w it? Andy, I SEEN 'EM MESELF!"

"You did, Dave?" in a tone that suggested sorrow more than anger at
Dave's part in the seeing of them.

"Gorstruth, Andy!"

. . . . .

"Tell me, Dave, who was the feller? That's all I want to know."

"I can't tell you that. I only seen them when I was canterin' past in
the dusk."

"Then how'd you know it was a man at all?"

"It wore trousers, anyway, and was as big as you; so it couldn't have
been a girl. I'm pretty safe to swear it was Mick Kelly. I saw his horse
hangin' up at Porter's once or twice. But I'll tell you what I'll do:
I'll find out for you, Andy. And, what's more, I'll job him for you if I
catch him!"

Andy said nothing; his hands clenched and his chest heaved. Dave laid a
friendly hand on his shoulder.

"It's red hot, Andy, I know. Anybody else but you and I wouldn't have
cared. But don't be a fool; there's any Gorsquantity of girls knockin'
round. You just give it to her straight and chuck her, and have done
with it. You must be bad off to bother about her. Gorstruth! she ain't
much to look at anyway! I've got to ride like blazes to catch the coach.
Don't knock off till I come back; I won't be above an hour. I'm goin' to
give you some points in case you've got to fight Mick; and I'll have to
be there to back you!" And, thus taking the right moment instinctively,
he jumped on his horse and galloped on towards the town.

His dust-cloud had scarcely disappeared round a corner of the paddocks
when Andy was aware of another one coming towards him. He had a
dazed idea that it was Dave coming back, but went on digging another
post-hole, mechanically, until a spring-cart rattled up, and stopped
opposite him. Then he lifted his head. It was Lizzie herself, driving
home from town. She turned towards him with her usual faint smile. Her
small features were "washed out" and rather haggard.

"'Ello, Andy!"

But, at the sight of her, all his hatred of "funny
business"--intensified, perhaps, by a sense of personal injury--came to
a head, and he exploded:

"Look here, Lizzie Porter! I know all about you. You needn't think
you're goin' to cotton on with me any more after this! I wouldn't be
seen in a paddock with yer! I'm satisfied about you! Get on out of
this!"

The girl stared at him for a moment thunderstruck; then she lammed into
the old horse with a stick she carried in place of a whip.

She cried, and wondered what she'd done, and trembled so that sh