Read Online Conquering Kilmarni by Hugh Cave - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Hugh Cave
Tags: Action & Adventure
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in.
"Stealing?" Mr. Devon said. "Well, it shouldn't surprise us, I suppose. He wants money to find his mother, you said."
"But why would he steal it, Dad? He has that garden up in the bush."
"Yes, he has that. But he's only a boy and probably impatient. Put yourself in his shoes, son." Mr. Devon was frowning now. "This boy wants to get out of here, away from his worthless father, and find his mother in Kingston. Once he finds her, he won't come back here. So if he can hurry things up by stealing . . ."
"Well, I hope the police don't find him!" Peter said defiantly.
"You don't have any idea where he might be?" Peter shook his head.
"Have you spoken to Mr. Campbell?"
"Uh-uh. Why would I do that, Dad?"
"Zackie is on the Kilmarnie payroll now, and if he doesn't know the police are looking for him, he's probably working. Campbell should be able to tell you where."
That was true, Peter realized. If Zackie had finished the stretch of track the day before—and he probably had, no matter how long it took him—he would have checked back with the headman and asked for another piece of work.
"Another thing," Mr. Devon said. "Today's payday. He'll be coming with the others at four o'clock for his pay." He rubbed the jaw he had just shaved. "Maybe you ought to warn him not to come. Corporal Buckley might have heard he's working for us and plan on being here."
"Did the women finish planting field six, Dad?"
"No, not yet."
"Mr. Campbell should be there, then. Is it okay if I go talk to him?"
"Go ahead, if you want to."
Peter hurried up to field six and found the headman supervising the planting again. He was leaning against a tree and writing in a notebook. He seemed surprised when Peter asked him where Zackie was working.
"I don't know." He shook his head. "I thought he'd surely finish that piece of track yesterday and ask me what to do today. But I haven't seen him. Maybe he's sick."
Peter didn't think Zackie was sick. It seemed more likely that he knew Corporal Buckley was looking for him and had gone into hiding. Peter thought he knew where the boy might be hiding, too. It was a long way, though, and if he went there without saying where he was going, his father might worry.
Peter went back to the house and found his father on the veranda, gazing down at the roofs of Mango Gap. "Mr. Campbell doesn't know where Zackie is, Dad," he reported. "But I think I know. Is it okay if I go up to his garden?"
"That's a long hike," Mr. Devon said. "Are you sure you—"
"If I don't, he may come here at four o'clock, like you said, and get caught. You'd do the same for any friend of yours, Dad."
Mr. Devon was frowning now. He still didn't want any part of Zackie's problems, Peter guessed. But he said at last, with a kind of sigh, "Well, all right, I suppose. But be careful, Peter."
On the way up to the secret garden Peter noticed that Zackie had finished the piece of work he'd been given. But when he arrived at the garden itself more than an hour after leaving the house, there was no sign of the Jamaican boy, or any sign that he had been there and gone. The place was exactly the way the two of them had left it after eating lunch there the day before.
For a minute Peter was tempted to dig up the money box to see if Zackie had taken the money. But he wasn't sure he ought to do that, and, besides, the floor didn't look as if it had been disturbed.
Should he leave a message in case his friend did come here? He would try, he decided. He thought for a while about what he ought to say and then in big letters, with a stick, he scratched some words in the reddish earth of the hut's floor.
"Zackie, Do not come for your pay. Come tonight after dark and stay with me. Peter."
That might help, he thought as he started back down the mountain. Even though he was in hiding, Zackie probably would come to work in the garden. He wouldn't waste the day.
EIGHT
O n the once-a-week paydays, when the workers came for their money, Mr. Devon used
"Stealing?" Mr. Devon said. "Well, it shouldn't surprise us, I suppose. He wants money to find his mother, you said."
"But why would he steal it, Dad? He has that garden up in the bush."
"Yes, he has that. But he's only a boy and probably impatient. Put yourself in his shoes, son." Mr. Devon was frowning now. "This boy wants to get out of here, away from his worthless father, and find his mother in Kingston. Once he finds her, he won't come back here. So if he can hurry things up by stealing . . ."
"Well, I hope the police don't find him!" Peter said defiantly.
"You don't have any idea where he might be?" Peter shook his head.
"Have you spoken to Mr. Campbell?"
"Uh-uh. Why would I do that, Dad?"
"Zackie is on the Kilmarnie payroll now, and if he doesn't know the police are looking for him, he's probably working. Campbell should be able to tell you where."
That was true, Peter realized. If Zackie had finished the stretch of track the day before—and he probably had, no matter how long it took him—he would have checked back with the headman and asked for another piece of work.
"Another thing," Mr. Devon said. "Today's payday. He'll be coming with the others at four o'clock for his pay." He rubbed the jaw he had just shaved. "Maybe you ought to warn him not to come. Corporal Buckley might have heard he's working for us and plan on being here."
"Did the women finish planting field six, Dad?"
"No, not yet."
"Mr. Campbell should be there, then. Is it okay if I go talk to him?"
"Go ahead, if you want to."
Peter hurried up to field six and found the headman supervising the planting again. He was leaning against a tree and writing in a notebook. He seemed surprised when Peter asked him where Zackie was working.
"I don't know." He shook his head. "I thought he'd surely finish that piece of track yesterday and ask me what to do today. But I haven't seen him. Maybe he's sick."
Peter didn't think Zackie was sick. It seemed more likely that he knew Corporal Buckley was looking for him and had gone into hiding. Peter thought he knew where the boy might be hiding, too. It was a long way, though, and if he went there without saying where he was going, his father might worry.
Peter went back to the house and found his father on the veranda, gazing down at the roofs of Mango Gap. "Mr. Campbell doesn't know where Zackie is, Dad," he reported. "But I think I know. Is it okay if I go up to his garden?"
"That's a long hike," Mr. Devon said. "Are you sure you—"
"If I don't, he may come here at four o'clock, like you said, and get caught. You'd do the same for any friend of yours, Dad."
Mr. Devon was frowning now. He still didn't want any part of Zackie's problems, Peter guessed. But he said at last, with a kind of sigh, "Well, all right, I suppose. But be careful, Peter."
On the way up to the secret garden Peter noticed that Zackie had finished the piece of work he'd been given. But when he arrived at the garden itself more than an hour after leaving the house, there was no sign of the Jamaican boy, or any sign that he had been there and gone. The place was exactly the way the two of them had left it after eating lunch there the day before.
For a minute Peter was tempted to dig up the money box to see if Zackie had taken the money. But he wasn't sure he ought to do that, and, besides, the floor didn't look as if it had been disturbed.
Should he leave a message in case his friend did come here? He would try, he decided. He thought for a while about what he ought to say and then in big letters, with a stick, he scratched some words in the reddish earth of the hut's floor.
"Zackie, Do not come for your pay. Come tonight after dark and stay with me. Peter."
That might help, he thought as he started back down the mountain. Even though he was in hiding, Zackie probably would come to work in the garden. He wouldn't waste the day.
EIGHT
O n the once-a-week paydays, when the workers came for their money, Mr. Devon used
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