Part 41 (1/2)
”Hold her, Surajah,” d.i.c.k exclaimed, ”or she will fall.”
Leaning over, Surajah caught her by the shoulder; and d.i.c.k, leaping to the ground, stopped her horse, and, lifting her from the saddle, seated her upon a bank and supported her.
”Some water, Surajah!” he exclaimed.
Surajah poured a little water from the skin into the hollow of d.i.c.k's hand, and the latter sprinkled the girl's face with it.
”I have not fainted,” she murmured, opening her eyes, ”but I turned giddy. I shall be better, directly.”
”Drink a little wine,” d.i.c.k said.
Surajah poured some into a cup, but with an effort she sat up, and pushed it from her.
”There is nothing the matter,” she said. ”Only, only” and she burst suddenly into a pa.s.sion of sobbing.
The spirit that she had shown, so long as there was danger, had deserted her now that the peril had pa.s.sed, and she was safe.
d.i.c.k looked at her, helplessly. A girl in tears was a creature wholly beyond his experience, and he had no idea what he ought to do in such an emergency. He therefore adopted what was, doubtless, the best course, had he but known it, of letting her alone. After a time, the violence of her crying abated, and only short sobs broke from her, as she sat with her face hidden in her hands.
”That is right, Annie,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. ”It is quite natural for you to cry, after the excitement and fatigue you have gone through. You have been very brave, and have not said a word of complaint today about your fatigue, although you must be desperately tired. Now, try and pull yourself together. It is getting dark already, and we ought to be moving on to Ryacotta, which cannot be much more than a mile away. You shall ride in front of me, when we get there.”
”I would rather not,” she said, getting up with a painful effort. ”I am awfully foolish, and I am so sorry that I broke down, but I felt so delighted that I could not help it. You said we could camp, safely, when we once got across the frontier. Would you mind doing so? For I don't think I could go much farther.”
”Certainly we can camp,” d.i.c.k said cheerfully. ”But we must get a little bit farther from that post we pa.s.sed. If they were to see a fire, here, they would be sure to suspect something. I see a clump of trees a quarter of a mile on. We can make our camp there, and I would rather do that, myself, than go on to Ryacotta, where our appearance in the Mysore uniform would excite a stir, and we should have no end of questions to answer.
”But I am sure that you are not fit to walk, even that distance. Now, I will lift you on my saddle, and you can sit sideways. There, I will walk by your side, and you can put your hand to my shoulder to steady yourself. Surajah can lead your horse and his own, and Ibrahim can take mine.”
In this way they performed the journey to the trees, and then halted.
Annie was lifted down, and laid on a rug. d.i.c.k insisted on her drinking some wine, and then, covering her with another rug, they left her and lighted a fire, fifty yards away.
”Look here, Ibrahim, put that whole chicken into the pan, cover it with water, and let it stew. Don't let it boil fast, but just simmer until it falls all to pieces. Then I will wake her, if she has gone to sleep, and make her drink the broth. It will do her ever so much more good than wine, and she will be all right in the morning, though no doubt she will be desperately stiff again. Still, it has not been a longer ride than she had yesterday. I expect it is the excitement, more than the fatigue, that has upset her. Tomorrow she must ride in front of me, again.”
An hour and a half later, d.i.c.k went across with the cup full of strong broth.
”Are you asleep, Annie?” he said, when he reached her side.
”No, I am not asleep. There is so much to think of, and it is such happiness to know that I am free, that I feel quite wide awake.
Besides, you know, I have been asleep for hours today, and I slept all night, as I was riding before you.”
”Then sit up, and drink this hot broth. It will do you good. And after that, I hope you will go off. You won't be fit for anything, tomorrow, if you don't have a good night. You will have plenty of time to think, as we ride along.”
The girl did as she was told.
”It is very nice,” she said, as she handed the cup back to him. ”Oh, d.i.c.k, I do hope that we shall find my father and mother. I don't want to, for some things, but I do for others, and most of all that they may thank you for all your goodness to me, which I shall never be able to do, myself.”
”Nonsense, child!” he said cheerfully. ”I have done what every one would do, if they found a little countrywoman in distress. I should have gone away from Seringapatam anyhow, if I had not met you, and getting you down is a good excuse for me to go back and spend a fortnight with my mother.
”Now get off to sleep, as quickly as you can. We will see what we can do to make things comfortable for your ride, tomorrow.”
It was late when Annie awoke. The sun was some distance above the horizon, and she saw her companions occupied with the horses. In a few minutes she joined them.