When
he returned they set to work at once to examine the injuries. Ned
appeared to have received but one blow. The blood was slowly welling
from a wound at the back of his head.
"That war maade by a leaded stick, oi guess," Luke said; "it's cut
through his hat, and must pretty nigh ha' cracked his skool. One
of you bathe un wi' the water while we looks arter Bill."
Polly gave an exclamation of horror as the light fell upon Bill
Swinton. He was covered with blood. A clean cut extended from the
top of the ear to the point of the chin, another from the left
shoulder to the breast, while a third gash behind had cut through
to the bone of the shoulder blade.
"Never moind t' water, lass," Luke said as Polly with trembling
hands was about to wash the blood from the cut on the face, "the
bluid won't do un no harm--thou must stop t' bleeding."
Polly tore three or four long strips from the bottom of her dress.
While she was doing so one of the men by Luke's directions took
the lantern and gathered some short dry moss from the side of the
slope, and laid it in a ridge on the gaping wound. Then Luke with
Polly's assistance tightly bandaged Bill's head, winding the strips
from the back of the head round to the chin, and again across the
temples and jaw. Luke took out his knife and cut off the coat and
shirt from the arms and shoulder, and in the same way bandaged up
the other two wounds.
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