Meanwhile, Susan had loosed the man's garments around his throat, while the Vicar placed his hand upon his heart.
"I fear he is dead!" said the Vicar, in tones of anguish.
"Nay," cried Susan, as she observed a green froth gurgling at his mouth, "see, he is breathing!"
By this time Robin had returned from the "Six Bells" with a bottle of brandy in his hand.
Susan took it from the lad and began carefully to moisten the man's lips with the strong spirit, then to pour a small portion down his throat.
Presently a colour flushed into the man's pallid cheeks, and a moment later he opened his eyes and looked wonderingly around.
Then, leaving Susan to attend to the sufferer, the Vicar rose to his feet and looked round upon his parishioners.
"Now tell me, men, what all this means," he said somewhat sternly.
The men looked shamefaced, but their chief spokesman answered the Vicar promptly.
"The man is a Government spy," he said; "he meant mischief to all of us, and especially to you, Vicar. We saw him taking notes of all that you did and said in church, and he warned us that he was a Queen's officer, and that to touch him was a hanging matter; so we just 'touched' him, and if you had not come along with Miss Susan we should have drawn his fangs, and he would never more have wrought mischief to innocent and harmless people."