posite to a thick bed of reeds a dozen
yards or so from the bank.

Dick turned pale; the wheelwright ran down to the edge of the mere; and
as the dog stood by the water barking loudly, Hickathrift waded in
without hesitation, the boys following, with Grip swimming and snorting
at their side, and taking up the chase again as soon as he reached the
reeds.

It was only a matter of minutes now before the dog had rushed on before
them, disappeared in the long growth, and then they heard him barking
furiously.

"Let me go first, Mester Dick," said Hickathrift hoarsely. "Nay, don't,
lad."

There was a kindly tone of sympathy in the great fellow's voice, but
Dick did not give way. He splashed on through the reeds, his position
having placed him in advance of his companions, and parting the tall
growth he uttered a cry of pain.

The others joined him directly, and stood for a moment gazing down at
where, standing on the very edge of the mere, Dick was holding up his
father's head from where he lay insensible among the reeds, his face
white and drawn, his eyes nearly closed, and his hands clenched and
stretched out before him.

Hickathrift said not a word, but, as in similar cases before, he raised
the inanimate form, hung it over his shoulder, and waded back to firm
ground.

"Hey, Mester Dick," he said huskily, as he hurried towards his cottage,
"I nivver thowt to hev seen a sight like this."

"No, no," cried Dick; "not there."

"Yes, I'll tak' him home to my place," whispered Hickathrift. "You'd
scare your mother to dead. Here, Jacob, lad, don't stop to knock or ask
questions, but go and tak' squire's cob, and ride him hard to town for
doctor."

"Tell my father as you go by, Jacob," cried Tom excitedly; and as the
apprentice dashed off, Tom's eyes met those of Dick.

"Don't look so wild and strange, Dick, old chap," whispered the lad
kindly; and he laid a hand upon Dick's shoulder, but the boy shrank from
him with a shudder which the other could not comprehend.

Hickathrift shouted to his wife, who had risen and dressed in his
absence, and in a short time the squire was lying upon a mattress with
Hickathrift eagerly searching for the injury which had laid him low; but
when he found it, the wound seemed so small and trifling that he looked
wondering up at Dick.

"That couldn't have done it," he said in a whisper.

The wheelwright was wrong. That tiny blue wound in the strong man's
chest had been sufficie