kate's day with the old horse 227 



stuck in the heavy bog. There was a crash ; for a 

 moment everything spun round, and Kate was down 

 with a stunning fall. 



Had anyone seen her, of course even the run of the 

 season would have been given up to render her 

 assistance, but her only companions in this particu- 

 lar field had the lead of her, and the side walls hid 

 her from other people's view, besides which Kate 

 Lowry was one who had long since established 

 her right to look after herself in the hunting-field. 



For a minute or two the slim girl's figure lay 

 prone and motionless on the damp turf, while her 

 horse stood by, hanging his wise old head regretfully 

 over the ruin he had made. Then the girl raised 

 herself on her elbow, pushed the fair hair out of her 

 eyes, and sitting up, looked into the old horse's 

 wistful face with a half smile. 



" You old fool, Joe ! " she said ; " you ought to 

 have known better at your time of life." 



Rising to her feet, she leaned her head for a 

 moment on her saddle, pressing her hand to her 

 side as if in pain, and then backing her horse so 

 that he stood close alongside the wall, she climbed 

 slowly and with difficulty back into the saddle. 



" I wonder how long we lay under that wall. 

 Joe ? " soliloquized Kate, as she walked him through 

 a gap in the next wall ; " and I wonder, too, where 



