ed and
shut his eyes.

After a time he began to breathe regularly and Mrs. Winter bent over
him.

"He's stunned; something hit his head. I don't think it's worse than
that," she remarked. "I guess we can't do much until the doctor comes."

Mordaunt sent a doctor from the town and when he had seen him start
went with Dick into the smoking-room at a quiet hotel. There was
nobody else about until a waiter came, and Mordaunt sat down by the
fire.

"I feel we need a drink," he said. "It was a near thing when the car
went over. I can hardly bend my back, and it will, no doubt, be worse
in the morning."

"You held her long enough for Miss Winter to pull Jim out," Dick
replied. "It's lucky you were able. My feet slipped, and although
Winter is pretty strong I imagine he was beaten. All the weight came
on you; I don't understand how you held on."

"One can sometimes borrow a little extra strength from keen excitement
and I remembered that if I let go the wheel would come down again on
Jim's chest. He might not have stood another shock."

"He was badly knocked out," Dick agreed. "I expect you saved his life."

Mordaunt smiled. "Now I'm cool, I begin to think I was rash."

"Rot!" Dick exclaimed. "You don't mean this and it's a bad joke!"

"We don't owe Jim much; if he had stopped in Canada, Langrigg would
have been yours and mine. Then it begins to look as if Bernard
approved the fellow, and I'm willing to admit I had rather counted on
getting a good share of his money. You and Evelyn would have got the
rest."

"After all, Bernard's money is his. He's just, and I don't imagine
he'll leave us out. We're not rich, but if he does give Jim some of my
share, I won't miss it very much."

"I shall miss mine," Mordaunt rejoined.

Dick was quiet for a minute or two, and then looked up. "You remember
reading the French romance the night we reached the telegraph shack!
Did you see Franklin Dearham's name in the book?"

"Yes," said Mordaunt very coolly, "I did see it." He paused, looking
hard at Dick, and went on: "Of course, I know what this implies. There
was some doubt, but the probability was the telegraph linesman was our
relation and the owner of Langrigg. Well, I thought he was not the man
to have the estate, and might be happier if we left him in the woods.
It was not altogether because I wanted my share of what was his."

Dick did not doubt Lance's sincerity, but he had got a jar. In a way,
La