CHAPTER XLVII
IN THE FOX'S HOLE
What had become of Paul? What was the cause of his absence from theschool? Had he heard of the decision come to by his Form, and instead ofwaiting to be expelled, had he left of his own accord? That was the viewof Newall and others of the Fifth.
"About the best thing he could have done," said Parfitt. "It wasn't onlythe flag business, but there were other things in the background. TheBlack Book business has never been cleared up, you know."
Parfitt made this remark in his most significant manner, with upliftedeyebrows and a shrug of the shoulders.
"That's right. Kick a man when he's down," drawled Waterman. "Parfitt'sbetter at a drop kick than any fellow I know."
The Third were just as much concerned over the disappearance ofMoncrief, jun., as the Fifth were over the disappearance of Percival.Stanley was doubly anxious--anxious for Paul, anxious for his cousin.
Could they have gone away together? That was scarcely likely. They werehardly on speaking terms for one thing; and even if the idea of runningaway from Garside had suddenly come into Paul's head, it was not at alllikely that he had induced Harry to run away with him. What, then, hadhappened?
While the school was thus anxiously awaiting news of the missing boys,we will try to explain what had really happened.
Paul knew that a meeting of his Form had been called, and that he andhis doings were to be discussed, probably censured. When would the timearrive that he might take steps to defend himself? When would his lipsbe unsealed? How much longer would Mr. Moncrief keep him in suspense,and what had become of Zuker?
Unconsciously Paul had strayed from the school to the garden whereHibbert had, not so long since, fallen asleep--in the sleep that knowsno waking. He sat for a long time under the tree, thinking of thesethings, with no one to disturb his thoughts, save the birds thatfluttered around him as they used to flutter around Hibbert.
What had become of Hibbert's father? Again and again the question cameto him, and he could not dismiss it from his thoughts. He thought of thestrange circumstance under which he had last seen him--of that weirdscene in the cave with the man Brockman. All that had happened at thatinterview was fixed indelibly on his memory. He could see Zuker tracingwith his finger on the chart the passage of the Dutch to theMedway--could hear his voice as he described all that had happened asthey broke the chain on the river and advanced on Upnor Castle.Then--then had followed the strange appearance of the master, and thestill stranger interview between him and Zuker.
Was the cave still there? Often and often a strong desire had seizedPaul to go there again, but he had resisted it. Now, however, as hethought of all that had happened on the evening he went there, theimpulse grew so strong upon him that he could wrestle with it no longer.He must respond to its call.
So, as one under some mighty spell, Paul passed from the garden, and wassoon on his way to Cranstead Common.
It was beginning to get dusk as he followed the trail along which he hadonce followed in the footsteps of Mr. Weevil. After travelling some timein the direction of the river, he came to the thickly-wooded part, wherethe master had disappeared.
Searching amongst the brambles, he found the curious division whichmarked the centre, and placing his hand beneath the bushes as before, hewas not long in finding the ring that was attached to the circularopening. Raising it, he entered again the sloping tunnel cut in thesandstone.
Though he had only been in that tunnel once before, he had travelledalong it so often in imagination since that it seemed to him he was onfamiliar ground. He had hesitated when he first entered it. He knew notwhither it would lead him, what dangers might meet him on the way. Hehesitated no longer. Still he walked cautiously, with his hands beforehim, like a blind man in the darkness, until it began to broaden. Oncehe thought he heard footsteps behind him, and he came to a sudden pause.Was some one really following him, or was it only the echo of his ownfootsteps?
He listened attentively, but could hear nothing. It was as silent as thetomb.
"My ears must have deceived me," he told himself, as he continued hisway.
Presently he came to that part of the tunnel where a faint film of lightpenetrated into it, and again the fantastic shadows he had before seenseemed to menace him at every footstep he took. The cave, then, was notdeserted. It was still inhabited by some one. Who? Zuker andBrockman--the same tenants as before, or had some one else come intopossession?
Yes, there was the curtain, partly concealing the main entrance to thecave. To reach it, he crawled on hands and knees as before, and peeredthrough the space between the curtain and the wall.
There was no anthracite fire burning this time. It was dimly lighted byone of the lamps suspended from the roof. There was no sign of life. Theplace seemed deserted.
Paul waited for a long time listening. No sound came from the cave. Itwas as silent as the tomb. But as he listened, he thought that he couldagain hear the sound of a light step behind him, coming along the pathhe had travelled.
Was it possible that some one else had entered the tunnel? Surely themaster had not again followed unconsciously in his footsteps? Paulturned his head and listened, but it was as silent in that direction asthe other.
"I'm getting as nervous as a kitten," he laughed to himself. "My earshave again deceived me."
