“I know I did; I would bear you back to the house by force if I thought there would be any danger for you. At all events, we’ll trust to luck, and get over to the landing as quickly as possible.”
“We’ve plenty of time, haven’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Then do let us stop at Betty’s cove. Mrs. Cooke promised me a plant, and I’ve long wanted a chance to get it.”
James consented, and before long they were turning into a little creek which lay back of Mr. Cooke’s property. The boat, however, hardly touched her moorings before a shout was heard, and two men started up from behind some bushes, crying: “Halt there! We’ve got you, have we, you foul deserter!”
James, who had scarce set foot on shore, turned and dealt the man about to grab him a heavy blow; but before he could regain his footing upon the boat, the second man gave a shout, and a couple of others came running from a small boathouse near by. The first seized James and dragged him off, despite his manful resistance.
For a moment Lettice was nearly paralyzed with fright, then she recovered her wits, and, grabbing the gun, she pointed it at James’s assailant. The gun was heavy, and her hands trembled with the weight of it. Suppose she should shoot wildly and kill her brother. With a swift, silent prayer that James might be spared, she took aim, fired, and dropped the gun. “Hand me the pistol,” she cried to Lutie. “Run, Jamie, now’s your chance!” she shouted, for one of the men holding James, being wounded in the shoulder by the shot Lettice had fired, had dropped his prisoner’s arm; and James, with a wrench, tore himself from the remaining hold upon him.
“Come on,” she yelled.
He had too often shared in the athletic sports common upon holidays not to be a good runner, and he was but an instant in reaching the edge of the water; dashing in, he swam around to the other side of the vessel, which was slowly drifting farther and farther out, Lettice meanwhile standing resolutely pointing her pistol at his pursuers. “Lutie,” she cried, without turning her head, “pick up that axe, and if any one dares to touch this boat, brain him. You hear me?”