Fry defiantly, "then we'll see what people say when I
tells what I've a-seen of a man coming round to your house night-times
these weeks and weeks, and you going out to mun with bread and mate.
I've a-seen mun, for all that you was so false."
Then they dropped their voices, and Mrs. Mugford appeared to be making
new offers. But the Corporal had heard enough. Keeping himself
carefully concealed he walked along the hedge until he found a rack
over it, which seemed to be well worn, leading down to the cottages
below, and by this rack he curled himself up in the bushes, and waited.
In a short time the village was dark and silent, for in those days
oil-lamps were never seen in a cottage; and the Corporal found waiting
rather cold work, but he had bivouacked on colder nights in the wars,
and lay patiently in his place. A little after ten the moon rose, but
it was full eleven o'clock before the Corporal heard the bushes rustle,
and at last made out a man creeping cautiously alongside the hedge.
Nearer and nearer he came, straight to the rack in the hedge, where
after pausing for a moment to listen, he was beginning to scramble up;
when the Corporal suddenly laid hold of his ankles, brought him
sprawling down, rolled him into the hedge-trough, and was instantly on
top of him, with his knee on his chest and his hand on his throat. The
unfortunate creature was too much paralysed by fright to resist; and
the Corporal soon dragged his face round into the moonlight and saw
that he had caught the man that he wanted.
Pages:
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113