Page:Herbert Jenkins - Return of Alfred.djvu/237



RE you the village constable ?"

"I be, sir," replied John Postle, wishing he were in uniform, and that he had selected an- other day for cleaning out the fowl-house. The indica- tions all pointed to "a case."

"I have been assaulted!"

The speaker was the man in the brown-and-white check suit whom Eric had "pinked," as he called it, the previous Saturday afternoon on the way back from Norwich.

"Assaulted, sir ! You don't mean it." John Postle's heart leapt with joy.

In a flash he saw his portrait in the papers, particu- larly the London papers. He saw himself arresting dangerous characters, he saw himself promoted. He saw

"Where ha' you been assaulted, sir?" he heard him- self enquiring.

"About three miles from here," said the stranger, and he went on to say that he had been forced to accept a lift to Norwich from a passing carter, both for him- self and his motor bicycle. This accounted for the de- lay in lodging his complaint.

"Ay, but what part o' the body, sir?" asked Postle eagerly. He was more than ever resentful that the fowls should have claimed him on this of all days. His uniform would have made all the difference in the world. 233