It is notoriously dangerous to ring a church bell without knowing the
trick of it. Gunner Sobey, having broken into the belfry and laid
hands on the first bell-rope (which happened to be that of the
tenor), had pulled it vigorously, let go too late, and dropped a good
ten feet plumb in a sitting posture.
"Good Lord!" The Vicar peered at him, stooping. "Is that Sobey?"
"It _was_," groaned Sobey. "I'll never be the same man again."
"But what has happened?"
"Happened? Why, I tumbled off the bell-rope. You might ha' guessed
_that_."
"Yes, yes; but why?"
"Because I didn' know how it worked." Gunner Sobey turned his face
away wearily and continued to rub his hurt. "I didn't know till now,
either, that a man could be stunned at this end," he added.
"Man, I see you're suffering, but answer me for goodness' sake!
What's the meaning of all these cattle outside, and the taps running,
and the smoke up yonder on the hill? And why--?"
"I done my best," murmured Gunner Sobey drowsily. "Single-handed I
done it, but I done my best."
"Are you telling me that all this has been _your_ doing?"
"A man can't very well be ten detachments at once, can he?" demanded
the Gunner, sitting erect of a sudden and speaking with an air of
great lucidity. "At least not in the Artillery. The liquor, now--
I've run it out of every public-house in the town; that was
Detachment D's work.
Pages:
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146