CHAPTER XV BEN'S RIDE

illed,witheversomanymoresothereisanendofit,andIcallitameanshame." "GoodforHorace!Itoldyouhe'ddoitupthoroughlyandseetheendofit,"saidThorny,ashereadthatparagraphinthedeeplyinterestingletter. "Maybetheendofthatdog,butnotofmine.I'llbetheranawayandifitwasSanch,he'llcomehome.Youseeifhedoesn't!"criedBen,refusingtobelievethatallwasover. "Ahundredwilesoff?Oh,hecouldn'tfindyouwithouthelp,smartasheis,"answeredThorny,incredulously. Benlookeddiscouraged,butMissCeliacheeredhimupagainbysaying,— "Yes,hecould.MyfatherhadafriendwholeftalittledoginParisandthecreaturefoundherinMilan,anddiedoffatiguenextday.Thatwasverywonderful,buttrueandI'venodoubtthatifSanchisalivehewillcomehome.Letushopeso,andbehappy,whilewewait." "Wewill!"saidtheboysanddayafterdaylookedforthewanderer'sreturn,keptabonereadyintheoldplaceifheshouldarriveatnight,andshookhismattokeepitsoftforhiswearyboneswhenhecame.Butweekspassed,andstillnoSanch. Somethingelsehappened,however,soabsorbingthathewasalmostforgottenforatimeandBenfoundawaytorepayapartofallheowedhisbestfriend. MissCeliawentoffforarideoneafternoon,andanhourafterward,asBensatintheporchreading,Litadashedintotheyardwiththereinsdanglingaboutherlegs,thesaddleturnedround,andonesidecoveredwithblackmud,showingthatshehadbeendown.Foraminute,Ben'sheartstoodstillthenheflungawayhisbook,rantothehorse,andsawatoncebyherheavingflanks,dilatednostrils,andwetcoat,thatshemusthavecomealongwayandatfullspeed. "Shehashadafall,butisn'thurtorfrightened,"thoughttheboy,astheprettycreaturerubbedhernoseagainsthisshoulder,pawedtheground,andchampedherbit,asifshetriedtotellhimallaboutthedisaster,whateveritwas. "Lita,where'sMissCelia?"heasked,lookingstraightintotheintelligenteyes,whichweretroubledbutnotwild. Litathrewupherhead,andneighedloudandclear,asifshecalledhermistressand,turning,wouldhavegoneagainifBenhadnotcaughtthereinsandheldher. "Allright,we'llfindher"and,pullingoffthebrokensaddle,kickingawayhisshoes,andramminghishatfirmlyon,Benwasuplikeaflash,tinglingalloverwithasenseofpowerashefeltthebarebackbetweenhisknees,andcaughttherollofLita'seyeasshelookedroundwithanairofsatisfaction. "Hi,there!Mrs.Moss!SomethinghashappenedtoMissCelia,andI'mgoingtofindher.Thornyisasleeptellhimeasy,andI'llcomebackassoonasIcan!" Then,givingLitaherhead,hewasoffbeforethestartledwomanhadtimetodomorethanwringherhandsandcryout,— "GofortheSquire!Oh,whatshallwedo?" Asifsheknewexactlywhatwaswantedofher,Litawentbackthewayshehadcome,asBencouldseebythefresh,irregulartracksthatcutuptheroadwhereshehadgallopedforhelp.Foramileormoretheywent,thenshepausedatapairofbars,whichwereletdowntoallowthecartstopassintothewidehay-fieldsbeyond.Onshewentagain,canteringacrossthenew-mownturftowardabrook,acrosswhichshehadevidentlytakenaleapbeforefor,onthefurtherside,ataplacewherecattlewenttodrink,themudshowedsignsofafall. "YouwereafooltotrytherebutwhereisMissCelia?"saidBen,whotalkedtoanimalsasiftheywerepeople,andwasunderstoodmuchbetterthananyonenotusedtotheircompanionshipwouldimagine. NowLitaseemedataloss,andputherheaddown,asifsheexpectedtofindhermistresswhereshehadlefther,somewhereontheground.Bencalled,buttherewasnoanswerandherodeslowlyalongthebrook-side,lookingfarandwidewithanxiouseyes. "Maybeshewasn'thurt,andhasgonetothathousetowait,"thoughttheboy,pausingforalastsurveyofthegreat,sunnyfield,whichhadnoplaceofshelterinitbutonerockontheothersideofthelittlestream.Ashiseyewanderedoverit,somethingdarkseemedtoblowoutfrombehindit,asifthewindplayedinthefoldsofashirt,orahumanlimbmoved.AwaywentLita,andinamomentBenhadfoundMissCelia,lyingintheshadowoftherock,sowhiteandmotionless,hefearedthatshewasdead.Heleapeddown,touchedher,spoketoherand,receivingnoanswer,rushedawaytobringalittlewaterinhisleakyhattosprinkleinherface,ashehadseenthemdowhenanyoftheridersgotafallinthecircus,orfaintedfromexhaustionaftertheyleftthering,where"doordie"wasthemottoalladopted. Inaminute,theblueeyesopened,andsherecognizedtheanxiousfacebendingoverher,sayingfaintly,asshetouchedit,— "MygoodlittleBen,Iknewyou'dfindme,—IsentLitaf