132 DOGGED 7ACK.

"and be sure you send for me if you think I could
"be of any assistance."
 Mrs. Brown thanked her in a broken voice, and
 then Jack drove smartly off.
 "Why! where's Roger ?" said Dick, as they turned
to go into the house; he was here this moment."
 "I daresay he has gone up the road to meet the
 others, and see if he can be of any use in carry-
 ing that poor boy home. I fear he is terribly
 hurt."
 "0 mother! shall I go too ? perhaps I could help
 also."
 "No, Dick, I think you had better not; there are
plenty to carry him home, and you would only be in
the way," answered Mrs. Leslie, as she closed the porch
door, and led Polly into the sitting-room.
 "How did it happen?" asked Dick, when nurse
had been despatched to poor Mrs. Brown's aid, and
tired little. Polly had been carried up to bed in
Sally's strong arms.
 "I don't exactly know," answered Mrs. Leslie; "we
had not long started, when, as we were going down
a steep hill, Baffle suddenly began to kick furiously,
and in two or three minutes he had pitched Adolphus,
who fell on his head; the doctor fears some terrible
injury has been done to the spine."
 "H ow dreadful! Baffle was always a kicking brute,