The men fell back and eyed me silently as I approached.
"What's happened to the horse ?" I cried.

"Did she run away ?" One of the men "reckoned" that "Marse Rad" had been whipping her.
"Whipping her!" I exclaimed in dismay.

It was unbelievable, for no one as a rule was kinder to animals than Radnor; and as for his own Jennie Loo, he couldn't have cared more for her if she had been a human being.
There was no mistaking it however.

She was crossed and recrossed with thick welts about the withers; it was evident that the poor beast had been disgracefully handled.
Uncle Jake volunteered that Rad had galloped straight into the stable, had dropped the bridle and walked off without a word; and he added the opinion that a "debbil had done conjured him." I was inclined to agree.
There seemed to be something in the air that I did not understand, and my anxiety for the Colonel suddenly rushed back fourfold.

I wheeled about and ordered a horse in an unnecessarily sharp tone, and the men jumped to obey me.
It was just sunset as I mounted again and galloped down the lane.