When London Burned : a Story of Restoration Times and the Great Fire, Page 4

  CHAPTER IV

  CAPTURED

  It was settled that Cyril was to take the first watch, and that theCaptain should relieve him at one o'clock. At nine, the family wentto bed. A quarter of an hour later, Cyril stole noiselessly from hisattic down to John Wilkes's room. The door had been left ajar, andthe candle was still burning.

  "I put a chair by the window," the sailor said, from his bed, "andleft the light, for you might run foul of something or other in thedark, though I have left a pretty clear gangway for you."

  Cyril blew out the candle, and seated himself at the window. For atime he could see nothing, and told himself that the whole contentsof the warehouse might be carried off without his being any thewiser.

  "I shall certainly see nothing," he said to himself; "but, at least,I may hear something."

  So saying, he turned the fastening of the casement and opened itabout half an inch. As his eyes became accustomed to the darkness, hewas able to make out the line of the roof of the warehouse, which wassome three or four feet below the level of his eyes, and some twentyfeet away on his left. The time passed slowly. He kept himself awakeby thinking over the old days in France, the lessons he had learntwith his friend, Harry Parton, and the teaching of the old clergyman.

  He heard the bell of St. Paul's strike ten and eleven. The laststroke had scarcely ceased to vibrate when he rose to his feetsuddenly. He heard, on his left, a scraping noise. A moment later itceased, and then was renewed again. It lasted but a few seconds; thenhe heard an irregular, shuffling noise, that seemed to him upon theroof of the warehouse. Pressing his face to the casement, he suddenlybecame aware that the straight line of the ridge was broken bysomething moving along it, and a moment later he made out a secondobject, just behind the first. Moving with the greatest care, he madehis way out of the room, half closed the door behind him, crossed thepassage, and pushed at a door opposite.

  "Captain Dave," he said, in a low voice, "get up at once, and pleasedon't make a noise."

  "Ay, ay, lad."

  There was a movement from the bed, and a moment later the Captainstood beside him.

  "What is it, lad?" he whispered.

  "There are two figures moving along on the ridge of the roof of thewarehouse. I think it is the apprentices. I heard a slight noise, asif they were letting themselves down from their window by a rope. Itis just over that roof, you know."

  There was a rustling sound as the Captain slipped his doublet on.

  "That is so. The young scoundrels! What can they be doing on theroof?"

  They went to the window behind. Just as they reached it there was avivid flash of lightning. It sufficed to show them a figure lying atfull length at the farther end of the roof; then all was dark again,and a second or two later came a sharp, crashing roar of thunder.

  "We had better stand well back from the window," Cyril whispered."Another flash might show us to anyone looking this way."

  "What does it mean, lad? What on earth is that boy doing there? Icould not see which it was."

  "I think it is Ashford," Cyril said. "The figure in front seemed thesmaller of the two."

  "But where on earth can Tom have got to?"

  "I should fancy, sir, that Robert has lowered him so that he can gethis feet on the crane and swing it outwards; then he might sit downon it and swing himself by the rope into the loft if the doors arenot fastened inside. Robert, being taller, would have no difficultyin lowering himself--There!" he broke off, as another flash oflightning lit up the sky. "He has gone, now; there is no one on theroof."

  John Wilkes was by this time standing beside them, having started upat the first flash of lightning.

  "Do you go up, John, into their room," the Captain said. "I thinkthere can be no doubt that these fellows on the roof are Ashford andFrost, but it is as well to be able to swear to it."

  The foreman returned in a minute or two.

  "The room is empty, Captain; the window is open, and there is a ropehanging down from it. Shall I cast it adrift?"

  "Certainly not, John. We do not mean to take them tonight, and theymust be allowed to go back to their beds without a suspicion thatthey have been watched. I hope and trust that it is not so bad as itlooks, and that the boys have only broken out from devilry. You know,boys will do things of that sort just because it is forbidden."

  "There must be more than that," John Wilkes said. "If it had beenjust after they went to their rooms, it might be that they went tosome tavern or other low resort, but the town is all asleep now."

  They again went close to the window, pushed the casement a littlemore open, and stood listening there. In two or three minutes therewas a very slight sound heard.

  "They are unbolting the door into the yard," John Wilkes whispered."I would give a month's pay to be behind them with a rope's end."

