It is necessary at this juncture to return to Hugh, who, having, aswe have seen, called to the rioters to disperse from about theWarren, and meet again as usual, glided back into the darkness fromwhich he had emerged, and reappeared no more that night.
He paused in the copse which sheltered him from the observation ofhis mad companions, and waited to ascertain whether they drew offat his bidding, or still lingered and called to him to join them.
Some few, he saw, were indisposed to go away without him, and madetowards the spot where he stood concealed as though they were aboutto follow in his footsteps, and urge him to come back; but thesemen, being in their turn called to by their friends, and in truthnot greatly caring to venture into the dark parts of the grounds,where they might be easily surprised and taken, if any of theneighbours or retainers of the family were watching them from amongthe trees, soon abandoned the idea, and hastily assembling such menas they found of their mind at the moment, straggled off.
When he was satisfied that the great mass of the insurgents wereimitating this example, and that the ground was rapidly clearing,he plunged into the thickest portion of the little wood; and,crashing the branches as he went, made straight towards a distantlight: guided by that, and by the sullen glow of the fire behindhim.
As he drew nearer and nearer to the twinkling beacon towards whichhe bent his course, the red glare of a few torches began to reveal itself, and the voices of men speaking together in a subdued tonebroke the silence which, save for a distant shouting now and then,already prevailed. At length he cleared the wood, and, springingacross a ditch, stood in a dark lane, where a small body of ill-looking vagabonds, whom he had left there some twenty minutesbefore, waited his coming with impatience.
They were gathered round an old post-chaise or chariot, driven byone of themselves, who sat postilion-wise upon the near horse. Theblinds were drawn up, and Mr Tappertit and Dennis kept guard at thetwo windows. The former assumed the command of the party, for hechallenged Hugh as he advanced towards them; and when he did so,those who were resting on the ground about the carriage rose totheir feet and clustered round him.
"Well!" said Simon, in a low voice; "is all right?"
"Right enough," replied Hugh, in the same tone. "They"redispersing now--had begun before I came away."
"And is the coast clear?"
"Clear enough before our men, I take it," said Hugh. "There are not many who, knowing of their work over yonder, will want tomeddle with "em to-night.--Who"s got some drink here?"
Everybody had some plunder from the cellar; half-a-dozen flasks andbottles were offered directly. He selected the largest, andputting it to his mouth, sent the wine gurgling down his throat.
Having emptied it, he threw it down, and stretched out his hand foranother, which he emptied likewise, at a draught. Another wasgiven him, and this he half emptied too. Reserving what remainedto finish with, he asked:
"Have you got anything to eat, any of you? I"m as ravenous as ahungry wolf. Which of you was in the larder--come?"
"I was, brother," said Dennis, pulling off his hat, and fumbling inthe crown. "There"s a matter of cold venison pasty somewhere oranother here, if that"ll do."
"Do!" cried Hugh, seating himself on the pathway. "Bring it out!
Quick! Show a light here, and gather round! Let me sup in state,my lads! Ha ha ha!"
Entering into his boisterous humour, for they all had drunk deeply, and were as wild as he, they crowded about him, while two of theirnumber who had torches, held them up, one on either side of him,that his banquet might not be despatched in the dark. Mr Dennis,having by this time succeeded in extricating from his hat a greatmass of pasty, which had been wedged in so tightly that it was noteasily got out, put it before him; and Hugh, having borrowed anotched and jagged knife from one of the company, fell to work uponit vigorously.
"I should recommend you to swallow a little fire every day, aboutan hour afore dinner, brother," said Dennis, after a pause. "Itseems to agree with you, and to stimulate your appetite."
Hugh looked at him, and at the blackened faces by which he wassurrounded, and, stopping for a moment to flourish his knife abovehis head, answered with a roar of laughter.
"Keep order, there, will you?" said Simon Tappertit.
"Why, isn"t a man allowed to regale himself, noble captain,"
retorted his lieutenant, parting the men who stood between them,with his knife, that he might see him,--"to regale himself a littlebit after such work as mine? What a hard captain! What a strict captain! What a tyrannical captain! Ha ha ha!"
"I wish one of you fellers would hold a bottle to his mouth to keephim quiet," said Simon, "unless you want the military to be downupon us."
"And what if they are down upon us!" retorted Hugh. "Who cares?
Who"s afraid? Let "em come, I say, let "em come. The more, themerrier. Give me bold Barnaby at my side, and we two will settlethe military, without troubling any of you. Barnaby"s the man forthe military. Barnaby"s health!"
But as the majority of those present were by no means anxious fora second engagement that night, being already weary and exhausted,they sided with Mr Tappertit, and pressed him to make haste withhis supper, for they had already delayed too long. Knowing, evenin the height of his frenzy, that they incurred great danger bylingering so near the scene of the late outrages, Hugh made an endof his meal without more remonstrance, and rising, stepped up to MrTappertit, and smote him on the back.
"Now then," he cried, "I"m ready. There are brave birds insidethis cage, eh? Delicate birds,--tender, loving, little doves. I caged "em--I caged "em--one more peep!"
He thrust the little man aside as he spoke, and mounting on thesteps, which were half let down, pulled down the blind by force,and stared into the chaise like an ogre into his larder.