face was kind, he
seemed to look at her oddly, almost with suspicion.

"Had a quiet day?" he questioned, gently.

She leaned against his shoulder, feeling small and rather uncomfortable.
"I--I was very busy all the morning," she said, evasively.

"And in the afternoon?" he said.

She nestled to him with a little coaxing movement. "In the afternoon,"
she told him softly, "I went to sleep."

"Yes?" he said.

"That's all," said Dot, lifting her face to kiss him.

He took her chin and held it while he looked long and searchingly into
her eyes.

"Dot!" he said.

She made a little gesture of protest, but he held her still.

"Dot, tell me what has been happening!" he said.

She had begun to tremble. "I'll tell you," she said, "when Inspector Hill
has gone."

"Tell me now!" he said.

But she shook her head with tightly compressed lips.

"You have seen the man!" he said.

Dot remained silent.

His face grew grim. "Dot! Shall I tell you what Hill said to me just
now?"

"If you like," whispered Dot.

"He said, 'She has seen the man, and he has squared her. It's a way he
has with the women. You'll find she won't give him away.'"

That stung, as it was meant to sting. She flinched under it. "I hate
Inspector Hill!" she said, with vehemence.

He smiled a little. "I don't suppose that fact would upset him much. A
good many people don't exactly love him. But look here, Dot! You're not
a fool. At least, I hope not. You can't seriously wish to shield a thief.
Only this morning you were going to shoot him!"

"Ah!" she said. And then suddenly she pulled up her sleeve and showed him
the mark upon her arm. "But he has saved my life since then," she said.

"What?" said Jack. He caught her arm and looked at it. "You've had a
snake-bite!" he said.

"Yes, Jack."

His eyes went back to her face. "Why didn't you tell me before? What kind
of snake was it?"

She told him, shuddering. "A horrible green thing--green as the grass. I
think it had some black marking on its back. I'm not sure. I didn't stop
to see. I--oh, Jack!" She broke off in swift consternation. "There is a
dead lamb!"

"Ah!" said Jack, and strode across to the barn where it lay, stark and
lifeless in the shade in which it had taken refuge from the afternoon
heat.

"Oh, Jack!" cried Dot, in distress. "What can have happened to it?
Not--not that hateful snake?"

"Not much doubt as to that," said Jack, grimly. "No, don't look too
close! It's not