  Half a minute later there was a sudden gleam of light below, and theycould see the door open. The light disappeared again, but they heardfootsteps; then they saw the light thrown on the fastening to theouter gate, and could make out that two figures below were applying akey to the padlock. This was taken off and laid down; then the heavywooden bar was lifted, and also laid on the ground. The gate openedas if pushed from the other side. The two figures went out; the soundof a low murmur of conversation could be heard; then they returned,the gate was closed and fastened again, they entered the warehouse,the light disappeared, and the door was closed.

  "That's how the things went, John."

  "Ay, ay, sir," the foreman growled.

  "As they were undoing the gate, the light fell on a coil of rope theyhad set down there, and a bag which I guess had copper of some kindin it. They have done us cleverly, the young villains! There was notnoise enough to wake a cat. They must have had every bolt and hingewell oiled."

  "We had better close the casement now, sir, for as they come backalong the ridge they will be facing it, and if a flash of lightningcame they would see that it was half open, and even if they did notcatch sight of our faces they would think it suspicious that thewindow should be open, and it might put them on their guard."

  "Yes; and we may as well turn in at once, John. Like enough when theyget back they will listen for a bit at their door, so as to make surethat everything is quiet before they turn in. There is nothing moreto see now. Of course they will get in as they got out. You hadbetter turn in as you are, Cyril; they may listen at your door."

  Cyril at once went up to his room, closed the door, placed a chairagainst it, and then lay down on his bed. He listened intently, andfour or five minutes later thought that he heard a door open; but hecould not be sure, for just at that moment heavy drops began topatter down upon the tiles. The noise rose louder and louder until hecould scarce have heard himself speak. Then there was a bright flashand the deep rumble of the thunder mingled with the sharp rattle ofthe raindrops overhead. He listened for a time to the storm, and thendropped off to sleep.

  Things went on as usual at breakfast the next morning. During themeal, Captain Dave gave the foreman several instructions as to themorning's work.

  "I am going on board the _Royalist_," he said. "John Browning wantsme to overhaul all the gear, and see what will do for another voyageor two, and what must be new. His skipper asked for new runningrigging all over, but he thinks that there can't be any occasion forits all being renewed. I don't expect I shall be in till dinner-time,so anyone that wants to see me must come again in the afternoon."

  Ten minutes later, Cyril went out, on his way to his work. CaptainDave was standing a few doors away.

  "Before I go on board the brig, lad, I am going up to the ChiefConstable's to arrange about this business. I want to get four men ofthe watch. Of course, it may be some nights before this is triedagain, so I shall have the men stowed away in the kitchen. Then wemust keep watch, and as soon as we see those young villains on theroof, we will let the men out at the front door. Two will postthemselves this end of the lane, and two go round into LeadenhallStreet and station themselves at the o
ther end. When the boys go outafter supper we will unlock the door at the bottom of the stairs intothe shop, and the door into the warehouse. Then we will steal downinto the shop and listen there until we hear them open the door intothe yard, and then go into the warehouse and be ready to make a rushout as soon as they get the gate open. John will have his boatswain'swhistle ready, and will give the signal. That will bring the watchup, so they will be caught in a trap."

  "I should think that would be a very good plan, Captain Dave, thoughI wish that it could have been done without Tom Frost being taken. Heis a timid sort of boy, and I have no doubt that he has been entirelyunder the thumb of Robert."

  "Well, if he has he will get off lightly," the Captain said. "Even ifa boy is a timid boy, he knows what will be the consequences if he iscaught robbing his master. Cowardice is no excuse for crime, lad. Theboys have always been well treated, and though I dare say Ashford isthe worst of the two, if the other had been honest he would not haveseen him robbing me without letting me know."

  For six nights watch was kept without success. Every evening, whenthe family and apprentices had retired to rest, John Wilkes wentquietly downstairs and admitted the four constables, letting them outin the morning before anyone was astir. Mrs. Dowsett had been takeninto her husband's confidence so far as to know that he haddiscovered he had been robbed, and was keeping a watch for thethieves. She was not told that the apprentices were concerned in thematter, for Captain Dave felt sure that, however much she might tryto conceal it, Robert Ashford would perceive, by her looks, thatsomething was wrong.

