, and when
spoken to would answer in a manner which seemed to Dobbes to be flat
mutiny. "We are not doing it for our bread," said Tregear.

"I don't know what you mean."

"There's no duty in killing a certain number of these animals." They
had been driving deer on the day before and were to continue the work
on the day in question. "I'm not paid fifteen shillings a week for
doing it."

"I suppose if you undertake to do a thing you mean to do it. Of
course you're not wanted. We can make the double party without you."

"Then why the mischief should you growl at me?"

"Because I think a man should do what he undertakes to do. A man who
gets tired after three days' work of this kind would become tired if
he were earning his bread."

"Who says I am tired? I came here to amuse myself."

"Amuse yourself!"

"And as long as it amuses me I shall shoot, and when it does not I
shall give it up."

This vexed the governor of Crummie-Toddie much. He had learned to
regard himself as the arbiter of the fate of men while they were
sojourning under the same autumnal roof as himself. But a defalcation
which occurred immediately afterwards was worse. Silverbridge
declared his intention of going over one morning to Killancodlem.
Reginald Dobbes muttered a curse between his teeth, which was visible
by the anger on his brow to all the party. "I shall be back to-night,
you know," said Silverbridge.

"A lot of men and women who pretend to come there for shooting," said
Dobbes angrily, "but do all the mischief they can."

"One must go and see one's friends, you know."

"Some girl!" said Dobbes.

But worse happened than the evil so lightly mentioned. Silverbridge
did go over to Killancodlem; and presently there came back a man with
a cart, who was to return with a certain not small proportion of his
luggage.

"It's hardly honest, you know," said Reginald Dobbes.

CHAPTER XXXIX

Killancodlem

Mr. Dobbes was probably right in his opinion that hotels, tourists,
and congregations of men are detrimental to shooting. Crummie-Toddie
was in all respects suited for sport. Killancodlem, though it had
the name of a shooting-place, certainly was not so. Men going there
took their guns. Gamekeepers were provided and gillies,--and, in a
moderate quantity, game. On certain grand days a deer or two might be
shot,--and would be very much talked about afterwards. But a glance
at the place would suffice to show that Killancodlem was n