222 SKETCHES IN THE HLWTIXG FIELD. 



I took her in my arms, and, summoning her maid, 

 carried her to the drawing-room. 



"Take off her boot," I said to tlie girl, but Nellie could 

 not bear to have her foot touched, and feebly moaned 

 that her arm hurt her. 



" Oh, pray send for a doctor, sir! " implored the maid, 

 while Nellie only breathed heavily, with half-closed 

 eyes ; and horribly frightened I rushed off, hardly wait- 

 ing to say a word to the poor little sufferer. 



" Whatever is the matter r " Bertie cried, as I burst 

 into the harness-room. 



" Where's the doctor ? " I replied, hastily. "Nellie's 

 hurt herself — sprained her ankle, and hurt her arm — 

 broken it, perhaps ! " 



" How ? When r " he asked. 



"There's no time to explain. She slipped down. 

 Where's the doctor r" 



" Our doctor is ill, and has no substitute. There's no 

 one nearer than Lawson, at Oakley, and that's ten 

 miles, very nearly." 



" Then I must ride at once," I reply. 



" Saddle my horse as quickly as possible," said Bertie 

 to the groom. 



" He's lame, sir, can't move ! " the man replied, and 

 I remembered that it was so. 



" Put a saddle on one of the carriage-horses — any- 

 thing so long as there's no delay." 



" They're out, sir ! Gone to the station. There's 

 nothing in the stable — only the mare ; and to gallop 



