could be wot we’re supposed to do,’ she said. ‘Maybe we’re supposed to save the nippa.’
‘We don’t know what’s going on yet,’ said Julius.
Emily glared at him. ‘Mr Flynn would ’ave dropped that cove by now if ’e was ’ere.’
‘But he’s not,’ said Julius. ‘I am. I got us here, and I’m in charge.’
As soon as he said the words he knew he had made a mistake.
‘Who says you’re in char—’
‘Shush,’ said Julius. ‘Look.’
The clergyman appeared at the doorway of one of the huts. He called out and waved his arms. Again, Julius could not understand what he said. The clergyman climbed down the ladder with difficulty and lumbered to the jetty. Julius could hear someone else’s heavy boots running towards them from behind. A man ran past panting and calling out as he went.
He was struggling to carry a shoulder bag, a folding stool, a book and specimen jars. He was further weighed down by clothes better suited to an English winter than a jungle.
‘That’s the cove wot I nicked the diary from,’ said Emily.
‘That’s Charles Darwin?’ said Julius. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Course I am. I’d swear it on a Bible.’
Julius and Emily watched Darwin run to the jetty. He dropped the folding stool and the jars but kept running. He shouted something to the man who was struggling to hold the child.
‘I can’t understand wot they’re saying,’ said Emily. ‘But they look as English as rickets and rain.’
‘Neither can I,’ said Julius. ‘I’m not sure why?’
The clergyman arrived at the jetty first. The man holding the boy pointed a heavy stick to keep him back. Darwin threw his bag and diary down and strode up to the man. He pushed the stick aside and took the man by his lapels, shaking him and shouting into his face. The man swung his arm to strike and the two men spun around in an ungainly waltz.
The child pulled his arm away and sprinted back along the jetty and disappeared into the forest.
‘Well done, nippa,’ said Emily.
The man pushed Darwin away. They glared at each other for a moment, then both leaned on the jetty rail to catch their breath. The clergyman stood some distance away, watching.
Darwin pushed himself off the rail. He picked up his hat and sat down. The tips of his boots touched the water, making ripples on the surface. He said something in a conciliatory tone. But the other man was not to be mollified. He paced up and down, shouting and gesticulating. Darwin ignored him.
Eventually the man climbed into a canoe tied to the end of the jetty. He called out angrily to Darwin, and then sat with his arms folded, like a brat at a birthday party.
Darwin untied his neckerchief and stooped at the riverbank to swirl it through the water. He mopped his brow with it and he tied it around his neck. Then he wearily gathered his scattered belongs, exchanged a bow with the clergyman and walked to the end of the jetty. He untied the canoe from its mooring and climbed in.
Julius and Emily watched the two men paddle across the river to the far shore.
‘It ain’t right,’ said Emily. ‘Everywhere you go there’s some cove wot wants to kidnap some poor little bleeder.’
Julius tried to remember the other man’s name from Darwin’s diary. Was it Smith or Simmons? Or Skinner?
Yes, it was Skinner, Higgins.
‘Darwin wrote in his diary that he and Skinner, who must be that man, were being watched by many eyes,’ said Julius. ‘It could have been the village children.’
‘What did Skinner want wiv the nippa, then?’ said Emily.
‘I’m not sure.’
The clergyman stood at the jetty watching Darwinand his companion unpack their canoe on the far shore and potter around their campsite. Their gestures and bearing made it clear that Darwin and Skinner were not speaking to one another.
‘So Darwin’s the one we ’ave to ’elp,’ said Emily.
CHAPTER 11
Friday June 29th 1832
8:34 PM
Julius and Emily stood on the riverbank some distance from the
‘We don’t know what’s going on yet,’ said Julius.
Emily glared at him. ‘Mr Flynn would ’ave dropped that cove by now if ’e was ’ere.’
‘But he’s not,’ said Julius. ‘I am. I got us here, and I’m in charge.’
As soon as he said the words he knew he had made a mistake.
‘Who says you’re in char—’
‘Shush,’ said Julius. ‘Look.’
The clergyman appeared at the doorway of one of the huts. He called out and waved his arms. Again, Julius could not understand what he said. The clergyman climbed down the ladder with difficulty and lumbered to the jetty. Julius could hear someone else’s heavy boots running towards them from behind. A man ran past panting and calling out as he went.
He was struggling to carry a shoulder bag, a folding stool, a book and specimen jars. He was further weighed down by clothes better suited to an English winter than a jungle.
‘That’s the cove wot I nicked the diary from,’ said Emily.
‘That’s Charles Darwin?’ said Julius. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Course I am. I’d swear it on a Bible.’
Julius and Emily watched Darwin run to the jetty. He dropped the folding stool and the jars but kept running. He shouted something to the man who was struggling to hold the child.
‘I can’t understand wot they’re saying,’ said Emily. ‘But they look as English as rickets and rain.’
‘Neither can I,’ said Julius. ‘I’m not sure why?’
The clergyman arrived at the jetty first. The man holding the boy pointed a heavy stick to keep him back. Darwin threw his bag and diary down and strode up to the man. He pushed the stick aside and took the man by his lapels, shaking him and shouting into his face. The man swung his arm to strike and the two men spun around in an ungainly waltz.
The child pulled his arm away and sprinted back along the jetty and disappeared into the forest.
‘Well done, nippa,’ said Emily.
The man pushed Darwin away. They glared at each other for a moment, then both leaned on the jetty rail to catch their breath. The clergyman stood some distance away, watching.
Darwin pushed himself off the rail. He picked up his hat and sat down. The tips of his boots touched the water, making ripples on the surface. He said something in a conciliatory tone. But the other man was not to be mollified. He paced up and down, shouting and gesticulating. Darwin ignored him.
Eventually the man climbed into a canoe tied to the end of the jetty. He called out angrily to Darwin, and then sat with his arms folded, like a brat at a birthday party.
Darwin untied his neckerchief and stooped at the riverbank to swirl it through the water. He mopped his brow with it and he tied it around his neck. Then he wearily gathered his scattered belongs, exchanged a bow with the clergyman and walked to the end of the jetty. He untied the canoe from its mooring and climbed in.
Julius and Emily watched the two men paddle across the river to the far shore.
‘It ain’t right,’ said Emily. ‘Everywhere you go there’s some cove wot wants to kidnap some poor little bleeder.’
Julius tried to remember the other man’s name from Darwin’s diary. Was it Smith or Simmons? Or Skinner?
Yes, it was Skinner, Higgins.
‘Darwin wrote in his diary that he and Skinner, who must be that man, were being watched by many eyes,’ said Julius. ‘It could have been the village children.’
‘What did Skinner want wiv the nippa, then?’ said Emily.
‘I’m not sure.’
The clergyman stood at the jetty watching Darwinand his companion unpack their canoe on the far shore and potter around their campsite. Their gestures and bearing made it clear that Darwin and Skinner were not speaking to one another.
‘So Darwin’s the one we ’ave to ’elp,’ said Emily.
CHAPTER 11
Friday June 29th 1832
8:34 PM
Julius and Emily stood on the riverbank some distance from the
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