what, Ned, I'm afraid it hasn't been all right with Reuben. Just think
of his riding a horse over these stones without a shoe! Why, if he had
been in his right senses he would just as soon have tried to ride him
over the moon. I'm afraid it has been the old thing over again. Poor
Susan! she looked awfully pale when she came to my house to ask if
he had not come home. She made believe she was not a bit anxious, and
talked of a lot of things that might have kept him. But for all that she
begged me to go and meet him. But what must we do? There's the horse to
get home as well as the body, and that will be no easy matter.
Then followed a conversation between them, till it was agreed that
Robert, as the groom, should lead me, and that Ned must take the body.
It was a hard job to get it into the dog-cart, for there was no one to
hold Ginger; but she knew as well as I did what was going on, and stood
as still as a stone. I noticed that, because, if she had a fault, it was
that she was impatient in standing.
Ned started off very slowly with his sad load, and Robert came and
looked at my foot again; then he took his handkerchief and bound it
closely round, and so he led me home. I shall never forget that night
walk; it was more than three miles. Robert led me on very slowly, and I
limped and hobbled on as well as I could with great pain. I am sure he
was sorry for me, for he often patted and encouraged me, talking to me
in a pleasant voice.
At last I reached my own box, and had some corn; and after Robert
had wrapped up my knees in wet cloths, he tied up my foot in a bran
poultice, to draw out the heat and cleanse it before the horse-doctor
saw it in the morning, and I managed to get myself down on the straw,
and slept in spite of the pain.
The next day after the farrier had examined my wounds, he said he hoped
the joint was not injured; and if so, I should not be spoiled for work,
but I should never lose the blemish. I believe they did the best to make
a good cure, but it was a long and painful one. Proud flesh, as they
called it, came up in my knees, and was burned out with caustic; and
when at last it was healed, they put a blistering fluid over the front
of both knees to bring all the hair off; they had some reason for this,
and I suppose it was all right.
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