"Here are the panniers all ready packed, Miss Annie," answered Jacob; "but, bless me! where's Sir Toby?"
They looked all round, and presently discovered Sir Toby trotting very contentedly along the path homewards. He had gone nearly out of sight already.
"Bless me!" exclaimed poor Jacob again, "what shall I do? I cannot leave you young ladies and gentlemen alone. Wo there! Wo there! The horse will not stop. He may come to mischief."
"Run after him, Jacob," cried Fred. "We will stay by the panniers."
Jacob ran on. They thought he would succeed at first, for Sir Toby stopped to eat, but no sooner did he hear Jacob behind him, than he pricked up his ears and trotted on again. It was impossible to help laughing, troublesome as it was. How to get home all the heavy things they could not think. Fred ran on a little way to see if he could do anything to help. Turning the corner of a thicket, he came against a donkey feeding, and saw behind the trees a little cottage, with a great stack of wood by it much higher than itself. An old woman stood at the door.
"Is that your horse yonder, running away, Master?" said she; and she looked so good-natured, that he told her all the case.
"If our donkey will do to carry the panniers he shall go with you," said she, "and my son can lead him and bring him back."
Fred thanked her heartily, and then made signs to Jacob to go on again. Jacob had begun to run back, despairing of stopping Sir Toby, and distracted between his duty to the young ladies and gentlemen, and the horse.
"Go after your horse!" shouted the old woman, pointing energetically along the path. Seeing he still doubted, she led the donkey up a steep bank and pushed her son to his head. Jacob understood; he saw that this stout country lad and this donkey would supply the place of himself and Sir Toby, and with a heart eased of half its load of care, he started off again in pursuit.
The donkey was soon loaded, not forgetting the blackberries, and the whole party moved homewards after many thanks to the kind old woman, who promised to come up to tea and return with her son. Sir Toby was safe in his stable when they arrived. He had gone straight to the door and waited there for Jacob.