isk to carry him without any stretcher. We must take him round
in the boat. How's the wind, George?"

"Not favourable, sir; we must trust more to the oars."

"Then you and Ralph must row. Willie, I think I can trust you, but
remember a great deal may depend upon your carrying your message
correctly. Run home as quickly as you can by the lower wood, it's quite
safe that way; tell mamma that Aleck is hurt, and that Rickson must go
off for Dr. Wilson in the dog-cart at once; if Dr. Wilson cannot be
found, he must bring Mr. Bryant; and James must bring down the carriage
to wait for us at the lodge. Don't frighten your mamma; tell her as
quietly and gently as you can. If you meet Mr. Glengelly, tell him
first, and he will break it to mamma. Do you quite understand?"

"Yes, papa," I replied, thankful to have something given me to do, and
yet feeling as if I were in the midst of a terrible waking dream. After
my father had taken the precaution of once again repeating his
directions, I sped off up the steep hill-side, by way of the lower wood,
towards home, whilst he gently lifted up my cousin and carried him to
the boat.

I shall never forget that walk home--_walk_ I call it, though, wherever
running was possible, I _ran_. The feeling of misery and terror that was
upon me, seemed to be mocked by the gay twittering of the birds, and the
dancing of the sunbeams through the leaves, and the familiar appearance
of the laden blackberry bushes, and copses famous for rich returns in
the nutting season. Everything in nature looking so undisturbed and
unaffected by what was filling me with grief, appeared to add to my
wretchedness. All the way along, I had the vision of my cousin's pale
face before my eyes. True, he was not dead; but, child that I was, I had
sufficient sense to know that often death followed an accident which
was not immediately fatal, and _if_ he died it would be almost as though
I had murdered him. I can remember trying hard to fancy it was a
dreadful dream, and that I should wake up, as I had done on the
preceding night, to find that my fears were all unreal; and as every
step, bringing me nearer home, made this increasingly impossible to
imagine, I changed the subject of my speculations, and took to
remembering all the dreadful things I had ever read in history or
story-books, of people dying of broken hearts, or living on and never
smiling again, and fancying it was going to be the same with me; and I
grew quit