Part 3 (1/2)
”Can you get out--can you walk?” asked Joe
”Yes I'm more scared than hurt,” Hankto the other occupant of the carriage
”Only a little cut on the head, where he banged, up against the top irons, I guess A little water will fetch hiered out on the broken bridge His legs were unsteady, through weakness and fear, but not from any injury
”How did it happen?” asked Joe
”Horse got scared at so--I don't knohat--and bolted I didn't want to take him out--he's an old spitfire anyhow, and hasn't been driven in a week But this feller was in a hurry,” and he nodded toward the unconscioushim out with Rex--the only horse in the stable just then
”I said I was afraid we'd have a smash-up, and we did The line busted near Baker's place, and--well, here we are”
”Better here than--down there,” observed Joe in a low voice
”That's right,” agreed Hank ”Now let's see e can do for hih I don't see how he could be”
”Who is he?” asked Blake, but the livery stable driver did not answer He was bending back the bent fraet out the swarthyto do, helped hier, but there was no need of carrying hihtened up and stood on his feet, retaining a supporting hand on Hank's shoulder
”Where--where are we?” he asked, in a dazed way ”Did we fall?”
He spoke with an accent that at once told Blake and Joe his nationality--Spanish, either froht,” put in Hank ”These young fellows saved us froh”
”Ah!” The h of satisfaction and relief Then he put his hand to his forehead, and brought it aith a little blood on it
”It is nothing It is a mere scratch and does not distress lish, in his curiously accented voice He appeared to hesitate a little to pick out the words and expressions he wanted, and, often, in such cases, the wrong words, though correct enough in theht, that is to say,” he went on, with a rather pale s men saved us--saved our lives? Is that what you mean, senor--I should say, sir?” and he quickly corrected his slip
”I should say they did!” exclaimed Hank with an air of satisfaction ”Old Rex took s, and ere just about headed for kingdom come when these fellows pulled us back froone where he won't run away any e the stableman looked down on the motionless form of the horse Rex had, indeed, run his last
”It is all so--so surprising to er ”It all occurred with such unexpected suddenness Oneas quietly as you please, only perhaps a trifle accentuated, and then--presto! we begin to go too fast, and the leather thong breaks Then indeed there are things doing, as you say up here”
He s, perhaps, to show hi, not only froht, but from the effects of the blow on the head which had caused the cut, and rendered him unconscious for a ain ”I don't want any closer call I couldn't e would have toppled down in another, second if you boys hadn't co and hauled it back”
”We saw you pass Mr Baker's house,” explained Blake, ”and we caet ahead of you, but the old ot here in time,” added Joe
”You did indeed! I can not thank you enough,” put in the Spaniard, as Joe and Blake both classed him ”You have saved my life, and sorateful I aer in this part of your fine country, but I expect to be better acquainted soon But where is our horse?” he asked quickly, not see to understand what had happened ”How are we to continue our journey?” and he looked at his driver
”We're at the end of it now, in more ways than one,” Hank answered, with a sh not in the style I calculated on taking you”
”But I do not comprehend, sir,” said the Spaniard, in rather puzzled accents ”I have engaged you to take h a fence with a resounding crash--Ah! I can hear that smash yet!” and he put his hands to his ears in a so is black Our horse disappears, and--”