The big man stopped in the boat, and Christie's lover, knowing there was no time to lose, bustled into the parlour of the 'Passage House,' and asked Mrs. Fox for the girl.
Whereupon Polly told him to be off, or she'd call her husband to him.
"Give her up, or take the consequences," said Ted, and counting Jimmy would be back every moment, the woman defied him. Luck was on the sailor's side, for the house-place happened to be empty and the bar closed for church hour. So he had it to himself and acted prompt.
"Sorry to touch a woman, though she is a bad old witch that did ought to be drowned," he said, and with that he popped the creature into a big armchair and tied her there.
"Now we all know where we are, Mrs. Fox," he said, "and it won't help you to yowl, because you and your husband are breaking the law and doing a fearful outrage that might send you both to clink for the rest of your evil lives, so you'll do best to keep quiet and thank me for saving you from the wrath to come."
With that he left her, and Alice Chick, who knew all about it and was hiding outside the door, showed him up to Christie's chamber.
The girl was ready for him, and before I can tell it he had her box on his back and was down and away with her at his heels.
A minute later they were in the ferry boat and off to Dartmouth. The tide was just on the turn and helped 'em.
They heard Polly screaming the top of her head off one side the river; while a muffled noise, like a bull-frog croaking, came from the ferry steps at Green way.
"The owls are making a funny noise to-night sure enough!" said the skipper of The Provider.