[A Final Reckoning by G. A. Henty]@TWC D-Link bookA Final Reckoning CHAPTER 15: At Donald's 22/28
We will manage to slide a door under him, and lift him on to it, with as little movement as possible. "At any rate, madam," he said, turning to Mrs.Donald, "I can congratulate you upon the fact that the bullet did not strike a couple of inches higher.
Had it done so, my ride would have been a useless one." A bed was at once brought from a room above and made up, and Mr. Donald was placed upon it, in the manner which Mr.Ruskin had suggested.
Then with lightened hearts the party, with the exception of his wife, left the room. Kate and Mrs.Barker at once set to to prepare a meal for the surgeon; while Reuben went over to give his companions the good news, that the surgeon had strong hopes that Mr.Donald would recover. In the afternoon all the party, with the exception of Mr.and Mrs. Barker and the constables, rode off to their respective stations; assuring Reuben of their readiness to assemble again, at once, should he obtain news which would afford a hope that the gang could be traced. A few hours later, the other four constables for whom Reuben had sent rode up.
An outhouse was now prepared for the reception of the police, Reuben himself taking up his abode there, although Mrs. Donald strongly urged him to come into the house; but with Mr.and Mrs.Barker and the surgeon there, and the time of one of the ladies taken up with the wounded man, Reuben thought that their hands were perfectly full, and said that he should prefer to mess and sleep with his men. "You see, Mrs.Donald," he said, as she tried to induce him to alter his determination, "I shall have to be sending out men and receiving reports, and may be obliged to ride out in the middle of the night; therefore, you see, as absolute quiet is ordered for your husband, it will be far better for me to be outside the house; as the coming and going would be sure to disturb him, and he would naturally want to know what is going on." "You will not, I hope, take all your party away in pursuit of these men, Captain Whitney," she said anxiously.
"They might get up some false alarm, to take you away, and then come down upon the house again.
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