Chapter XX: In the Dark O' the Neap

Neither children nor dogs think much about the future, and it would be wise sometimes if their elders resembled them in this respect, for surely even Lotty's honest and faithful friend Wallace was to be envied in being so perfectly happy and contented, and in believing--if he could be said to possess a belief--that the world for him would have no end, that his little mistress would always be with him, and that it would always be sunshine and spring.

But young folks like Lotty, who have come through the hard, do often wonder to themselves what will become of them in after years. And this gipsy lass had been so happy ever since Frank Antony had arrived in camp that the very thought of his going away and being to her as if he had never come to cheer her and make the days seem all too short, was one which loomed before her like a big dark cloud which ere long must engulf her, and from which her sun of life might never emerge. No wonder, then, that as she thought of this she shed bitter tears that morning on the moor. And what could Antony do but just try to comfort her as best he could? For there was sorrow and sadness even at his own heart. And the birds sang on, and the perfume of spring was all around them; only poor Wallace seemed much concerned and whined pitifully as he licked poor Lotty's hands and ears.

But the child's grief did not last a great while, and soon she was smiling through her tears, after heaving one or two half-heartbroken sighs.

'I'm such a little silly, amn't I?' she said.

Antony raised her from the sitting position and soon they were walking hand in hand across the moor towards Crona's cottage, singing as was their wont--she in her sweet treble, he in his bass--and the dog bounding and barking with joy, half-hysterically one might have said, to see his mistress happy once more.

They were always sure of a hearty and loving welcome at the witch's house. The cat met them to rub head against legs, even Wallace coming in for a share of her affection. Indeed, the great Newfoundland appeared to be a hero with pussy, though no doubt he considered himself somewhat superior to her in intellect. On this occasion she showed her affection for the dog by running off in front and whacking poor Tod Lowrie, who was sound asleep at the sunny side of the cottage door.

'Get up, you lazy Lowrie,' she seemed to say, 'and welcome a bigger dog than ever you'll be.'

Nevertheless, pussy kept her gloves on all the time she whacked the fox. So it was only play and fun, born of her sudden joy at seeing her friends Lotty, Antony, and big, wise Wallace. And when Joe with a _craik-k!_ and a _croak-k!_ his wings drooping on the ground, rushed forward and jumped nimbly on top of the fox and pecked at pussy, anybody could see this was also fun and play got up on the spur of the moment.

'Hurray--ray!' cried the strange bird. 'Joe's alive! Hurray--hurray--ray!'

When Joe did at last manage to land a dig in pussy's brow he held back his head and laughed as if possessed of something not canny.

'Ha--ha--ha! Ho--ho--ho! Joe's alive. Ha--ha--ha!'

Pussy shook her head, and retired to wash her face.

Well, Crona and her friends spent a very happy day together, and the sun was down before they even dreamt of parting. The sun went down, and then came a long twilight, with a gradually rising wind; so, bidding Crona good-night, they set out with all speed to get clear of the woods before darkness fell, and to-night there would be no early moon, for it was the neap.

Chops had come as far as the high cliff to meet them, and as he was looking unusually serious Antony asked him if anything was the matter.

'W'ich I don't go for to say there is,' answered Chops, 'not on my own like; only Kelly the coastguard tells us that the bark hout yonder isn't likely to weather the Partans' Rock.'

Before Antony and Lotty had got quite clear of the woods the wind had suddenly increased to almost the force of a gale, blowing right on to the land, with, if anything, a bit of eastering in it. And out yonder in the fast-gathering gloom they could see a bark under very little sail standing westwards, but perilously near to the shore.

The word 'partan' signifies a crab, and the rock out yonder was never visible except at very low tides, such as occur at the neap.

Presently Kelly himself came along. He was an Englishman and a good sailor, and he was stationed with a chum or two far along the coast here.

'Hallo, Kelly!' said Antony, 'from the little a landsman like me knows of the sea, yonder ship seems in a nasty place.'

'Ay, sir, that she be; and though the tide isn't out so far as it will be, the Partans' Rock, sir, is all awash. I mind,' he added, 'when the _Fair Maid o' Wales_ went on shore on that same ugly rock three year and more agone.'

'Went to pieces, did she?'

'Went to pieces? Ay, that she did. A cat couldn't have lived out there that night.'

'Any one lost?'

'Nobody saved, sir--not a living soul.'

'Is there a lifeboat anywhere near?'

'No nearer nor B---- and it's there I'm going as fast's I can; but it's ten good miles yet.'

'Won't detain you,' said Antony. 'But could nothing be done to warn the station?'

Kelly was moving on.

'Ay,' he shouted up the wind, 'if the fools on the bark show a rocket or two; but they won't do that till they strike, and then'---- Kelly was supposed to have added the words 'too late,' but they were not distinctly heard.

Antony took Lotty's hand, so that together they might run down the distance that intervened betwixt this high outlook-cliff and the camp. The child was trembling all over.

'You're not afraid, are you, dear?'

