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Some of those brought up are quite dead, poor blackened corpses; others still live, and are borne home, moaning piteously. From the limbs of many the skin peels with a touch. Some, less terribly injured, run and leap like madmen when they reach the open fresh air; some come up utterly blinded. And oh, what a vale of tears is that village of Langhurst the livelong night!
Well, my friend for we are friends, I see, in the best of bonds now I have not long to stay now, but I just want to ask you one thing. I should like to have a total abstinence meeting next month in Langhurst. Will you say a word for us?
His enemies let him alone for a short time after his wife's death for there is a measure of rugged consideration even among profligates and drunkards. But a storm had been brewing, and it fell at last when Ned Brierley had been gone from Langhurst about a month.
It was now the middle of October, just three days after the flight of Samuel Johnson from Langhurst, as recorded in the opening of our story. As the captain and his two companions turned the corner of the street they came upon a group which arrested their attention at once. Standing not far from the door of a public-house was a lad of about fourteen years of age.
He had not gone many paces when a sudden thought seemed to strike him, and he turned out of the road by which he had come, and crossing by a little foot-bridge a stream which ran at the bottom of a high bank on his right hand, climbed up some steep ground on the other side, and emerged into a field, from which a footpath led along the border of several meadows into the upper part of Langhurst.
"Well, Ned were my best friend on earth, for you must know it were he as got me to sign the pledge. That were arter I got well arter the explosion. Ye heard of the explosion?" "Yes," replied Samuel; "I heard on it arter I left Langhurst." "It were a marvellous mercy," continued his father, "as I were spared.
So all traces of Thomas Johnson were utterly lost to Langhurst. And now we must leave the mystery for a future unravelling, and return to Abraham Oliphant and his guests at "The Rocks." For several days Hubert and Frank remained with Mr Oliphant, riding out among the hills and into the town, as pleasure or business called them.
"We've always gotten the news of Langhurst from Uncle Job," said Betty. "He settled with the landlord about our rent, and our few odd bits of things; and he was to send us any letter as came from yourself." "And so you've been here ever since?" "Yes. Our John's mother died two years since come Christmas; and then fayther came to live with us.
Then, besides, you were not come back to us; and I were very down about your poor mother, so that I were casting about to see if I couldn't find work somewhere at a distance from Langhurst, where I could make a fresh start.
It were in the November arter the explosion that same total abstinence chap as got yourself to sign came to our house, and axed me to tell my experience at a meeting as was to be held in Langhurst on the twenty-third of the month. I'd sooner have had nothing to do wi't, but our Betty said she thought I were bound to speak for the good of the cause, so I told the gentleman as I would.
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