the story of the treasure seekers-第10部分

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it　better　to　wait。



As　I　said；　it　was　Guy　Fawkes　Day；　and　if　it　had　not　been　we　should

never　have　been　able　to　be　bandits　at　all；　for　the　unwary　traveller

we　did　catch　had　been　forbidden　to　go　out　because　he　had　a　cold　in

his　head。　　But　he　would　run　out　to　follow　a　guy；　without　even

putting　on　a　coat　or　a　comforter；　and　it　was　a　very　damp；　foggy

afternoon　and　nearly　dark；　so　you　see　it　was　his　own　fault

entirely；　and　served　him　jolly　well　right。



We　saw　him　coming　over　the　Heath　just　as　we　were　deciding　to　go

home　to　tea。　　He　had　followed　that　guy　right　across　to　the　village

（we　call　Blackheath　the　village；　I　don't　know　why）；　and　he　was

coming　back　dragging　his　feet　and　sniffing。



'Hist；　an　unwary　traveller　approaches！'　whispered　Oswald。

'Muffle　your　horses'　heads　and　see　to　the　priming　of　your　pistols；'

muttered　Alice。　　She　always　will　play　boys'　parts；　and　she　makes

Ellis　cut　her　hair　short　on　purpose。　　Ellis　is　a　very　obliging

hairdresser。



'Steal　softly　upon　him；'　said　Noel；　'for　lo！　'tis　dusk；　and　no

human　eyes　can　mark　our　deeds。'　　So　we　ran　out　and　surrounded　the

unwary　traveller。　　it　turned　out　to　be　Albert…next…door；　and　he　was

very　frightened　indeed　until　he　saw　who　we　were。



'Surrender！'　hissed　Oswald；　in　a　desperate…sounding　voice；　as　he

caught　the　arm　of　the　Unwary。　　And　Albert…next…door　said；　'All

right！　　I'm　surrendering　as　hard　as　I　can。　　You　needn't　pull　my　arm

off。'



We　explained　to　him　that　resistance　was　useless；　and　I　think　he　saw

that　from　the　first。　　We　held　him　tight　by　both　arms；　and　we

marched　him　home　down　the　hill　in　a　hollow　square　of　five。



He　wanted　to　tell　us　about　the　guy；　but　we　made　him　see　that　it　was

not　proper　for　prisoners　to　talk　to　the　guard；　especially　about

guys　that　the　prisoner　had　been　told　not　to　go　after　because　of　his

cold。



When　we　got　to　where　we　live　he　said；　'All　right；　I　don't　want　to

tell　you。　　You'll　wish　I　had　afterwards。　　You　never　saw　such　a

guy。'



'I　can　see　you！'　said　H。　O。　It　was　very　rude；　and　Oswald　told　him

so　at　once；　because　it　is　his　duty　as　an　elder　brother。　　But　H。　O。

is　very　young　and　does　not　know　better　yet；　and　besides　it　wasn't

bad　for　H。　O。



Albert…next…door　said；　'You　haven't　any　manners；　and　I　want　to　go

in　to　my　tea。　　Let　go　of　me！'



But　Alice　told　him；　quite　kindly；　that　he　was　not　going　in　to　his

tea；　but　coming　with　us。



'I'm　not；'　said　Albert…next…door；　'I'm　going　home。　　Leave　go！　　I've

got　a　bad　cold。　　You're　making　it　worse。'　　Then　he　tried　to　cough；

which　was　very　silly；　because　we'd　seen　him　in　the　morning；　and

he'd　told　us　where　the　cold　was　that　he　wasn't　to　go　out　with。　

When　he　had　tried　to　cough；　he　said；　'Leave　go　of　me！　　You　see　my

cold's　getting　worse。'



'You　should　have　thought　of　that　before；'　said　Dicky；　'you're

coming　in　with　us。'



'Don't　be　a　silly；'　said　Noel；　'you　know　we　told　you　at　the　very

beginning　that　resistance　was　useless。　　There　is　no　disgrace　in

yielding。　　We　are　five　to　your　one。'



By　this　time　Eliza　had　opened　the　door；　and　we　thought　it　best　to

take　him　in　without　any　more　parlaying。　　To　parley　with　a　prisoner

is　not　done　by　bandits。



Directly　we　got　him　safe　into　the　nursery；　H。　O。　began　to　jump

about　and　say；　'Now　you're　a　prisoner　really　and　truly！'



