'm not hurt, papa; at least only a very little," she hastened to say,
while the others crowded about them with agitated, anxious questioning.
"Is Lulu hurt?" "Did Chess run over her!" "Did the fall hurt her?"

"My fingers are bleeding a little, but they don't hurt very much," she
answered. "I think his skate went over my mitten, and I suppose my
fingers would have been cut off if papa hadn't jerked me back out of the
way."

Chester had just joined the group. "I can never be sufficiently thankful
for the escape," he said with a slight tremble in his tones, "I could
never have forgiven myself if I had maimed that pretty hand; though it
was utterly impossible for me to stop myself in time, at the headlong
rate of speed with which I was moving."

"Your thankfulness can hardly equal her father's," the captain said
with emotion almost too big for utterance, as he gently drew off the
mitten, and bound up the wounded fingers with his handkerchief. "That
will do till I get you to the house. Shall I carry you, daughter?"

"Oh no, papa, I'm quite able to walk," she answered in a very cheerful
tone. "Please don't be so troubled; I'm sure I'm not much hurt."

"Allow me to take off your skates for you," Chester said, kneeling down
on the ice at their feet, and beginning to undo the straps as he spoke.
"And I will gladly carry you up to the house, too, if you and your
father are willing."

"Oh thank you, sir; but I'd really rather walk with papa to help me
along."

The accident had sobered the party a good deal, and most of
them--including the older people and Lulu's mates--went back to the
house with her and her father.

Violet was quite startled and alarmed to see the child brought in with
her hand bound up; but when the blood had been washed away the wounds
were found to be little more than skin deep; the bleeding soon ceased,
and some court-plaster was all that was needed to cover up the cuts.

There were plenty of offers of assistance, but the captain chose to do
for her himself all that was required.

"There, my dear child, you have had a very narrow escape," he said when
he had finished, drawing her into his arms and caressing her with great
tenderness; "what a heartbreaking thing it would have been for us both
had this little hand," taking it tenderly in his, "been robbed of its
fingers; far worse to me than to have lost my own."

"And you have saved them for me, you dear father," she said, clinging
about his neck