wessex tales-第53章

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this！　　Why　don't　they　come　and　help　us？　　There's　not　a　man　about　the
place　but　the　Methodist　parson；　and　he's　an　old　woman。　　I　demand
assistance　in　the　king's　name！'

'We　must　find　the　jineral　public　afore　we　can　demand　that；'　said　his
lieutenant。

'Well；　well；　we　shall　do　better　without　'em；'　said　Latimer；　who
changed　his　moods　at　a　moment's　notice。　　'But　there's　great　cause　of
suspicion　in　this　silence　and　this　keeping　out　of　sight；　and　I'll
bear　it　in　mind。　　Now　we　will　go　across　to　Owlett's　orchard；　and　see
what　we　can　find　there。'

Stockdale；　who　heard　this　discussion　from　the　garden…gate；　over
which　he　had　been　leaning；　was　rather　alarmed；　and　thought　it　a
mistake　of　the　villagers　to　keep　so　completely　out　of　the　way。　　He
himself；　like　the　excisemen；　had　been　wondering　for　the　last　half…
hour　what　could　have　become　of　them。　　Some　labourers　were　of
necessity　engaged　in　distant　fields；　but　the　master…workmen　should
have　been　at　home；　though　one　and　all；　after　just　showing　themselves
at　their　shops；　had　apparently　gone　off　for　the　day。　　He　went　in　to
Lizzy；　who　sat　at　a　back　window　sewing；　and　said；　'Lizzy；　where　are
the　men？'

Lizzy　laughed。　　'Where　they　mostly　are　when　they're　run　so　hard　as
this。'　　She　cast　her　eyes　to　heaven。　　'Up　there；'　she　said。

Stockdale　looked　up。　　'Whaton　the　top　of　the　church　tower？'　he
asked；　seeing　the　direction　of　her　glance。

'Yes。'

'Well；　I　expect　they　will　soon　have　to　come　down；'　said　he　gravely。
'I　have　been　listening　to　the　officers；　and　they　are　going　to　search
the　orchard　over　again；　and　then　every　nook　in　the　church。'

Lizzy　looked　alarmed　for　the　first　time。　　'Will　you　go　and　tell　our
folk？'　she　said。　　'They　ought　to　be　let　know。'　　Seeing　his
conscience　struggling　within　him　like　a　boiling　pot；　she　added；　'No；
never　mind；　I'll　go　myself。'

She　went　out；　descended　the　garden；　and　climbed　over　the　churchyard
wall　at　the　same　time　that　the　preventive…men　were　ascending　the
road　to　the　orchard。　　Stockdale　could　do　no　less　than　follow　her。
By　the　time　that　she　reached　the　tower　entrance　he　was　at　her　side；
and　they　entered　together。

Nether…Moynton　church…tower　was；　as　in　many　villages；　without　a
turret；　and　the　only　way　to　the　top　was　by　going　up　to　the　singers'
gallery；　and　thence　ascending　by　a　ladder　to　a　square　trap…door　in
the　floor　of　the　bell…loft；　above　which　a　permanent　ladder　was
fixed；　passing　through　the　bells　to　a　hole　in　the　roof。　　When　Lizzy
and　Stockdale　reached　the　gallery　and　looked　up；　nothing　but　the
trap…door　and　the　five　holes　for　the　bell…ropes　appeared。　　The
ladder　was　gone。

'There's　no　getting　up；'　said　Stockdale。

'O　yes；　there　is；'　said　she。　　'There's　an　eye　looking　at　us　at　this
moment　through　a　knot…hole　in　that　trap…door。'

And　as　she　spoke　the　trap　opened；　and　the　dark　line　of　the　ladder
was　seen　descending　against　the　white…washed　wall。　　When　it　touched
the　bottom　Lizzy　dragged　it　to　its　place；　and　said；　'If　you'll　go
up；　I'll　follow。'

The　young　man　ascended；　and　presently　found　himself　among
consecrated　bells　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　nonconformity
having　been　in　the　Stockdale　blood　for　some　generations。　　He　eyed
them　uneasily；　and　looked　round　for　Lizzy。　　Owlett　stood　here；
holding　the　top　of　the　ladder。

'What；　be　you　really　one　of　us？'　said　the　miller。

'It　seems　so；'　said　Stockdale　sadly。

'He's　not；'　said　Lizzy；　who　overheard。　　'He's　neither　for　nor
against　us。　　He'll　do　us　no　harm。'

She　stepped　up　beside　them；　and　then　they　went　on　to　the　next　stage；
which；　when　they　had　clambered　over　the　dusty　bell…carriages；　was　of
easy　ascent；　leading　towards　the　hole　through　which　the　pale　sky
appeared；　and　into　the　open　air。　　Owlett　remained　behind　for　a
moment；　to　pull　up　the　lower　ladder。

