2 A Christmas Adventure!

CHAPTER 2 A Christmas Adventure! Everyone came running. They were amazed to see soldiers standing there. The sergeant said, "Pardon me for interrupting your Christmas dinner. Who's Mr. Gargery? We've had an accident with the lock on these handcuffs. We need them fixed right away." Joe stepped forward and said, "I'll need the forge for that job. It'll be two hours before it's hot enough." "Will you start it up at once? My men will lend a hand." Joe agreed and opened his shop. The sergeant called in the soldiers. They stood around with their

arms folded behind them and waited for orders. Once I realized the cuffs weren't for me, my heart stopped racing. "What time is it?" the sergeant asked. Uncle replied that it was half past two. "That's not so bad," he said. "We'll still be able to catch the convicts before dusk." "Convicts, Sergeant?" Mr. Wopsle asked. "Yes, two. We think they're still out on the marshes and won't try to get away until it's dark. With this fog, the fools won't know we're there until they're surrounded!" The whole group stood by the forge as Joe started hammering away. To pass the time, the sergeant told stories, and everyone—except me— seemed to enjoy themselves. At last, Joe's job was done. As the soldiers were leaving, the sergeant suggested we go with them. "Even Pip." "As long as he doesn't get caught up in any mischief," my sister replied. Uncle Pumblechook and the Hubbles said they'd prefer to stay behind. So it was just Joe, Mr. Wopsle, and me. And the soldiers, of course.

As we walked toward the marshes, I thought about my convict. What would he think if he saw me with a group of the king's soldiers? Would he think I'd told them where he was? Would he hurt me as he'd threatened? The fog had cleared a little, so we could see well despite the rain. The sergeant ordered the soldiers to spread out in a long line. They walked like that until we heard shouting in the distance. "The sound came from over there!" the sergeant shouted. "That direction, men!" The soldiers fell out of line and ran toward the old shipyard. Joe, Mr. Wopsle, and I raced up and

down the banks and through the bushes to keep up. A soldier yelled, "The convicts! They're over there!" They rushed ahead. We could make out the sounds of a struggle as we approached the escaped men. The sergeant pointed his gun at two men fighting at the bottom of a large ditch. He shouted, "Break it up right now!" When they didn't separate, he fired a shot into the air. "Surrender straightaway!" he yelled. To his soldiers he said, "Get in there and get them, men!" Water splashed and mud flew in all directions as the soldiers dove in. When they dragged the men out, I saw my convict alongside the other man I had seen that morning. I didn't want either convict to see me, so I hid behind one of the soldiers. My convict said to the sergeant, "I was making sure you caught him. You remember that—I helped you." The sergeant said, "It won't do you a bit of good. You're going back to the prison ship. Nothing you say or do will make one bit of difference. Now, you remember that."

The other convict's face was bruised and battered. "Take notice, guards," he snarled. "That man tried to hurt me." "Ha!" said my convict. "I gave you up, and that's all. I wasn't going to let the likes of you get away." My convict turned to the sergeant. "I escaped— I'll admit it. When I discovered he was here, I went back to catch him. Otherwise I would have been long gone by now." "I'd have been a dead man if you soldiers hadn't shown up," the other convict said. "Liar!" my convict shouted. "Look in his eyes and tell me he's not lying! It's written all over his face!" "Enough!" the sergeant shouted. The convict's eyes met mine the moment I peeked out from my hiding spot. I tried to signal that none of this was my fault, but from the strange look on his face, I don't think he understood. "That's enough out the two of you," the sergeant said to the convicts. He nodded to the soldiers and ordered, "March!"

Torches lit up the night as the soldiers moved the prisoners forward. Joe took my hand. We walked for almost an hour before coming to the docks. From there we could see the great big prison ship in the distance. One of the soldiers took the other convict on board a rowboat going back to the ship. My convict was to be next. "I want to say something about my escape," my convict said. "Say what you like." The sergeant looked at him coolly. "But it won't be here. You can speak once you're back on the ship." "No, I need to clear the air. A man can't be expected to starve, can he? I'm ashamed to say I took some food from the blacksmith's." "My goodness!" said the sergeant as he looked at Joe. "My goodness!" said Joe as he looked at me. "I took some pie, something to drink, some bread, and some cheese." The sergeant said, "Blacksmith, were you missing this food?" Joe said, "My wife noticed—at the very moment