But Mrs. Norton had no time to attend to her. She was running to meet Mrs. Backhouse, who had come hurrying up from another part of the field with the baby in her arms.
“She was under the cart when it moved on,” said Mrs. Norton, taking the baby from her. “We none of us know how it happened. She must have been trying to hand up some hay at the last moment and tumbled under. I don’t think her head is much hurt.”
On ran Mrs. Backhouse, and Milly and her mother followed.
“Better let me carry her up now without moving her,” said Mr. Norton, as Mrs. Backhouse tried to take the little bundle from him. “She has fainted, I think. We must get some water at the stream.” So on he went, with the pale frightened mother, while the others followed. Aunt Emma had got Tiza and Milly by the hand, and was trying to comfort them.
“We hope she is not much hurt, darlings; the wheel did not go over her, thank God. It was just upon her when her father backed the horse. But it must have crushed her I’m afraid, and there was something hanging under the cart which gave her that knock on the temple. Look, there is one of the men starting off for the doctor.”
Whereupon Tiza, who had kept quiet till then, burst into a loud fit of crying, and threw herself down on the grass.
“Nurse,” called Aunt Emma, “stay here with these two poor little ones while I go and see if I can be of any use.”
So nurse came and sat beside them, and Milly crept up to her for comfort. But poor little Tiza lay with her face buried in the grass and nothing they could say to her seemed to reach her little deaf ears.
Meanwhile, Aunt Emma hurried after the others, and presently caught them up at a stream where Mr. Norton had stopped to bathe Becky’s head and face. The cold water had just revived her when Aunt Emma came up, and for one moment she opened her heavy blue eyes and looked at her mother, who was bending over her, and then they shut again. But her little hand went feebly searching for her mother, who caught it up and kissed it.
“Oh, Miss Emma, Miss Emma,” she said, pointing to the child, “I’m afeard but she’s badly hurt.”