ed the buggy;
"what started thim goin'?"

"Somebody was in the old stand," Carter replied, as putting his foot on
the step he raised himself and the dead weight of the limp man.

"There, steady, Ned. Pull the cushion down in the bottom. Now ye've got
it. Bot' t'umbs! it's as good as an ambulance. I'll hold his head in me
lap, an' ye drive. Here, Finn," he continued, turning to the boy who
had caught and brought up Lucretia, "take the wee filly an' that divil's
baste back to the barn; put the busted bridle by till I have a good look
at it after. Go on, Ned; slow; that's it, aisy does it. When we get out
on the turnpike ye can slip along."

When they had turned into the road he spoke again to Carter, "Ye were
sayin', Ned, there was a guy in th' ould stan'."

"Yes," replied Carter; "somebody was toutin' us off. A board broke, an'
that frightened the boss's mount."

"I t'ought I see a b'y skinnin' off the track," commented Gaynor. "First
I t'ought it was Shandy, but what'd he be doin' there? Did ye see his
face, Ned?"

"I was too busy takin' a wrap on Lucretia; she was gettin' a bit out of
hand."

When they came to the gate which gave entrance to Ringwood house Mike
said to Carter, with rough sympathy in his voice: "Slip in ahead, Ned,
and tell the Misses that the boss has had a bit av a spill. Say he's
just stunned; no bones broke. Bot' t'umbs! though, I fear he's mashed to
a jelly. Ask fer a bottle of brandy till we give him a bracer. Ned!" he
called, as Carter slipped from the buggy, "see if ye kin kape the Misses
from seein' the boss till the docthor comes. Git hould of the girl
Cynthie, an' give her the tip that things is purty bad. Go on now; I'll
drive slow wid wan hand."

Mike's kindly precautions were of little avail. Mrs. Porter saw the
slow-moving conveyance crawling up the broad drive, and instinctively
knew that again something terrible had occurred. That Allis was not
there added to her fear.

"He's just bad, ma'am," Carter was saying, as Mike reached the steps.
But she didn't hear him; her face was white, and in her eyes was the
horror of a great fear, but from her lips came no cry; her silence was
more dreadful than if she had called out.

"We'll carry him, ma'am," Mike said, as she came down the steps to the
buggy, and clutching the wheel rim swayed unsteadily. "Jest git a bed
ready, Misses," Gaynor continued, softly; "git a bed ready, an' he'll be
all roight afther a bit. He's just stunned; th