Bythistimenotamalevillagerwastobeseenintheparish。
Owlettwasnotathismill，thefarmerswerenotintheirfields，theparsonwasnotinhisgarden，thesmithhadlefthisforge，andthewheelwright’sshopwassilent。
’Wherethedivilarethefolkgone？’saidLatimer，wakinguptothefactoftheirabsence，andlookinground。’I’llhave’emupforthis！Whydon’ttheycomeandhelpus？There’snotamanabouttheplacebuttheMethodistparson，andhe’sanoldwoman。Idemandassistanceintheking’sname！’
’Wemustfindthejineralpublicaforewecandemandthat，’saidhislieutenant。
’Well，well，weshalldobetterwithout’em，’saidLatimer，whochangedhismoodsatamoment’snotice。’Butthere’sgreatcauseofsuspicioninthissilenceandthiskeepingoutofsight，andI’llbearitinmind。NowwewillgoacrosstoOwlett’sorchard，andseewhatwecanfindthere。’
Stockdale，whoheardthisdiscussionfromthegarden-gate，overwhichhehadbeenleaning，wasratheralarmed，andthoughtitamistakeofthevillagerstokeepsocompletelyoutoftheway。Hehimself，liketheexcisemen，hadbeenwonderingforthelasthalf-
hourwhatcouldhavebecomeofthem。Somelabourerswereofnecessityengagedindistantfields，butthemaster-workmenshouldhavebeenathome；thoughoneandall，afterjustshowingthemselvesattheirshops，hadapparentlygoneofffortheday。HewentintoLizzy，whosatatabackwindowsewing，andsaid，’Lizzy，wherearethemen？’
Lizzylaughed。’Wheretheymostlyarewhenthey’rerunsohardasthis。’Shecasthereyestoheaven。’Upthere，’shesaid。
Stockdalelookedup。’What——onthetopofthechurchtower？’heasked，seeingthedirectionofherglance。
’Yes。’
’Well，Iexpecttheywillsoonhavetocomedown，’saidhegravely。
’Ihavebeenlisteningtotheofficers，andtheyaregoingtosearchtheorchardoveragain，andtheneverynookinthechurch。’
Lizzylookedalarmedforthefirsttime。’Willyougoandtellourfolk？’shesaid。’Theyoughttobeletknow。’Seeinghisconsciencestrugglingwithinhimlikeaboilingpot，sheadded，’No，nevermind，I’llgomyself。’
Shewentout，descendedthegarden，andclimbedoverthechurchyardwallatthesametimethatthepreventive-menwereascendingtheroadtotheorchard。Stockdalecoulddonolessthanfollowher。
Bythetimethatshereachedthetowerentrancehewasatherside，andtheyenteredtogether。
Nether-Moyntonchurch-towerwas，asinmanyvillages，withoutaturret，andtheonlywaytothetopwasbygoinguptothesingers’
gallery，andthenceascendingbyaladdertoasquaretrap-doorinthefloorofthebell-loft，abovewhichapermanentladderwasfixed，passingthroughthebellstoaholeintheroof。WhenLizzyandStockdalereachedthegalleryandlookedup，nothingbutthetrap-doorandthefiveholesforthebell-ropesappeared。Theladderwasgone。
’There’snogettingup，’saidStockdale。
’Oyes，thereis，’saidshe。’There’saneyelookingatusatthismomentthroughaknot-holeinthattrap-door。’
Andasshespokethetrapopened，andthedarklineoftheladderwasseendescendingagainstthewhite-washedwall。WhenittouchedthebottomLizzydraggedittoitsplace，andsaid，’Ifyou’llgoup，I’llfollow。’
Theyoungmanascended，andpresentlyfoundhimselfamongconsecratedbellsforthefirsttimeinhislife，nonconformityhavingbeenintheStockdalebloodforsomegenerations。Heeyedthemuneasily，andlookedroundforLizzy。Owlettstoodhere，holdingthetopoftheladder。
’What，beyoureallyoneofus？’saidthemiller。
’Itseemsso，’saidStockdalesadly。
’He’snot，’saidLizzy，whooverheard。’He’sneitherfornoragainstus。He’lldousnoharm。’
Shesteppedupbesidethem，andthentheywentontothenextstage，which，whentheyhadclamberedoverthedustybell-carriages，wasofeasyascent，leadingtowardstheholethroughwhichthepaleskyappeared，andintotheopenair。Owlettremainedbehindforamoment，topullupthelowerladder。
’Keepdownyourheads，’saidavoice，assoonastheysetfootontheflat。
Stockdaleherebeheldallthemissingparishioners，lyingontheirstomachsonthetowerroof，exceptafewwho，elevatedontheirhandsandknees，werepeepingthroughtheembrasuresoftheparapet。
Stockdaledidthesame，andsawthevillagelyinglikeamapbelowhim，overwhichmovedthefiguresoftheexcisemen，eachforeshortenedtoacrablikeobject，thecrownofhishatformingacirculardiscinthecentreofhim。Someofthemenhadturnedtheirheadswhentheyoungpreacher’sfigurearoseamongthem。
