the story of the treasure seekers-第15部分

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would　have　chucked　the　whole　thing。　　But　Oswald　knew　that　a　hero

must　rely　on　himself　alone。　　So　he　stuck　to　it；　and　presently　the

others　saw　their　duty；　and　backed　him　up。







CHAPTER　10

LORD　TOTTENHAM





Oswald　is　a　boy　of　firm　and　unswerving　character；　and　he　had　never

wavered　from　his　first　idea。　　He　felt　quite　certain　that　the　books

were　right；　and　that　the　best　way　to　restore　fallen　fortunes　was　to

rescue　an　old　gentleman　in　distress。　　Then　he　brings　you　up　as　his

own　son：　but　if　you　preferred　to　go　on　being　your　own　father's　son

I　expect　the　old　gentleman　would　make　it　up　to　you　some　other　way。　

In　the　books　the　least　thing　does　it　…　you　put　up　the　railway

carriage　window　…　or　you　pick　up　his　purse　when　he　drops　it　…　or

you　say　a　hymn　when　he　suddenly　asks　you　to；　and　then　your　fortune

is　made。



The　others；　as　I　said；　were　very　slack　about　it；　and　did　not　seem

to　care　much　about　trying　the　rescue。　　They　said　there　wasn't　any

deadly　peril；　and　we　should　have　to　make　one　before　we　could　rescue

the　old　gentleman　from　it；　but　Oswald　didn't　see　that　that

mattered。　　However；　he　thought　he　would　try　some　of　the　easier　ways

first；　by　himself。



So　he　waited　about　the　station；　pulling　up　railway　carriage　windows

for　old　gentlemen　who　looked　likely　…　but　nothing　happened；　and　at

last　the　porters　said　he　was　a　nuisance。　　So　that　was　no　go。　　No

one　ever　asked　him　to　say　a　hymn；　though　he　had　learned　a　nice

short　one；　beginning　'New　every　morning'　…　and　when　an　old

gentleman　did　drop　a　two…shilling　piece　just　by　Ellis's　the

hairdresser's；　and　Oswald　picked　it　up；　and　was　just　thinking　what

he　should　say　when　he　returned　it；　the　old　gentleman　caught　him　by

the　collar　and　called　him　a　young　thief。　　It　would　have　been　very

unpleasant　for　Oswald　if　he　hadn't　happened　to　be　a　very　brave　boy；

and　knew　the　policeman　on　that　beat　very　well　indeed。　　So　the

policeman　backed　him　up；　and　the　old　gentleman　said　he　was　sorry；

and　offered　Oswald　sixpence。　　Oswald　refused　it　with　polite

disdain；　and　nothing　more　happened　at　all。



When　Oswald　had　tried　by　himself　and　it　had　not　come　off；　he　said

to　the　others；　'We're　wasting　our　time；　not　trying　to　rescue　the

old　gentleman　in　deadly　peril。　　Come　…　buck　up！　　Do　let's　do

something！'



It　was　dinner…time；　and　Pincher　was　going　round　getting　the　bits

off　the　plates。　　There　were　plenty　because　it　was　cold…mutton　day。　

And　Alice　said　…



'It's　only　fair　to　try　Oswald's　way　…　he　has　tried　all　the　things

the　others　thought　of。　　Why　couldn't　we　rescue　Lord　Tottenham？'



Lord　Tottenham　is　the　old　gentleman　who　walks　over　the　Heath　every

day　in　a　paper　collar　at　three　o'clock　…　and　when　he　gets　halfway；

if　there　is　no　one　about；　he　changes　his　collar　and　throws　the

dirty　one　into　the　furze…bushes。



Dicky　said；　'Lord　Tottenham's　all　right　…　but　where's　the　deadly

peril？'



And　we　couldn't　think　of　any。　　There　are　no　highwaymen　on

Blackheath　now；　I　am　sorry　to　say。　　And　though　Oswald　said　half　of

us　could　be　highwaymen　and　the　other　half　rescue　party；　Dora　kept

on　saying　it　would　be　wrong　to　be　a　highwayman　…　and　so　we　had　to

give　that　up。



Then　Alice　said；　'What　about　Pincher？'