No one appeared to be in the cave. Mr. Moncrief had said in his letterthat he knew about Zuker's movements. Could it have been that he hadbeen arrested? It was just possible. Anyhow, he would like to have anearer view of the cave. There could be no danger, and if there were, itwas worth the risk.
So Paul rose from his hiding-place behind the curtain, and steppedcautiously into the cave. The guns and cutlasses were still hanging onthe wall, but the models and designs had gone, and the photographiccamera had gone from its niche.
There was a passage on the other side of the chamber similar to the onethrough which he had come.
"Where does that lead to, I wonder?" thought Paul.
There could be no harm in exploring it a little way. He might just aswell know where it led to, if it were possible to find out. Theinformation might be useful. Paul was animated with the adventurousspirit of the explorer, which knows no rest until it is satisfied. Hecrossed to the opening. At the moment he reached it, a figure emergedfrom the darkness, and confronted him. It was Zuker.
It was so sudden, so unexpected, that Paul could not move. He stoodthere as one rooted to the spot. Before he could move, the man hadsprung upon him with the swiftness of a tiger, and seizing him by thethroat, dragged him to the light.
"You!" he cried. "The boy from Garside. Your name is----"
"Paul Percival," gasped Paul, as the fierce grip relaxed.
"Paul Percival. _Ach Himmel!_ It is Fate itself."
He had in turn shrunk back, as though Paul were no longer a being offlesh and blood, but a phantom. Then he murmured hoarsely to himself:"Weevil was right. The hand of a Higher than man is in it."
In the uncertain light he had not at first recognized Paul; but now hesaw him, and knew that just as he had once been face to face with thefather at a supreme crisis in his life, now he was face to face with theson. Had Paul seized that moment of stupefaction, he might have escaped,but he made no effort. And the moment passed.
"Who showed you this place? Who brought you here?" demanded Zuker,himself again.
"No one; I found it out myself."
"How?"
"That is my secret."
Zuker's hand went to his breast, to a weapon concealed there.
"Be careful how you answer, boy. You're not now in school, and youhaven't a school-master to deal with. Is this the first time you've beenhere?"
"No."
Zuker started in spite of himself.
"Not the first time! How many times have you been here before then, mayI ask?"
"Once."
"_Ach!_ Now I understand. It is through you my plans have been defeated.It is through you my man--_mein
_ Brockman--has been arrested. It isthrough you that I have scarcely dared venture from this hole for twodays past. You have been a mean, dirty spy."
"As you were to my father when I was a child." The words were uponPaul's lips, but he forced them back. Then aloud, "I've not been a spy.I've told no one."
Zuker looked searchingly into Paul's face.
"Who has told, then--who has given information to the police, to what iscalled your Secret Investigation Department--if it is not you?"
Paul was silent. He now understood Mr. Moncrief's letter. It must havebeen Mr. Weevil who had given information to Mr. Moncrief, it must havebeen he who had kept him informed of Zuker's doings. Mr. Weevil was nota traitor to his country, after all. Nay, it seemed as though he hadstriven, in his peculiar way, to defend it against traitors.
"Silent, eh? I can see what you've told me is false. You have workedagainst me from the first. It was you who outwitted me once before. Itwas you who got that packet through to the man who has always stoodbetween me and my plans, the Admiralty man, Moncrief. All would havebeen over; I should have got all through had it not been for that. _AchHimmel_, you will not have the chance of blabbing any more secrets! Ihave you now--tight in the Fox's Hole--and you will not leave it alive.Let me see what your school is good for. I will give you five minutesto get ready for _sterblichkeit_. _Ach_, it is a long word! Do you knowwhat it means?"
Paul knew what it meant. It was the German word for mortality.
"Thank you," answered Paul simply. "That is longer than my father hadwhen he was called upon to die, and it should be enough for me."
Zuker's hand trembled as it fingered the weapon concealed in his breast.Paul closed his eyes, and repeated in a low, yet clear voice:
"'Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdomcome. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this dayour daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them thattrespass against us----"
"Halt! Stop!" cried Zuker hoarsely. "You spoke of your father justnow--how he died. Tell me quickly how it was."
"He was drowned, in saving the life of a man who had robbed him."
"_Ach!_ And do you know who that man was?"
No answer came from Paul's lips for several seconds, seconds that seemedas hours. Deep silence reigned in the cave, then it was broken by theclear voice of the boy:
"Yes; I know who that man was. He called himself Israel Zuker."
Zuker could not repress a movement of astonishment as Paul pronouncedhis name.
"Knowing this--knowing that it was through me your father lost his life,you could yet say that prayer--'As we forgive them that trespass againstus'? You are as brave as your father was," came hoarsely from his lips.
"I could wish no greater praise than that," answered Paul. "But I hadnot finished. Shall I go on?"