  Nellie was told a day or two later, for, although ignorant of herfather's nightly watchings, she was conscious from his manner, andthat of her mother, that something was amiss, and was so persistentin her inquiries, that the Captain consented to her mother tellingher that he had a suspicion he was being robbed, and warning her thatit was essential that the subject must not be in any way alluded to.

  "Your father is worrying over it a good deal, Nellie, and it isbetter that he should not perceive that you are aware of it. Just letthings go on as they were."

  "Is the loss serious, mother?"

  "Yes; he thinks that a good deal of money has gone. I don't think heminds that so much as the fact that, so far, he doesn't know who thepeople most concerned in it may be. He has some sort of suspicion inone quarter, but has no clue whatever to the men most to blame."

  "Does Cyril know anything about it?" Nellie asked suddenly.

  "Yes, he knows, my dear; indeed, it was owing to his cleverness thatyour father first came to have suspicions."

  "Oh! that explains it," Nellie said. "He had been talking to father,and I asked what it was about and he would not tell me, and I havebeen very angry with him ever since."

  "I have noticed that you have been behaving very foolishly," Mrs.Dowsett said quietly, "and that for the last week you have beentaking Robert with you as an escort when you went out of an evening.I suppose you did that to annoy Cyril, but I don't think that heminded much."

  "I don't think he did, mother," Nellie agreed, with a laugh whichbetrayed a certain amount of irritation. "I saw that he smiled, twoor three evenings back, when I told Robert at supper that I wantedhim to go out with me, and I was rarely angry, I can tell you."

  Cyril had indeed troubled himself in no way about Nellie's coolness;but when she had so pointedly asked Robert to go with her, he hadbeen amused at the thought of how greatly she would be mortified,when Robert was haled up to the Guildhall for robbing her father, atthe thought that he had been accompanying her as an escort.

  "I rather hope this will be our last watch, Captain Dave," he said,on the seventh evening.

  "Why do you hope so specially to-night, lad?"

  "Of course I have been hoping so every night. But I think it islikely that the men who take the goods come regularly once a week;for in that case there would be no occasion for them to meet at othertimes to arrange on what night they should be in the lane."

  "Yes, that is like enough, Cyril; and the hour will probably be thesame, too. John and I will share your watch to-night, so as to beready to get the men off without loss of time."

  Cyril had always taken the first watch, which was from half-past ninetill twelve. The Captain and Wilkes had taken the other watches byturns.

  As before, just as the bell finished striking eleven, the threewatchers again heard through the slightly open casement the scrapingnoise on the left. It had been agreed that they should not move, lestthe sound should be heard outside. Each grasped the stout cudgel heheld in his hand, and gazed at the roof of the warehouse, which couldnow be plainly seen, for the moon was half full and the sky wasclear. As before, the two figures went along, and this time theycould clearly recognise them. They were both sitting astride of theridge tiles, and moved themselves along by means of their hands. Theywaited until they saw one after the other disappear at the end of theroof, and then John Wilkes quietly stole downstairs. The fourconstables had been warned to be specially wakeful.

  "They are at it again to-night," John said to them, as he entered."Now, do you two who go round into Leadenhall Street start at once,but don't take your post at the end of the lane for another five orsix minutes. The thieves outside may not have come up at present. Asyou go out, leave the door ajar; in five minutes you others shouldstand ready. Don't go to the corner, but wait in the doorway belowuntil you hear the whistle. They will be only fifteen or twenty yardsup the lane, and would see you if you took up your station at thecorner; but the moment you hear the whistle, rush out and have atthem. We shall be there before you will."

  John went down with the last two men, entered the shop, and stoodthere waiting until he should be joined by his master. The latter andCyril remained at the window until they saw the door of the warehouseopen, and then hurried downstairs. Both were in their stockingedfeet, so that their movements should be noiseless.

