"What for? We've done it now. I don't mind—do you? It's just—lovely
here." Something in the tone showed that Mousie was not quite happy.
Stolen waters may be sweet, but they are apt to turn sour, and Phœbe,
perhaps, had begun to taste the sourness.
Jock said no more, but he started to wriggle backward towards the
edge of the pond, and he found this feat not so easy as the wriggling
forward had been, especially when Phœbe began to follow him.
"Hold tight," she cried again. "Don't let go, whatever you do."
But her movements set the bough swinging again, and just as Jock
reached the edge of the water, he overbalanced, and went down on the
ground with a sharp thud, his right arm striking a projecting root.
Phœbe reached the same spot with all speed, slid down the tree, and ran
to his side.
Jock was pulling himself up, with a rather white and bewildered look.
"It—doesn't matter," he said.
"You aren't hurt, are you? What 'did' make you fall? Jock—you're not
going to cry?"
Jock shook his head. "My arm hurts," he said.
"Pull off your coat, and let's see." The womanly side of Mousie came to
the fore, and she knelt beside him, helping to bare his arm. An "Oh" of
pity followed, at the sight of blood oozing from a red patch. "Oh, I'm
so sorry. You poor, dear pet."
"It doesn't matter," repeated Jock manfully, though he winced at her
touch.
"I'm sure it hurts frightfully." Mousie kissed the top of his head, and
he endured this, since no one was at hand to see. "Never mind. I'll do
it up, and it'll soon get all right. Here's my hanky—it's almost quite
clean, and—I'll just dip it in the water. There—that's right." Deftly
enough for so small a maiden, she folded the wet handkerchief round his
arm, and tied the corners together.
"It doesn't hurt so much now, does it? I s'pose we'd better go home."
Mousie gazed blankly round. "Why—where's Artie?"
Jock, too, stared about. No Artie was to be seen.
"Artie—Artie—" called Mousie in high shrill tones. "Ar-tie. We're going
home. Come along, Artie!"
Jock joined in with the summons. But they called in vain. No answer
came. The wood was very still. Artie had completely vanished.