Part 16 (1/2)
”She won't forget you, that's certain,” said Sanderson. ”She'll reward you handsomelike, see if she don't, Ralph.”
”They don't seem to care much about Percy Paget's condition,” returned the boy, by way of changing the subject.
”Well, who would--under the circ.u.mstances!” exclaimed the old man, in deep disgust.
”Perhaps they don't give him the credit he deserves,” said Pickley, thinking he must say something in favor of the squire's son.
Ralph and Sanderson had their own opinion of Percy, and they did not care to argue with Pickley on the subject. The young bridge tender went back to his work, and Sanderson shuffled off to go at an odd job of boat-mending.
Pickley sat down to count the tolls as before.
Three minutes later Percy Paget came into sight. His hands and face were scratched and his clothing torn.
”See anything of a runaway?” he cried, as he came up to Pickley.
”Yes; the team was stopped right here,” replied the man.
”Who stopped 'em?”
”Ralph Nelson.”
”You don't mean it?” gasped the young aristocrat.
”Yes, I do.”
”Was he hurt?”
”Not a bit.”
”I don't see how he could do it,” grumbled Percy. ”That team was going like mad.”
”So it was. Ralph not only stopped the team, but before that he worked like lightning to close the draw so that they wouldn't go overboard.”
”Humph!” mused Percy. ”He must have done it in hopes of a reward. Most likely he knew who was in the carriage.”
”He did.”
”What did Mrs. Carrington give him?”
”Nothing. But she said she would not forget him.”
”She'll send him five dollars, or something like that, I guess. Did she--she say anything about me?” went on Percy, hesitatingly.
”She said you leaped from the carriage as soon as the team started.”
”That isn't so,” replied the aristocratic bully, glibly. ”I didn't jump at all.”
”You didn't.”
”No, I was pitched out. I stood up to get a better hold on the reins, and just then the carriage lurched, and out I went.”
”Oh, well, then, that's different,” replied Dan Pickley, who did not think it to his advantage to question the veracity of Percy's explanation. ”Mrs.