“Ay, mester, we all tumbled out, and went away down to the gaäts as soon as we’d tumbled out, and they’re all knocked down and the water in.”
“Knocked down!” cried the squire.
“Ay,” cried another of the men, “far as we could see; one’s smashed to bits, and brickwork’s all ploughed up.”
“Come along!” said the engineer. “Two of you run on first and get lanthorns.”
The big labourer and another went off back with a heavy trot, and the party were advancing again when a heavy step was heard behind.
“Who’s that?” said Tom.
“Me, lad, me,” came back in the thick hearty voice of the wheelwright. “What’s amiss?”
They told him.
“I was straänge and fast asleep,” he said, “and didn’t hear nowt; but my missus wakkened me, and I come on.”
“Ay, bud it wakkened me, neighbour,” said Dave, who was busy administering to himself a pill. “I’ve slep’ badly since I had that last touch of ager, and I thowt some un was broosting in the wall, and as soon as I jumped up and looked out, the plaäce seemed alive, for all the birds in the fen were flying round and round, and you could hear their wings whistling as they flew away. I was scarred.”