"You need not be in so great a hurry. Wait till I tell you. I have oneor two more questions to ask you. How did you come to know that I wasthe man who spied upon your father--the man through whom he lost hislife--the man----_Ach!_" He stopped himself suddenly. His brow darkened;the veins stood out in knots upon his forehead. "Fool! Why didn't Iguess it? I see it all now. It is your master--it is Weevil who toldyou. It is Weevil who has betrayed me."
His hand went to the weapon in his breast again.
"No, you are mistaken; Mr. Weevil has told me nothing. He has notbetrayed you."
"You are telling me false. You are trying to mislead me. Beware! No oneelse knew my secret. Who else could tell you?"
"I learned it from a little fellow whom I loved as a brother, and wholoved me as a brother, too. Alas, he is now dead! We called himHibbert."
"Hibbert--my son!" Zuker's voice softened wonderfully as the wordspassed his lips; then it hardened again, as he demanded: "How was it myson came to betray me?"
"It was after that accident on the river. Perhaps you have forgotten? Itwas I who helped him back to the school. And the dear little chap wasalways so grateful for it--always made such an awful fuss about it. Thatwas his way--ever so much too sensitive and grateful. Poor little chap!"
Paul brushed the back of his hand quickly across his eyes; and somehowthe man did the same.
"Well, I was often with him after that," he presently continued. "Hefelt that he would never get well, I think, and I could see that hesuffered a good deal from something he had on his mind. I never guessedwhat it was; but one night, when I was sitting beside him, he told methat he could not sleep because of it, and he felt that if he didn'tspeak, God would never forgive him. That's how it was he came to tell methat you, Israel Zuker, were his father."
"I see--I see! Now I understand!"
Zuker strode across and across the chamber, as though uncertain how toact. At length he disappeared into one of the recesses of the cave,evidently used as a storehouse, and almost as instantly appeared againwith a coil of rope in his hands.
"For all you did for my son, I spare your life; but I must keep you herefor a few hours. My safety depends on it."
Paul knew that it was useless to protest. He knew well enough thatZuker had the power of shooting him as a dog, and he was not the man tostand any nonsense. So he allowed himself to be bound; and when he hadbound him, Zuker brought out some cushions from the recess, and placedPaul on them.
"There! I am making you as comfortable as circumstances will permit," hesaid. "_Gute nacht_--good-night. Remember Israel Zuker again in yourprayers. _Ach!_ it was good of you to be kind to my boy when others somocked and hated him. Adieu!"
With these words, he passed swiftly out by the way he had come. Paulrested for a few minutes, thinking quietly over the strange interviewthrough which he had just passed. It was kind of Zuker to spare hislife, but he did not much appreciate the prospect of lying there, boundhand and foot, for several hours--nay, it might so happen that Zukerwould never return.
His last words had an odd sound. It was difficult to know what he meantby them. He might have an intention of returning, or he might not.Perhaps he was uncertain himself. He knew well enough that he might bearrested at any moment, just as his confederate had been. In that casehe (Paul) might lie there, bound hand and foot, for days and nights,gradually getting weaker and weaker, and finally dying of starvation.The prospect was not a very agreeable one.
So Paul determined to do his best to free himself of the coils thatbound him. He was a strong boy, and struggled might and main to loosenthem; but Zuker seemed to have tied them with devilish cunning. Struggleas Paul would, he was unable to loosen them. And the more he struggled,the more the rope cut into his flesh.
"My! The tightest knots I've ever struck," said Paul, as he lay backgasping.
"Paul!"
What was that? An echo, or some one calling him by name?
"Paul!"
There it was again. Surely it was some one calling him. He tried to turnhis quivering limbs in the direction whence the voice came. Was he awakeor was he dreaming?
The figure of a boy was creeping towards him--creeping, as it seemedto him, from the shadows in the tunnel. Who--who was it? Was itreally a being of flesh and blood? At first it seemed to him thatit must be the wraith of the little fellow about whom he had beenspeaking--Hibbert--but even as the thought filtered through his mind theboy was kneeling beside him, looking anxiously into his face.
It was Moncrief minor.
"Harry!" cried Paul in amazement.
"Are you all right?" came in a whisper from the boy.
"THE BOY WAS KNEELING BESIDE HIM,--IT WAS MONCRIEFMINOR.... 'ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?' CAME IN A WHISPER FROM THE BOY."]
"Right enough, but not altogether comfortable. Where in the name ofwonder did you spring from?"
"Is there any chance of that man you called Zuker coming back?"
"No; you may be sure of that."
"Then, first, let me get that rope off."
Paul, as may be imagined, was by no means opposed to that proceeding. SoHarry drew out his pocket-knife and promptly severed his
bonds.
