This time there were two lit-tle shrieks.
"I should like to know what they'll do next! As to their threats to pull
me out, I on-ly wish they could. I'm sure I don't want to stay in here."
She wait-ed for some time, but all was still; at last came the noise of
small cart wheels and the sound of voi-ces, from which she made out the
words, "Where's the oth-er lad-der? Why, I hadn't to bring but one;
Bill's got the oth-er. Bill, fetch it here, lad! Here, put 'em up at
this place. No, tie 'em first--they don't reach half as high as they
should yet--oh, they'll do. Here, Bill! catch hold of this rope--Will
the roof bear? Mind that loose slate--oh, here it comes! Look out. (A
loud crash.)--Now who did that? It was Bill, I guess--Who's to go down
the chim-ney? Nay, I shan't! You do it!--That I won't then!--Bill's got
to go down--Here, Bill, you've got to go down the chim-ney!"
"Oh, so Bill's got to come down, has he?" said Al-ice to her-self. "Why,
they seem to put all the work on Bill. I wouldn't be in Bill's place for
a good deal; this fire-place is small, to be sure, but I think I can
kick some."
She drew her foot as far down as she could, and wait-ed till she heard a
small beast (she couldn't guess of what sort it was) come scratch!
scratch! down the chim-ney quite close to her; then she said to
her-self: "This is Bill," gave one sharp kick and wait-ed to see what
would hap-pen next.
[Illustration]
The first thing she heard was, "There goes Bill!" then the Rab-bit's
voice, "Catch him, you by the hedge!" Then all was still, then the
voices--"Hold up his head--Wine now--Don't choke him--How was it, old
fel-low? What sent you up so fast? Tell us all a-bout it!"
Last came a weak voice ("That's Bill," thought Al-ice), "Well, I don't
know--no more, thank'ye, I'm not so weak now--but I'm a deal too shocked
to tell you--all I know is, a thing comes at me like a Jack-in-the-box,
and up I goes like a rocket.
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