He turned away, in bitter pain, that none might see
his trouble; and Annie, going along with him, looked
as if I had killed our mother. For my part, I
was so upset, for fear of having gone too far, that
without a word to either of them, but a message on
the title-page of King James his Prayer-book, I saddled
Kickums, and was off, and glad of the moorland air
again.
[Illustration: 566.jpg Tailpiece]
THEREFORE HE SEEKS COMFORT
[Illustration: 567.jpg Dulvertin Church and Street]
It was for poor Annie’s sake that I had spoken
my mind to her husband so freely, and even harshly.
For we all knew she would break her heart, if Tom
took to evil ways again. And the right mode of
preventing this was, not to coax, and flatter, and
make a hero of him (which he did for himself, quite
sufficiently), but to set before him the folly of the
thing, and the ruin to his own interests. They
would both be vexed with me, of course, for having
left them so hastily, and especially just before dinner-time;
but that would soon wear off; and most likely they
would come to see mother, and tell her that I was hard
to manage, and they could feel for her about it.
Now with a certain yearning, I know not what, for
softness, and for one who could understand me—for
simple as a child though being, I found few to do
that last, at any rate in my love-time—I
relied upon Kickum’s strength to take me round
by Dulverton. It would make the journey some
eight miles longer, but what was that to a brisk young
horse, even with my weight upon him?
And having left Squire Faggus and Annie much sooner
than had been intended, I had plenty of time before
me, and too much, ere a prospect of dinner. Therefore
I struck to the right, across the hills, for Dulverton.
Pretty Ruth was in the main street of the town, with
a basket in her hand, going home from the market.
“Why, Cousin Ruth, you are grown,” I exclaimed;
“I do believe you are, Ruth. And you were
almost too tall, already.”
At this the little thing was so pleased, that she
smiled through her blushes beautifully, and must needs
come to shake hands with me; though I signed to her
not to do it, because of my horse’s temper.
But scarcely was her hand in mine, when Kickums turned
like an eel upon her, and caught her by the left arm
with his teeth, so that she screamed with agony.
I saw the white of his vicious eye, and struck him
there with all my force, with my left hand over her
right arm, and he never used that eye again; none
the less he kept his hold on her. Then I smote
him again on the jaw, and caught the little maid up
by her right hand, and laid her on the saddle in front
of me; while the horse being giddy and staggered with
blows, and foiled of his spite, ran backward.
Ruth’s wits were gone; and she lay before me,
in such a helpless and senseless way that I could
have killed vile Kickums. I struck the spurs into
him past the rowels, and away he went at full gallop;
while I had enough to do to hold on, with the little
girl lying in front of me. But I called to the
men who were flocking around, to send up a surgeon,
as quick as could be, to Master Reuben Huckaback’s.
