the young gentleman to get him off that way," shouted the
man to Dick, watching from above, and made signs to his comrades to row
in with the boat.

While this was being done Dick hurried away with Jenny and the twins to
put Rameses into the cart, if the poor brute was to be found, and drive
home without delay.

"Yes, sir, quick home is the word for them, for they're wet, and cold,
and frightened, poor dears!" said one of the men, who had children of
his own.

So they left Oscar and Inna to the boatmen's kindly care, and hurried
away to look for Rameses. The dear old creature hailed them with such a
prolonged braying, standing beside the cart, as if he knew they ought to
be going. Dick put him in and drove home briskly, dropping the twins at
the Owl's Nest, where no ill tidings had as yet found its way. But they
met Dr. Willett and Mr. Barlow well on the road, with the gig and some
sort of stretcher-bed, hastily made, for someone had handed on the news
to the farm; therefore Dick was thankful to meet the two doctors, as he
could direct them to the spot where the boat was likely to land.

Poor, poor Oscar! he moaned sadly when the boatmen moved him; he was
alive to pain, if to naught besides.

"Softly! softly!" so they whispered, handling him as if he had been a
baby; but Inna's heart ached, hearing him groan and moan, as she stepped
into the boat, and nestled beside him, and more, taking his head in her
lap; and so they moved off over the darkening seas.

Oscar had fallen into silent insensibility again when they landed. Then
followed another moaning time of pain; they laid him on the
stretcher-bed, and put him and it into the gig, as the doctor had
arranged beforehand. Inna crept in beside him, the doctor after that,
with his legs tucked up as best he could; then away they drove, as
briskly as the state of the poor sufferer allowed, leaving Mr. Barlow to
come after on foot. Mr. Gregory was at the farm when they arrived there;
heavy tidings had been reported to him--whether it was Dick or Oscar
killed, report did not know, but it fancied it was both; and two, if not
more, of the little girls were drowned--that was the story report had
told about the little party.

The first thing to be done was to hurry Dick and Jenny off to bed, and
to put Oscar into his. Such a getting upstairs of sighs and moans was
it, and of aching hearts, suffering over it all. Inna broke down at
last, and sobbed as if her heart would bre