  "Come on, John; they are in the yard," the Captain whispered; andthey entered the warehouse and went noiselessly on, until they stoodat the door. The process of unbarring the gate was nearlyaccomplished. As it swung open, John Wilkes put his whistle to hislips and blew a loud, shrill call, and the three rushed forward.There was a shout of alarm, a fierce imprecation, and three of thefour figures at the gate sprang at them. Scarce a blow had beenstruck when the two constables ran up and joined in the fray. Two menfought stoutly, but were soon overpowered. Robert Ashford, knife inhand, had attacked John Wilkes with fury, and would have stabbed him,as his attention was engaged upon one of the men outside, had notCyril brought his cudgel down sharply on his knuckles, when, with ayell of pain, he dropped the knife and fled up the lane. He had gonebut a short distance, however, when he fell into the hands of the twoconstables, who were running towards him. One of them promptlyknocked him down with his cudgel, and then proceeded to bind hishands behind him, while the other ran on to join in the fray. It wasover before he got there, and his comrades were engaged in bindingthe two robbers. Tom Frost had taken no part in the fight. He stoodlooking on, paralysed with terror, and when the two men wereoverpowered he fell on his knees beseeching his master to have mercyon him.

  "It is too late, Tom," the Captain said. "You have been robbing mefor months, and now you have been caught in the act you will have totake your share in the punishment. You are a prisoner of theconstables here, and not of mine, and even if I were willing to letyou go, they would have their say in the matter. Still, if you make aclean breast of what you know about it, I will do all I can to getyou off lightly; and seeing that you are but a boy, and have been,perhaps, led into this, they will not be disposed to be hard on you.Pick up that lantern and bring it here, John; let us see whatplunder, they were making off with."

  There was no rope this time, but a bag containing some fifty pounds'weight of brass and copper fittings. One of the constables tookpossession of this.

  "You had better come along with us to the Bridewell, Master Dowsett,to sign the charge sheet, though I don't know whether it isalt
ogether needful, seeing that we have caught them in the act; andyou will all three have to be at the Court to-morrow at ten o'clock."

  "I will go with you," the Captain said; "but I will first slip in andput my shoes on; I brought them down in my hand and shall be ready ina minute. You may as well lock up this gate again, John. I will goout through the front door and join them in the lane." As he wentinto the house, John Wilkes closed the gate and put up the bar, thentook up the lantern and said to Cyril,--

  "Well, Master Cyril, this has been a good night's work, and mightythankful I am that we have caught the pirates. It was a good day forus all when you came to the Captain, or they might have gone onrobbing him till the time came that there was nothing more to rob;and I should never have held up my head again, for though the Captainwould never believe that I had had a hand in bringing him to ruin,other people would not have thought so, and I might never have got achance of proving my innocence. Now we will just go to the end of theyard and see if they did manage to get into the warehouse by means ofthat crane, as you thought they did."

  They found that the crane had been swung out just far enough toafford a foot-hold to those lowering themselves on to it from theroof. The door of the loft stood open.

  "Just as you said. You could not have been righter, not if you hadseen them at it. And now I reckon we may as well lock up the placeagain, and turn in. The Captain has got the key of the front door,and we will leave the lantern burning at the bottom of the stairs."

  Cyril got up as soon as he heard a movement in the house, and wentdown to the shop, which had been already opened by John Wilkes.

  "It seems quiet here, without the apprentices, John. Is there any wayin which I can help?"

  "No, thank you, sir. We shan't be moving the goods about till afterbreakfast, and then, no doubt, the Captain will get an extra man into help me. I reckon he will have to get a neighbour in to give aneye to the place while we are all away at the Court."

  "I see there is the rope still hanging from their window," Cyrilsaid, as he went out into the yard.

  "I thought it best to leave it there," John Wilkes replied, "and Iain't been up into the loft either. It is best to leave matters justas they were. Like enough, they will send an officer down from theCourt to look at them."

  When the family assembled at breakfast, Mrs. Dowsett was looking verygrave. The Captain, on the other hand, was in capital spirits.Nellie, as usual, was somewhat late.

  "Where is everybody?" she asked in surprise, seeing that Cyril alonewas in his place with her father and mother.

  "John Wilkes is downstairs, looking after the shop, and will come upand have his breakfast when we have done," her father replied.

  "Are both the apprentices out, then?" she asked.

  "The apprentices are in limbo," the Captain said grimly.

  "In limbo, father! What does that mean?"

  "It means that they are in gaol, my dear."

  Nellie put down the knife and fork that she had just taken up.

  "Are you joking, father?"

