CHAPTER XXIII
"TIED TO TWO STICKS"
It was on the last day at camp that it happened. To Pollyanna itseemed such a pity that it should have happened at all, for it was thefirst cloud to bring a shadow of regret and unhappiness to her heartduring the whole trip, and she found herself futilely sighing:
"I wish we'd gone home day before yesterday; then it wouldn't havehappened."
But they had not gone home "day before yesterday," and it hadhappened; and this was the manner of it.
Early in the morning of that last day they had all started on atwo-mile tramp to "the Basin."
"We'll have one more bang-up fish dinner before we go," Jimmy hadsaid. And the rest had joyfully agreed.
With luncheon and fishing tackle, therefore, they had made an earlystart. Laughing and calling gaily to each other they followed thenarrow path through the woods, led by Jimmy, who best knew the way.
At first, close behind Jimmy had walked Pollyanna; but gradually shehad fallen back with Jamie, who was last in the line: Pollyanna hadthought she detected on Jamie's face the expression which she had cometo know was there only when he was attempting something that taxedalmost to the breaking-point his skill and powers of endurance. Sheknew that nothing would so offend him as to have her openly noticethis state of affairs. At the same time, she also knew that from her,more willingly than from any one else, would he accept an occasionalsteadying hand over a troublesome log or stone. Therefore, at thefirst opportunity to make the change without apparent design, she haddropped back step by step until she had reached her goal, Jamie. Shehad been rewarded instantly in the way Jamie's face brightened, and inthe easy assurance with which he met and conquered a fallen tree-trunkacross their path, under the pleasant fiction (carefully fostered byPollyanna) of "helping her across."
Once out of the woods, their way led along an old stone wall for atime, with wide reaches of sunny, sloping pastures on each side, and amore distant picturesque farmhouse. It was in the adjoining pasturethat Pollyanna saw the goldenrod which she immediately coveted.
"Jamie, wait! I'm going to get it," she exclaimed eagerly. "It'll makesuch a beautiful bouquet for our picnic table!" And nimbly shescrambled over the high stone wall and dropped herself down on theother side.
It was strange how tantalizing was that goldenrod. Always just aheadshe saw another bunch, and yet another, each a little finer than theone within her reach. With joyous exclamations and gay little callsback to the waiting Jamie, Pollyanna--looking particularly attractivein her scarlet sweater--skipped from bunch to bunch, adding to herstore. She had both hands full when there came the hideous bellow ofan angry bull, the agonized shout from Jamie, and the sound of hoofsthundering down the hillside.
What happened next was never clear to her. She knew she dropped hergoldenrod and ran--ran as she never ran before, ran as she thought shenever could run--back toward the wall and Jamie. She knew that behindher the hoof-beats were gaining, gaining, always gaining. Dimly,hopelessly, far ahead of her, she saw Jamie's agonized face, and heard hishoarse cries. Then, from somewhere, came a new voice--Jimmy's--shoutinga cheery call of courage.
Still on and on she ran blindly, hearing nearer and nearer the thud ofthose pounding hoofs. Once she stumbled and almost fell. Then, dizzilyshe righted herself and plunged forward. She felt her strength quitegone when suddenly, close to her, she heard Jimmy's cheery call again.The next minute she felt herself snatched off her feet and held closeto a great throbbing something that dimly she realized was Jimmy'sheart. It was all a horrid blur then of cries, hot, panting breaths,and pounding hoofs thundering nearer, ever nearer. Then, just as sheknew those hoofs to be almost upon her, she felt herself flung, stillin Jimmy's arms, sharply to one side, and yet not so far but that shestill could feel the hot breath of the maddened animal as he dashedby. Almost at once then she found herself on the other side of thewall, with Jimmy bending over her, imploring her to tell him she wasnot dead.
With an hysterical laugh that was yet half a sob, she struggled out ofhis arms and stood upon her feet.
"Dead? No, indeed--thanks to you, Jimmy. I'm all right. I'm all right.Oh, how glad, glad, glad I was to hear your voice! Oh, that wassplendid! How did you do it?" she panted.
"Pooh! That was nothing. I just--" An inarticulate choking cry broughthis words to a sudden halt. He turned to find Jamie face down on theground, a little distance away. Pollyanna was already hurrying towardhim.
"Jamie, Jamie, what is the matter?" she cried. "Did you fall? Are youhurt?"
There was no answer.
"What is it, old fellow? ARE you hurt?" demanded Jimmy.
Still there was no answer. Then, suddenly, Jamie pulled himself halfupright and turned. They saw his face then, and fell back, shocked andamazed.
"Hurt? Am I hurt?" he choked huskily, flinging out both his hands."Don't you suppose it hurts to see a thing like that and not be ableto do anything? To be tied, helpless, to a pair of sticks? I tell youthere's no hurt in all the world to equal it!"
"But--but--Jamie," faltered Pollyanna.
"Don't!" interrupted the cripple, almost harshly. He had struggled tohis feet now. "Don't say--anything. I didn't mean to make ascene--like this," he finished brokenly, as he turned and swung backalong the narrow path that led to the camp.
For a minute, as if transfixed, the two behind him watched him go.
"Well, by--Jove!" breathed Jimmy, then, in a voice that shook alittle, "That was--tough on him!"
"And I didn't think, and PRAISED you, right before him," half-sobbedPollyanna. "And his hands--did you see them? They were--BLEEDING wherethe nails had cut right into the flesh," she finished, as she turnedand stumbled blindly up the path.
"But, Pollyanna, w-where are you going?" cried Jimmy.
"I'm going to Jamie, of course! Do you think I'd leave him like that?Come, we must get him to come back."
And Jimmy, with a sigh that was not all for Jamie, went.