17 a midnight ride

darrell raced off into the rain. she had thought of something—but she didn’t want to tell bill what it was. bill wouldn’t like it. but still, it was the only sensible thing darrell could think of.

she was going to wake up miss peters and tell her about thunder! she remembered how she had heard miss peters talking to the horse, sympathizing with him, and she remembered, too, how thunder had nuzzled happily against her. surely miss peters would understand and come to their help?

she went indoors. she made her way to miss peters’ room, stumbling through the dark corridors. she wondered if she had come to the right room. yes, this must be it. she rapped at the door.

there was no answer. she rapped again. still no answer. miss peters must sleep very, very soundly! in desperation darrell opened the door and looked in. the room was in darkness. she felt for the light switch and put it on.

miss peters was lying humped up in bed, fast asleep. she slept very soundly indeed, and even a thunderstorm did not usually awaken her. darrell went to the bed and put her hand on miss peters’ shoulder.

miss peters awoke at once then. she sat up and stared at darrell in amazement. “what is it?” she said. “what have you come to me for?”

darrell would have gone to miss potts or matron in the usual way—but this was something so unusual that the girl felt only miss peters could deal with it properly. she began to tell miss peters all about the trouble.

“it’s thunder. he’s got colic and bill’s afraid he’ll die if he lies down. can you get the vet, miss peters?”

“good gracious! have you and bill been out to the stables at this time of night?” said miss peters, looking at her clock, which showed half-past twelve. she sprang out of bed. she pulled on riding-breeches and jersey and riding-coat, for she had been riding that day with the school, and her things lay ready to hand.

“yes,” said darrell. “but don’t be angry, miss peters—we simply had to go when we heard thunder in pain.”

“i’m not angry,” said miss peters. “i was worried myself about thunder today. i rang up the vet and he said he would come tomorrow. i’ll come down with you and have a look at the horse myself.”

in a few minutes she was in the stables with darrell. bill was amazed to see her, but very comforted when she saw how capably miss peters handled the distressed horse. thunder whinnied to her and nuzzled against her shoulder. miss peters spoke to him gently, and bill’s heart warmed to her.

“oh, miss peters—can we get the vet to come now? i’m so afraid thunder will lie down and we won’t be able to get him up again.”

thunder’s insides gave a most alarming rumble just then and he groaned in pain and fright. he seemed about to lie down, but miss peters took him out of his stall at once, and began to walk him up and down the stables. the other horses looked round, mildly surprised at all these unusual happenings. one or two whinnied to miss peters. they were very fond of her.

“darrell! go quickly and get sou’westers for yourself and bill. then take the horse into the yard and walk him round and round. i’ll go and phone the vet and come back at once.”

darrell flew off. she came back with sou’westers. she had to put bill’s on for her, because bill looked at the sou’wester as if she simply didn’t know what it was.

“i’m going to phone now,” said miss peters. “walk him out, bill.”

she went. she telephoned the vet’s house. the sleepy voice of his housekeeper answered her. “i’m sorry, mam—but the vet has gone to raglett’s farm to a cow. he said he’d sleep there for the night. no, mam—i’m afraid they’re not on the telephone. you can’t get the vet tonight. i’m sorry.”

miss peters put down the receiver. couldn’t get the vet! what was to be done? the horse needed medicine, and only the vet could bring it and make him drink it down. miss peters could see that thunder’s condition was serious. something must be done!

she went out to the stables again. in the yard the two girls were walking thunder round and round, the rain pouring down on them. she told them that the vet could not be reached. bill groaned. she was in despair.

“he’s at raglett’s farm,” said miss peters. “that’s about five miles off, on the billington road. i know what i’ll do. i’ll saddle one of the other horses and ride to the farm myself and get him. that would be the best thing.”

“what! in the dark and the rain?” said darrell, hardly able to believe her ears.

“that’s nothing,” said miss peters. “thunder is a lovely horse—i don’t mind what i do for him.”

bill’s hand groped for miss peters’ arm. she was sobbing. “you are good!” she said. “thank you, miss peters. you are the kindest person i’ve ever known. oh, if only you can get the vet!”

miss peters patted bill’s shoulder. “i’ll do my best. don’t worry, bill!”

darrell was struck with surprise. miss peters had called bill bill. gracious! and she was going to ride for miles in the dark to fetch someone to help thunder. she was a perfectly marvellous person! “and to think i never even guessed it before!” marvelled darrell, valiantly leading thunder round the yard. “people are awfully decent underneath.”

miss peters was soon galloping off into the night. the two girls took it in turns to lead thunder round the yard. he seemed better when he was walking.

“darrell—i do feel so awful now to remember all the horrid things i thought about miss peters,” said bill, once. “she’s the decentest person i’ve ever met. fancy riding off like that to get the vet. darrell, i shall never be able to repay her. shall i?”

