anxious face bent over him; for, though the elder tyrannized over
the younger, the brothers loved one another dearly.

"Lift his head, Frank, while I tie my handkerchief round to stop the
bleeding," said a quiet voice, as Ed Devlin laid a handful of soft
snow on the wound; and Jack's face brightened as he turned to
thank the one big boy who never was rough with the small ones.

"Better get him right home," advised Gus, who stood by looking
on, with his little sisters Laura and Lotty clinging to him.

"Take Jill, too, for it's my opinion she has broken her back. She
can't stir one bit," announced Molly Loo, with a droll air of
triumph, as if rather pleased than otherwise to have her patient hurt
the worse; for Jack's wound was very effective, and Molly had a
taste for the tragic.

This cheerful statement was greeted with a wail from Susan and
howls from Boo, who had earned that name from the ease with
which, on all occasions, he could burst into a dismal roar without
shedding a tear, and stop as suddenly as he began.

"Oh, I am so sorry! It was my fault; I shouldn't have let her do it,"
said Jack, distressfully.

"It was all _my_ fault; I made him. If I'd broken every bone I've got,
it would serve me right. Don't help me, anybody; I'm a wicked
thing, and I deserve to lie here and freeze and starve and die!"
cried Jill, piling up punishments in her remorseful anguish of mind
and body.