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 yearling 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'll 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 



