"One of the school has fallen and hurt himself," I said, putting it in that way. "He's lying here, and I cannot leave him. Hush, Raddy! I want to tell you,"--advancing a step or two nearer to him and lowering my voice to a whisper,--"I think he's dying." "None o' yer gammon here; none o' yer lies"--and in proportion as I advanced, he retreated. "You've got a ambush in that there coppy--all the lot on you a-waiting to be down on me! Just you try it on!" "I am telling you the truth, Raddy. There's not a soul in there but the one I speak of. I say I fear he is dying. He is lying helpless. I will pay you to go"--feeling in my pockets to see how much I had there. Raddy displayed his teeth: it was a trick of his when feeling particularly defiant. "What'll yer pay me?" "Sixpence"--showing it to him. "I will give it you when you have taken the message." "Give it first." Just for a moment I hesitated in my extremity, but I knew it would be only the sixpence thrown away. Paid beforehand, Raddy would no more do the errand than he'd fly. I told him as much. "Then be dashed if I go!" And he passed off into a round of swearing. Good Heavens! If I should not be able to persuade him! If Charles Van Rheyn should die for want of help! "Did you ever have anybody to care for, Raddy? Did you ever have a mother?" "Her's sent over the seas, her is; and I be glad on't. Her beated me, her did: I wasn't a-going to stand that." "If you ever had anybody you cared for the least bit in the world, Raddy; if you ever did anybody a good turn in all your life, you will help this poor fellow now. Come and look at him. See whether I dare leave him." "None o' yer swindles! Ye wants to get me in there, ye does. I warn't borned yesterday." Well, it seemed hopeless. "Will you go for the sixpence, if I give it to you beforehand, Raddy?" "Give it over, and see. Where the thunder have ye been?" dealing his dog a savage kick, as it came up barking. "Be I to whistle all day?" Another kick. I had found two sixpences in my pocket; all its store. Bringing forth one, I held it out to him. "Now listen, Raddy. I give you this sixpence now. You are to run with all your might to the house--and you can run, you know, like the wind. Say that I sent you--you know my name, Johnny Ludlow--sent you to tell them that the French boy is in the coppice dying;" for I thought it best to put it strong. "Dr. Frost, or some of them, must come to him at once, and they must send off for Mr. Featherston. You can remember that. The French boy, mind." "I could remember it if I tried." "Well, I'll give you the sixpence. And look here--here's another sixpence. It is all the money I have. That shall be yours also, when you have done the errand."