In that instant of deadly peril she had recognized him; but all had passed so instantaneously that she had not had time to speak, scarcely to breathe.
Now she kneeled by his side and raised his head. He was mangled, bleeding, pallid, and insensible.
"Oh, for the love of God, leave those horses and come here, men! Come instantly!" cried Claudia, who with trembling hands was seeking on the boy's face and bosom for some signs of life.
Two of the men remained with the horses, but three rushed to the side of the young lady.
"Oh, Heaven! he is crushed to death, I fear! He was trampled down by the horses, and the whole carriage seemed to have passed over him! Oh, tell me! tell me! is he killed? is he quite, quite dead?" cried Claudia breathlessly, wringing her hands in anguish, as she arose from her kneeling posture to make room for the man.
The three got down beside him and began to examine his condition.
"Is he dead? Oh! is he dead?" cried Claudia.
"It's impossible to tell, miss," answered one of the men, who had his hand on Ishmael's wrist; "but he haint got no pulse."
"And his leg is broken, to begin with," said another, who was busy feeling the poor fellow's limbs.
"And I think his ribs be broken, too," added the third man, who had his hand in the boy's bosom.