第62章

’Surelythenyoumustbequitestarving，sir，’mysisterrepliedwiththegreatestzeal；forshedidloveamanwithanappetite；’howgladIamthatthefireisclear!’ButLizzie，whohappenedtobethere，saidwithherpeculiarsmile，——

’MasterSticklesmustbeusedtoit；forhenevercomesbackwithouttellingusthat。’

’Hush!’criedAnnie，quiteshockedwithher；’howwouldyouliketobeusedtoit？Now，Betty，bequickwiththethingsforme。Pork，ormutton，ordeer’smeat，sir？Wehavesomecuredsincetheautumn。’

’Oh，deer’smeat，byallmeans，’JeremySticklesanswered；’IhavetastednonesinceIleftyou，thoughdreamingofitoften。Well，thisisbetterthanbeingchasedoverthemoorsforone’slife，John。AllthewayfromLandacreBridge，Ihaveriddenaraceformypreciouslife，attheperilofmylimbsandneck。

ThreegreatDoonesgallopingafterme，andagoodjobformethattheyweresobig，ortheymusthaveovertakenme。Justgoandseetomyhorse，John，that’sanexcellentlad。Hedeservesagoodturnthisday，fromme；andIwillrenderittohim。’

Howeverheleftmetodoit，whilehemadehimselfcomfortable：andintruththehorserequiredcare；hewasblownsothathecouldhardlystand，andplasteredwithmud，andsteamingsothatthestablewasquitefullwithit。BythetimeIhadputthepoorfellowtorights，hismasterhadfinisheddinner，andwasinamorepleasanthumour，havingevenofferedtokissAnnie，outofpuregratitude，ashesaid；butAnnieansweredwithspiritthatgratitudemustnotbeshownbyincreasingtheobligation。Jeremymadereplytothisthathisonlywaytobegratefulthenwastotellushisstory：andsohedid，atgreaterlengththanI

canhererepeatit；foritdoesnotbearparticularlyuponLorna’sfortunes。

ItappearsthatashewasridingtowardsusfromthetownofSouthmoltoninDevonshire，hefoundtheroadsverysoftandheavy，andthefloodsoutinalldirections；butmetwithnootherdifficultyuntilhecametoLandacreBridge。Hehadonlyasingletrooperwithhim，amannotofthemilitiabutoftheKing’sarmy，whomJeremyhadbroughtfromExeter。AsthesetwodescendedtowardsthebridgetheyobservedthatboththeKensfordwaterandtheRiverBarlewerepouringdowninmightyfloodsfromthemeltingofthesnow。Sogreatindeedwasthetorrent，aftertheyunited，thatonlytheparapetsofthebridgecouldbeseenabovethewater，theroadacrosseitherbankbeingcoveredandverydeeponthehitherside。Thetrooperdidnotlikethelookofit，andproposedtoridebackagain，androundbywayofSimonsbath，wherethestreamissmaller。ButStickleswouldnothaveitso，anddashingintotheriver，swamhishorseforthebridge，andgaineditwithsomelittletrouble；andtherehefoundthewaternotmorethanuptohishorse’skneesperhaps。Onthecrownofthebridgeheturnedhishorsetowatchthetrooper’spassage，andtohelphimwithdirections；whensuddenlyhesawhimfallheadlongintothetorrent，andheardthereportofagunfrombehind，andfeltashocktohisownbody，suchasliftedhimoutofthesaddle。Turningroundhebeheldthreemen，risenupfrombehindthehedgeononesideofhisonwardroad，twoofthemreadytoloadagain，andonewithhisgununfired，waitingtogetgoodaimathim。ThenJeremydidagallantthing，forwhichI

doubtwhetherIshouldhavehadthepresenceofmindindanger。Hesawthattoswimhishorsebackagainwouldbealmostcertaindeath；asaffordingsuchatarget，whereevenawoundmustbefatal。Thereforehestruckthespursintothenag，androdethroughthewaterstraightatthemanwhowaspointingthelonggunathim。Ifthehorsehadbeencarriedoffhislegs，theremusthavebeenanendofJeremy；fortheothermenweregettingreadytohaveanothershotathim。

Butluckilythehorsegallopedrightonwithoutanyneedforswimming，beinghimselfexcited，nodoubt，byallhehadseenandheardofit。AndJeremylayalmostflatonhisneck，soastogivelittlespaceforgoodaim，withthemanetossingwildlyinfrontofhim。Nowifthatyoungfellowwiththegunhadhisbrainsasreadyashisflintwas，hewouldhaveshotthehorseatonce，andthenhadSticklesathismercy；butinstead