Madden shoved through to where two men stooped over a long body, dimly
seen on the decking. The two men were Hogan and Deschaillon.
With his strange feeling still strong upon him, Madden knelt between the
two. Caradoc lay limp and motionless, with a dark stain slowly spreading
on the boards under his head.
"Tell me about this," commanded Leonard, thrusting a hand under the
prostrate man's shirt and feeling for his heart. The request set loose a
babble.
"'E did it 'isself, sor!" "Split hopen 'is own 'ead, right enough!"
"W'ack, 'e took 'isself, w'ack!" "Aye, that 'e did, sor!" "It sounds
queer, an' it looked queerer, but 'e did, sor!"
Madden made a sharp angry gesture for silence, "One at a time. Mulcher,
what happened?"
"'E comes in, Mr. Madden," began the cockney more composedly, "an' says,
'Forward, men, lively now,' an' Galton 'e turns an' says, 'Ye may take
that, ye--'"
Again came the irrepressible chorus, "Aye, that 'e did, sor!"
"If a man speaks before I address him, I'll brain him!" shouted Madden.
"Hogan, what happened?"
"If you plaze, Misther Madden, Misther Smith came in and asked iv'rybody
to stip forward and quit atin' up th' grub. Galton was mad innyway, an'
had a glass o' whiskey in his hand. 'Quit atin'!' yills Galton.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171