"Yes, and how'd you like to have all the kids callin' you 'Quitter' and tellin' you to go play with Biscuit Westfall?"
"You don't think I'm goin' to quit now, do you?" muttered Gizzard peevishly. "Can't I talk about some'pm to eat without goin' home to get it? Cer'nly I can!"
"Well, don't let's talk about it, anyway," was Sube's conciliatory reply. "I'm hungry enough as it is--"
At this point a family of bats that lived far up in the steeple decided to go out in search of their evening meal. For a few moments the air was literally filled with flapping wings. The youthful bellringers nearly died of fright before they discovered the cause of the mysterious noises.
By the time that they had recovered from this shock, the floor had begun to feel very much harder, and after a little they decided to lie down and rest their heads on the mysterious bundles they had brought with them. Suddenly Gizzard sat up with a jerk.
"Say!" he gasped. "Now we _are_ up against it!"
"We dassent ring that bell!" Gizzard exclaimed in a tone of subdued alarm.
"Why not! I'd like to know!" demanded Sube, rising quickly to a sitting posture.
"With ol' Hank Morley waitin' right at the bottom of the ladder when we come down!"
Sube collapsed. "Gosh! I didn't think about that."
"The minute we begun to ring that bell," Gizzard enlarged, "he'd duck right to the bottom of the ladder, and he'd wait there for us if we stayed up here a week!" After a moment he added hoarsely, "Prob'ly they'd starve us out!--Or else send Dan Lannon up after us!"
"Well," Sube responded weakly, "we can't get out _now_! We got to wait till ol' Hank goes home--"
"Yes, and we'll miss the bonfire!" whined Gizzard. "You got me into a _nice_ pickle this time!"
"Well, why didn't you think of it before?" was Sube's feeble defense.
"Why didn't _you_ think of it when you was thinkin' of the rest?" returned Gizzard. Then contriving a particularly cruel thrust he added maliciously: "This'll be a _nice_ way to celebrate the ever-glorious Fourth!"
If Gizzard could have seen Sube's face he would have felt repaid for his efforts; but darkness prevented, and the depths of Sube's chagrin were never known.
Then Gizzard stabbed again. "This'll be a ever-glorious place to see that ever-glorious bonfire," he taunted.