Chapter 11

Makosi I want you to walk across to the cottage and look in through the windows,” I told her

“And if there are men there?” she asked, “if Cuthbert and any of his friends are already there?”

“Just tell them you are lost and looking for a place to sleep,” I said, it was a long shot but it might work, I was hoping if they were there they would not see Makosi as a risk or a threat.

“And if there is no one in the cottage?” she asked.

“See if the doors are open and if they are, I want you to go inside,” I said.

“If they are watching the cottage, they will come to see what I am doing and then you will see them coming,” she said.

“That’s the plan and when they break cover I will attack them in the open meadow,” I said, I knew that it would be the best way to take on Cuthbert and any friends that he might bring with him. It was a huge risk to be fair if Cuthbert had brought a few men the odds would be stacked against me.

“So, you are using me as bait?” she asked with a nervous giggle.

“I am, I am sorry, but you did say you would help,” I said apologetically

“It’s no problem, you saved my life and I trust you not to let me get hurt,” she said and a smile lit up her gorgeous face.

“Whatever you do, don’t look back at me, “I said. I needed them to think she was alone.

“In case they are watching?” she asked

“In case they are watching” I confirmed.

She kissed me and picked up her gun, hiding it in her skirts and then she wandered across the meadow to the cottage. I watched from my hiding place.

She walked around it, before looking in through the windows and then she tried the door; it was open, and she went inside. I scanned the hillside in case, but no one approached the cottage.

I left it for a good hour before I walked over to the cottage, Makosi opened the door as I approached. She smiled and gave me a big kiss on the lips.

“It’s empty john,” she said and closed the door behind me. The cottage had not been lived in for some time, that was obvious, there was a thick layer of dust on every surface and there were cobwebs all over the place.

I hoped it would be dark by nine o’clock as it was obvious, we had been there, there were footsteps in the dust on the floor. There were two doors, one to the front and one to the rear. That was good, whichever way Albert Cuthbert came we could make our way in through the other door. There were no hiding places either which was both good and bad, good in that he could not hide anyone in there and bad, we could not hide in there.

We went back to the woods and found a good vantage spot. Then we sat and we waited. The afternoon sun was slowly replaced with evenings darkness, our eyes became accustomed to it as sat in our little hideaway in between two huge oaks and hidden by some heather bushes. I was nearly drifting off to sleep when the birds told me someone was walking toward us. The birds in the woods had been quiet but there was a movement and then a few came flying out, squawking their warning that we had company.

He came out of the woods fifty yards to our left and walked across to the cottage. It was Charles Brashleigh, I could tell from his gait. He did not look around him he was focussed in getting into the cottage. He did not look around; he did not even seem nervous as he strode across the meadow.

We waited for a few minutes, I was sure if Cuthbert were there, he would show himself early. We waited and then we waited some more. Then all sudden there was a movement in a hedge a few yards to our right. If they had walked through the woods, they must have almost walked past us.

We both ducked instinctively as two men walked out of the hedge, one was Cuthbert I would know him anywhere, the other I did not know but he was a big lad. They took a good look around and then they walked toward the cottage. The door opened and in they went. Two against three the odds were on our side, as long as he didn’t have any more men tucked away as back up.

“Right Makosi, it’s time to go” I whispered, I could not be sure they had brought more men with them. I picked up our bag of meagre possessions and we ran to the right off the cottage as that was the area with fewer windows and thus we had less chance of being seen. I dropped the bag onto the grass a few yards away from the back door.

We walked toward the back door on our tiptoes, I could hear raised voices from within. I motioned for Makosi to cock her pistol, I was just seconds away from opening the door and rushing into the cottage.

Then there was a yell and cry of pain and the back door swung open and Charles Brashleigh was thrown headfirst out of the door. He landed in the dirt in a heap and let out a loud curse. The two men rushed out and stood over him both had cudgels in their hands. Luckily, we were on their blindside and they did not see us.

“Right you little bastard!” I heard Cuthbert shout, “You will pay for that insult”

“But it’s all the money I could raise Cuthbert “ shouted Charles.

“Well it’s not enough!” cried Cuthbert, “I told you what it would cost to keep my mouth shut!”

“You are mad Cuthbert, I can’t raise that sort of cash” Charles yelled.

“You are an idiot Brashleigh, you and your family are one of the richest in the county,” said Cuthbert.

“My father controls the family money, not me!” Charles sobbed.

“Well for insulting me I will beat you and then first thing tomorrow morning we will tell the whole of the county about you and Father Crilly.” Cuthbert Laughed.

“Yea and when your father gets to hear that you let the priest sodomise you he will throw you out and cut off your allowance “the other man laughed.

“You can’t prove anything “spat Charles.

