"Yes, my foot hurts me awfully. The rock fell on it. I don't know how I shall get home."
"Coral, you must run home as fast as possible and tell papa," said Beryl, turning to Coral, who stood looking on in silence, her little face white with fear, and tears of distress in her eyes.
Coral ran off without a word. In a few minutes Percy's faintness began to pass away, and he could sit up without Beryl's support. But he was evidently in intense pain.
"Can I do anything to make the pain better?" asked Beryl.
"Do you think you could get my boot off?" he said. "It hurts me dreadfully."
It was no easy matter to remove the boot from the swollen foot on which it pressed so cruelly, but Beryl set to work, not unskilfully, and with the help of Percy's penknife managed to release the injured part. But, careful though she was, this could not be done without giving more pain, and though Percy bore it bravely, he several times turned so white that Beryl feared he was going to faint.
"I am so sorry for you," she said gently. "I wish they would come. It seems so long to wait, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it seems an age; but we must try to bear it," said Percy, setting his teeth together to keep back a groan. "You are a good little woman, Beryl, to wait with me so patiently. I am very much obliged to you."
"As if I should think of leaving you!" said Beryl.
She was so full of pity for him that she began to think that he was really rather nice after all, and she had made a mistake in disliking him so much. She would willingly have kept watch beside him for a longer time, but she was very glad for his sake when at length she heard the sound of steps coming quickly across the shingles.