CHAPTER LI
VOICES OF THE LOST
_"Where's Bandy?"
"Where we'll all be afore we're much older—in ell this alf our."
"What ye mean?"
"Ave a peep in the creek yonder. You'll see sharp enough what I mean."_
Another voice, dark and brooding, joined in:
_"Who stuck him?"
"The Genelman."
"What for?"
"Back-answerin him."_
A fourth voice, very black and bitter, flared up:
_"That's im!—bangs you up in the firin line, then sticks you if you look at him. If it's storm, we got to do it. If it's sally, we got to meet it. If it's neether, we got to set round and take Piper's pot- luck, while he and his chaps lay safe out o range and, shoots us if we bolt."
"Where's the good in boltin?" came the brooding voice. "Nowhere to bolt to. Jack Ketch's our only friend this side the water."_
There was a stony silence.
"How long's this —— game goin to last?—that's what I want to know," came the black and bitter voice at last.
The ghastly treble chimed in:
"That's what I says to im last night when e come his rounds. 'We're only poor chaps, my lord,' says I. 'We've lost alf the number of our mess in your service. And now I'd make bold to ask how long you're goin to keep us here?'
"'Why,' says he, suckin his hanky, 'that depends on your sweet selves. You may go as soon as you've took the cottage.'
"'And what if the sogers come first?' I says. 'There's a camp at Lewes, you know, my lord.'
"'Why then,' says he, and I lay he thought he was funny, 'I'll leave you to the hands of your beloved compatriots. And what can a good man want more'n that?'
"'We're the Gap Gang, my lord,' says I.
"'Well,' says he, 'if that don't suit you, hurry up and take the cottage and have done with it. I'm gettin tired o this messin about business.'
"'Beg pardon, my lord,' says I, 'but what are we to ave for our trouble, when we ave took it?'
"'Why,' says he, very pleasant, 'if you're good, Friend George, when the job's done, per-raps,' says he, 'per-raps I'll give you a lift back to France in my lugger layin on the beach there.'
"'Our lugger, sure-ly, my lord,' says I.
"'No, my friend,' says he, 'it was the late lamented Diamond's. Now it's our noble Emperor's, Gorblessim!—a derelict picked up on the igh seas by one of His Majesty's frigates.'"
The treble ceased.
"Pretty position for the genelmen o the Gap Gang, ain't it?" came the black and bitter voice. "Shot takin the place, or hung if you don't."
"Ah," came the treble again, "it wouldn't take me long to do somethin to him. See. Sow!"
"Only you'd ave to get somebury to old is ands first," grumbled Red Beard.
"Scream!" said the fat man, unheeding. "I'd make his soul talk."
The brutal Toadie rumbled off into laughter.