“no. i don’t suppose you will,” said darrell. “i think she’s fine. golly—won’t the girls be thrilled to hear about all this tomorrow!”

miss peters was riding fast through the night. the rain beat down on her but she didn’t mind. she was an all-weather person, and thought nothing of rain, wind, snow or fog! she galloped off to raglett’s farm, and at last got to the gate that led up to the farm.

there was a light in one of the sheds. miss peters guessed the vet was there with the farmer, and the cow he had gone to tend. she rode up to the door, her horse’s hooves making a loud noise in the night.

the farmer came to the door in surprise. miss peters hailed him in her loud, deep voice. “is the vet here? can i speak to him?”

“he’s in yonder,” said the farmer. miss peters dismounted and went into the shed. the vet was there, kneeling beside a cow. by the cow’s side were two pretty little calves.

“mr. turnbull,” said miss peters, “if you’ve finished here, could you possibly come to malory towers? that horse thunder i told you about on the telephone this morning is in a bad way. colic. he needs help.”

“right,” said the vet, getting up. “i’ve finished here, as it happens—much earlier than i thought. i’ll come along now. i’ll get my horse. well, raglett, that cow’s fine now—and she’s got two of the prettiest calves i ever saw!”

presently the vet and miss peters were riding back over the road to malory towers. when they were halfway there miss peters’ horse suddenly shied and reared.

“hey, there! whoa! what’s the matter?” cried miss peters—and at the same moment she saw something lying beside the road. it was a dark shape, hardly visible in the darkness of the night.

“mr. turnbull. come here!” yelled miss peters. “i think there’s somebody here. i hope they haven’t been knocked down by a car and left helpless!”

the vet had a powerful torch. he switched it on. the beam played over a huddled up bundle—a bundle with a mackintosh on!

“good heavens! it’s a young girl!” said the vet. “is she hurt?”

he picked the girl up. miss peters gave a loud and horrified exclamation. “it’s mavis! good gracious me! mavis! whatever is she doing lying out here in the dark at this time of night? this is terrible!”

“she’s fainted from exhaustion i think,” said the vet. “doesn’t seem to have any bones broken. look, she’s opening her eyes.”

mavis looked up and saw miss peters. she began to cry weakly. “they wouldn’t let me sing. and i missed the last bus, and i’ve been walking all night in the rain.”

“what is she talking about?” said the vet. “look, she’s wet through! she’ll get pneumonia unless we’re pretty quick. i’ll take her on my horse. help me to lift her up.”

amazed, horrified and distressed, miss peters helped to lift mavis on to the vet’s horse. he held the girl steady in front of him. then off they went again, this time more slowly.

they came to malory towers. “if mavis can walk i’ll take her straight in to matron,” said miss peters. “oh dear, what a night! you go to the stables, mr. turnbull. darrell and bill are walking thunder in the yard.”

the vet disappeared in the direction of the stables. miss peters guided the exhausted mavis into north tower. she could hardly walk. miss peters half-dragged her up the stairs to matron’s room.

matron awoke and opened the door in surprise. she exclaimed in horror when she saw mavis. “what’s all this? where has she been? she’s soaked through and shivering. miss peters, there’s an electric blanket in that cupboard. put it into the little bed over there, will you, and get the bed hot. and put my electric kettle on. good gracious! what can have happened?”

“goodness knows,” said miss peters, doing all the things she had been asked to do, whilst matron quickly undressed mavis, flinging her soaking clothes on the floor in her hurry to get her into a warm bed. it wasn’t long before she was tucked up with two hot-water bottles, whilst matron prepared some hot cocoa.

mavis tried to tell her what had happened. she spoke in a poor croaking voice. “i only went to billington—to that talent spotting concert—but they said they couldn’t let schoolgirls enter. i tried and tried to make them let me sing, but they wouldn’t. and then i missed the last bus so i began to walk all the way home. but it rained and blew and i was so tired i fell down. and i couldn’t get up again. so . . .”

“now, don’t talk any more,” said matron, gently. “you drink this cocoa and go to sleep. i’ll be here in this other bed so you’ll be all right.”

miss peters had slipped out of the room, murmuring something about seeing to a horse, much to matron’s surprise. she couldn’t make out why miss peters was in riding things nor how it was that she had found mavis on the road. well, the main thing was to see to mavis. she could find out the rest of the mystery afterwards.

miss peters went down to the others. bill and darrell had welcomed the vet with joy and relief. thunder knew him and whinnied. it wasn’t long before the vet had made him drink a huge draught of medicine. “you’ve done well to keep him on his feet,” he told the two tired girls. “probably saved his life. now—off you go to bed. i’ll stay with him till morning. miss peters will help me. off you go!”