A Battle of Brains (16 page)

“Yer 'orse be back in the paddock – ” he began.

“I hope that the man who rode him was gentle with him,” insisted Yolanda.

“'E be all right – that man is the one us chooses when us 'as to steal an 'orse, so 'e knows if they be good or bad.  It be a pity us can't keep that 'un.”

He spoke to her in a mocking manner and Yolanda thought it was more dignified to ignore it.

So she merely remarked,

“I am glad you have taken Chestnut back safely.”

“Now us be a-goin' to make sure that ye're safe.  There be a nice little cell all ready for yer, if yer'll come this way.”

Yolanda's heart sank into her boots, but there was nothing she could do.

She walked behind him further into the mine.

Then, when she was afraid they might be going even deeper, he stopped.

On the left there was what looked like a small cave with a dim light coming through several holes in the roof, not large enough for anything but a rabbit to climb through.

“This 'ere be where yer can rest, lidy and the way us've just come'll be blocked and if yer were to go the other way yer'll fall down into the mine.  So if yer 'urt yerself, don't blame me!”

“I will stay here, but I would like something to sit on.”

“After a sofa and chairs, be yer?” he jeered.  “That be somethin' us 'aven't got.  But yer can 'ave the bit o' old wood yer've been writin' on, if that be yer fancy.”

“It will be better than nothing,” she sighed.

He went and fetched the broken wooden chest.

He carried it to where Yolanda was standing and plumped it down in the middle of the cell.

Then he said,

“Now no tricks.  If yer tries to escape us'll catch yer and tie yer up.  Yer'll find that real uncomfortable, yer can be sure o' that.  If yer screams us'll gag yer – ”

“I shall be extremely quiet and stay here until I am rescued.”

The ruffian laughed.

“Rescued!  Yer'll stay 'ere till yer Papa's money comes, and when that 'appens, yer can walk 'ome.  Be that clear?

“It be no use expectin' Bucking'am Palace, but if ye're good and give us no trouble, I'll give yer somethin' to eat when us 'as our meal.”

“Thank you, I would be very grateful.”

The man gave Yolanda an appraising look.

“I'll say one thing for yer.  Yer've the sense not to make a fuss.  Some women'd be screamin' and cryin' and a lot o' good it'd do 'em.  But I tells yer again, one scream or one cry and yer'll be gagged!”

He walked away and Yolanda settled down on the broken chest, which was just strong enough to hold her.

She thought it was better than sitting on the rough floor that was grey and dirty from slate chippings.

She wondered frantically if her stepfather or Lord Milborne could possibly understand the postscript she had written at the bottom of her letter.

She felt that they were both intelligent enough to do so, but at the same time she could not have put anything that was too obviously a clue to her whereabouts.

‘They will never think of the slate mine,' she told herself, ‘unless one of them speaks Spanish.'

Time seemed to pass very slowly.

She knew by the heat of the sun coming through the holes in the roof when it was midday.

It was a full half-an-hour later that the chief ruffian brought her some food.

It was not very appetising and she thought it must have been made up at a local inn where they had stayed or eaten.

It consisted of a tiny sandwich of thick bread, made from badly ground flour with a speck of tasteless ham that had doubtless been home-cured.

With the disgusting sandwich came a small bottle of the cheapest and, she decided, nastiest beer that could be purchased in the neighbourhood.

There was no question of the beer being poured into anything and someone had knocked the top off the bottle, so it was difficult to drink without cutting her lips and mouth.

However, she was both hot and hungry so she drank the beer and ate some of the sandwich.

Now the gang had come underground so that they would not be seen.

They were just a short distance away from her in the mine and she could hear them laughing and talking.

If she listened intently, she could hear every word they were saying and it was not particularly edifying.

They made jokes that she thought were exceedingly vulgar.

It was the chief ruffian who talked the most.

“I tells yer what us'll do, my boys,” Yolanda could hear him saying, “when us gets this 'ere money, us'll go abroad.  Us 'ave 'ad all us'll get out o' this lot and it'll be a bit dangerous if they tells the Police and they be a-lookin' for us.”

“Where'll us go?” someone asked.

“Across the Channel.  The food be good in France and the women more fun than this 'ere lot.”

They all laughed at this remark.

And then followed several lewd jokes that Yolanda did not care to listen to.

*

The day wore on.

She thought despairingly that it would never end.

She wondered if her stepfather had gone to the bank to draw out the money.

He could afford it – of course he could!

But she considered it would be very humiliating if he should have to pay such a huge sum to keep her alive.

Now the sun was beginning to set and she realised that it would soon be dusk.

If the money for her was to be paid, her stepfather would by now be taking it to the paddock.

It was a clever place for the gang to have chosen as the gate at the end of the paddock could not be seen from the stables.

If they wanted to arrest the man who had come for the money, there was nowhere anyone could hide.

‘Perhaps,' Yolanda pondered, ‘they will just put it down and trust to their honesty to let me go free.'

Then she was praying again – praying for help.

Not only to her stepfather but also to Lord Milborne to come and save her.

She had the most terrifying feeling that if they did not pay the money at once, the gang really would kill her.

Even to think of it made her shiver.

She had by now completely convinced herself that the chief ruffian was clearly nothing more than a hardened criminal who would stop at nothing.

Now it was dusk and through one of the holes in the ceiling she could see the first evening star.

It was then suddenly, when all was quiet, that there came the bark and snarl of a dog.

It was a very noisy bark and its snarl turned into a yelp – the dog seemed to be barking loudly at something that was upsetting it.

Because it all sounded so strange, Yolanda went, as she had not done before, to the opening into her cave.

