The Red Book of Heroes | Page 6

stroking his head, and Cap looked up to thank her.
'Let me examine his leg,' said the vicar, who had entered behind her; 'he
does not hold it as if it were broken. No, I am sure it is not,' he added
after a close inspection. 'Cheer up, we will soon have him well again.'
Florence's eyes brightened.
'What can I do?' she asked eagerly.
'Oh, make him a compress. That will take down the swelling,' replied
the vicar, who was a little of a doctor himself.
'A compress?' repeated Florence, wrinkling her forehead. 'But I never
heard of one. I don't know how.'
'Light a fire and boil some water, and then wring out some cloths in it,
and put them on Cap's paw. Here is a boy who will make a fire for you,'
he added, beckoning to a lad who was passing outside.
While the fire was kindling, Florence looked about to find the cloths.
But the shepherd did not seem to have any, and her own little
handkerchief would not do any good. Still, cloths she must have, and
those who knew Miss Nightingale in after years would tell you that
when she wanted things she got them.
'Ah, there is Roger's smock,' she exclaimed with delight. 'Oh, do tear it
up for me; mamma will be sure to give me another for him.' So the
vicar tore the strong linen into strips, and Florence wrung them out in
the boiling water, as he had told her.

'Now, Cap, be a good dog; you know I only want to help you,' she cried,
and Cap seemed as if he did know; for though a little tremble ran
through his body as the hot cloth touched him, he never tried to bite,
nor even groaned with the pain, as many children would have done. By
and by the lump was certainly smaller, and the look of pain in Cap's
eyes began to disappear.
Suddenly she glanced up at the vicar, who had been all this time
watching her.
'I can't leave Cap till he is quite better,' she said. 'Can you get that boy
to go to Embley and tell them where I am? Then they won't be
frightened.' So the boy was sent, and Florence sat on till the setting sun
shot long golden darts into the hut.
Then she heard the shepherd fumbling with the latch, as if he could not
see to open it; and perhaps he couldn't, for in his hand he held the rope
which was to put an end to all Cap's sorrows. But Cap did not know the
meaning of the rope and only saw his old master. He gave a little bark
of greeting and struggled on to his three sound legs, wagging his tail in
welcome.
Roger could hardly believe his eyes, and Florence laughed with delight.
'Just look how much better he is,' she said. 'The swelling is very nearly
gone now. But he wants some more compresses. Come and help me
make them.'
'I think we can leave Roger to nurse Cap,' said the vicar, who had just
returned from some of the neighbouring cottages. 'Your patient must
have some bread and milk to-night, and to-morrow you can come to see
how he is.'
'Yes, of course I shall,' answered Florence, and she knelt down to kiss
Cap's nose before the vicar put her up on her pony.
[Illustration: Roger could hardly believe his eyes.]

Now, though Florence was so fond of flowers and animals and
everything out of doors, she was never dull in the house on a wet day.
In the first place, nothing was ever allowed to interfere with her lessons,
and though the little girls had a good governess, their father chose the
books they were to read and the subjects they were to study. Greek,
Latin, and mathematics he taught them himself, and besides he took
care that they could read and speak French, German, and Italian. They
were fond of poetry, and no doubt some of the earliest poems of young
Mr. Tennyson were among their favourites, as well as 'Lycidas' and the
songs of the cavaliers. Parthy was a better artist and a cleverer musician
than Florence, though she could sing and sketch; but both were good
needlewomen, and could make samplers as well as do fine work and
embroidery. When school-time was over and the rain was still coming
down, they would run away to their dolls, who, poor things, were
always ill, so that Florence might have the pleasure of curing them.
And though before Cap's accident she had never heard of a compress,
she could make nice food for them at the nursery fire, and bandage
their broken arms and legs while Parthy held the wounded limb steady.