“No,” replied Danny. “A Scout never gives up hope. But it was pretty ghastly. My only comfort was in thinking that I was suffering like Sir Thomas More in the Tower of London, and the martyrs who were shut up in ‘Little Ease’—the rats used to swim into it at high tide, you know.”
They had got to the road by now, and Danny’s heart sank at the thought of a four mile walk; but he said nothing.
However, his good angel had not deserted him yet. They had not walked a hundred yards before a farm cart passed them, piled high with a load of straw. In the country everybody gives anybody a lift, and the friendly carter nodded his assent to Nipper’s request.
Danny and the Cubs clambered up, and were soon curled up in a comfortable nest. Then Danny told them the whole story, and they told him the extraordinary things they had discovered that morning.
The cart dropped the little party at the gates of the Hall, and they walked up the long drive. Arrived near the house, Nipper and Bob began to swell with pride. They, alone, of all the search parties had been successful! They had rescued the hero of the story! Each taking one of Danny’s hands, they led him in triumph on to the terrace, where a little crowd of people were sadly discussing Danny’s fate.
The Cubs cheered and threw themselves upon Danny, like so many wild animals.
[To face page 121.
A cheer went up from the four other Cubs, who threw themselves on Danny like so many wild animals. The bailiff and the policeman crowded round. The cook came rushing out of the kitchen, her eyes still red, and laughed and wept, for joy, and kissed Nipper and Bobby (much to their disgust), and promised to make them cream meringues and ices and jam puffs, and “hanythink helse they liked to hask for, bless their little ’earts.”
Danny strove to get out of the excited mob. “I’ll tell you all about it soon,” he said, “but there’s one person I must see before I do anything else—I must see the Tramp—I’ve got something very important to tell him, and no time must be lost.”