"And then upon dead horses
Full savourly they eat,
And drank the puddle water—
They could no better get."
Then there was a dead stop. "'When they—'" said Lady Eleanor. "Oh, Dick."
"I always remember the puddle water, mother," said Dick reproachfully.
"Elsie," said Lady Eleanor; and Elsie folded her hands over her work and began:
"When they had fed so freely,
They kneeled upon the ground,
And praised God devoutly
For the favour they had found."
"Then," broke in Dick triumphantly—
"Then beating up their colours
The fight they did renew,
And turning on the Spaniards,
A thousand more they slew."
"There, I know it now, mother, mayn't I go now and tell the Corporal to saddle Prince for me? And mayn't Elsie come too?"
So away the children ran, and there was the Corporal waiting outside the door, as anxious to be off as themselves; while Lady Eleanor made her way to see Betsy Fry, who was waiting by the old gate-house a few yards away from the front door.
"Well, Betsy, what is it?" she said kindly, coming up to a woman of rather hard features, who stood patiently in the shade with her sun-bonnet fluttering in the breeze.