A knight of the air

by Henry Tracey Coxwell

When Lucy had ensconced herself in a railway carriage for Newhaven, she was glad to be alone, for her face was flushed, and she began to have misgivings as to whether she had done the correct thing to tell a stranger what she had heard. At the same time, if the man was a detective—and she had heard Warner speak of such a name as Hawksworth—she had done the right thing at the right time, for she was eager that Falcon should be in custody. Just as Lucy was consoling herself with these thoughts, the guard’s whistle was blown and the train began to move. At the same moment, two men rushed into the carriage at some risk, though they apologised to Lucy, as the sole occupant, for causing her the least alarm. Seeing that the younger limped a little, she replied politely that she was not frightened at all, and trusted he had not hurt himself in getting in; but he assured her his lameness was not due to any such cause, but to a wound he had got when at sea. The stouter man seemed displeased at his companion’s effusiveness and checked him with a frown, while he addressed some observations to him in indifferent English, but Lucy understood him to say,—

“Nevare moind, mate, ve no fight on board de new ship Panthere, vhich is no luggare, I can tell you dat.”

The last spokesman looked like a seafaring man, who might be a captain. Presently his companion drew nearer to Lucy, but not offensively, and asked her if she had not been speaking to a gentleman at Lewes.

“I had seen the gentleman for the first time,” said Lucy.

“He go to Hastings, I tink,” said the skipper-looking person.

Lucy at once became very uncommunicative, but the younger man hazarded the remark that he thought the gentleman was in their train.

“Oh, vel, ve vil carry good news now on board,” said the stouter mariner, who took a good pull at his cognac flask and handed the bottle to his mate, who finished what was left.

At the Newhaven town station, these passengers got out, but Lucy went on to the further station, as she had to see the harbour-master, but she noticed that when the men got out, they seemed to speak to a middle-aged female and an elderly old lady, who seemed rather bewildered, and Lucy concluded that they were all going on board the Panther, which the sailors had alluded to. Lucy had a good stare at the old lady, as she was so uncommonly like Miss Chain’s mother, but she could not settle that doubtful point by speaking to her, as the train began to move on, so that the girl came to the conclusion that she had been mistaken.

At the harbour-master’s office, Lucy delivered her letter and stated that the squire and Miss Dove were very anxious as to the safety of the aerial voyagers. She was informed that they had not left Cherbourg, as some hitch had delayed them for a day or two. At the same time, said the harbour master, they might return unexpectedly. Lucy was then asked if the Doves were acquainted with a French captain, who was in the habit of visiting Newhaven, and who was supposed to be known to Mr Falcon. Lucy replied that she did not think so.

“I can tell you positively,” said the harbour master, “that the balloonists are safe, but I cannot tell you more at present beyond this, that Falcon is still baffling us all. There was a rumour, as I told the squire, that he had gone to Folkestone or Boulogne, but I now believe that he is secreted somewhere near here. Do you think that the squire or his daughter could come over in case of necessity?”