The Bible Smuggler by Louise Vernon

Author:Louise Vernon [Vernon Louise A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8361-1557-4
Publisher: MennoMedia
Published: 1967-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Two Strangers

Collin gasped a warning to William Tyndale, hurled himself on the stranger’s back, and clawed at the man’s large hands. The next instant the deck rose and jarred Collin’s shoulder, but he kept tight hold of the man’s neck. His opponent did not fight back, and Collin loosened his grip. The man sank to the deck gasping out a phrase in Latin.

With an exclamation of surprise, William Tyndale helped the stranger to his feet. The man stared at Collin in reproachful surprise. “What did you do that for? Couldn’t you see that I had lost my balance?”

He looked so woebegone that Collin choked back a laugh. No one as loose-jointed and ridiculous-looking as this man could be a threat.

The stranger addressed Tyndale. “I was just coming over to ask your advice about something, when the ship listed and your boy there threw himself on me.”

Tydale raised his eyebrows in a questioning way and looked at Collin.

”I—I’mn sorry,” Collin said, gulping. I thought—” He did not finish. It would sound foolish to say now that he thought the stranger was going to throw William Tyndale overboard.

“You see,” the man went on, “Mr.—Mr.—” He waited for the name.

With a slight frown of annoyance, Tyndale said coolly, “Hutchins is the name.”

“Ah, yes, Mr. Hutchins. I saw at once that you are a successful merchant. I’m a good judge of people, and I said to myself, Now look at his man. He’s a success and I’m a failure. Perhaps he can advise me how to get hold of some money—I mean earn it, of course.” The stranger leaned on the rail and clasped his large hands. His glance traveled up and down Tyndale’s fine cloak. “Perhaps you could use someone to write letters of business for you.”

All of Collin’s former doubts flooded his mind. Collin hoped Tyndale would brush the man off, but he could see that Tyndale was curious.

“I have many qualifications, Mr. Hutchins,” the man went on. “I know languages—German, Latin, and Greek.”

Tyndale’s eyes sparkled with interest. Collin squirmed with misgivings. Why would this strange man name the very languages Tyndale was working with in his translation of the Bible? Yet if he were a spy hired by Cardinal Wolsey, would he grin so foolishly and wave his hands about? The man’s babbling eagerness irritated Collin.

“I said to myself when I saw you, Mr. Hutchins, that you’re a man I’d like to be around—a prosperous gentleman merchant who makes a lot of money and would be willing to share it with poor scholars like me. I’d earn it, of course. You see, I have no money.” The stranger pulled out an empty bag and waved it. “I used all I earned in England to pay my fare on this ship.”

Collin wanted to cry out that he had seen the man at the fire selling fake relics, but he curbed his impulse.

Tyndale stared out over the choppy waters of the channel.

“Is there going to be a storm, Sir William?” Collin asked. He could have bitten his tongue for giving away Tyndale’s first name and honorary title.

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