Nearly all the time while John looked on at this bewildering scene,Hugh kept near him; and though he was the loudest, wildest, mostdestructive villain there, he saved his old master"s bones a scoreof times. Nay, even when Mr Tappertit, excited by liquor, came up, and in assertion of his prerogative politely kicked John Willet onthe shins, Hugh bade him return the compliment; and if old John hadhad sufficient presence of mind to understand this whispereddirection, and to profit by it, he might no doubt, under Hugh"sprotection, have done so with impunity.
At length the band began to reassemble outside the house, and tocall to those within, to join them, for they were losing time.
These murmurs increasing, and attaining a high pitch, Hugh, andsome of those who yet lingered in the bar, and who plainly were theleaders of the troop, took counsel together, apart, as to what wasto be done with John, to keep him quiet until their Chigwell workwas over. Some proposed to set the house on fire and leave him init; others, that he should be reduced to a state of temporaryinsensibility, by knocking on the head; others, that he should besworn to sit where he was until to-morrow at the same hour; othersagain, that he should be gagged and taken off with them, under asufficient guard. All these propositions being overruled, it wasconcluded, at last, to bind him in his chair, and the word waspassed for Dennis.
"Look"ee here, Jack!" said Hugh, striding up to him: "We are goingto tie you, hand and foot, but otherwise you won"t be hurt. D"ye hear?"
John Willet looked at another man, as if he didn"t know which wasthe speaker, and muttered something about an ordinary every Sundayat two o"clock.
"You won"t be hurt I tell you, Jack--do you hear me?" roared Hugh,impressing the assurance upon him by means of a heavy blow on theback. "He"s so dead scared, he"s woolgathering, I think. Give hima drop of something to drink here. Hand over, one of you."
A glass of liquor being passed forward, Hugh poured the contentsdown old John"s throat. Mr Willet feebly smacked his lips, thrusthis hand into his pocket, and inquired what was to pay; adding, ashe looked vacantly round, that he believed there was a trifle ofbroken glass-"He"s out of his senses for the time, it"s my belief," said Hugh,after shaking him, without any visible effect upon his system,until his keys rattled in his pocket. "Where"s that Dennis?"
The word was again passed, and presently Mr Dennis, with a longcord bound about his middle, something after the manner of a friar, came hurrying in, attended by a body-guard of half-a-dozen of hismen.
"Come! Be alive here!" cried Hugh, stamping his foot upon theground. "Make haste!"
Dennis, with a wink and a nod, unwound the cord from about hisperson, and raising his eyes to the ceiling, looked all over it,and round the walls and cornice, with a curious eye; then shook hishead.
"Move, man, can"t you!" cried Hugh, with another impatient stamp ofhis foot. "Are we to wait here, till the cry has gone for tenmiles round, and our work"s interrupted?"
"It"s all very fine talking, brother," answered Dennis, steppingtowards him; "but unless--" and here he whispered in his ear-"
unless we do it over the door, it can"t be done at all in thishere room."
"What can"t?" Hugh demanded.
"What can"t!" retorted Dennis. "Why, the old man can"t."
"Why, you weren"t going to hang him!" cried Hugh.
"No, brother?" returned the hangman with a stare. "What else?"
Hugh made no answer, but snatching the rope from his companion"shand, proceeded to bind old John himself; but his very first movewas so bungling and unskilful, that Mr Dennis entreated, almostwith tears in his eyes, that he might be permitted to perform theduty. Hugh consenting, be achieved it in a twinkling.
"There," he said, looking mournfully at John Willet, who displayedno more emotion in his bonds than he had shown out of them.
"That"s what I call pretty and workmanlike. He"s quite a picternow. But, brother, just a word with you--now that he"s readytrussed, as one may say, wouldn"t it be better for all parties ifwe was to work him off? It would read uncommon well in thenewspapers, it would indeed. The public would think a great dealmore on us!"
Hugh, inferring what his companion meant, rather from his gesturesthan his technical mode of expressing himself (to which, as he wasignorant of his calling, he wanted the clue), rejected this proposition for the second time, and gave the word "Forward!" whichwas echoed by a hundred voices from without.
"To the Warren!" shouted Dennis as he ran out, followed by therest. "A witness"s house, my lads!"
A loud yell followed, and the whole throng hurried off, mad forpillage and destruction. Hugh lingered behind for a few moments tostimulate himself with more drink, and to set all the taps running,a few of which had accidentally been spared; then, glancing roundthe despoiled and plundered room, through whose shattered windowthe rioters had thrust the Maypole itself,--for even that had beensawn down,--lighted a torch, clapped the mute and motionless JohnWillet on the back, and waving his light above his head, anduttering a fierce shout, hastened after his companions.