over the
right side of her horse.

"Harry!" she cried desperately. Harry Sears turned in amazement. He was
not in time. Eleanor rolled off her horse. In falling she struck her
back on the rail fence. But the fence saved her life. She tumbled
forward toward the road, instead of rolling down the steep embankment.

Harry was off his horse in a moment. Eleanor was huddled on the ground,
her face white with pain. She had fallen off her horse, though the
animal had not tried to run away. It had stumbled back into the road and
stood waiting to know what had happened.

"Your saddle girth broke, Eleanor," explained Harry. "Are you much
hurt?"

"No-o-o," replied Eleanor bravely, with her lips trembling. "I believe I
have bruised my shoulder, but it isn't very bad."

Harry had Eleanor on her feet, but he could see that she was suffering
intensely. He did not know what to do. The rest of the riding party was
well out of sight. He did not like to leave Eleanor alone while he
galloped after them; yet he did not believe that she would be able to
ride on.

"Can you fix my saddle girth, Harry?" questioned Eleanor. "We shall be
left behind sure enough, and Miss Jenny Ann will be angry with me."

It took Harry quite ten minutes to mend Eleanor's saddle girth. She sat
limply on the grass, hoping that the pain in her shoulder would pass. It
did not, but she managed, with Harry's help, to get back on her horse.

Harry started off at a brisk canter, a little uneasy. He and Eleanor
were entirely unfamiliar with the country through which they were
traveling. There were roads that intersected each other every few miles.
These were not marked with sign-posts and Harry had no idea in what
direction lay the old sulphur springs.

But Nellie was not following him. He reined up and rode back to her.
"What's the matter now?" he asked impatiently.

"I am so sorry, Harry," apologized Eleanor. "I think I can ride, but I
can't go fast; it hurts my shoulder so dreadfully." Eleanor's soft brown
eyes were filled with tears, which she tried in vain to keep from
falling. Her pretty, light-brown hair, which she had braided and tied
up with a black velvet ribbon, hung in a long plait down her back.

Slowly, keeping the horses in a walk, Harry and Eleanor continued their
journey. Harry hoped that some one would ride back to see what had
delayed them. Eleanor knew that no one would. Madge would think that
they had purposely tarried. She would say so t