The Queen's Scarlet Part 58

"He's gone!" whispered Smiler, whose grotesque face gave him the aspect of enjoying it all as some horrible jest.

For they had hardly decently composed the stiffened figure upon its soft elastic couch before it uttered a low, deep groan.

"Nay," said Joey, in a whisper, "he's with us yet, lads; men don't die when you can see that."

A shudder ran through the group as they leaned forward to gaze at that to which the man pointed, and there plainly to be seen in the great windowless place by the light which came in through the broad, high doorway, they gazed at a slowly-increasing stain which came out upon the scarlet tunic hard by the blackened dried-up patch there at the side.

For the movement had started the wound bleeding afresh, and a bit of experience when a fellow-labourer had his arm crushed in a thres.h.i.+ng-machine years before had taught the speaker that where bleeding continues there must be life still left in the sufferer's veins.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

A GOOD GENIUS.

They were a very ignorant rustic lot these poor farm labourers, but they knew that certain things were now necessary, and Joey, taking the lead as they waited for the help of the surgeon, gave the orders, which were executed at once.

One man seized a clean bucket, and trotted off down the hill to where in the bottom there was a dark dipping place in the lonely narrow stream, and while he was fetching the clear cold water the leader carefully unfastened the tunic.

"Sharpest knife, one o' you," said Joey, and after a little comparison of blades, most of which were ground more or less on their owner's clumsy boots, he selected one, and carefully slit open the s.h.i.+rt and, cutting away enough to form a pad, he pressed it down upon the wound and checked the bleeding.

"Ought to be tied up," he muttered; "but 'tain't like a cut finger: you can't turn him about. We'll wait till doctor comes."

"Won't yer wash it?" said Smiler, with a grin.

"Nay, doctor 'll do that if it's right; we'll try and give him a drink when the water comes, and bathe his face. What did he go and do that for?"

"Think he did?" said Smiler.

"Why, o' course," said another. "Hadn't he got the pistol lying in his fist?"

"Ay," said Joey. "I s'pose some on 'em ain't very comf'able with them drill-sergeants--shoots theirselves in barracks sometimes. Yer see, when a man 'lists, he can't pitch it up again and say 'I've had enough of this.'"

"No, they're 'bliged to stick to it," said Smiler, "'less someun buys 'em out. I dunno, though, but what I'd ha' liked to be a sojer; it's better than spendin' all yer life in a hop-garden, spuddin' and poling and hoeing."

"You!" said Joey, "you a sojer, Smiler?"

"Well, why not? Course, I know my back's a bit twisted, but it would ha' been right enough if I'd been drilled."

"They'd ha' had to drill something else beside your legs and wings, Smiler," said Joey, giving his companions a queer look.

"Eh? What?"

"That mug o' your'n, else you'd ha' been in the Black Hole half your time for laughin' at your officers."

"Yah! Just as if I can help bein' a good-tempered lookin' chap. Dessay as I should make as good a sojer as most on 'em as you see over yonder at those towns. Better be allus on the smile than lookin' savage at everyone."

"Ay, to be sure, Smiler. Wonder, though, what did make this poor chap do it? He's a young un, too, for a sojer. I say, any on you hear his pistol go off last night?"

No one answered; but the man who held the revolver began to examine it.

"Here, just you mind what you're about with that thing," said Smiler.

"I've heard as they'll go off six times o' running. Say, would it hurt un, if I lit my pipe?"

"Nay," said Joey, "and I'd thank one o' you kindly if he'd take mine out o' my pocket and fill and light it for me. Can't be very long now before doctor comes, and I must hold him here downright to stop the bleeding. Ah! I can feel his heart beating just gentle like."

"You can?"

"Ay; and it's a wonder, too. Poor lad! he's been bleeding like a pig."

The lighting of pipes was preceded by the careful putting away of the pistol, and just as the men were all puffing contentedly away, Smiler said--

"Master won't find they ten acres of hops washed if he comes 'ome to-night."

"No," said Joey; "but you can't wash hops when you're finding sojers nearly dead in the alleys.--An' here's the water. Ain't hurried yerself much, lad."

"Who's to run up hill with a pail o' water?" grumbled the man as Smiler began bathing the edge of the wound, after pouring a little water between the lips, but apparently without any effect.

Then the smoking went on in silence for a while, till Smiler asked whether the heart was still beating.

"Ay, I keep feeling it," said Joe. "S'pose one o' you goes up in one o'

the cowls and looks out: you'll see if the pleeceman's coming. I'm getting a bit tired o' holding my hand to his heart."

"Let me do it now," said Smiler.

"Nay, I begun it, and I'm going on till the pleeceman comes."

One of the men had climbed up the steps at once, and they heard his heavy feet as he crossed the great loft where the hops were pressed heavily into the pockets. Five minutes after he was down again to announce that the constable was on his way, and a few minutes after the one man stationed at the tiny hamlet a short distance away came in, red-faced and eager, for, saving over a little egg-stealing and mild poaching, it was rare for his services to be called for.

Hence he bustled in, looking very important, and drew out a note-book and pencil, examined the sufferer, asked a few questions, made a show of putting down the answers, with a sad hieroglyphical result, and then turned to Joey.

"Now, then," he said, "I'll take charge of him; and one of you must go for the doctor."

"Doctor!" cried Joe indignantly. "Why, we sent for him goin' on for hour ago."

"Ho! well: stand aside!"

"What for?"

"Don't you stand arguin', or you may get yourself into trouble," said the constable importantly. "Stand aside!"

"Shan't!"

"What!" cried the constable, gripping the labourer by the arm.

"Can't you see what I'm doing? Want the poor young chap to bleed to death?"

"How was I to know?" cried the constable. "Why didn't you say you were doing it? Why don't you tie him up?"