A snore from Dick and a deep sigh from Henri was the answer to this pathetic appeal. It so happened, however, that Henri’s pipe, in falling from his lips, had emptied the ashes just under his nose, so that the sigh referred to drew a quantity thereof into his throat and almost choked him. He was up in a moment coughing vociferously. Most men have a tendency to vent ill-humour on some one, and they generally do it on one whom they deem worse than themselves. Henri therefore, instead of growling at Joe for rousing him, scolded Dick for not rising.
“Ha, mauvais dog! vill you dare to look to me?”
Crusoe did look with amiable placidity, as though to say, “Howl away, old boy, I won’t budge till Dick does.”
With a mighty effort Giant Sleep was thrown off at last, and the hunters were once more on their journey, cantering lightly over the soft turf.
“Ho, let’s have a run!” cried Dick, unable to repress the feelings aroused by the exhilarating morning air.
“Have a care, boy,” cried Joe, as they stretched out at full gallop. “Keep oft the ridge; it’s riddled wi’ badger— Ha! I thought so.”
At that moment Dick’s horse put its foot into a badger hole and turned completely over, sending its rider through the air in a curve that an East Indian acrobat would have envied. For a few seconds Dick lay flat on his back; then he jumped up and laughed, while his comrades hurried up anxiously to his assistance.
“No bones broke?” inquired Joe.
Dick gave a hysterical gasp. “I—I think not.”
“Let’s have a look. No, nothin’ to speak o’, be good luck. Ye should niver go slap through a badger country like that, boy; always keep i’ the bottoms, where the grass is short. Now then, up ye go. That’s it!”
Dick remounted, though not with so elastic a spring as usual, and they pushed forward at a more reasonable pace.
Accidents of this kind are of common occurrence in the prairies. Some horses, however, are so well trained that they look sharp out for these holes, which are generally found to be most numerous on the high and dry grounds. But in spite of all the caution both of man and horse, many ugly falls take place, and sometimes bones are broken.
They had not gone far after this incident when an antelope leaped from a clump of willows, and made for a belt of woodland along a stream not half a mile off.
