And at that moment Fatty., excited beyond words, fell off the hay-rick, and landed with a thud on the ground below. He gave such an agonized yell that the policeman stopped in amazement.
"What's all this-ere?" he said, and glared at Fatty. Then he caught sight of the other children peering anxiously down from the top of the rick, afraid that Fatty had broken all his bones. He was most astonished.
"You come on down!" he roared. "Always children messing about! You wait till the farmer catches you! How long have you been there? What do you mean, spying like this?"
Fatty gave a frightful groan, and the policeman, torn between his desire to rash after the disappearing tramp, and to pull Fatty to his feet and shake him, went up to him.
"Don't touch me! I think I've broken my left leg and my right arm, dislocated both my shoulders and broken my appendix!" said Fatty, who sincerely believed that he was practically killed.
Bets gave a squeal of horror and jumped down to see what she could do to help poor Fatty. The others leapt down too, and Buster danced delightedly round Clear-Orf's ankles. The policeman kicked out at him.
"Clear-orf," he said. "Dogs and children! Always messing about and getting in the way. Now that fellow's gone, and I've missed a chance of questioning him 1"
He waited to see if Fatty was really hurt. But, except for a good shaking, and some fine big bruises, Fatty was not hurt at all. His fat had kept him from breaking any bones!
As soon as the policeman saw the others helping Fatty up, brushing him down, and comforting him, he took a
look round to see if he could make out where the tramp hadgone. But he was nowhere to be seen. He turned to the five children.