'No--that is, not much, Mr Blake,' she replied; 'but, oh, wouldn't it be dreadful if the ship went to pieces on the Partans' Rock, and poor dear dead sailors were washed up through the firth to our camp?'

'But I don't think it will be so bad as that, Lotty. Those coastguards generally make the worst of things.'

'Did not Kelly say something about rockets?'

'Yes, dear.'

'And we have lots in our camp.'

'But, child, the bark may have some; anyhow, our sending up rockets would, I feel certain, only confuse the coastguard. They would know even in the dark that these were sent up from the shore, and imagine we were only just having some fireworks.'

'That is true; but, oh dear, it is terrible!' Then suddenly she added, 'I think we should light a fire just here; that would warn them off.'

'Yes, Miss Lotty.'

The child let go Antony's hand now, and he knew she meant business. There was dead wood, with withered furze, lying about here, and all hands commenced at once to collect it. Even Wallace brought piece after piece and wisely laid it down beside the rest. And in five minutes' time a red, roaring fire was gleaming through the darkness far across the sea.

Those on that devoted bark saw the fire even if they could not perceive the treacherous rock; and, knowing too well what it meant, tried to luff and get farther out to northwards. From the lights which now appeared upon her, Lotty could tell that she had put about and was trying to work into the wind's eye.

They left the cliff, and left Chops there to feed the flames, and by making all haste were not long before they reached the camp. It would now be about nine o'clock, or hardly; and so heavy were the clouds that nothing was to be seen, never a star above, and only the shifting lights in the camp. Little to be heard either except the wash and swell of the breakers and the occasional wild scream of a sea-bird. That was an ugly coast at night for vessels to get near when the shore was a lee one, and more especially in the dark o' the neap, with a falling tide.

As they were still gazing, with hands above their eyes, out into the pitchy gloom of that wild sea, suddenly there was a flash as of red lightning, then a gun roared out, awakening a hundred echoes among the rocks.

'Oh, Mr Blake, Mr Blake, the bark has struck!'

'I fear she has, Lotty. But nothing can be done. Why, I wonder, do they not fire a rocket?'

'Because, dear Mr Blake, perhaps they haven't one.'

'Well, calm yourself, Lotty. We can only pray for them, and before long the coastguard may come with the lifeboat crew.'

'Ay, but they will never know. Kelly will take two long hours to reach B---- and by that time, oh dear, oh! there may not be a soul left on board the bark, nor a plank for a drowning man to cling to.'

Biffins Lee himself had come up.

'A sad business out yonder in the dark o' the neap, I fear, Mr Blake.'

There was no sign of sorrow in the man's voice. In fact, he seemed but looking upon the whole affair from a spectacular point of view.

Another flash and another reverberating roar.

'One more gun!' said Biffins coolly. 'She can't hold together long if she be on the Partan,' he added, 'or even inside it, which is more likely. I'm going to tell Mary to heat water and to set men to watch the surf for dark things--bodies--coming in. We may save life, Mr Blake, and what a fine advertisement for the Queerest Show on Earth!'

Probably Frank Antony had never troubled himself to hate the man before, but he did now; and, though the young man's arm was held down by his side, he clinched his fist and gnashed his teeth. Then came the questioning thought to his mind, just as it had often come before: 'Can this brute really be the father of the sweet child who is standing by my side?'

And as Lee went out of sight, up out of the dark o' the neap seemed to arise the answer: 'He cannot be her father, be the mystery what it may!'

Antony turned now to speak to Lotty. He missed her. She was here not a minute ago, but now she was gone.

'Lotty, Lotty!' he called, and even Wallace raised his voice, barking a strange, querulous kind of bark, and that was Antony's only answer.

'She is off to light the lamps in the "Gipsy Queen,"' he said to himself. So he lit a cigar, and went smoking towards the caravan. But it was all in darkness.

He met Mary.

'Have you seen Lotty?' he said.

'A few moments ago. Yes, Mr Blake. She was going towards the big marquee.'

_Ee-yowf_ barked Wallace again. It was the strangest sort of bark ever the young man had heard him utter--speakingly strange, in fact. Then he started off in the direction of the swinging, swaying petroleum lights of the camp.

He found the honest dog in the marquee looking for his mistress, and it was evident enough he was on trail. He went dashing out now with his head low towards the turf; and, as far as Antony could see him, he appeared to be making tracks for the river. And Antony followed as quickly as he could, a strange, wild thought having suddenly taken possession of his very soul. He felt it was foolish, but he could not help it.

He found Wallace standing by the little boathouse looking helplessly out towards the sea. Antony quickly opened the back-folding doors and threw the gleam of his flashlight inside. It was empty! The _Jenny Wren_ was gone!

He had not a single doubt now in his mind as to what must have happened.

'Oh, how daring! how mad!' he said to himself half-aloud.

The little gipsy lass had evidently gone right to the big marquee to find rockets, and with these in her possession she had no doubt set out in the little boat towards the stranded bark, over that wild and stormy sea, in the dark o' the neap.