horn!"

A few minutes more and the big bluff voice of the wheelwright was heard
in a loud hail.

This was answered, and the sounds roused the wounded man.

"Nearly there?" he said hoarsely.

"Very close now," replied Dick; and snatching the pole from Tom he drove
it down vigorously, making a tremendous spurt to reach the patch of old
pollard willows by the landing-place, on one of whose old posts the
lanthorn had been hung, and beyond which could now be seen the light in
the Hickathrifts' cot.

"Why, I was a-coming swimming after you, lads," shouted Hickathrift.
"You scarred me. Squire's been down twiced to see if you'd got back,
and the missus is in a fine way."

"Don't talk, Hicky," shouted back Dick. "Is Jacob there?"

"Ay, lad. Why?"

"You'll want help. Look here, send for the doctor."

"Doctor, lad?"

"Yes; I know. Let Jacob go and tell my father, and he'll send down the
old cob. Thorpeley's hurt badly."

They heard a low whistle, then the wheelwright's orders given sharply to
his apprentice, followed by the dull _thud, thud_ of his boots as he ran
off; and directly after the punt glided in and its bow was seized by the
big strong hand upon which the soft glowing light of the horn lanthorn
shone.

"Hey, but what's the matter with the man?" cried Hickathrift. "We've
been wondering why he didn't come back."

"I don't know, only we heard a shot," said Dick excitedly; "and then we
heard someone calling for help, and found him lying ashore."

"Let me get a good howd on him," said the wheelwright; and with one foot
in the boat he passed his great arm under the constable and lifted him
out as tenderly as if he had been a child.

But, gentle as was the wheelwright's act, it roused the injured man, who
seemed to be driven into a fit of fury by the pain he suffered, and he
burst into a torrent of bad language against Hickathrift and the two
boys, which he kept up till he had been carried into his lodging and
laid upon his bed.

"Hey, lads," said the wheelwright with a low chuckle, as he walked down
with the boys to where the lanthorn still hung upon the willow-stump,
the care of the constable having been left to the women; "he don't seem
to hev lost his tongue."

"But he's very bad, isn't he?" said Dick anxiously.

"I should say no," replied Hickathrift. "Man who's very badly don't
call people."

"But his leg?"

"Ay, that's badly. I give the hankycher a good tighten up, and that hot
him,