All at once Bart Wrigley opened his eyes and stared. Had he been asleep and dreamed that he and Abel had escaped, and then that he was in the Dell's boat, with Mary poling it along?
What could it all mean? He was in a boat, and behind him lay back the soldier with his mouth open, sleeping heavily. On his left was Abel Dell, also sleeping as a man sleeps who is utterly exhausted by some terrible exertion. But that was not the Devon coast upon which the sun was shedding its early morning rays. Dense belts of mangrove did not spread their muddy roots like intricate rustic scaffoldings on southern English shores, and there were no clusters of alligators lying here and there among the mud and ooze.
It was true enough. They did escape in the night, and Mary had been there ready to help them with a boat; but where was she now? and who was this sturdy youth in loose petticoat-canvas trousers, and heavy fisherman's boots?
Bart stared till his eyes showed a ring of white about their pupils, and his mouth opened roundly in unison for a time. Then eyes and mouth closed tightly, and wrinkles appeared all over his face, as he softly shook all over, and then, after glancing at Abel and the Irish soldier, he uttered a low--
"Haw, haw!"
The figure in the boat swung round and faced him sharply, glancing at the two sleeping men, and holding up a roughened brown hand to command silence.
"All right," said Bart, half-choking with mirth; and then, "Oh, I say, my lass, you do look rum in them big boots!"
"Silence, idiot!" she whispered, sharply. "Do you want that strange man to know?"
"Nay, not I," said Bart, shortly, as he too glanced at Dinny. "But I say, you do look rum."
"Bart," whispered Mary, fiercely, and her eyes flashed with indignant anger, "is this a time to fool?"
"Nay, my lass, nay," he said, becoming sober on the instant, "But you do look so rum. I say, though," he cried, sharply, "what's gone of all your beautiful long hair?"
"Fire," said Mary, coldly.
"Fire! what!--you've cut it off and burnt it?" Mary nodded.
"Oh!" ejaculated Bart, and it sounded a groan.
"Could girl with long hair have worked her passage out here as a sailor-boy, and have come into that cane-brake and saved you two?" said Mary, sharply; and as Bart sat staring at her with dilated eyes once more, she bent down after gazing at Dinny, still soundly sleeping, and laid her hand with a firm grip on her brother's shoulder.
He started into wakefulness on the instant, and gazed without recognition in the face leaning over him.
"Don't you know me, Abel?" said Mary, sadly.
"You, Mary?--dressed like this!"
He started up angrily, his face flushing as hers had flushed, and his look darkened into a scowl.
"What else could I do?" she said, repeating her defence as she had pleaded to Bart. Then, as if her spirit rebelled against his anger, her eyes flashed with indignation, and she exclaimed hoarsely, "Well, I have saved you, and if you have done with me--there is the sea!"
"But you--dressed as a boy!" said Abel.
"Hush! Do you want that man to know?" whispered Mary, hoarsely. "My brother was unjustly punished and sent out here to die in prison, while I, a helpless girl, might have starved at home, or been hunted down by that devil who called himself a man? What could I do?"
"But you worked your passage out here as a sailor?" whispered Abel.
"Ay, and she could do it, too--as good a sailor as ever took in sail; and, Mary, lass, I asks your pardon for laughing; and if I wasn't such a big ugly chap, I could lie down there and cry."
He held out his great coarse hand, in which Mary placed hers to return his honest clasp, and her eyes smiled for a moment into his, while Abel sat frowning and biting his lips as he glanced at Dinny.
"I don't know what to do," he said, hesitatingly. "It seems--"
"Heigh--ho--ho! Oh, dear me!" cried Dinny, opening his eyes suddenly, making Mary start and Abel mutter a curse.
There was only one of the two equal to the emergency, and that was Bart, who gave his knee a sounding slap and cried aloud--
"Jack Dell, my lad, you've behaved like a trump, and got us away splendid. I on'y wish, Abel, I had such a brother. Hallo, soger, where shall we set you ashore?"
"Set me ashore?" said the Irishman, nodding at Mary; "what for?"
"What for?" cried Bart. "To go back."
"I'm not going back," said the Irishman, laughing. "Sure, I want a change."
"Change!" cried Abel. "You can't go with us."
"Sure, and you forced me to come, and ye wouldn't behave so dirthily as to send me back?"
"But we're escaping," said Bart.
"Sure, and I'll escape too," said Dinny, smiling. "It's moighty dull work stopping there."
"But you're a soldier," said Abel.
"To be sure I am--a sowldier of fortune."
"You'll be a deserter if you stop with us," growled Bart.
"The divil a bit! Ye made me a prishner, and I couldn't help meself."
"Why, I wanted you to go back last night!" growled Bart.
"To be ate up entoirely by the ugly bastes of dogs! Thank ye kindly, sor, I'd rather not."
Dinny looked at Mary and gave her a droll cock of the eye, which made her frown and look uneasy.
"Sure, Misther Jack," he said, coolly, "don't you think they're a bit hard on a boy?"
"Hard?" said Mary, shortly.
"Av coorse. They knocked me down and took away me mushket and bagnet, and there they are in the bottom of the boat. Then they made me get over the gate and eshcape wid 'em; and, now they're safe, they want to put me ashore."
"We can't take you with us," said Abel, shortly.
"Aisy, now! Think about it, sor. Ye're going for a holiday, sure; and under the circumstances I'd like one too. There! I see what ye're a-thinking--that I'd bethray ye. Sure, and I'm a Kelly, and ye never knew a Kelly do a dirthy thrick to anyone. Did I shout for help last night when you towld me not?"
"You were afraid," growled Bart.
"Afraid!--me afraid! Did ye ever hear of a Kelly who was afraid? No, sor; I said to meself, 'The poor boys are making a run for it, and I'll let them go.' Sure, and I did, and here ye are."