterly41 ignorant of the double parts which her parents were playing, rejoiced, in the native kindliness42 of her heart, to see them all so happy. Even the “chet” seemed to enter into the spirit of what was going on, for, regardless of the splendid opportunity that now presented itself of obtaining repose to its heart’s content, that black ball of concentrated essence of mischief43 dashed wildly about the floor and up the bed-curtains, with its back up and its tail thickened, and its green eyes glaring defiance44 at everything animate45, inanimate, or otherwise, insomuch that Maggot made sundry46 efforts to quell47 it with the three-legged stool—and Mrs Maggot followed suit with a dish-clout—but in vain!
Meanwhile, men and mules and horses were converging48 by many paths and lanes towards the old shaft, and the shaft itself was apparently49 endued50 with the properties of a volcano, for out of its mouth issued a continuous shower of dust and stones, while many stalwart arms laid bare the mine beneath, and tossed up the precious “tubs” of brandy.
Before the pleasant little tea-party in Maggot’s cottage broke up the whole were scattered51 abroad, and men and mules and horses sped with their ill-gotten gains across the furze-clad moors52.
“Sure it’s early to break up,” said Maggot, when the boatsmen at last rose to take their leave; “there’s no fear o’ the bunches o’ copper melting down there, or flyin’ away.”
“There’s no saying,” replied Eben Trezise; “you’ve heerd as well as we of lodes takin’ the bit in their teeth an’ disappearing—eh?”
“Well, iss, so they do sometimes; I’ll not keep ’ee longer; good-hevenin’ to ’ee,” said Maggot, going outside the door and wishing them all manner of success as they returned to the old shaft.
Reader, shall we follow the two knowing fellows to that shaft? Shall we mark the bewildered expression of amazement53 with which they gazed into it, and listen to the wild fiendish laugh of mingled54 amusement and wrath55 that bursts from them in fitful explosions as the truth flashes into their unwilling56 minds? No; vice57 had triumphed over virtue58, and we deem it a kindness to your sensitive nature to draw a veil over the scene of her discomfiture59.
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1
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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6
smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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8
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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9
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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10
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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13
mustering
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的现在分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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14
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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15
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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16
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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17
smuggler
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| n.走私者 | |
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18
lode
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| n.矿脉 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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20
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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24
spank
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| v.打，拍打(在屁股上) | |
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25
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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26
urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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27
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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28
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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29
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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30
compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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31
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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32
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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33
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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35
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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38
importunate
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| adj.强求的；纠缠不休的 | |
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39
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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40
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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41
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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42
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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43
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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44
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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45
animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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46
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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47
quell
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| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
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48
converging
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| adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集 | |
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49
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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50
endued
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| v.授予，赋予（特性、才能等）( endue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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52
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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54
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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55
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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56
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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57
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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58
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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59
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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