and with one determined leap cleared both dike and bank.

Motionless among the heather, with her face to the earth, lay my poor
young mistress. Blantyre kneeled down and called her name: there was no
sound. Gently he turned her face upward: it was ghastly white and
the eyes were closed. "Annie, dear Annie, do speak!" But there was no
answer. He unbuttoned her habit, loosened her collar, felt her hands and
wrist, then started up and looked wildly round him for help.

At no great distance there were two men cutting turf, who, seeing Lizzie
running wild without a rider, had left their work to catch her.

Blantyre's halloo soon brought them to the spot. The foremost man seemed
much troubled at the sight, and asked what he could do.

"Can you ride?"

"Well, sir, I bean't much of a horseman, but I'd risk my neck for the
Lady Anne; she was uncommon good to my wife in the winter."

"Then mount this horse, my friend--your neck will be quite safe--and
ride to the doctor's and ask him to come instantly; then on to the hall;
tell them all that you know, and bid them send me the carriage, with
Lady Anne's maid and help. I shall stay here."

"All right, sir, I'll do my best, and I pray God the dear young lady may
open her eyes soon." Then, seeing the other man, he called out, "Here,
Joe, run for some water, and tell my missis to come as quick as she can
to the Lady Anne."

He then somehow scrambled into the saddle, and with a "Gee up" and a
clap on my sides with both his legs, he started on his journey, making
a little circuit to avoid the dike. He had no whip, which seemed to
trouble him; but my pace soon cured that difficulty, and he found the
best thing he could do was to stick to the saddle and hold me in, which
he did manfully. I shook him as little as I could help, but once or
twice on the rough ground he called out, "Steady! Woah! Steady!" On the
highroad we were all right; and at the doctor's and the hall he did his
errand like a good man and true. They asked him in to take a drop of
something. "No, no," he said; "I'll be back to 'em again by a short cut
through the fields, and be there afore the carriage."

There was a great deal of hurry and excitement after the news became
known. I was just turned into my box; the saddle and bridle were taken
off, and a cloth thrown over me.

Ginger was saddled and sent off in great haste for Lord George, and I
soon heard the carriage roll out of the yard.

It seemed a long ti