"Wal, young squire," said a voice at d.i.c.k"s side, as that young gentleman found eyesight enough to look about him, "you"ve done it this time."
The owner of the voice was the driver of the cart, and the tones and looks with which he made the remark were anything but unflattering to Richardson.
"It was a close squeak through the gate," said the latter, "not six inches either side; and if it hadn"t been for the ruts we should have kept up all right till now. I say, do you think the trap"s damaged, or the mare?"
The mare was lying very comfortably on her side taking a good breath after her race, and not offering to resume her feet. As for the waggonette it was lying equally comfortably on its side, with one wheel up in the air.
"Shaft broken," said the driver, "that"s all."
"That"s all!" said d.i.c.k, dolefully, "we shall catch it, and no mistake."
The man grinned.
"You can"t expect to play games of that sort without scratching the varnish off," said he. "No fault of yours you haven"t got your necks broke."
"Suppose we try to get her up?" said Richardson, looking as if this last information had very little comfort in it.
So among them they unharnessed the mare and managed to disengage her from the vehicle and get her to her feet.
"She"s all sound," said the man, after a careful overhauling.
"She"s a cad," said d.i.c.k, "and I shouldn"t have been sorry if she"d broken her neck. Look at the smash she"s made."
The trap was indeed far worse damaged than they supposed as first. Not only was a shaft broken, but a wheel was off, and the rail all along one side was torn away. It was clear there was no more driving to be got out of it that afternoon, and the boys gave up the attempt to raise it in disgust.
"Do you know Tom, our man--Ashford"s man?" said d.i.c.k.
"Who? Tom Tranter? Yes, I knows him."
"Well, you"ll meet him on the road between here and Markridge, walking, or perhaps running. Tell him we"ve had a spill and he"d better see after the trap, will you? We"ll go on."
"What about the horse, though?" said Heathcote.
"I suppose we shall have to take the beast along with us. We can"t leave her here."
"I think we"d better stop till Tom comes, and all go on together,"
suggested Heathcote.
"I suppose you funk it with Ashford," said d.i.c.k whose temper was somewhat ruffled by misfortune. "I don"t. If you two like to stop you can. I"ll go on with the mare."
"Oh, no, we"ll all come," said Heathcote. "I"m not afraid, no more is Coote."
"All serene then, come on. Mind you tell Tom, I say," added he to the carter. "Good-bye, and thanks awfully."
And they departed in doleful procession, d.i.c.k, with the whip in his hand, leading the mare by the mouth, and Heathcote and Coote following like chief mourners, just out of range of the animal"s heels.
"What shall we say to Ashford?" asked Heathcote, after a little.
"Say? What do you mean?" said d.i.c.k.
"He"s sure to ask us what has happened."
"Well, we shall tell him, I suppose."
"There"ll be an awful row."
"Of course there will."
"We shall get licked."
"Of course we shall. What of it?"
"Only," said Heathcote, with a little hesitation, "I suppose there"s no way of getting out of it?"
"Not unless you tell lies. You and Coote can tell some if you like--I shan"t."
"I"m not going to tell any," said Coote, "I"ve told quite enough in my exam. papers."
"Oh, of course, I don"t mean telling crams," said Heathcote, who really didn"t exactly know what he did mean. "I"ll back you up, old man."
"Thanks. I say, as we are in a row, mightn"t we just as well take it out of this beastly horse? If Coote led him you and I could take c.o.c.k shots at him from behind."
"Oh, yes," said Coote, "and hit me by mistake; not if I know it."
"We might aim at Coote," suggested Heathcote, by way of solving the difficulty, "and hit the mare by mistake."
"Perhaps it would be rather low," said d.i.c.k. "I don"t see, though, why she shouldn"t carry us. She"s a long back; plenty of room for all three of us."
"The middle for me," said Coote.
"Think she"d kick up?" asked Heathcote.
"Not she, she couldn"t lift with all of us on her. Come on. Whoa! you beast. Give us a leg up, somebody. Whoa! Hold her head, Coote, and keep her from going round and round. Now then. By Jove! what a way up it is!"
By a mighty effort of combined hoisting and climbing, the boys, one after the other, scaled the lofty ridge, and perched themselves, as securely as they could, well forward on the mare"s long back.
Luckily for them, the patient animal endured her burden meekly, and plodded on in a listless manner, p.r.i.c.king her ears occasionally at the riot which went on on her back, and once or twice rattling the bones of her riders by a mild attempt at a trot, but otherwise showing no signs of renewing her former more energetic protest.
In this manner, after a weary and not altogether refreshing journey, the three jaded, tightly-packed heroes came to a standstill at the door of Mountjoy House, where, one after the other, they slid sadly from their perches, and addressed themselves to the satisfying of Mrs Ashford"s natural curiosity, only hoping the interview would not be protracted, and so defer for long the supper to which they all eagerly looked forward.
"Why, what"s all this?" said the matron.
"Where"s the waggonette, and Tom?" chimed in Mr Ashford, appearing at the same moment.
"Please, sir," said d.i.c.k, "we didn"t wait for Tom, and drove home, and there was a little accident. I was driving at the time, sir. We got spilt, and the trap was a little damaged. We left word for Tom to see to it, and I"ll write and get my father to pay for mending it. We"re all awfully sorry, sir. Dr Winter sends his regards, and we shall hear the result of the exam. on Thursday. One of the wheels came off, but I fancy it will go on again. It was a rut did it. We were coming along at a very good pace, and should have been here an hour ago if it hadn"t been for the accident. We"re sorry to be late, sir."
After which ample explanation and apology the boys felt themselves decidedly aggrieved that they were not at once ushered in to supper.
Mr Ashford, however, being a mortal of only limited perception, required a good deal more information; and a painful and somewhat petulant cross-examination ensued, the result of which was that our heroes were informed they were not to be trusted, that both Mr and Mrs Ashford were disappointed in them, that they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and that they would hear more about the matter to-morrow.