  "Very far from it, my dear; it is no joke to any of us--certainly notto me, and not to Robert Ashford, or Tom Frost. They have beenrobbing me for the last year, and, for aught I know, before that. Ifit had not been for Master Cyril it would not have been very longbefore I should have had to put my shutters up."

  "But how could they rob you, father?"

  "By stealing my goods, and selling them, Nellie. The way they did itwas to lower themselves by a rope from their window on to the roof ofthe warehouse, and to get down at the other end on to the crane, andthen into the loft. Then they went down and took what they had afancy to, undid the door, and went into the yard, and then handedover their booty to the fellows waiting at the gate for it. Lastnight we caught them at it, after having been on the watch for tendays."

  "That is what I heard last night, then," she said. "I was woke by aloud whistle, and then I heard a sound of quarrelling and fighting inthe lane. I thought it was some roysterers going home late. Oh,father, it is dreadful to think of! And what will they do to them?"

  "It is a hanging matter," the Captain said; "it is not only theft,but mutiny. No doubt the judges will take a lenient view of TomFrost's case, both on the ground of his youth, and because, no doubt,he was influenced by Ashford; but I would not give much for Robert'schances. No doubt it will be a blow to you, Nellie, for you seem tohave taken to him mightily of late."

  Nellie was about to give an emphatic contradiction, but as sheremembered how pointedly she had asked for his escort during the lastfew days, she flushed up, and was silent.

  "It is terrible to think of," she said, after a pause. "I supposethis is what you and Cyril were consulting about, father. I have toask your pardon, Master Cyril, for my rudeness to you; but of courseI did not think it was anything of consequence, or that you could nothave told me if you had wished to do so."

  "You need not beg my pardon, Mistress Nellie. No doubt you thought itchurlish on my part to refuse to gratify your curiosity, and I am notsurprised that you took offence. I knew that when you learned howimportant it was to keep silence over the matter, that you wouldacquit me of the intention of making a mystery about nothing."

  "I suppose you knew, mother?" Nellie asked.

  "I knew that your father believed that he was being robbed, Nellie,and that he was keeping watch for some hours every night, but I didnot know that he suspected the apprentices. I am glad that we didnot, for assuredly we should have found it very hard to school ourfaces so that they should not guess that aught was wrong."

  "That was why we said nothing about it, Nellie. It has been as muchas I have been able to do to sit at table, and talk in the shop asusual, with boys I knew were robbing me; and I know honest JohnWilkes must have felt it still more. But till a week ago we would notbelieve that they had a hand in the matter. It is seven nights sinceCyril caught them creeping along the roof, and called me to thewindow in John Wilkes's room, whence he was watching the yard, notthinking the enemy was in the house."

  "And how did you come to suspect that robbery was going on, Cyril?"

  "Simply because, on making up the books, I found there was a greatdeficiency in the stores."

  "That is what he was doing when he was sitting up at night, after youwere in bed, Miss Nellie," her father said. "You may thank your starsthat he took a berth in this ship, for the scoundrels would havefoundered her to a certainty, if he had not done so. I tell you,child, he has saved this craft from going to the bottom. I have notsaid much to him about it, but he knows that I don't feel it any theless."

  "And who were the other men who were taken, father?"

  "That I can't tell you, Nellie. I went to the Bridewell with them,and as soon as I saw them safely lodged there I came home. They willbe had up before the Lord Mayor this morning, and then I dare say Ishall know all about them. Now I must go and take my watch below, andlet John Wilkes come off duty."

  "Why, John, what is the matter?" Mrs. Dowsett said, when the foremanentered.

  "Nothing worth speaking of, Mistress. I got a clip over the eye fromone of the pirates we were capturing. The thing mattered nothing, oneway or the other, but it might have cost me my life, because, for amoment, it pretty well dazed me. That young villain, Bob, was justcoming at me with his knife, and I reckon it would have gone hardwith me if Master Cyril here hadn't, just in the nick of time,brought his stick down on Robert's knuckles, and that so sharply thatthe fellow dropped his knife with a yell, and took to his heels, onlyto fall into the hands of two of the watch coming from the other endof the lane. You did me a good turn, lad, and if ever I get thechance of ranging up alongside of you in a fray, you may trust me toreturn it."

  He held out his hand to Cyril, and gave a warm grip to the hand thelatter laid in it.

