“Where’s the doctor?” said Father McCormack. “If there’s any truth in it he’ll be sure to know.”
“If so be that such a telegram was sent,” said Doyle, “it’ll be on account of something that fellow Ford has been doing. He was always against us.”
“Where’s the doctor?” said Father McCormack helplessly.
“Probably bolted,” said the Major. “If Ford’s news is true that’s the only thing for the doctor to do.”
“He was with me half-an-hour ago,” said Doyle, “taking a look round at the luncheon and the rest of it. He went away back to his house to clean himself. If he knew——but he didn’t.”
“I’ll go and see him at once,” said Father McCormack.
“You’ll find that he’s cut and run,” said the Major.
“You needn’t go, Father,” said Doyle, “for Thady Gallagher’s just after going to him, and I see him coming back at the far end of the street this minute.”
Thady Gallagher pushed his way through the crowd which had gathered thickly at the lower end of the square. It was plain from the way he elbowed the people who stood in his way that he was in a very bad temper indeed. He strode up to the Major’s trap and began to speak at the top of his voice.
“Let me tell you this, gentlemen,” he said: “if you deserve the name of gentlemen, which you don’t, that the conspiracy which you’re engaged in for insulting the people of this district by means of a tune——”