About half the animals on the farm rushed out to the knoll where the windmill stood. 🔊 There lay Boxer, between the shafts of the cart, his neck stretched out, unable even to raise his head. 🔊 His eyes were glazed, his sides matted with sweat. A thin stream of blood had trickled out of his mouth. 🔊 Clover dropped to her knees at his side.

"Boxer!" she cried, "how are you?"

"It is my lung," said Boxer in a weak voice. 🔊 "It does not matter. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. 🔊 There is a pretty good store of stone accumulated. I had only another month to go in any case. 🔊 To tell you the truth, I had been looking forward to my retirement. And perhaps, as Benjamin is growing old too, they will let him retire at the same time and be a companion to me." 🔊

"We must get help at once," said Clover. "Run, somebody, and tell Squealer what has happened." 🔊

All the other animals immediately raced back to the farmhouse to give Squealer the news. 🔊 Only Clover remained, and Benjamin who lay down at Boxer's side, and, without speaking, kept the flies off him with his long tail. 🔊 After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared, full of sympathy and concern. He said that Comrade Napoleon had learned with the very deepest distress of this misfortune to one of the most loyal workers on the farm, and was already making arrangements to send Boxer to be treated in the hospital at Willingdon. 🔊 The animals felt a little uneasy at this. Except for Mollie and Snowball, no other animal had ever left the farm, and they did not like to think of their sick comrade in the hands of human beings. 🔊 However, Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat Boxer's case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm. 🔊 And about half an hour later, when Boxer had somewhat recovered, he was with difficulty got on to his feet, and managed to limp back to his stall, where Clover and Benjamin had prepared a good bed of straw for him. 🔊