ONLY THE MARE 141 



hardly waiting to say a word to the poor little 

 sufferer. 



" Whatever is the matter ? " 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 ? " he asked. 



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

 Where's the doctor ? " 



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

 no one nearer than Lawson, at Oakley, and that's 

 twelve 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 — 

 anything 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 her to Oakley over the ground as it is to- 

 night, will pretty well do for her chance to-morrow 

 — to say nothing of the twelve miles back again. 

 The carriage will be home in less than an hour, sir,' 

 the man remonstrated. 



