The Captain looked at Daisy's face again, and then, without more ado, took his knife and cut the lacings of the boot. "How is that?" he asked.
"That is a great deal better."
"If it hadn't been, you would have fainted again directly. Let us see Daisy, I think I had better cut the boot off. You have sprained the ankle, or something, and it is swollen."
Daisy said nothing, and the Captain went on very carefully and tenderly to cut the boot off.
It was a very necessary proceeding. The foot was terribly swollen already. Again the Captain mused, looking from the child's foot to her face.
"How is the pain now?"
"It aches a good deal."
He saw it was vastly worse than her words made it.
"My little soldier," said he, "how do you suppose I am going to get you down the hill, to where we left our carriage?"
"I don't know," said Daisy. "You can't carry me."