Chapter Twenty Eight.
The Time at last.
It was nervous work during the next few days, neither Nic nor Pete daring to take any step towards making their escape, for the feeling was strong upon both that they were in their enemy’s hands, and that he was only waiting his time before betraying them to the overseer.
“That’s his way, Master Nic, and it always was. Once he had a grudge agen a man he’d never forgive him,” said Pete one night, “and he’d wait his chance to serve him out. I never liked Humpy, and he never liked me; zo, after all, it was six o’ one and half-a-dozen o’ the other.”
“I can’t help thinking that we are worrying ourselves about nothing, Pete,” replied Nic. “It’s a case of the guilty conscience needing no accuser.”
“That it aren’t, sir,” said the man sturdily. “I aren’t going to believe you’ve got any guilty conscience, and there aren’t nothing worse on mine than a bit o’ zalmon.”
Nic smiled in the darkness, and Pete went on:
“Well, if you think like that, Master Nic, let’s risk it. Old Humpy’s cunning enough, but p’raps two heads’ll be better than one, and we can beat him. What do you zay to trying, then?”