And　we　all　saw　at　once　that　it　could　be　done。



Pincher　is　very　well　bred；　and　he　does　know　one　or　two　things；

though　we　never　could　teach　him　to　beg。　　But　if　you　tell　him　to

hold　on　…　he　will　do　it；　even　if　you　only　say　'Seize　him！'　in　a

whisper。



So　we　arranged　it　all。　　Dora　said　she　wouldn't　play；　she　said　she

thought　it　was　wrong；　and　she　knew　it　was　silly　…　so　we　left　her

out；　and　she　went　and　sat　in　the　dining…room　with　a　goody…book；　so

as　to　be　able　to　say　she　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　it；　if　we

got　into　a　row　over　it。



Alice　and　H。　O。　were　to　hide　in　the　furze…bushes　just　by　where　Lord

Tottenham　changes　his　collar；　and　they　were　to　whisper；　'Seize

him！'　to　Pincher；　and　then　when　Pincher　had　seized　Lord　Tottenham

we　were　to　go　and　rescue　him　from　his　deadly　peril。　　And　he　would

say；　'How　can　I　reward　you；　my　noble　young　preservers？'　and　it

would　be　all　right。



So　we　went　up　to　the　Heath。　　We　were　afraid　of　being　late。　　Oswald

told　the　others　what　Procrastination　was　…　so　they　got　to　the

furze…bushes　a　little　after　two　o'clock；　and　it　was　rather　cold。　

Alice　and　H。　O。　and　Pincher　hid；　but　Pincher　did　not　like　it　any

more　than　they　did；　and　as　we　three　walked　up　and　down　we　heard　him

whining。　　And　Alice　kept　saying；　'I　am　so　cold！　　Isn't　he　coming

yet？'　　And　H。　O。　wanted　to　come　out　and　jump　about　to　warm　himself。



But　we　told　him　he　must　learn　to　be　a　Spartan　boy；　and　that　he

ought　to　be　very　thankful　he　hadn't　got　a　beastly　fox　eating　his

inside　all　the　time。　　H。　O。　is　our　little　brother；　and　we　are　not

going　to　let　it　be　our　fault　if　he　grows　up　a　milksop。　　Besides；　it

was　not　really　cold。　　It　was　his　knees　…　he　wears　socks。　　So　they

stayed　where　they　were。　　And　at　last；　when　even　the　other　three　who

were　walking　about　were　beginning　to　feel　rather　chilly；　we　saw

Lord　Tottenham's　big　black　cloak　coming　along；　flapping　in　the　wind

like　a　great　bird。　　So　we　said　to　Alice　…



'Hist！　he　approaches。　　You'll　know　when　to　set　Pincher　on　by

hearing　Lord　Tottenham　talking　to　himself　…　he　always　does　while　he

is　taking　off　his　collar。'



Then　we　three　walked　slowly　away　whistling　to　show　we　were　not

thinking　of　anything。　　Our　lips　were　rather　cold；　but　we　managed　to

do　it。



Lord　Tottenham　came　striding　along；　talking　to　himself。　　People

call　him　the　mad　Protectionist。　　I　don't　know　what　it　means　…　but

I　don't　think　people　ought　to　call　a　Lord　such　names。

As　he　passed　us　he　said；　'Ruin　of　the　country；　sir！　　Fatal　error；

fatal　error！'　　And　then　we　looked　back　and　saw　he　was　getting　quite

near　where　Pincher　was；　and　Alice　and　H。　O。　We　walked　on　…　so　that

he　shouldn't　think　we　were　looking　…　and　in　a　minute　we　heard

Pincher's　bark；　and　then　nothing　for　a　bit；　and　then　we　looked

round；　and　sure　enough　good　old　Pincher　had　got　Lord　Tottenham　by

the　trouser　leg　and　was　holding　on　like　billy…ho；　so　we　started　to

run。



Lord　Tottenham　had　got　his　collar　half　off　…　it　was　sticking　out

sideways　under　his　ear　…　and　he　was　shouting；　'Help；　help；　murder！'

exactly　as　if　some　one　had　explained　to　him　beforehand　what　he　was

to　do。　　Pincher　was　growling　and　snarling　and　holding　on。　　When　we

got　to　him　I　stopped　and　said　…



'Dicky；　we　must　rescue　this　good　old　man。'　　Lord　Tottenham　roared

in　his　fury；　'Good　old　man　be　…'　something　or　othered。　　'Call　the

dog　off。'



So　Oswald　said。　　'It　is　a　dangerous　task　…　but　who　would　hesitate

to　do　an　act　of　true　bravery？'