'Keep　down　your　heads；'　said　a　voice；　as　soon　as　they　set　foot　on
the　flat。

Stockdale　here　beheld　all　the　missing　parishioners；　lying　on　their
stomachs　on　the　tower　roof；　except　a　few　who；　elevated　on　their
hands　and　knees；　were　peeping　through　the　embrasures　of　the　parapet。
Stockdale　did　the　same；　and　saw　the　village　lying　like　a　map　below
him；　over　which　moved　the　figures　of　the　excisemen；　each
foreshortened　to　a　crablike　object；　the　crown　of　his　hat　forming　a
circular　disc　in　the　centre　of　him。　　Some　of　the　men　had　turned
their　heads　when　the　young　preacher's　figure　arose　among　them。

'What；　Mr。　Stockdale？'　said　Matt　Grey；　in　a　tone　of　surprise。

'I'd　as　lief　that　it　hadn't　been；'　said　Jim　Clarke。　　'If　the　pa'son
should　see　him　a　trespassing　here　in　his　tower；　'twould　be　none　the
better　for　we；　seeing　how　'a　do　hate　chapel…members。　　He'd　never　buy
a　tub　of　us　again；　and　he's　as　good　a　customer　as　we　have　got　this
side　o'　Warm'll。'

'Where　is　the　pa'son？'　said　Lizzy。

'In　his　house；　to　be　sure；　that　he　mid　see　nothing　of　what's　going
onwhere　all　good　folks　ought　to　be；　and　this　young　man　likewise。'

'Well；　he　has　brought　some　news；'　said　Lizzy。　　'They　are　going　to
search　the　orchet　and　church；　can　we　do　anything　if　they　should
find？'

'Yes；'　said　her　cousin　Owlett。　　'That's　what　we've　been　talking　o'；
and　we　have　settled　our　line。　　Well；　be　dazed！'

The　exclamation　was　caused　by　his　perceiving　that　some　of　the
searchers；　having　got　into　the　orchard；　and　begun　stooping　and
creeping　hither　and　thither；　were　pausing　in　the　middle；　where　a
tree　smaller　than　the　rest　was　growing。　　They　drew　closer；　and　bent
lower　than　ever　upon　the　ground。

'O；　my　tubs！'　said　Lizzy　faintly；　as　she　peered　through　the　parapet
at　them。

'They　have　got　'em；　'a　b'lieve；'　said　Owlett。

The　interest　in　the　movements　of　the　officers　was　so　keen　that　not　a
single　eye　was　looking　in　any　other　direction；　but　at　that　moment　a
shout　from　the　church　beneath　them　attracted　the　attention　of　the
smugglers；　as　it　did　also　of　the　party　in　the　orchard；　who　sprang　to
their　feet　and　went　towards　the　churchyard　wall。　　At　the　same　time
those　of　the　Government　men　who　had　entered　the　church　unperceived
by　the　smugglers　cried　aloud；　'Here　be　some　of　'em　at　last。'

The　smugglers　remained　in　a　blank　silence；　uncertain　whether　'some
of　'em'　meant　tubs　or　men；　but　again　peeping　cautiously　over　the
edge　of　the　tower　they　learnt　that　tubs　were　the　things　descried；
and　soon　these　fated　articles　were　brought　one　by　one　into　the
middle　of　the　churchyard　from　their　hiding…place　under　the　gallery…
stairs。

'They　are　going　to　put　'em　on　Hinton's　vault　till　they　find　the
rest！'　said　Lizzy　hopelessly。　　The　excisemen　had；　in　fact；　begun　to
pile　up　the　tubs　on　a　large　stone　slab　which　was　fixed　there；　and
when　all　were　brought　out　from　the　tower；　two　or　three　of　the　men
were　left　standing　by　them；　the　rest　of　the　party　again　proceeding
to　the　orchard。

The　interest　of　the　smugglers　in　the　next　manoeuvres　of　their
enemies　became　painfully　intense。　　Only　about　thirty　tubs　had　been
secreted　in　the　lumber　of　the　tower；　but　seventy　were　hidden　in　the
orchard；　making　up　all　that　they　had　brought　ashore　as　yet；　the
remainder　of　the　cargo　having　been　tied　to　a　sinker　and　dropped
overboard　for　another　night's　operations。　　The　excisemen；　having　re…
entered　the　orchard；　acted　as　if　they　were　positive　that　here　lay
hidden　the　rest　of　the　tubs；　which　they　were　determined　to　find
before　nightfall。　　They　spread　themselves　out　round　the　field；　and
advancing　on　all　fours　as　before；　went　anew　round　every　apple…tree
in　the　enclosure。　　The　young　tree　in　the　middle　again　led　them　to
pause；　and　at　length　the　whole　company　gathered　there　in　a　way　which
signified　that　a　second　chain　of　reasoning　had　led　to　the　same
results　as　the　first。

When　they　had　examined　the　sod　hereabouts　for　some　minutes；　one　of
the　men　rose；　ran　to　a　disused　porch　of　the　church　where　tools　were
kept；　and　returned　with　the　sexton's　pickaxe　and　shovel；　with　which
they　set　to　work。

'Are　they　really　buried　there？'　said　the　minister；　for　the　grass　was
so　green　and　uninjured　that　it　was　difficult　to　believe　it　had　been
disturbed。　　The　smugglers　were　too　interested　to　reply；　and
presently　they　saw；　to　their　chagrin；　the　officers　stand　several　on
each　side　of　the　tree；　and；　stooping　and　applying　their　hands　to　the