“And that is, of course, to point us out,” said the man, smiling. “Well youngster, I don’t like you a bit the worse for speaking out like a man. I’ve got my duty to do as well, and here goes.”
He blew a shrill chirruping whistle twice over, and it was answered from a distance; while before many minutes had elapsed there was the sound of breaking twigs, voices talking hurriedly, and directly after, looking black and angry, Allstone came up with half-a-dozen men.
Allstone’s countenance changed into a look of malignant pleasure as soon as he saw Hilary lying amidst the bushes.
“You’ve got him, then?” he cried.
“Oh, yes,” said Hilary’s captor coolly. “It only wanted time.”
“I thought we should get him again!” shouted Allstone, grinning in the captive’s face. “Here’s that cutlass, too. He’s a liar, this fellow. He said he had thrown it out of the window.”
“So I did, idiot!” cried Hilary indignantly. “But I tied a string to it to pull it back when I wanted it.”
The men burst out into a hearty laugh at the idea, as much as at someone calling Allstone, who had bullied them a good deal, an idiot.
The man glanced at him savagely, and Hilary read in his eye so much promise of a hard time that he determined to make one more effort for his liberty, and this he did.
“Who’s got a bit o’ cord?” said Allstone. “Oh, here, I have. Now then, up with him, and hold his hands behind his back.”