And　all　the　while　Pincher　was　worrying　and　snarling；　and　Lord

Tottenham　shouting　to　us　to　get　the　dog　away。　　He　was　dancing　about

in　the　road　with　Pincher　hanging　on　like　grim　death；　and　his　collar

flapping　about；　where　it　was　undone。



Then　Noel　said；　'Haste；　ere　yet　it　be　too　late。'　　So　I　said　to　Lord

Tottenham　…



'Stand　still；　aged　sir；　and　I　will　endeavour　to　alleviate　your

distress。'



He　stood　still；　and　I　stooped　down　and　caught　hold　of　Pincher　and

whispered；　'Drop　it；　sir；　drop　it！'



So　then　Pincher　dropped　it；　and　Lord　Tottenham　fastened　his　collar

again　…　he　never　does　change　it　if　there's　any　one　looking　…　and　he

said　…



I'm　much　obliged；　I'm　sure。　　Nasty　vicious　brute！　　Here's　something

to　drink　my　health。'



But　Dicky　explained　that　we　are　teetotallers；　and　do　not　drink

people's　healths。　　So　Lord　Tottenham　said；　'Well；　I'm　much　obliged

any　way。　　And　now　I　come　to　look　at　you　…　of　course；　you're　not

young　ruffians；　but　gentlemen's　sons；　eh？　　Still；　you　won't　be

above　taking　a　tip　from　an　old　boy　…　I　wasn't　when　I　was　your　age；'

and　he　pulled　out　half　a　sovereign。



It　was　very　silly；　but　now　we'd　done　it　I　felt　it　would　be　beastly

mean　to　take　the　old　boy's　chink　after　putting　him　in　such　a　funk。　

He　didn't　say　anything　about　bringing　us　up　as　his　own　sons　…　so　I

didn't　know　what　to　do。　　I　let　Pincher　go；　and　was　just　going　to

say　he　was　very　welcome；　and　we'd　rather　not　have　the　money；　which

seemed　the　best　way　out　of　it；　when　that　beastly　dog　spoiled　the

whole　show。　　Directly　I　let　him　go　he　began　to　jump　about　at　us　and

bark　for　joy；　and　try　to　lick　our　faces。　　He　was　so　proud　of　what

he'd　done。　　Lord　Tottenham　opened　his　eyes　and　he　just　said；　'The

dog　seems　to　know　you。'



And　then　Oswald　saw　it　was　all　up；　and　he　said；　'Good　morning；'　and

tried　to　get　away。　　But　Lord　Tottenham　said　…



'Not　so　fast！'　　And　he　caught　Noel　by　the　collar。　　Noel　gave　a

howl；　and　Alice　ran　out　from　the　bushes。　　NoEl　is　her　favourite。　

I'm　sure　I　don't　know　why。　　Lord　Tottenham　looked　at　her；　and　he

said　…



So　there　are　more　of　you！'　　And　then　H。　O。　came　out。



'Do　you　complete　the　party？'　Lord　Tottenham　asked　him。　　And　H。　O。

said　there　were　only　five　of　us　this　time。



Lord　Tottenham　turned　sharp　off　and　began　to　walk　away；　holding

Noel　by　the　collar。　　We　caught　up　with　him；　and　asked　him　where　he

was　going；　and　he　said；　'To　the　Police　Station。'　　So　then　I　said

quite　politely；　'Well；　don't　take　Noel；　he's　not　strong；　and　he

easily　gets　upset。　　Besides；　it　wasn't　his　doing。　　If　you　want　to

take　any　one　take　me　…　it　was　my　very　own　idea。'



Dicky　behaved　very　well。　　He　said；　'If　you　take　Oswald　I'll　go　too；

but　don't　take　Noel；　he's　such　a　delicate　little　chap。'



Lord　Tottenham　stopped；　and　he　said；　'You　should　have　thought　of

that　before。'　　NoEl　was　howling　all　the　time；　and　his　face　was　very

white；　and　Alice　said　…



'Oh；　do　let　Noel　go；　dear；　good；　kind　Lord　Tottenham；　he'll　faint

if　you　don't；　I　know　he　will；　he　does　sometimes。　　Oh；　I　wish　we'd

never　done　it！　　Dora　said　it　was　wrong。'



'Dora　displayed　considerable　common　sense；'　said　Lord　Tottenham；

and　he　let　Noel　go。　　And　Alice　put　her　arm　round　Noel　and