  "It is a rum start, Mistress," John went on, as he sat down to hismeal, "that two old hands like the Captain and I were sailing on, notdreaming of hidden rocks or sand-banks, when this lad, who I used tolook upon as a young coc
kerel who was rather above his position,should come forward and have saved us all from shipwreck."

  "It is indeed, John," his mistress said earnestly, "and I thank Godindeed that He put the thought into the minds of Captain Dave andmyself to ask him to take up his abode with us. It seemed to us thenthat we were doing a little kindness that would cost us nothing,whereas it has turned out the saving of us."

  "Dear, dear!" Nellie, who had been sitting with a frown on her prettyface, said pettishly. "What a talk there will be about it all, andhow Jane Greenwood and Martha Stebbings and the rest of them willlaugh at me! They used to say they wondered how I could go about withsuch an ugly wretch behind me, and of course I spoke up for him andsaid that he was an honest knave and faithful; and now it turns outthat he is a villain and a robber. I shall never hear the last ofhim."

  "You will get over that, Nellie," her mother said severely. "It wouldbe much better if, instead of thinking of such trifles, you wouldconsider how sad a thing it is that two lads should lose theircharacter, and perhaps their lives, simply for their greed of otherpeople's goods. I could cry when I think of it. I know that RobertAshford has neither father nor mother to grieve about him, for myhusband's father took him out of sheer charity; but Tom's parents areliving, and it will be heart-breaking indeed to them when they hearof their son's misdoings."

  "I trust that Captain Dave will get him off," Cyril said. "As he isso young he may turn King's evidence, and I feel sure that he did notgo willingly into the affair. I have noticed many times that he had afrightened look, as if he had something on his mind. I believe thathe acted under fear of the other."

  As soon as John Wilkes had finished his breakfast he went withCaptain Dave and Cyril to the Magistrates' Court at the Guildhall.Some other cases were first heard, and then the apprentices, with thetwo men who had been captured in the lane, were brought in and placedin the dock. The men bore marks that showed they had been engaged ina severe struggle, and that the watch had used their staves witheffect. One was an elderly man with shaggy grey eyebrows; the otherwas a very powerfully built fellow, who seemed, from his attire, tofollow the profession of a sailor. Tom Frost was sobbing bitterly.One of Robert Ashford's hands was bandaged up. As he was placed inthe dock he cast furtive glances round with his shifty eyes, and asthey fell upon Cyril an expression of deadly hate came over his face.The men of the watch who had captured them first gave their evidenceas to finding them in the act of robbery, and testified to thedesperate resistance they had offered to capture. Captain Dave thenentered the witness-box, and swore first to the goods that were foundon them being his property, and then related how, it having come tohis knowledge that he was being robbed, he had set a watch, and had,eight days previously, seen his two apprentices getting along theroof, and how they had come out from the warehouse door, had openedthe outer gate, and had handed over some goods they had brought outto persons unknown waiting to receive them.

  "Why did you not stop them in their commission of the theft?" theAlderman in the Chair asked.

  "Because, sir, had I done so, the men I considered to be the chiefcriminals, and who had doubtless tempted my apprentices to rob me,would then have made off. Therefore, I thought it better to waituntil I could lay hands on them also, and so got four men of thewatch to remain in the house at night."

  Then he went on to relate how, after watching seven nights, he hadagain seen the apprentices make their way along the roof, and howthey and the receivers of their booty were taken by the watch, aidedby himself, his foreman, and Master Cyril Shenstone, who was dwellingin his house.

  After John Wilkes had given his evidence, Cyril went into the box andrelated how, being engaged by Captain David Dowsett to make up hisbooks, he found, upon stock being taken, that there was a deficiencyto the amount of many hundreds of pounds in certain stores, notablysuch as were valuable without being bulky.

  "Is anything known as to the prisoners?" the magistrate asked theofficer of the city watch in charge of the case.

