"Oh, Sam Rover!" exclaimed the girl. "And Will Jackson! Whatever brought you here? Where is Songbird—do you know anything about him?"
"Yes, we do; and that is what brought us here," answered Sam.
"Oh, Sam! you don't mean that—that something has happened to John?" faltered the girl, turning pale.
"Yes, something did happen, Minnie, but don't be alarmed—he isn't hurt very much. Come into the house and we'll tell you and your father all about it."
"Hurt! Oh, are you sure it isn't serious? Now please don't hold anything back."
"I'll give you my word, Minnie, it isn't serious. The doctor said he would be as well as ever in a few days, but he is rather knocked out, and the doctor said he had better not try to come here. So then he asked Spud and me to come."
While Sam was speaking he and Spud had led the girl back into the house. She was very much agitated and her manner showed it.
"But what was it, Sam? Do tell me. Did that horse run away with him? I know John isn't much of a driver, and when he gets to composing poetry he doesn't notice things and becomes so careless——"
"No, Minnie, it was not that. Where is your father? We'll go to him and then we'll tell you the whole story."
"What's this I hear?" came from the dining-room, where Mr. Sanderson rested in a Morris chair, with his sprained ankle perched on a footstool. "Where is John? And what about that money he was to get for me?"