to the gate of Bridesdale, and reported the casualties, Perrowne proudly relating that he and Coristine, who was “now end of a good fellow,” had carried the doctor to the scow, which he called “the bowt.”  Ben Toner’s waggon came next, having dropped Mrs. Flower at the post office, where, a little later, the constable landed his prisoners.  Her companion Serlizer sought the kitchen with Ben, while Mr. Errol joined his brother divine; but Messrs. Hislop and Lajeunesse, with Mr. Hill, waited only for Sylvanus’ appearance to take their homeward journey.  At last the ambulance waggon drove slowly up, and tender hands lifted out the disabled and the wounded.  Miss Halbert and Miss Carmichael relieved the Captain of his patient, who managed to hop cheerfully into the house, with an arm on each of their shoulders.  The Squire and the colonel helped the dominie along, and up to a special single room which was to be his hospital, and which Mrs. and Miss Du Plessis and Mrs. Carruthers were prepared to enter as nurses, so soon as his bearers had put him to bed.  Then the doctor came up with his instruments, cut off the colonel’s improvised bandage and the shirt sleeve, bathed the wound, found and extracted the bullet, and tied all up tight.  The meek dominie bore it all with patience, and apologized to his surgeon for giving him so much trouble while he himself was suffering.  The three ladies brought the wounded hero all manner of good things that sick people are supposed to like or to be allowed to eat and drink, and Wilkinson was in a dolce far niente elysium.  Little Marjorie, having knocked timidly at the door, came in with some square gaudily-covered books under her arm, and asked if Mr. Wilks would like her to read to him.  She offered the victim his choice of “Puss in Boots,” “Mother Goose,” and “Nursery Rhymes”; but Miss Du Plessis, who, at the sufferer’s request, was looking up in Wordsworth that cheerful theme, The Churchyard in “The Excursion,” interposed, saying, some other day, when Mr. Wilkinson had grown stronger, he might perhaps be able to make a selection from her juvenile library.  Marjorie told her cousin that she was sure, if it had been her Eugene who was sick, he would have liked her to stay and read to him.  She had told Eugene to marry Cecile, but she would never do so any more; she would give him all to cousin Marjorie.

The three squires sat in council, and agreed to dismiss the nominal captives on condition of their promising to appear when wanted as witnesses.  This Serlizer at once agreed to.  Mr. Walker rode to the post office and exacted the promise from Mrs. Flower and the masons, thus depriving the constable of his prey.  He was compelled to untie their hands, and restore the confiscated pocket knives.  The masons were invited to supper at Bridesdale, as was the woman; but the men proposed to go on to the River, as they had money to pay their way; and Mrs. Flower, who would not leave Harding’s body, was given in charge