Elsie had crossed the stepping-stones, and was moving towards the hillock on which he stood, with her sun-bonnet in one hand, and her heavy armful of shining prize books in the other with the golden sun’s rays falling on her.  Her dusky hair was hanging rather more loosely than usual, shaken out of its general smoothness by her hot face.  The pale face was all aglow with pleasure, and her large eyes looked radiant with delight at the thoughts of the pleasure that little Jean’s success, as well as her own, would give to Geordie.  The boy stood with his flaxen hair all gilded by the sun, looking at her with a glad light in his blue eyes.  For a moment only, and then, with a look of terror, he glanced in the opposite direction, remembering that this was dangerous ground.  Blackie had been roused from his sleepy grazing by little Jean’s cry of delight, and, looking up, his evil eye caught sight of Elsie, with her bright colours, made more dazzling by the sunset tints.  With a toss of his head, and a few wild plunges, the brute, with his head near to the ground, and his eyes fixed on his prey, made his way towards her.  Geordie shouted, “Back, Elsie; back on the stepping-stones!” but it was too late.

Elsie lost her presence of mind, and wavered backward and forward for a moment, till it was impossible to save herself by taking refuge on the other side of the stream, where Blackie, not knowing the advantage of stepping-stones, would probably not have troubled himself to follow her.  In an instant Geordie had flung himself between the roused animal and Elsie.  His stick still lay on the hillock, where he had been resting, so he had no weapon of defence, and Blackie, in his rage, would not spare the faithful lad, who had spent so many lonely hours by his side.  In another moment, Geordie was lying gored and senseless on the heather.

Elsie had reached the stepping-stones, and stood there transfixed like a marble statue.  Blackie might follow her now if he had a mind to, but he had not.  After a glance at Geordie, he plunged away with his heels in the air through the heather, having an uneasy consciousness that he had lost his temper, and treated a good friend rather roughly.

As for little Jean, she had fortunately happened to be beyond Blackie’s range of observation; for it was on Elsie that his sole gaze had been fixed, and he only vented his baulked fury on Geordie when the vision of bright colours slipped away.  Gowrie’s ploughman happened to be passing near, and had been a witness of the scene, though it was impossible for him to give timely help.  Elsie Gray, he noticed, was now safe on the stepping-stones, and Geordie lying on the heather, with all the mischief done to him that Blackie was likely to do.  But the enraged animal might attack somebody else presently, and the man thought the best service he could render was to secure Blackie against doing further injury.  Never did repentant criminal receive handcuffs with more