Part 13 (2/2)

When he had unravelled it as before, he had: ”Why you failed?

Expect--Balloon--Rope”.

He was astounded: and could only conclude that O'Hara had not delivered his message.

And as the image of O'Hara had mixed itself with his thoughts of the copse, so now the image of Fred Bates mixed itself with the balloon.

It was partly through _his_ evidence that Bates was here...!

On the third day Bates, as though he had just left off, resumed his story:

”You know Seely's, the general shop, at Priddlestone”, said he; ”it was there we always did our Wednesday-night marketin'--n.o.body would believe what high old jinks those Wednesday pay-days was to us Great Eastern blokes! By the time we reached Priddlestone, we had a quart of four-ale down us, let alone what we'd had before, and, as the saying is, one gla.s.s leads to another. By now we was feeling just nicely, thank you, and instead of going to Seely's, we took a short cut to 'The Broom', and it was going on for past eleven when we found ourselves in--you know the beechwood between Priddlestone and Thring--she singing all the time with her head thrown back, at the top of her voice.

”Hogarth, it gives me the creeps to think of! Suddenly it looked as if the whole wood was lit up: there was the sky all cut up with streamers, I saw my Kit quite plain, then all at once there was a whis.h.i.+n' and a rus.h.i.+n' among the trees, like steam--and I saw my Kit drop smack. In two ticks my head was sober: but, as I ran to her, I staggered sideways upon my left hand, and I let such a _yell_ out of me--had put my hand upon something flamin' hot.

”The minute I bent over my old woman I knew she was a deader; and I dropped down, and I called of her, and I shook of her, and it was quite two hours before I come to myself properly, by which time the affair what struck her down was gone out in darkness. Of course, the first thing I thought of was the old gent at Lagden. 'This should mean a cool thou', says I to myself. But I knew I should be arrested first thing in the morning, except I told plain out what had happened: and that, you bet, I didn't mean to do, for if once I mentioned that there piece of iron before I had it safe off the lord-o'-the-manor's land, I knew it 'ud be taken from me. But to take it off before another day or two was out of the question--it was too hot. So says I to myself: 'I'll _get_ convicted; and to-night I'll write a letter to Bob, telling him where to find the affair, how to get the thou, and _after_ he's got it, how to set about gettin' the case retried '.

”Well, so said, so done. You know that old elm in the beech-wood? I dug a grave at the foot of it, and managed to kick and roll the affair into the grave, then I took up my Kit, carried her home, and by the time I pegged out the letter to Bob, I saw day breakin'. So I made paces for Beccles, knocked up old Harris, and gave him the letter for Bob. By eight o'clock I was arrested--”

At this point the 5.15 recall-bell rang out, and there was falling into line.

The next time that they had speech together, Hogarth said: ”And were you such a clown, Fred Bates, as to imperil your life for a paltry thousand pounds?”

”_Paltry_ thousand pounds?” answered Bates, surprised: ”Hark at this!

Didn't I peril my life ten times more in Egypt for a bob a day? I tell you I was certain in my own mind of getting out in a few weeks!”

”Well, what happened to prevent you?”

”Only this: Bob died on the troop-s.h.i.+p coming home; that's all”.

”But you could write old Harris to open your letter to Bob, and act on it, or else hand it over to your father”.

”My word, but haven't I wrote? Old 'Arris is either dead and buried, or gorn away, or somethin'. I've waited a year and nine months--good G.o.d!

and no answer yet”.

”Poor Fred! I could weep blood for you. Believe in G.o.d!”

”More Devil than G.o.d about Colmoor, it strikes me”.

”As though _you_ knew! Suppose I strike you blind--_now_--with a flash of Him?”

”I don't take your meaning, sir”, said Bates, with a strange heart-bound and sense of awe.

”Do you remember 33 of the quarry-gang, Fred?”

<script>