There was no time to write long letters, she must wait until he was out
of the saddle for an hour or two. She knew how difficult it must be to
write, yet longed to hear, and each morning looked for a letter. When
it did not come she scanned the papers in fear and trembling. She
little knew the narrow escapes he had already experienced, and he came
out of terrible frays with hardly a scratch. When horses were shot
under him a trooper was always ready with another for him with a "take
mine, sir." Alan reveled in the fury of the charge; his whole body
thrilled as he galloped down on the Uhlans at headlong speed. This was
soldiering indeed; no playing; deadly, grim earnest, a toss-up for life
or death. He grieved at the loss of men, but the fewer in number the
more they were united and proved irresistible. During the retreat they
were here and there and everywhere, scouting, thwarting the enemy,
breaking up his plans, a thorn in his side pricking deep. Seldom out
of the saddle, he had little time to think of home and Eve Berkeley.

At Trent Park things went on much as usual. Eve went over
occasionally; her visits were in no way resented, everything was made
smooth for her.

At the stud she was always welcome. Sam Kerridge appreciated her at
her full worth; said she knew more about horses than half the men he
met, that she had an eye for a good 'un, and could fault the inferior
sort.

"Blest if I couldn't leave her in charge for a month without the
slightest fear of anything going wrong," he said.

Alfonso had taken the place of Mameluke, and there seemed every chance
of his being as popular with owners of mares, but the shadow of war
over the land was likely to have some effect on the big studs. Already
there was talk of cutting down expenses and selling off.

Carl Meason still had his rooms at the Sherwood Inn and Abel Head
wondered if he were right in his surmise that he was a spy. He argued
that a spy would hardly bury himself at Little Trent in war time;
still, there was no telling. Meason went out in his motor at night
more than usual; moreover he carried a very powerful light and there
was an unusually strong one inside the car.

"What's this for?" asked Abel as he examined it.

"The police are very particular about lights, so I've got this ready in
case one of the others goes out," was the reply.

"Must give a powerful glare," commented Abel.

"It does. Nothing like seeing far enough ahead,"