"Look, Aunt Mary Ann!" cried Dick, as they reached their own door. "What a lot of people! All coming this way too!"
Miss Warren glanced hastily up the street in the direction indicated. Not a person had been in sight a few moments before; but now quite a small crowd had appeared around the bend of the hill above the village. She immediately concluded something had happened, and sent Dick into the house to ascertain if her brother was in, whilst she stood on the doorstep waiting.
The crowd, mostly composed of village children, with a few of their elders, drew nearer and nearer.
Upon seeing Miss Warren, a man hurried forward, and enquired eagerly if Dr. Warren was at home.
"Yes," the doctor answered for himself, as he appeared with Dick. "Am I wanted? What is it? An accident?"
"Yes, sir! Master Compton has been found in the woods above the village, insensible, and Bill Coysh—'twas he who found him—says he's been shot, he thinks! They're bringing him here because it's so far to the Manor House!"
Dr. Warren turned to his sister and gave her some whispered directions; then he told Dick to go into the sitting-room, and wait there. The little boy obeyed reluctantly.
He was pale and trembling in every limb, and very frightened, for he did not doubt but that Lionel had met with some accident in connection with firing off the blunderbuss. Looking out of the window, he watched the crowd draw up in front of the house, and recognised Lionel's figure stretched out on a hurdle carried by four stalwart villagers. He could not see his cousin's face, for it was covered with a pocket-handkerchief; he shuddered as the idea presented itself to his mind that the unfortunate boy might be already dead.
Only a short while before Dick had been full of bitterness and resentment against Lionel, but now his naturally sympathetic heart could find no room for any sentiment but pity. He knew from the sounds in the house that Lionel was being carried upstairs; then someone went to the front door and asked the crowd to disperse; and soon only one or two lingerers remained.
After that everything was very still for a long time. Dick was beginning to fear he had been forgotten altogether, when he heard light footsteps coming downstairs, and in another instant Miss Warren, looking pale and scared, entered the room. The little boy rushed to her and began asking for particulars of Lionel's accident. Had he really been shot? Was he much hurt?