“No, not afraid,” I answered, “for I don’t think that I shall be caught. But it seems to me that in running away I admit my guilt. That worries me.”
“Better anything, Bob and I thought, than that you should appear at the Assizes. Even if you got off it’s a bad thing to have gone through.”
Convinced that after the train stopped the policeman would lose no time looking for me, we went ahead as quickly as possible. The villages through which we drove were very quiet; lights were seen in only a few of the windows. Mattia and I got under a cover. For some time a cold wind had been blowing and when we passed our tongues over our lips we tasted salt. We were nearing the sea. Soon we saw a light flashing every now and again. It was a lighthouse. Suddenly Bob stopped his horse, and jumping down from the cart, told us to wait there. He was going to see his brother to ask him if it would be safe for him to take us on his boat.
Bob seemed to be away a very long time. We did not speak. We could hear the waves breaking on the shore at a short distance. Mattia was trembling and I also.
“It is cold,” he whispered.
Was it the cold that made us shake? When a cow or a sheep in the field at the side touched against the fence we trembled still more. There were footsteps on the road. Bob was returning. My fate had been decided. A rough-looking sailor wearing a sou’wester and an oilskin hat was with Bob.
“This is my brother,” said Bob; “he’ll take you on his boat. So we’ll have to part now; no one need know that I brought you here.”
I wanted to thank Bob but he cut me short. I grasped his hand.
“Don’t speak of it,” he said lightly, “you two boys helped me out the other night. One good turn deserves another. And I’m pleased to have been able to help a friend of Mattia’s.”
We followed Bob’s brother down some winding quiet streets till we came to the docks. He pointed to a boat, without saying a word. In a few moments we were on board. He told us to go down below into a little cabin.