Chapter 6: Nearly Five to One
Tommo remembers when they buried Bertha they did nothing special. They didn't sing, or talk because they were too angry at the Colonel to say anything. Then Big Joe disappears. No-one minds because he usually went out, but when he didn't come back for dinner everyone began to get worried. They knew something was wrong because he was scared of the dark so they went out to find him. They split off in groups, but no-one found him. They had to go up to the Big House to ask for the Colonel's help. They went to the village to raise alarm, and then everyone in the town went looking for him, in their land, their sheds, their barns. They agreed that if anyone found him, they would sound the church bell. Eventually, Molly says that once Big Joe said that Heaven was at the top of the church tower, and that he might want to be with Bertha so he might have gone up there. Charlie and Tommo run up there, and find him sleeping and sucking his thumb in the church tower.
Tommo remembers when they buried Bertha they did nothing special. They didn't sing, or talk because they were too angry at the Colonel to say anything. Then Big Joe disappears. No-one minds because he usually went out, but when he didn't come back for dinner everyone began to get worried. They knew something was wrong because he was scared of the dark so they went out to find him. They split off in groups, but no-one found him. They had to go up to the Big House to ask for the Colonel's help. They went to the village to raise alarm, and then everyone in the town went looking for him, in their land, their sheds, their barns. They agreed that if anyone found him, they would sound the church bell. Eventually, Molly says that once Big Joe said that Heaven was at the top of the church tower, and that he might want to be with Bertha so he might have gone up there. Charlie and Tommo run up there, and find him sleeping and sucking his thumb in the church tower.