“You poor boy!” exclaimed Mr. Shull, laying his flashlight down on a box and leaving it still glowing as he raised Bert up. “I’m so sorry! I opened the trapdoor to throw down some old bags and pieces of carpet. Then I had to fix the furnace and I forgot about the trap being open.
“But you haven’t been here so very long, Bert, for I only opened the church about two hours ago. It’s only a little after ten o’clock now, maybe not quite that.”
“Then I’ve been here about two hours,” decided Bert, for he remembered it was about half past eight when he followed Danny into the church.
“Well, you don’t seem to be hurt much,” the sexton went on, as he saw that Bert could stand up. Mr. Shull flashed the light over the boy from head to foot. No bones were broken, though Bert’s clothes were a bit dusty and covered with cobwebs. The boy put his hand to his head.
“Is that where it hurts you?” asked Mr. Shull.
“Yes, sir. I hit my head on something when I fell.”
“It was this box,” and the sexton focused his light on one that rested on the floor just below the opening of the trapdoor. “Let me see, Bert.”
Very gently, while he held the light in one hand, so it was shining on Bert’s head, the sexton passed his fingers over the lad’s scalp.
“It isn’t even cut,” he said. “You’re all right. The blow made you unconscious for a time, but that’s all. I’m very sorry it happened. I’ll help you upstairs and get you a drink of water. That will make you feel better.”
Bert did feel decidedly better after drinking some water, and then the sexton turned on an electric light in the vestibule and made Bert sit down in a chair.