With that followed many a story of Scammel’s exploits in the woods with the keepers, and wonders that he had not had his brains knocked out years ago.
“‘Twasn’t so easy,” said old Bobby Powell, the cobbler; “Scammel was more likely to have knocked out half-a-dozen other people’s. Bless you! he had a scull as hard as my lapstone; and as for legs—I’ve seen the paintings on the walls at my Lord Birron’s at Newstead, of the Red Shanks and Limners, but long as their legs were, Scammel’s would have outrun ’em.” And Powell had his story of one of Scammel’s skirmishes in the woods at Annesley, when Squire Musters, a desperate, strong, active man, and a dozen keepers, armed with swipples (flails), his favourite weapon with poachers, had to cut and run from Joe and a little knot of Selston boys.
Many were the speculations about Nathan Hopcraft. Some thought he was as guilty as Scammel. “He’s such a hog,” said one; “he would murder his grandmother, I undertake to say, if he could get a groat by it.”
“No, no,” said another; “he is such a confounded coward; he’d as soon attack Farmer Chaffer’s bull, and he’s a savage un’, as attempt to kill a man.”
“Ay, coward he may be,” said the wheelwright; “but all cowards is mean, and he’d be ready enough to help a strong fellow like Scammel. My notion is, they’ll hang Hopcraft, and sarve him right too.”
On the morning before Hopcraft was taken to the hall, the news came that the body of Scammel had been brought up by the drags, and lay in the barn at Cotmanhaye mill, waiting for the coroner’s inquest. This added greatly to the excitement, and as the covered cart drove through the village to Woodburn, everybody was out of doors.
All said, though they could not see him, “that’s Hopcraft,” for Job Latter was seen sitting, and looking very solemn, near the opening in front of the cart. Soon after, Sir Henry Clavering, who had been early to Castleborough, rode up on his way to the Hall, accompanied by Mr. Gethin Thorne, the clerk to the magistrates; and Sir Henry received the most reverential touches of the hat, and curtseys from the village women; for his chase after Scammel, and his foiling him in the river till he was obliged to let himself drown, or be taken and hanged, had made him very much of a hero in their eyes.
“A fine young fellow is Sir Henry,” said one to another; “and he’s a heart in him, and he can run too! By Guy! though, if Scammel had turned on him, I wonder how it would ha’ gone? I should na’ like to ha’ got a blow of his iron fist.”
“No; but you’re not so sure as he could have got a blow at Sir Henry. He’s got the use of his limbs, you may depend. Them young fellows at college, they practisen’ at what’s caw’d Jim Nasti-sticks—what that is I know na; but they tell’n me it makes ’em wondrous strong and agile. They can jump aside and dodge, and catch a man out like a harlequin.”
Such was the village discourse while Hopcraft, safely handcuffed to Job Latter, descended from the cart, and was conducted into the smoking-room at the manor. There was no open window there for him to attempt an escape from, even if he had been a likely man for such an experiment. He looked very much frightened, and yet he stood in a peculiar position, for Scammel being dead, there was not a single witness against him; and Mr. Degge told him that he was not bound to criminate himself, but that anything he had to say they should take down, but it must be on his oath, and he must understand it would be brought forward at any future hearing in court. It was expected that Hopcraft would be very close; and as Scammel was gone, and could not come against him, would leave the magistrates to find out anything they could; but the case was quite different. Hopcraft said, as he was now sure that Scammel could never again come down on him, he would tell all he knew. He said that Scammel came to him that afternoon at the ferry, and said he was just come out of prison, where Mr. Drury had put him, and he vowed vengeance on him. Hopcraft said he told him to mind what he did, and not to do anything there and then to bring him into trouble. When he saw Mr. Drury coming riding towards them, as they sat under the bushes, he said, “Well, Nathan, as you are such a cursed coward, give me your fork, go you and pull the fellow over, and then come back again; I’ve something more to say to you.” With that he skulked into the bushes; but when I was just beginning to pull the boat, out he jumped, and knocked down Mr. Drury in a twinkling. I could not cry out for fright; my voice stuck in my throat.”