He turned away, in bitter pain, that none might see his trouble; and Annie, going along with him, looked as if I had killed our mother.  For my part, I was so upset, for fear of having gone too far, that without a word to either of them, but a message on the title-page of King James his Prayer-book, I saddled Kickums, and was off, and glad of the moorland air again.

[Illustration:  566.jpg Tailpiece]

CHAPTER LXI

THEREFORE HE SEEKS COMFORT

[Illustration:  567.jpg Dulvertin Church and Street]

It was for poor Annie’s sake that I had spoken my mind to her husband so freely, and even harshly.  For we all knew she would break her heart, if Tom took to evil ways again.  And the right mode of preventing this was, not to coax, and flatter, and make a hero of him (which he did for himself, quite sufficiently), but to set before him the folly of the thing, and the ruin to his own interests.  They would both be vexed with me, of course, for having left them so hastily, and especially just before dinner-time; but that would soon wear off; and most likely they would come to see mother, and tell her that I was hard to manage, and they could feel for her about it.

Now with a certain yearning, I know not what, for softness, and for one who could understand me—­for simple as a child though being, I found few to do that last, at any rate in my love-time—­I relied upon Kickum’s strength to take me round by Dulverton.  It would make the journey some eight miles longer, but what was that to a brisk young horse, even with my weight upon him?

And having left Squire Faggus and Annie much sooner than had been intended, I had plenty of time before me, and too much, ere a prospect of dinner.  Therefore I struck to the right, across the hills, for Dulverton.

Pretty Ruth was in the main street of the town, with a basket in her hand, going home from the market.

“Why, Cousin Ruth, you are grown,” I exclaimed; “I do believe you are, Ruth.  And you were almost too tall, already.”

At this the little thing was so pleased, that she smiled through her blushes beautifully, and must needs come to shake hands with me; though I signed to her not to do it, because of my horse’s temper.  But scarcely was her hand in mine, when Kickums turned like an eel upon her, and caught her by the left arm with his teeth, so that she screamed with agony.  I saw the white of his vicious eye, and struck him there with all my force, with my left hand over her right arm, and he never used that eye again; none the less he kept his hold on her.  Then I smote him again on the jaw, and caught the little maid up by her right hand, and laid her on the saddle in front of me; while the horse being giddy and staggered with blows, and foiled of his spite, ran backward.  Ruth’s wits were gone; and she lay before me, in such a helpless and senseless way that I could have killed vile Kickums.  I struck the spurs into him past the rowels, and away he went at full gallop; while I had enough to do to hold on, with the little girl lying in front of me.  But I called to the men who were flocking around, to send up a surgeon, as quick as could be, to Master Reuben Huckaback’s.