"Ah, that's better," cried Paul, springing to his feet and stretchinghis limbs. "It's worth while being tied up, so as to feel how nice it isto be free again. Now perhaps you'll tell me how you got here?"
"There's really no fear of that man, Zuker, coming back?"
"No; I'm sure of it."
"Then I'll explain. First of all, I must tell you that I've done a meanthing. You lost a letter when that scrimmage took place between you andStan in the Common Room. I found it, and seeing that it was from myfather, read it; then I was too ashamed to give it back to you, so Ikept it. Hearing that there'd been a meeting about you in the Forum, Itook the letter to Stan and showed it to him. As I came away frominterviewing Stan, I saw you hurrying through the gates. You lookedround, and seemed anxious that no one should see you. That made mecurious. I'd just been reading my father's letter to you--remember. I'dbegun to see there was some mystery which wanted clearing up. Whyshouldn't I have a hand in it? I asked myself. So forgive me, Paul, Ifollowed you."
Paul was silent. How could he blame him? Was it not the same spirit ofcuriosity which had first led him to that place?
"It was fortunately dusk, and I took good care that you shouldn't seeme," continued Harry. "Besides, you seemed to be so taken up with yourown thoughts that you scarcely looked round once when you had gained thecommon. It was easy following you after that. I was never so puzzled inmy life when I saw you creeping about amongst the bushes, then disappearthrough the ground.
"I was so close to you then, that I saw the exact place where you haddisappeared, so that it did not take me long to find the opening to thetunnel. I must say that I funked following you farther; but my curiositygrew. I was on the verge of a big discovery. If I followed you, I shouldfind out the secret which would explain the mystery about you, and setyou right with the school. Believe me, Paul, that was what I longed for,and I don't think that anything short of that would have made me gofarther, and so I felt my way along the tunnel until I could just seeyou stretched at full length beside the curtains at the entrance to thisplace."
Paul recalled the sounds he had heard as he made his way along thetunnel. His hearing had not deceived him after all.
"I was still more amazed when I saw that, I can tell you. I was struckall of a heap," went on Harry. "What were you up to? What were you doingthere? You seemed to be watching for somebody. Who? I was burning. I gotmore and more curious. All thought of turning back had gone. I must findout what it all meant. So, when you rose to your feet, and steppedcautiously into this chamber, I just as cautiously crept to the placewhere you had been lying, and watched you moving about. Then I saw theman you called Zuker enter, and all that went on after.
"It was fearful, Paul. I saw you were in a fix, but I could do nothingto help you. Once I tried to cry out. It was when that man used the longforeign word. I did not understand what it meant at first, though youseemed to; but presently, when you began to say 'Our Father,' I knewwhat it meant. Then it was I tried to cry out, but no word came from myparched throat. I think it must have been God who prevented me fromcrying out, for had I done so, it might have been worse for both of us.
"A minute later I could see that a great change had come over the manwhen you began speaking about your father and Hibbert. Then I wasknocked all of a heap again when I learned that poor little Hibbert wasthe man's son, and that you knew it. I think that the time I passedwhile I was watching and listening behind the curtain was the most awfulI have ever been through--yes, worse than the time on the raft, andthat's saying a great deal; but there was one good thing about it--I wasbeginning to see how we had all wronged you at Garside--what a noblefellow you really are, Paul."
"Humbug! Get on."
"There's little more to tell. I didn't so much mind when the man boundyou, especially as I saw that he was going to leave you. I waited tillhe had gone--long enough to make sure that he didn't mean popping in hishead again; then I crept from my hiding-place. The rest you know. I hopeyou're not sorry I followed you?"
Paul began to think that the hand of God was in this, as it had been inso many other things. It must have been Something Higher than merechance which had prompted Harry to follow him to that place.
"Heaven only knows what might have happened to me, Harry, if you hadn'tfollowed me. But come, we mustn't waste any more time. We don't want tospend the night in this place."
"Not quite, though I would not mind exploring it some other time,"exclaimed Harry, gazing round the chamber curiously. "Plunger would givesomething to strike on a place like this. It's chalks better than desertislands. Where does that other passage-way lead to?"
Paul had more than once put the same question to him self. That place ofmystery had often been in his thoughts since the day he had firstvisited it, and frequently had he asked himself--Where does it lead toon the other side? He had now seen clearly enough that there must besome way out on the other side, for Zuker had gone that way. If hecould only find out, the information might be of some service to Harry'sfather.
"I don't know, Harry; but I'd very much like to find out. Would you mindwaiting here for a few minutes? I won't be long."
"What are you going to do?"
"Going to explore--just a little way. The coast's clear."
"Going to explore? Well, then, I do mind waiting here. If you meanexploring, I mean going with you."
"Very well, Harry, we'll explore together."
So the two boys passed together through the passage on the other side ofthe chamber.