He could not be torn away from his old friend till he heard the doctor's
verdict, and it was a far more hopeful one than anybody had anticipated.
"It is a marvellous escape. Not a bone broken, but of course he is
terribly bruised and shaken, and very stiff."
"I'll sit with him till we can get a proper nurse," said good-natured
Mrs. Selby; "he seems to have no kith or kin belonging to him. It will
be a lesson to him, for life, I hope, and will put a stop to all this
delving and digging and unearthing what is best left alone. It only
fosters scepticism in the minds of the ignorant, and teaches them to
disbelieve their Bibles!"
Old Principle looked up with a smile after the doctor's visit.
"Is little Master Roy there?"
Roy pressed forward eagerly.
"I'm thinking, laddie, that you and Master Dudley have had a rare good
opportunity of saving a poor old man's life, and he is duly grateful to
you."
But Roy was very near tears.
"I'm so glad--so glad your legs aren't broken," he said, in a quivering
voice, "anything is better than being suddenly turned into a cripple!"
And then bending over him he kissed the furrowed brow, and crept out of
the room.
XIV
HEROES
Old Principle's accident was a great event in the village.
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