“No, I do not, but if I had been present when they disparaged Mr Falcon, I should have stood up for him, as I will do until he arrives to defend himself; and as you have always been credited, squire, with not being prejudiced against the accused until you hear what he has to say, I hope you will not be hasty in believing all you hear.”
“When we get strong confirmation—proof after proof against Falcon, I suppose you will give in then, doctor?”
“Oh, yes, squire, I will undertake to eat my own words if you can convince me that I am wrong, for I look upon this episode in ballooning as a farcical affair!”
“That will do, doctor, please, for it may sooner than you expect present a much more serious aspect! Of course, you will give your patients a look in the morning?”
“Most certainly. I have well dressed the balloonist’s head.”
“Don’t fear, doctor, that he will turn out ungrateful, for if one-half of what I hear is true, he may return the compliment before long by giving you a dressing.”
“I am sorry to see you influenced, squire, by such absurd trash. Don’t believe a word of it. Au revoir.”
When the squire hastened down the park to see if the man who had discharged the gun had been seen, he found that the local policeman and Bennet had not yet returned from their chase after the two men from the back part of Wedwell Hall, who had been seen to run away in a northerly direction, where they might have met and injured the cook.
Just before the aeronaut had gone aloft for the last trip, Warner had suddenly appeared on the scene, though not expected, but he had not sufficient time to tell Mr Goodall the object of his visit. Thinking it, therefore, just possible that he might not see the aeronaut again for some little time to describe what brought him down to Wedwell Park, he went into the gamekeeper’s cottage and wrote down on a slip of paper a memorandum of particulars and left the same for early delivery to Mr Goodall.
The captain brought it up to the Hall, accompanied by the squire, after they had seen that the pilot, together with a good staff of workmen had been told off to look after the balloon during the night.