  "Nothing is known of the two boys, your honour; but the men are wellknown. The elder, who gave the name of Peter Johnson, is one JosephMarner; he keeps a marine shop close to the Tower. For a long time hehas been suspected of being a receiver of stolen goods, but we havenever been able to lay finger on him before. The other man has, forthe last year, acted as his assistant in the shop; he answers closelyto the description of a man, Ephraim Fowler, who has long beenwanted. This man was a seaman in a brig trading to Yarmouth. After analtercation with the captain he stabbed him, and then slew the matewho was coming to his assistance; then with threats he compelled theother two men on board to let him take the boat. When they were offBrightlingsea he rowed away, and has not been heard of since. If youwill remand them, before he comes up again I hope to find the men whowere on board, and see if they identify him. We are in possession ofJoseph Marner's shop, and have found large quantities of goods thatwe have reason to believe are the proceeds of these and otherrobberies."

  After the prisoners had left the dock, Captain Dave went up to theofficer.

  "I believe," he said, "that the boy has not voluntarily taken part inthese robberies, but has been led away, or perhaps obliged by threatsto take part in them; he may be able to give you some assistance, formaybe these men are not the only persons to whom the stolen goodshave been sold, and he may be able to put you on the track of otherreceivers."

  "The matter is out of my hands now," the officer said, "but I willrepresent what you say in the proper quarter; and now you had bettercome round with me; you may be able to pick out some of yourproperty. We only made a seizure of the place an hour ago. I had allthe men who came in on duty this morning to take a look at theprisoners. Fortunately two or three of them recognised Marner, andyou may guess we lost no time in getting a search warrant and goingdown to his place. It is the most important capture we have made forsome time, and may lead to the discovery of other robberies that havebeen puzzling us for months past. There is a gang known as the BlackGang, but we have never been able to lay hands on any of theirleaders, and such fellows as have been captured have refused to say aword, and have denied all knowledge of it. There have been a numberof robberies of a mysterious kind, none of which have we been able totrace, and they have been put down to the same gang. The ChiefConstable is waiting for me there, and we shall make a thoroughsearch of the premises, and it is like enough we shall come acrosssome clue of importance. At any rate, if we can find some of thearticles stolen in the robberies I am speaking of, it will be astrong proof that Marner is one of the chiefs of the gang, and thatmay lead to further discoveries."

  "You had better come with us, John," Captain Dave said. "You know ourgoods better than I do myself. Will you come, Cyril?"

  "I should be of no use in identifying the goods, sir, and I am due inhalf an hour at one of my shops."

  The search was an exhaustive one. There was no appearance of anunderground cellar, but on some of the boards of the shop being takenup, it was found that there was a large one extending over the wholehouse. This contained an immense variety of goods. In one corner wasa pile of copper bolts that Captain Dave and John were able to claimat once, as they bore the brand of the maker from whom they obtainedtheir stock. There were boxes of copper and brass ship and housefittings, and a very large quantity of rope, principally of the sizesin which the stock had been found deficient; but to these CaptainDave was unable to swear. In addition to these articles the cellarcontained a number of chests, all of which were found to be filledwith miscellaneous articles of wearing apparel--rolls of silk,velvet, cloth, and other materials--curtains, watches, clocks,ornaments of all kinds, and a considerable amount of plate. As amongthese were many articles which answered to the descriptions given ofgoods that had been stolen from country houses, the whole wereimpounded by the Chief Constable, and carried away in carts. Theupper part of the house was carefully searched, the walls tapped,wainscotting pulled down, and the floors carefully examined. Severalhiding-places were found, but nothing of any i
mportance discovered inthem.

  "I should advise you," the Chief Constable said to Captain Dave, "toput in a claim for every article corresponding with those you havelost. Of course, if anyone else comes forward and also puts in aclaim, the matter will have to be gone into, and if neither of youcan absolutely swear to the things, I suppose you will have to settleit somehow between you. If no one else claims them, you will get themall without question, for you can swear that, to the best of yourknowledge and belief, they are yours, and bring samples of your owngoods to show that they exactly correspond with them. I have no doubtthat a good deal of the readily saleable stuff, such as ropes, brasssheaves for blocks, and things of that sort, will have been sold, butas it is clear that there is a good deal of your stuff in the stockfound below, I hope your loss will not be very great. There is nodoubt it has been a splendid find for us. It is likely enough that weshall discover among those boxes goods that have been obtained from ascore of robberies in London, and likely enough in the country. Wehave arrested three men we found in the place, and two women, and mayget from some of them information that will enable us to lay hands onsome of the others concerned in these robberies."