Jack didn’t seem to see, but he went on, looking scared himself all the time.
“The real trouble was Dare Devil. You see, after Dan’s arm got hurt—I wish it had been me or George who had caught that shot, but, hang the luck! it was Dan. You know Dare Devil’s old trick—catching the bit in his teeth. Well, he did that and ran away. Dan held on with his good arm until that d—d horse (excuse me, Miss Nell!) wheeled suddenly and dashed into the woods. The limbs of the trees dragged Dan out of his saddle, and his foot caught in the stirrup and Dare Devil dragged him (take some brandy, Miss Nell) until the strap broke. We picked Dan up insensible; he was delirious all night, and we thought for a time that he was done for, but, thank God! he’s all right now. I hate to tell you, Miss Nell, but—you’ll see how his head is—and the doctor said we mustn’t let you go in if you couldn’t be calm.”
“I understand,” I said, “I will be very careful——”
And to prove how careful I could be, I broke down crying.
They didn’t know what to do with me, poor fellows. They begged me not to cry, and then they said crying would do me good, and I had four pairs of broad shoulders to cry on. They were all as gentle and pitiful with me as a mother is with a baby. One of them got out his nice fresh handkerchief and wiped my eyes with it. I had come off the second time without a change of handkerchiefs, and this time without even a tooth-brush. When I had cried my trouble out and was quite calm, I told them I was ready to go to my husband. They took me to the door and I went in quietly, and seeing that he was awake, bent over him.
“I am here, Dan,” I said smiling.
He tried to smile back.
“Take my head in your hands, Nell,” he whispered, “and turn it so I can kiss you.”
I laid my hands softly and firmly on each side of his head and turned it on the pillow. As I did so, a quantity of sand fell away.
I don’t know whether his head had been properly dressed or not, but I know that for a number of days the sand fell away from it whenever I took it into my hands to turn it.