# A Brave Rescue and a Rough Ride explained — Lorna Doone > Chapter companion for Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore. ## What happens John Ridd, at about fifteen years old, rescues the old white drake from a flooded brook on the family farm. Later, his mother's cousin, the famous highwayman Tom Faggus, arrives with his mare Winnie. Despite warnings, John insists on riding Winnie, who bolts and gives him a wild, terrifying ride across the countryside. ## Themes in this chapter ### Nature and the Rural World The chapter opens with a vivid description of the flooded brook and the rescue of the drake, emphasizing the rural setting and the family's connection to the land. ### Family and Loyalty John's bond with his sister Annie and the arrival of his mother's cousin Tom Faggus highlight family ties and loyalty. ## Character check-ins ### John Ridd Narrator and protagonist, about fifteen years old, outgrowing his strength, rescues the drake and later rides Tom Faggus's mare Winnie. ### Annie Ridd John's sister, aged thirteen, helps search for the missing duck and warns John about riding Winnie. ### Tom Faggus John's mother's cousin, a famous highwayman, owner of the mare Winnie; he challenges John to ride her. ### Winnie Tom Faggus's beautiful and spirited mare, described as a strawberry roan with Arabian blood; gives John a wild ride. ### John Fry Farm hand who witnesses the events and takes a pick to keep safe during John's ride. ### Bill Dadds Farm hand who flings his hat up as John mounts Winnie. ## Key lines > It happened upon a November evening (when I was about fifteen years old, and outgrowing my strength very rapidly, my sister Annie being turned thirteen, and a deal of rain having fallen, and all the troughs in the yard being flooded, and the bark from the wood-ricks washed down the gutters, and even our water-shoot going brown) that the ducks in the court made a terrible quacking, instead of marching off to their pen, one behind another. One November evening when John was about fifteen and Annie thirteen, after heavy rain had flooded the yard, the ducks in the courtyard began quacking loudly instead of going to their pen. _Sets the scene for the duck rescue and introduces the rural setting._ > Tom Faggus is my name, as everybody knows; and this is my young mare, Winnie. Tom Faggus introduces himself as John's mother's cousin and presents his mare Winnie. _Introduces the highwayman Tom Faggus and his famous mare._ > First she reared upright in the air, and struck me full on the nose with her comb, till I bled worse than Robin Snell made me; and then down with her forefeet deep in the straw, and her hind-feet going to heaven. Winnie reared up, hitting John on the nose and making it bleed, then plunged her forefeet into the straw and kicked her hind legs high. _Describes the violent start of John's ride on Winnie._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/x-a-brave-rescue-and-a-rough-ride - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/lorna_doone_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters