`` Anne , come back , '' shrieked the latter , as soon as she found her voice . `` You 'll ruin your dress in that wet grain ... ruin it . She does n't hear me ! Well , she 'll never get that cow out by herself . I must go and help her , of course . '' Anne was charging through the grain like a mad thing . Diana hopped briskly down , tied the horse securely to a post , turned the skirt of her pretty gingham dress over her shoulders , mounted the fence , and started in pursuit of her frantic friend . She could run faster than Anne , who was hampered by her clinging and drenched skirt , and soon overtook her . Behind them they left a trail that would break Mr. Harrison 's heart when he should see it . `` Anne , for mercy 's sake , stop , '' panted poor Diana . `` I 'm right out of breath and you are wet to the skin . '' `` I must ... get ... that cow ... out ... before ... Mr. Harrison ... sees her , '' gasped Anne . `` I do n't ... care ... if I 'm ... drowned ... if we ... can ... only ... do that . '' But the Jersey cow appeared to see no good reason for being hustled out of her luscious browsing ground . No sooner had the two breathless girls got near her than she turned and bolted squarely for the opposite corner of the field . `` Head her off , '' screamed Anne . `` Run , Diana , run . '' Diana did run . Anne tried to , and the wicked Jersey went around the field as if she were possessed . Privately , Diana thought she was .
It was fully ten minutes XXXXX they headed her off and drove her through the corner gap into the Cuthbert lane .
Behind around as before by for if of than to