The Eskdale Herd-boy | Page 9

as I went to open it. 'Make haste, David,' said Peggy Oliphant, our

master's little herd-girl, as she stepped into the house. 'Come away as
fast as you can: there is a horse ready saddled for you, down at the farm;
for our master is taken dangerously ill, and my mistress thinks, if he
has not immediate advice, he will die before morning; so she begs you
will lose no time in riding to Langholm, for Mr. Armstrong. It is a
dreadful night, to be sure, she says, to send you out; but it is a work of
necessity.' David scarcely waited to hear her out. He took his maude (a
woollen plaid cloak which the shepherds wear), and wrapping it closely
round him, set off as fast as he could run, telling me to put the children
to bed, and he would be back as soon as he could. He would soon ride
to Langholm; it was not more than four miles and a half; and he would
gallop all the way. Well, Miss, away he and Peggy went; and I sat
waiting and listening all night, but no David appeared.
"I had just dropped into a kind of sleep, when I was awakened by Colly
barking most piteously. Up I jumped, glad to think that David was
come back; but, on opening the door, only Colly was to be seen. The
moment he beheld me, he took hold of my apron, and tried to draw me
out of the house. I could not think what he wanted; and pulling my
apron from him, went back towards the fire to stir it; but before I could
get half way to the fire place, Colly had laid hold of me again, pulling
very hard, and looking up in my face, howling. I then began to think
that something must be the matter; so I determined I would go with him,
and see what it was. He held me fast till he got me down the steps, and
then he ran a little before me, looking back every minute, to see if I
followed him, and running on again, till we were about half a mile
down the glen. Oh, Miss! I shall never forget the fright I felt when I
saw my master's horse standing grazing by the road side, and the saddle
turned quite round under him. I began, then, to run after Colly, as fast
as my trembling limbs would let me; and in about five minutes I came
to the place where my poor husband was lying on the grass. Colly was
standing close to him, licking his hand, just as if he had been telling
him that help would soon come to his relief. David tried to make the
best of his misfortune to me, and said he did not think he was very
much hurt; only his leg was sprained, he believed, for he could not
walk. He bade me go directly to the farm, and get some of the men to
come and carry him home. I did as he desired me; and the men servants
very readily went to his assistance. Just as I was leaving the farm, Mr.

Armstrong, who had been up with our master, came out into the yard,
and seeing the men running, asked me what was the matter. He very
kindly said he would go with me to the cottage, and see where David
was hurt; and very well it was that he did so, for when we got thither
we found that David had fainted from the acute pain he felt when they
began to move him. As soon as we got him into bed, he recovered
himself a little, and Mr. Armstrong then found that his leg was broken,
not sprained as he had told me. You may be sure that this was bad news
for me. The setting of the bone put him to great torture, but he bore it
better than could have been expected; and Mr. Armstrong now says he
will do very well, if he be properly taken care of; and to help us to get
what was necessary, he was so kind as to give us half a crown out of his
own pocket; God bless him for his goodness to poor distressed
creatures as we are! He has seen him every day since; and I am sure I
do not know what David and I can ever do to shew our gratitude
towards him."
"Now," cried Tom, "Miss Helen, what do you think of Colly? Did I not
tell the truth?" "Yes, my dear, I think you meant to do so; but my
mamma always bids me be sure to be very particular how I express
myself when I am relating a