ree feet wide, he ran down the rather steep slope and
stepped upon the stout plank which bridged the stream. The instant he
did so, the plank turned beneath him as if it had been hung on pivots,
and he fell into the stony bed of the branch. It was an awkward fall,
for the leg which was undermost came down at an angle, and his foot,
striking a slippery stone, turned under him. In a moment he was on his
feet, and scrambled up the side of the ravine, down which he had just
come. When he reached the top he sat down and put both his hands on his
right ankle, in which he felt considerable pain. In a few minutes he
arose, and began to walk toward the house, but he had not taken a dozen
steps before he sat down again. The pain in his ankle was very severe,
and he felt quite sure that he had sprained it. He knew enough about
such things to understand that if he walked upon this injured joint, he
would not only make the pain worse, but the consequences might be
serious. He was very much annoyed, not only that this thing had happened
to him, but that it had happened at such an inauspicious moment. Of
course, he could not now go on to the woods, and he must get somebody to
help him to the house. Looking about, he saw, at a distance, Uncle
Isham, and he called loudly to him. As soon as Lawrence was well away
from the edge of the ravine, there emerged from some thick bushes on the
other side of it, and at a short distance from the crossing-place, a
negro girl, who slipped noiselessly down to the branch; moved with quick
steps and crouching body to the plank; removed the two round stones on
which it had been skilfully poised, and replaced it in its usual firm
position. This done, she slipped back into the bushes, and by the time
Isham had heard the call of Mr Croft, she was slowly walking down the
opposite hill, as if she were coming from the woods to see why the
gentleman was shouting.

Miss March also heard the call, and came out of the woods, and when she
saw Lawrence sitting on the grass on the other side of the branch, with
one hand upon his ankle, she knew that something had happened, and came
down toward him. Lawrence saw her approaching, and before she was even
near enough to hear him, he began to shout to her to be careful about
crossing the branch, as the board was unsafe. Peggy joined her, and
walked on in front of her; and when Miss March understood what Lawrence
was saying, she called back that she would be careful. When t