CHAPTER XV BEN'S RIDE

oryou,—I'msohurt,Icouldn'tcome." "Oh,where?WhatshallIdo?HadIbetterrunuptothehouse?"askedBen,overjoyedtohearherspeak,butmuchdismayedbyherseeminghelplessness,forhehadseenbadfalls,andhadthem,too. "Ifeelbruisedallover,andmyarmisbroken,I'mafraid.Litatriednottohurtme.Sheslipped,andwewentdown.Icamehereintotheshade,andthepainmademefaint,Isuppose.Callsomebody,andgetmehome." Thensheshuthereyes,andlookedsowhitethatBenhurriedaway,andburstuponoldMrs.Paine,placidlyknittingattheenddoor,sosuddenlythat,assheafterwardsaid,"Itsca'therlikeaclapo'thunder." "Ain'tamannowheresaround.Alldowninthebigmeddergettin'inhay,"washerreplytoBen'sbreathlessdemandfor"everybodytocomeandseetoMissCelia." Heturnedtomount,forhehadflunghimselfoffbeforeLitastopped,buttheoldladycaughthisjacket,andaskedhalfadozenquestionsinabreath. "Who'syourfolks?What'sbroke?How'dshefall?Whereisshe?Whydidn'tshecomerighthere?Isitasunstroke?" Asfastaswordscouldtumbleoutofhismouth,Benanswered,andthentriedtofreehimselfbuttheoldladyheldon,whileshegaveherdirections,expressedhersympathy,andofferedherhospitalitywithincoherentwarmth. "Sakesalive!poordear!Fetchherrightin.Liddy,getoutthecamphireand,Melissy,youhauldownabedtolayheron.Fallsisdretfuluncert'inthingsshouldn'twonderifherbackwasbroke.Father'sdownyender,andheandBijahwillseetoher.Yougocall'em,andI'llblowthehorntostart'emup.Tellherwe'dbepleasedtoseeher,anditwon'tmakeamiteoftrouble." Benheardnomore,furasMrs.Paineturnedtotakedownthetinhornhewasupandaway. SeverallonganddismaltootssentLitagallopingthroughthegrassypathasthesoundofthetrumpetexcitesawar-horse,and"fatherandBijah,"alarmedbythesignalatthathour,leanedontheirrakestosurveywithwonderthedistracted-lookinglittlehorsemanapproachinglikeawhirlwind. "Guesslikelygrandpa'shad'notherstroke.Told'emtosendoversoon'severitcome,"saidthefarmer,calmly. "Shouldn'twonderefsuthingwasafiresome'r's,"conjecturedthehiredman,surveyingthehorizonforacloudofsmoke. Insteadofadvancingtomeetthemessenger,bothstoodlikestatuesinblueoverallsandredflannelshirts,tilltheboyarrivedandtoldhistale. "Sho,that'sbad,"saidthefarmer,anxiously. "Thatbrookalwayswasthedarndestplace,"addedBijahthenbothmenbestirredthemselveshelpfully,theformerhurryingtoMissCellawhilethelatterbroughtupthecartandmadeabedofhaytolayheron. "Nowthen,boy,yougoforthedoctor.Myownfolkswillseetothelady,andshe'dbetterkeepquietupyendertillweseewhatthematteris,"saidthefarmer,whenthepalegirlwasliftedinascarefullyasfourstrongarmscoulddoit."Holdon,"headded,asBenmadeoneleaptoLita'sback."You'llhavetogotoBerryville.Dr.MillsisamasterhandforbrokenbonesandoldDr.Babcockain't.'Tisn'tbutaboutthreemilesfromheretohishouse,andyou'llfetchhim'forethere'sanyharmdonewaitin'." "Don'tkillLita,"calledMissCeliafromthecart,asitbegantomove. ButBendidnothearher,forhewasoffacrossthefields,ridingasiflifeanddeathdependeduponhisspeed. "Thatboywillbreakhisneck,"saidMr.Paine,standingstilltowatchhorseandridergooverthewallasifbentoninstantdestruction. "NofearforBen,hecanrideanything,andLitawastrainedtoleap,"answeredMissCelia,fallingbackonthehaywithagroan,forshehadinvoluntarilyraisedherheadtoseeherlittlesquiredashawayingallantstyle. "Ishouldhopesoregularjockey,thatboy.Neverseeanythinglikeitoutofarace-ground,"andFarmerPainestrodeon,stillfollowingwithhiseyethefiguresthatwentthunderingoverthebridge,upthehill,outofsight,leavingacloudofcloudofdustbehind. Nowthathismistresswassafe,Benenjoyedthatwildridemightily,andsodidthebaymareforLitahadgoodbloodinher,andproveditthatdaybydoingherthreemilesinawonderfullyshorttime.Peoplejoggingalonginwagonsandcountrycarry-allsstaredamazedastherecklesspairwentby.Women,placidlydoingtheirafternoonsewingatthefrontwindows,droppedtheirneedlestorunoutwithexclamationsofalarm,suresomeonewasbeingrunawaywithchildrenplayingbytheroadsidescatteredlikechickensbeforeahawk,asBenpassedwithawarningwhoop,andbaby-carriageswerescrambledintodoor-yardswithperilousrapidityathisapproach. Butwhenheclatteredintotown,intenseinterestwasfeltinthisbarefootedboyonthefoamingsteed,an