He had, on arriving at the station, been unable to obtain any information as to what had taken place.

Mrs.Donald was in a dead faint.

Mrs.Barker had, just before he arrived, ridden off to meet her husband; but the dead body of the constable, by the door, and the disappearance of Kate, showed him what had taken place; and he at once started after his master.
His horse, however, was a very inferior one to that ridden by Reuben, and until he met the constable returning, he had been obliged to follow the track of the horses in front; so he did not arrive at the scene of the fray till half an hour after its conclusion.

He uttered exclamations of dismay, at seeing his master's condition; for Reuben had been gradually growing faint, and could now scarcely support himself on his elbow.
Jim, however, had taken the precaution to snatch a bottle of spirits from the shelf, before he started; having an eye to his own comforts, as well as to the possibility of its being required.

He now knocked off the neck, and poured some into the cup of Reuben's flask, and put it to his lips.
"Thank you, Jim; that is just what I wanted." "Massa lie down quiet," Jim said.