Part 14 (2/2)

”He thinks he only fancied he heard something. You don't half yell! Now!

One, two, three!”

It was certainly a whole yell this time, and the Vicar's wife flung her arms round her husband and screamed a feeble echo of it.

”You shan't go!” she said, ”not alone. Jessie!”--the maid unfainted and came out of the kitchen,--”send Andrew at once. There's a dangerous lunatic in the church, and he must go immediately and catch him.”

”I expect he _will_ catch it too,” said Jessie to herself as she went through the kitchen door. ”Here, Andrew,” she said, ”there's someone screaming like mad in the church, and the missus says you're to go along and catch it.”

”Not alone, I don't,” said Andrew in low firm tones. To his master he merely said, ”Yis sir.”

”You heard those screams?”

”I did think I noticed a sort of something,” said Andrew.

”Well, come on, then,” said the Vicar. ”My dear, I _must_ go!” He pushed her gently into the sitting-room, banged the door, and rushed out, dragging Andrew by the arm.

A volley of yells greeted them. Then as it died into silence Andrew shouted, ”Hullo, you there! Did you call?”

”Yes,” shouted four far-away voices.

”They seem to be in the air,” said the Vicar. ”Very remarkable.”

”Where are you?” shouted Andrew; and Cyril replied in his deepest voice, very slow and loud--

”CHURCH! TOWER! TOP!”

”Come down, then!” said Andrew; and the same voice replied--

”_Can't! Door locked!_”

”My goodness!” said the Vicar. ”Andrew, fetch the stable lantern.

Perhaps it would be as well to fetch another man from the village.”

”With the rest of the gang about, very likely. No, sir; if this 'ere ain't a trap--well, may I never! There's cook's cousin at the back door now. He's a keeper, sir, and used to dealing with vicious characters.

And he's got his gun, sir.”

”Hullo there!” shouted Cyril from the church-tower; ”come up and let us out.”

”We're a-coming,” said Andrew. ”I'm a-going to get a policeman and a gun.”

”Andrew, Andrew,” said the Vicar, ”that's not the truth.”

”It's near enough, sir, for the likes of them.”

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