“Brashleigh you and I know that mud sticks and it won’t take long for our tale to be embellished” Cuthbert snapped back his reply.

Then he swung his cudgel up over his head and was about to strike Charles when I stepped out of the shadows.

“Hold fast Cuthbert” I cried. Both men turned to face me.

“And just who the fuck are you?” the one I did not know asked. His voice was full of menace and he was swinging his cudgel threateningly.

“Well well, young John Trelawny back from the dead! “Cuthbert interrupted.

“Aye mate, I am back from the dead “I replied and shot him where he stood. The ball took him in the chest, and he dropped to his knees, blood oozed from his mouth. There was no need for a chat or explanations.

“You murdering bastard...” The other man shouted and took a step toward me I heard the shot and saw him drop, Makosi had shot him. He too dropped to his knees and grabbed at his guts. Blood oozed between his fingers and he let out a low groan.

“You bitch...” He groaned.

“Call me that again and I might have to reload this pistol!” she told him.

“Bitch...” He said and blood oozed from his mouth.

I pulled my knife from my belt, grabbed his hair pulling his head back I slit his throat from ear to ear. The stranger slumped to the ground and I knew he was a dead man.

Cuthbert just looked at me and spat a huge mouthful of blood onto the ground

“That sodomite could afford more than that handful of coins he offered me” he gasped.

Charles stood up and walked up to him and kicked him hard in the ribs. Cuthbert fell to the ground and another kick hit the side of his head.

“You and Father Ted Crilly will burn in hell, what you are doing is unnatural,” Cuthbert said and spat more blood to the ground

Charles grabbed the cudgel that Cuthbert’s mate had dropped to the ground and swung it, the sound of it as it hit Cuthbert’s head was sickening, his eyes rolled into the top of his head and he dropped face-first into the soil.

Charles Brashleigh stood looking at his victim, I thought he was going to faint, then he dropped the cudgel and turned to face me. I was sure he was about to say something or perhaps vomit.

Then there was a noise from the road that led up the hill, it was men on horses. Perhaps Cuthbert had brought more than one man with him or perhaps it was the excise men out looking for smugglers. Either way, we needed to get away from here before they found the bodies and came looking for us.

“Come on we need to move and move fast,” I said picking up our sack.

Charles stepped back into the cottage and came out holding a cloth bag, a bag that clinked as he moved, it was the coins he had tried to pay Cuthbert off with. I grabbed our bag of possessions.

“Which way john ... which way should we go?” Makosi asked, the sound of panic was obvious in her voice. I looked around trying to think, trying to work out the best way for us to go.

“Follow me, “said Charles. He seemed to have snapped out of his stupor and he led us away from the cottage toward the woods. We ran for our lives, when we were halfway between the cottage and the woods, I heard voices and then someone shouted.

“There are dead men here sir” shouted one of the men.

“My God your right, and recently killed by the look of it “ I heard the reply.

“Spread out men and be on your guard there are killers at large” the voice shouted, it was an upper-class English voice, and that told me it would be the excise men. That was worrying as they would be well trained and well-armed.

Charles led us into the wood and onto a path that led us down the hill and toward the village. We exited the wood and followed a path that rounded a wall. It led us into the village, and we walked down the main road, down toward the harbour.

“Where are you talking us, Charles,” I asked, I was worried he was just leading us away from the cottage blindly,

“Trust me, we will be safe,” he said and kept walking.

I sensed we were heading into a dead end and that could mean we would be trapped. If the excise men came down into the village it would be hard to hide or to get passed them.

Had Brashleigh double-crossed us ... had he led us into a trap I wondered. It would be easy for him to turn the tables on us and say we were trying to rob him and that Cuthbert and his mate were killed trying to intervene

We got to a turn in the pathway and he led us behind some houses and we were on the quay and Charles stepped down and I saw there was a boat, manned by six sailors. He held his hand out and helped Makosi into the vessel.

“Untie us John “he whispered. I cast off both ropes, fore and aft, and then I stepped off the quay into the boat. The crew did not need to be told what to do, they pushed off from the quay wall and once we had made open water, they started to row for all they were worth.

“But Charles how did you...” I started to say but he put a finger to his lips, the command for silence.

The lads were strong rowers and soon had us out of the harbour and into the open sea. Another ten minutes of strong pulling on the oars saw us approach a small ship that was anchored up in the bay.

We pulled alongside the merchant’s vessel, a rope ladder was dropped over the side and I followed Charles and Makosi up it and onto the deck.

“Hello, Mr Brashleigh Sir,” a man said, he must have been the ship’s captain.

“Hello Captain Smith” Charles Brashleigh replied,” My friends and I would like to go to Mevagissey”