Then mount this horse, my friend--your neck will be quite safe--and
ride to the doctor's and ask him to come instantly; then on to the hall;
tell them all that you know, and bid them send me the carriage, with
Lady Anne's maid and help. I shall stay here.
All right, sir, I'll do my best, and I pray God the dear young lady may
open her eyes soon. Then, seeing the other man, he called out, Here,
Joe, run for some water, and tell my missis to come as quick as she can
to the Lady Anne.
He then somehow scrambled into the saddle, and with a Gee up and a
clap on my sides with both his legs, he started on his journey, making
a little circuit to avoid the dike. He had no whip, which seemed to
trouble him; but my pace soon cured that difficulty, and he found the
best thing he could do was to stick to the saddle and hold me in, which
he did manfully. I shook him as little as I could help, but once or
twice on the rough ground he called out, Steady! Woah! Steady! On the
highroad we were all right; and at the doctor's and the hall he did his
errand like a good man and true. They asked him in to take a drop of
something. No, no, he said; I'll be back to 'em again by a short cut
through the fields, and be there afore the carriage.
There was a great deal of hurry and excitement after the news became
known. I was just turned into my box; the saddle and bridle were taken
off, and a cloth thrown over me.
Ginger was saddled and sent off in great haste for Lord George, and I
soon heard the carriage roll out of the yard.
It seemed a long time before Ginger came back, and before we were left
alone; and then she told me all that she had seen.
I can't tell much, she said. We went a gallop nearly all the way, and
got there just as the doctor rode up. There was a woman sitting on the
ground with the lady's head in her lap. The doctor poured something into
her mouth, but all that I heard was, 'She is not dead.' Then I was led
off by a man to a little distance. After awhile she was taken to
the carriage, and we came home together. I heard my master say to
a gentleman who stopped him to inquire, that he hoped no bones were
broken, but that she had not spoken yet.
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