She looked along the passage towards the gang.

She could just see that they were standing up and she heard the chief ruffian yell,

“Two o' yer go at once and stop that damned dog.  It'll attract attention.”

“Shall us shoot it?” one of the gang asked.

“Don't be a fool,” he replied.  “A shot'll carry for miles.  Just knock 'im off, so 'e don't make that row.”

Even as he spoke the dog yelped again.

Its noise sounded almost shattering in the darkness outside.

“Now just 'urry up and stop 'im, yer fools.”

Yolanda could hear two men scurrying up onto the ground above.

Yolanda listened, as she knew the gang beyond her were listening.

There was a shrill yelp from the dog – then silence.

She heard the chief ruffian guffaw,

“That's got 'im!”

A moment or two later the dog started again – it was yelping, growling fiercely and then yelping again.

She thought that the men must have been pursuing him.

She moved quietly even nearer to the gang.

The chief ruffian was bellowing,

“What the devil be they a-doin', the fools?  Go up and 'elp 'em.  That dog must be a-runnin' round in circles and they can't get near 'im.”

“Us'll finish 'im orf,” one of the gang exclaimed.

Yolanda could hear their footsteps as they climbed up above.

The dog gave another long yelp and then silence.

She hoped that the poor animal was not dead or in pain.

She was just about to walk back to her cell, when to her astonishment there came the same yelp, but this time it was a little louder.

Next the dog was growling savagely as if someone was attacking him.

Peeping around the corner, Yolanda could see the chef ruffian wildly waving his arms.

She reckoned, although she could not see his face, that he was very angry.

“Fools.  Oafs!  Idiots!” he was screaming.

Then came a flood of oaths.

“I'd better go up now and 'elp 'em,” the only other gang member left volunteered.

But there was not much enthusiasm in his voice.

“I'll come with yer,” the chief ruffian insisted.  “If us ain't that careful, us'll 'ave people comin' to see what's 'appenin'.  Where's me stick?”

He must have found it.

Yolanda heard him scampering away followed by the other man.

In order to hear better she moved to where they had been sitting.

There were the remains of their supper lying in a mess on the floor and there were several bags and boxes lying against one wall, which she guessed must contain the loot they had stolen.

Now the dog above was snarling really ferociously and then he gave a loud yelp.

Again there was silence.

‘They really must have killed the poor animal this time,' Yolanda surmised.

She only hoped that if he was still breathing they would not bring him down below.

She looked round the mine wondering if, while they were absent, there was any chance of being able to escape.

But she knew it was impossible.

If she now climbed out of the mine onto the ground above, they would see her and then they would surely be extremely angry with her for trying to run away.

‘I just have to pray,' she decided, ‘that Step-papa and Lord Milborne will have understood the clues I wrote in the letter.'

She was praying fervently when she heard footsteps coming down from above towards her.

She thought it must be the chief ruffian returning – he had obviously killed the dog, as there was no longer any sound of him.

She turned to go back to where she had come from.

As she did so she stopped.

It was difficult for her to see because the brambles that had grown over the entrance to the mine hid the light from the moon and stars.  

Yet in the half-light Yolanda became aware that the man coming towards her was taller than any of the gang.

Then, as she hesitated, a voice called out softly,

“
Yolanda
!”

She gave a strangled cry that seemed to echo round the walls of the mine.

It was Lord Milborne who had called her name and she ran towards him.

She flung herself against him crying,

“
You have come, you have come, you understood
.”

His arms went round her.

“They have not hurt you, my darling?” he asked her tenderly.

Then, as she looked up at him in surprise at such a delightful endearment, his lips were on hers.

He was kissing her wildly.

Yolanda felt at once that the whole wide world was suddenly bathed in sunshine and it was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to her.

As he could feel the softness and innocence of her lips, Lord Milborne drew her closer and closer to him.

And his kisses became more demanding and more passionate.

After what seemed like a long time, he raised his head.

Yolanda was just able to breathe,

“It is you really –
you
,” she managed to mumble.

“It is me,” replied Lord Milborne.  “How could you have been so clever as to tell us where you were?”

Then before she could answer him, he was kissing her again.

Kissing her until she felt that she was melting into his body and they were not two people but one.

Finally in a strange voice, which did not sound like his own, Lord Milborne murmured,

“I must take you home, my precious darling.  I was so terrified in case those villains had hurt you in any way.”

“What has happened to that dreadful gang?”

“They are on their way to the Police wagon, which is waiting to take them all to prison.”

Yolanda gave a gasp.

“It was
so
frightening – but somehow I
knew
that you would come and save me!”

“It might have been a great deal more difficult if we had not known where you were.”

“I thought as the men seemed so strange that one of them might be German or French and I only hoped that you knew a little Spanish.”

Lord Milborne laughed.

“I was in Spain a year ago and managed to become quite fluent.  But only
you
would have thought of telling us how many men there were!”

“And only you and my Step-papa would have been able to decipher my code.”

When she mentioned her stepfather's name, she felt Lord Milborne give a little jerk – it was almost as if he had forgotten about him.

He kissed her very gently and affectionately.

“Come, my darling, let us go home.  We have a lot of explaining to do in a much more comfortable place than this.”

As he spoke he drew her towards the rough path up to the ground above.

There was no sign of the gang.

Yolanda looked all around her.

“Did they kill the dog?”

Lord Milborne chuckled.

“
I
was the dog! Fortunately, as you can see, I am still alive and therefore, my darling, able to kiss you!”

He kissed her again.

“Come along or else your stepfather will be angry with me for keeping you away from him for so long.”