d it so when I
recovered--"

"You heard it wrongly. It was the seventh."

There was a silence; then, "Indeed," said the dancing master, in a
curious dry and shocked voice. "The seventh. At what hour?"

"It is not known. Perhaps about midday, perhaps a little later--when
there were black clouds in the sky."

The silence fell again, hard and full of meaning, then Cary leaned
forward and laid his hand upon the other's arm "I've hunted long alone,
now we'll hunt for a moment together! Tell me again."

"He came down the bank in a great noise and rolling of stone and earth.
There were thick woods on the top of the bank. He came out of them like
Pluto out of the earth--"

"He was alone?"

"Alone. But he had a negro waiting for him down the road."

"He told you that?"

"I left my tree and we talked a little. He was torn, he was breathless.
He explained that he had started a doe and had followed through the
woods. He left me and went down the road to meet his negro. They passed
me, and when I came to Red Fields, I was told they had paused there. I
said nothing of our meeting. I was very tired and the storm was
breaking. Before it was over I was hot and cold and shaking and ill in
my bed. I was ill, as I have told you, for a long time. The ninth! I
always thought it was the ninth--"

"Would you know again the place where this chase occurred?"

"He came down the bank opposite the blasted oak."

"Ah!" breathed Cary; then, after a moment, "I stopped my horse beneath
that tree this morning, and my eyes rested upon that red bank. And I did
not know! We are very blind." He rose. "Will you come indoors, sir? I
wish to light the candles again."

They entered the small bedroom. Cary lighted the candles, placed them
upon the table, and closed the shutters of the one window. From the
breast of his riding-coat he took a rolled paper. "This is a map of the
country below Red Fields. I made it myself. Now let us see, sir, let us
see!"

He pinned the map down with ink-well, sand-box, book, and candlestick,
which done, the two bent over it. "Call it," said Cary, "a military map
of your country near Mauleon. Now, sir, look! Here is what a man did."

The demonstration proceeded, and it was carried out with keenness and
with a very fair approach to accuracy. "Here is Malplaquet, which one
passes about nine in the morning, and there by the candlestick is Red
Fields, certainly on the main road and certainly paused at by"--he
glance