Stranica 154 [154]
OCR
110 CHAPTER THE SIXTH. Looks after Oliver, and proceeds with his adventures. 6 Wo.ves, tear your throats!” muttered Sikes, grinding his teeth; “I wish I was among some of you; you’d howl the hoarser for it.” As Sikes growled forth this imprecation with the most desperate ferocity that his desperate nature was capable of, he rested the body of the wounded boy across his bended knee, and turned his head for an instant to look back at his pursuers. There was little to be made out in the mist and darkness; but the loud shouting of men vibrated through the air, and the barking of the neighbouring dogs, roused by the sound of the alarm bell, resounded in every direction. cc Stop, you white-livered hound!” cried the robber, shouting after ‘Toby Crackit, who, making the best use of his long legs, was already ahead,—* stop!" The repetition of the word brought Toby to a dead stand-still, for he was not quite satisfied that he was beyond the range of pistol-shot, and Sikes was in no mood to be played with. “ Bear a hand with the boy,” roared Sikes, beckoning furiously to his confederate. ‘ Come back!” Toby made a show.of returning, but ventured in a low voice, broken for want of breath, to intimate considerable reluctance as he came slowly along. 6 Quicker!” cried Sikes, laying the boy in a dry ditch at his feet, and drawing a pistol from his pocket. “ Don’t play the booby with me.” At this moment the noise grew louder, and Sikes again looking round, could discern that the men who had given chase were already climbing the gate of the field in which he stood, and that a couple of dogs were some paces in advance of them. sc [t"s all up, Bill,” cried Toby, “ drop the kid and show ’em your heels.”” With this parting advice, Mr. Crackit, preferring the chance of being shot by his friend to the certainty of being taken by his enemies, fairly turned tail, and darted off at full speed. Sikes clenched his teeth, took one look round, threw over the prostrate form of Oliver the cape in which he had been hurriedly muffled, ran along the front of the hedge as if to distract the attention of those behind, from | it at right angles, and whirling his pistol high into the air, cleared it at a bound and was gone. cc Ho, ho, there!” cried a tremulous voice in the rear. “ Pincher, Neptune, come here, come here!” The dogs, which, in common with their masters, seemed to have no particular relish for the sport in which they were engaged, readily answered to this command: and three men, who had by this time advanced some distance into the field, stopped to take counsel together. 6 My advice, or leastways I should say, my orders is,” said the fattest man of the party, “that we ’mediately go home again.” “Tam agreeable to anything which is agreeable to Mr. Giles,” said a shorter man, who was by no means of a slim figure, and who was very pale in the face, and very polite, as frightened men frequently are. s [ shouldn’t wish to appear ill-mannered, gentlemen,” said the third, who had called the dogs back, “ Mr. Giles ought to know.” “Certainly,” replied the shorter man; ‘and whatever Mr. Giles says, it isn’t our place to contradict him. No, no, I know my sitiwation, — thank my stars I know my sitiwation.” "To tell the truth, the little man did seem to know his situation, and to know perfectly well that it was by no means a desirable one, for his teeth chattered in his head as he spoke. “You are afraid, Brittles," said Mr. Giles. 6 [ ain’t,” said Brittles. 6 You are," said Giles. 6 You "re a falsehood, Mr. Giles,” said Brittles. c You ’re a lie, Brittles," said Mr. Giles. Now, these four retorts arose from Mr. Giles’s taunt, and Mr. Giles’s taunt had arisen from his indignation at having the responsibility of going home again imposed upon himself under cover of a compliment. The third man brought the dispute to a close most philosophically. “Tl tell you what it is, gentlemen,’ said he, “ we "re all afraid.” “Speak for yourself, sir,” said Mr Giles, who was the palest of the party. ‘So I do,” replied the man. “It’s natural and proper to be afraid, under such circumstances: I am.” | * So am I,” said Brittles, “ only there "a no call to tell a man he is, so bouncesecond before another hedge which met These frank admissions softened Mr
