No bones were broken, but he was lame and bruised, and it was some time before he could mount the gentle animal Sam Spruce had ridden in going forth to find him. Sally saw in a moment that it was Lord Rollin, the horse Lionel had used when riding with his cousin Rosamond.
Hotspur, after a mad gallop, had raced back riderless to the stables, stirrups dangling and saddle awry. This had sent the men out in hot haste to find out what had happened.
As soon as Lionel was fairly recovered, he looked all around.
"Where is the beautiful creature that gave me water?" he asked.
"No one gave you water, Mars' Li'nel," said the well-spoken Sam Spruce. "We fetched cordial that brought you to."
"Yes, yes, I know that," Lionel replied, "but who was the lovely being all in white, with hair like the sun, eyes like stars, lips like cherries and with flowers all about her everywhere?"
Sam looked over to Corniel, winked, and touched his brow.
Lionel caught the gesture.
"Oh, now, none of that!" he said; "my head is not wandering. She came before you did, some charming little thing, I tell you, that was all brightness and flowers."
"We saw no one, Mars' Lion," began Corniel; "you was all 'lone when we comed up. Ef there'd been anybuddy else roun', dey couldn't 'a' got 'way dout our seein' 'em."