’What，Mr。Stockdale？’saidMattGrey，inatoneofsurprise。
’I’dasliefthatithadn’tbeen，’saidJimClarke。’Ifthepa’sonshouldseehimatrespassinghereinhistower，’twouldbenonethebetterforwe，seeinghow’adohatechapel-members。He’dneverbuyatubofusagain，andhe’sasgoodacustomeraswehavegotthissideo’Warm’ll。’
’Whereisthepa’son？’saidLizzy。
’Inhishouse，tobesure，thathemidseenothingofwhat’sgoingon——whereallgoodfolksoughttobe，andthisyoungmanlikewise。’
’Well，hehasbroughtsomenews，’saidLizzy。’Theyaregoingtosearchtheorchetandchurch；canwedoanythingiftheyshouldfind？’
’Yes，’saidhercousinOwlett。’That’swhatwe’vebeentalkingo’，andwehavesettledourline。Well，bedazed！’
Theexclamationwascausedbyhisperceivingthatsomeofthesearchers，havinggotintotheorchard，andbegunstoopingandcreepinghitherandthither，werepausinginthemiddle，whereatreesmallerthantherestwasgrowing。Theydrewcloser，andbentlowerthaneverupontheground。
’O，mytubs！’saidLizzyfaintly，asshepeeredthroughtheparapetatthem。
’Theyhavegot’em，’ab’lieve，’saidOwlett。
Theinterestinthemovementsoftheofficerswassokeenthatnotasingleeyewaslookinginanyotherdirection；butatthatmomentashoutfromthechurchbeneaththemattractedtheattentionofthesmugglers，asitdidalsoofthepartyintheorchard，whosprangtotheirfeetandwenttowardsthechurchyardwall。AtthesametimethoseoftheGovernmentmenwhohadenteredthechurchunperceivedbythesmugglerscriedaloud，’Herebesomeof’ematlast。’
Thesmugglersremainedinablanksilence，uncertainwhether’someof’em’meanttubsormen；butagainpeepingcautiouslyovertheedgeofthetowertheylearntthattubswerethethingsdescried；
andsoonthesefatedarticleswerebroughtonebyoneintothemiddleofthechurchyardfromtheirhiding-placeunderthegallery-
stairs。
’Theyaregoingtoput’emonHinton’svaulttilltheyfindtherest！’saidLizzyhopelessly。Theexcisemenhad，infact，beguntopileupthetubsonalargestoneslabwhichwasfixedthere；andwhenallwerebroughtoutfromthetower，twoorthreeofthemenwereleftstandingbythem，therestofthepartyagainproceedingtotheorchard。
Theinterestofthesmugglersinthenextmanoeuvresoftheirenemiesbecamepainfullyintense。Onlyaboutthirtytubshadbeensecretedinthelumberofthetower，butseventywerehiddenintheorchard，makingupallthattheyhadbroughtashoreasyet，theremainderofthecargohavingbeentiedtoasinkeranddroppedoverboardforanothernight’soperations。Theexcisemen，havingre-
enteredtheorchard，actedasiftheywerepositivethatherelayhiddentherestofthetubs，whichtheyweredeterminedtofindbeforenightfall。Theyspreadthemselvesoutroundthefield，andadvancingonallfoursasbefore，wentanewroundeveryapple-treeintheenclosure。Theyoungtreeinthemiddleagainledthemtopause，andatlengththewholecompanygatheredthereinawaywhichsignifiedthatasecondchainofreasoninghadledtothesameresultsasthefirst。
Whentheyhadexaminedthesodhereaboutsforsomeminutes，oneofthemenrose，rantoadisusedporchofthechurchwheretoolswerekept，andreturnedwiththesexton’spickaxeandshovel，withwhichtheysettowork。
’Aretheyreallyburiedthere？’saidtheminister，forthegrasswassogreenanduninjuredthatitwasdifficulttobelieveithadbeendisturbed。Thesmugglersweretoointerestedtoreply，andpresentlytheysaw，totheirchagrin，theofficersstandseveraloneachsideofthetree；and，stoopingandapplyingtheirhandstothesoil，theybodilyliftedthetreeandtheturfaroundit。Theapple-treenowshoweditselftobegrowinginashallowbox，withhandlesforliftingateachofthefoursides。Underthesiteofthetreeasquareholewasrevealed，andanexcisemanwentandlookeddown。
’Itisallupnow，’saidOwlettquietly。’Andnowallofyegetdownbeforetheynoticewearehere；andbereadyforournextmove。
Ihadbetterbideheretilldark，ortheymaytakemeonsuspicion，as’tisonmyground。I’llbewithyeassoonasdaylightbeginstopinkin。’
’AndI？’saidLizzy。
’Youpleaselooktothelinch-pinsandscrews；thengoindoorsandknownothingatall。Thechapswilldotherest。’
