358 ashgill; or, the life 



days. I was conscious within two minutes from 

 falling, for I remembered the people coming 

 round me. One man said, ' His back's broken.' 

 Another said, ' Can he move his leg ? If he can- 

 not move his leg, his back's broken.' Then they 

 first pulled one leg up and then the other, and 

 then they agreed my back wasn't broken. And 

 I was very glad to hear them say so. When I 

 came into contact with the post I must have 

 been in an upright position, because my back 

 was bruised the whole length of it. If I had 

 gone across the post my back must have been 

 broken. When able to get up I was removed 

 to Middleham, and it was a long time before I 

 got right. The first time I got out was to go to 

 Doncaster to buy a yearhng for Mr. Gladstone. 

 Even then I could scarcely walk. The doctor 

 ordered me to ride if possible, and they got me a 

 pony, but I could only ride him walking. 

 Getting very little better even as late as 

 December, I consulted the doctor, and he said 

 there was nothing out of place. At last I went 

 to ' Doctor ' Hutton — you've heard of him, the 

 great bone-setter? The 'Doctor' was at 

 Manchester, and he at once took me in hand. 

 He felt about my hips for a time, and he said, 

 ' There it is ; don't you feel it ? I'll soon put 

 you right.' He wanted to know if I would take 

 ether before he worked on the place, which was 

 out of joint, and I said, ' No, I will take my 

 chance ; I'U not have any ether.' He was soon 

 performing upon me in the room. He turned the 

 bedclothes off — it was in his own bedroom 

 where he was staying at Manchester — and he 