And　Albert…next…door　began　to　cry。　　He　always　does。　　I　wonder　he

didn't　begin　long　before　…　but　Alice　fetched　him　one　of　the　dried

fruits　we　gave　Father　for　his　birthday。　　It　was　a　green　walnut。　　I

have　noticed　the　walnuts　and　the　plums　always　get　left　till　the

last　in　the　box；　the　apricots　go　first；　and　then　the　figs　and

pears；　and　the　cherries；　if　there　are　any。



So　he　ate　it　and　shut　up。　　Then　we　explained　his　position　to　him；

so　that　there　should　be　no　mistake；　and　he　couldn't　say　afterwards

that　he　had　not　understood。



'There　will　be　no　violence；'　said　Oswald　…　he　was　now　Captain　of

the　Bandits；　because　we　all　know　H。　O。　likes　to　be　Chaplain　when　we

play　prisoners　…　'no　violence。　　But　you　will　be　confined　in　a　dark；

subterranean　dungeon　where　toads　and　snakes　crawl；　and　but　little

of　the　light　of　day　filters　through　the　heavily　mullioned　windows。　

You　will　be　loaded　with　chains。　　Now　don't　begin　again；　Baby；

there's　nothing　to　cry　about；　straw　will　be　your　pallet；　beside　you

the　gaoler　will　set　a　ewer　…　a　ewer　is　only　a　jug；　stupid；　it　won't

eat　you　…　a　ewer　with　water；　and　a　mouldering　crust　will　be　your

food。'



