The song still grew nearer and louder,
and even as we looked we saw it turning the corner through the hedges
of the orchards and closes, a good clump of men, more armed, as it
would seem, than our villagers, as the low sun flashed back from many
points of bright iron and steel. The words of the song could now be
heard, and amidst them I could pick out Will Green's late challenge to
me and my answer; but as I was bending all my mind to disentangle more
words from the music, suddenly from the new white tower behind us
clashed out the church bells, harsh and hurried at first, but
presently falling into measured chime; and at the first sound of them
a great shout went up from us and was echoed by the new-comers, "John
Ball hath rung our bell!" Then we pressed on, and presently we were
all mingled together at the cross.
Will Green had good-naturedly thrust and pulled me forward, so that I
found myself standing on the lowest step of the cross, his seventy-two
inches of man on one side of me. He chuckled while I panted, and
said:
"There's for thee a good hearing and seeing stead, old lad.
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