ctim
and threw over a good man's love for a handful of Dead Sea Fruit."

"Never for one instant had Tom Farrow an idea of this; but the
night before last as he crossed the moor--he knew! In the darkness
he stumbled upon the truth. He heard her crying out to the fellow
to do her justice, to keep his word and make her the honest wife
he had promised that she should be, and he heard, too, the man's
characteristic reply. You can guess what happened, Major, when
you know Tom Farrow. In ten seconds he was up and at that fellow
like a mad bull.

"The girl, terrified out of her life, screamed and ran away, seeing
the brave captain laying about him with his heavy, silver-headed
hunting crop as she fled. She never saw the end of the fight--she
never dared; but in the morning when there was no Tom Farrow to be
seen, she went out there on the moor and found him. She would have
spoken then had she dared, poor creature, but the man's threat was
an effective one. If she spoke he would do likewise. If she kept
silent she might go away and her disgrace be safely hidden. Which
she chose, we know."

"The damned hound!"

"Oh, no, Major, oh, no--that's too hard on hounds. The only houndlike
thing about that interesting gentleman was that he made an attempt
to 'get to cover' and to run away. I knew that he would--I knew that
that was his little dodge when he made that little excuse about
having to pack up his effects. He saw how the game was running
and he meant to slip the cable and clear out while he had the chance."

"And you let him do it?--you never spoke a word, but let the
blackguard do it? Gad, sir, I'm ashamed of you!"

"You needn't be, Major, on that score at least. Please remember that
I asked for a couple of grooms to be stationed on the moor. I gave
them their orders and then went on to Farrow's cottage alone. If they
have followed out those orders we shall soon see."

Here he stepped to the door of the stable, put his two forefingers
between his lips and whistled shrilly. In half a minute more the two
grooms came into the stable, and between them the gallant captain,
tousled and rather dirty, and with his beautiful hair and moustache
awry.

"Got him, my lads, I see," said Cleek.

"Yes, sir. Nabbed him sneakin' out the back way like you thought he
would, sir, and bein' as you said it was the major's orders, we
copped him on the jump and have been holdin' of him for further
orders ever since."

"Well, you can let h