But　Albert…next…door　never　enters　into　the　spirit　of　a　thing。　　He

mumbled　something　about　tea…time。



Now　Oswald；　though　stern；　is　always　just；　and　besides　we　were　all

rather　hungry；　and　tea　was　ready。　　So　we　had　it　at　once；

Albert…next…door　and　all　…　and　we　gave　him　what　was　left　of　the

four…pound　jar　of　apricot　jam　we　got　with　the　money　Noel　got　for

his　poetry。　　And　we　saved　our　crusts　for　the　prisoner。



Albert…next…door　was　very　tiresome。　　Nobody　could　have　had　a　nicer

prison　than　he　had。　　We　fenced　him　into　a　corner　with　the　old　wire

nursery　fender　and　all　the　chairs；　instead　of　putting　him　in　the

coal…cellar　as　we　had　first　intended。　　And　when　he　said　the

dog…chains　were　cold　the　girls　were　kind　enough　to　warm　his　fetters

thoroughly　at　the　fire　before　we　put　them　on　him。



We　got　the　straw　cases　of　some　bottles　of　wine　someone　sent　Father

one　Christmas　…　it　is　some　years　ago；　but　the　cases　are　quite　good。



We　unpicked　them　very　carefully　and　pulled　them　to　pieces　and

scattered　the　straw　about。　　It　made　a　lovely　straw　pallet；　and　took

ever　so　long　to　make　…　but　Albert…next…door　has　yet　to　learn　what

gratitude　really　is。　　We　got　the　bread　trencher　for　the　wooden

platter　where　the　prisoner's　crusts　were　put　…　they　were　not

mouldy；　but　we　could　not　wait　till　they　got　so；　and　for　the　ewer　we

got　the　toilet　jug　out　of　the　spare…room　where　nobody　ever　sleeps。　

And　even　then　Albert…next…door　couldn't　be　happy　like　the　rest　of

us。　　He　howled　and　cried　and　tried　to　get　out；　and　he　knocked　the

ewer　over　and　stamped　on　the　mouldering　crusts。　　Luckily　there　was

no　water　in　the　ewer　because　we　had　forgotten　it；　only　dust　and

spiders。　　So　we　tied　him　up　with　the　clothes…line　from　the　back

kitchen；　and　we　had　to　hurry　up；　which　was　a　pity　for　him。　　We

might　have　had　him　rescued　by　a　devoted　page　if　he　hadn't　been　so

tiresome。　　In　fact　Noel　was　actually　dressing　up　for　the　page　when

Albert…next…door　kicked　over　the　prison　ewer。



We　got　a　sheet　of　paper　out　of　an　old　exercise…book；　and　we　made　H。

O。　prick　his　own　thumb；　because　he　is　our　little　brother　and　it　is

our　duty　to　teach　him　to　be　brave。　　We　none　of　us　mind　pricking

ourselves；　we've　done　it　heaps　of　times。　　H。　O。　didn't　like　it；　but

he　agreed　to　do　it；　and　I　helped　him　a　little　because　he　was　so

slow；　and　when　he　saw　the　red　bead　of　blood　getting　fatter　and

bigger　as　I　squeezed　his　thumb　he　was　very　pleased；　just　as　I　had

told　him　he　would　be。



This　is　what　we　wrote　with　H。　O。's　blood；　only　the　blood　gave　out

when　we　got　to　'Restored'；　and　we　had　to　write　the　rest　with

crimson　lake；　which　is　not　the　same　colour；　though　I　always　use　it；

myself；　for　painting　wounds。



While　Oswald　was　writing　it　he　heard　Alice　whispering　to　the

prisoner　that　it　would　soon　be　over；　and　it　was　only　play。　　The

prisoner　left　off　howling；　so　I　pretended　not　to　hear　what　she

said。　　A　Bandit　Captain　has　to　overlook　things　sometimes。　　This　was

the　letter　…





'Albert　Morrison　is　held　a　prisoner　by　Bandits。　　On　payment　of

three　thousand　pounds　he　will　be　restored　to　his　sorrowing

relatives；　and　all　will　be　forgotten　and　forgiven。'





I　was　not　sure　about　the　last　part；　but　Dicky　was　certain　he　had

seen　it　in　the　paper；　so　I　suppose　it　must　have　been　all　right。



We　let　H。　O。　take　the　letter；　it　was　only　fair；　as　it　was　his　blood

it　was　written　with；　and　told　him　to　leave　it　next　door　for　Mrs

Morrison。



H。　O。　came　back　quite　quickly；　and　Albert…next…door's　uncle　came

with　him。



'What　is　all　this；　Albert？'　he　cried。　　'Alas；　alas；　my　nephew！　　Do

I　find　you　the　prisoner　of　a　desperate　band　of　brigands？'



'Bandits；'　said　H。　O；　'you　know　it　says　bandits。'



'I　beg　your　pardon；　gentlemen；'　said　Albert…next…door's　uncle；

'bandits　it　is；　of　course。　　This；　Albert；　is　the　direct　result　of

the　pursuit　of　the　guy　on　an　occasion　when　your　doting　mother　had

expressly　warned　you　to　forgo　the　pleasures　of　the　chase。'



Albert　said　it　wasn't　his　fault；　and　he　hadn't　wanted　to　play。



'So　ho！'　said　his　uncle；　'impenitent　too！　　Where's　the　dungeon？'



We　explained　the　dungeon；　and　showed　him　the　straw　pallet　and　the

ewer　and　the　mouldering　crusts　and　other　things。



'Very　pretty　and　complete；'　he　said。　　'Albert；　you　are　more　highly

privileged　than　ever　I　was。　　No　one　ever　made　me　a　nice　dungeon

when　I　was　your　age。　　I　think　I　had　better　leave　you　where　you

are。'



Albert　began　to　cry　again　and　said　he　was　sorry；　and　he　would　be　a

good　boy。



'And　on　this　old　familiar　basis　you　expect　me　to　ransom　you；　do

you？　　Honestly；　my　nephew；　I　doubt　whether　you　are　worth　it。　

Besides；　the　sum　mentioned　in　this　document　strikes　me　as

excessive：　Albert　really　is　not　worth　three　thousand　pounds。　　Also

by　a　strange　and　unfortunate　chance　I　haven't　the　money　about　me。　

Couldn't　you　take　less？'



We　said　perhaps　we　could。



'Say　eightpence；'　suggested　Albert…next…door's　uncle；　'which　is　all

the　small　change　I　happen　to　have　on　my　person。'



'Thank　you　very　much；'　said　Alice　as　he　held　it　out；　'but　are　you

sure　you　can　spare　it？　　Because　really　it　was　only　play。'



'Quite　sure。　　Now；　Albert；　the　game　is　over。　　You　had　better　run

home　to　your　mother　and　tell　her　how　much　you've　enjoyed　yourself。'



When　Albert…next…door　had　gone　his　uncle　sat　in　the　Guy　Fawkes

armchair　and　took　Alice　on　his　knee；　and　we　sat　round　the　fire

waiting　till　it　would　be　time　to　let　off　our　fir