now and then that they saw a trout shooting across the
clear brown water. Tiza had quite left off being shy now with Milly, and
the two chattered away, Milly telling Tiza all about her school, and
Jacky and Francis, and Spot and the garden at home; and Tiza telling
Milly about her father's new bull, how frightened she and Becky were of
him, and how father meant to make the fence stronger for fear he should
get out and toss people.

"What a happy little party," said Aunt Emma to mother looking round the
field; "there's nothing like hay for children."

By this time the hay-cart was quite full, and crack went John
Backhouse's whip, as he took hold of the first horse's head and gave him
a pull forward to start the cart on its way to the farm.

"Gee-up," shouted John in his loud cheery voice, and the horse made a
step forward, while the children round cried "Hurrah!" and waved their
hands. But suddenly there was a loud piteous cry which made John give
the horse a sudden push back and drop his whip, and then, from where
they sat, Milly and Tiza heard a sound of crying and screaming, while
everybody in the field ran toward the hay-cart. They ran too; what could
have happened?

Just as they came up to the crowd of people round the cart, Milly saw
her father with something in his arms. And this something was
Becky--poor little Becky, with a great mark on her temple, and her eyes
quite shut, and such a white face!

"Oh, mother! mother!" cried Milly, rushing up to her, "tell me, mother,
what is the matter with Becky?"

But Mrs. Norton had no time to attend to her. She was running to meet
Mrs. Backhouse, who had come hurrying up from another part of the field
with the baby in her arms.

"She was under the cart when it moved on," said Mrs. Norton, taking the
baby from her. "We none of us know how it happened. She must have been
trying to hand up some hay at the last moment and tumbled under. I don't
think her head is much hurt."

On ran Mrs. Backhouse, and Milly and her mother followed.

"Better let me carry her up now without moving her," said Mr. Norton, as
Mrs. Backhouse tried to take the little bundle from him. "She has
fainted, I think. We must get some water at the stream." So on he went,
with the pale frightened mother, while the others followed. Aunt Emma
had got Tiza and Milly by the hand, and was trying to comfort them.

"We hope she is not much hurt, darlings; the wheel did not go over her,
thank God. It was