you think you're doing, Toby?" he said, with a glance at an
enormous pair of scissors in the boy's hand.

"I'm making lamp-shades," Toby responded, leading the way within.
"What's your drink? Nothing? What a horribly dry beast you are! Yes,
lamp-shades--for the ball, you know. Got to be ready by to-morrow night.
We're doing them with crinkly paper. Miss Eversley promised to come and
help me. But she hasn't turned up."

"What?" exclaimed Seddon. "Not come back yet?"

Toby dropped his scissors with a clatter, and dived for them under the
reading-room table.

"Don't make me jump, I say, doctor!" he said pathetically. "I'm quite
upset enough as it is. That lazy lout, Soames, won't stir a finger. The
other chaps are on duty. And Miss Eversley has proved faithless. Why
can't you turn to and help?"

But Seddon was already striding to the door again in hot haste.

"That idiot of a girl must have crossed the Frontier!" he said, as he
went. "There was a fellow shot on sentry-go last night. It's infernally
dangerous, I tell you!"

Toby raced after him swearing inarticulately. A couple of subalterns
just entering were nearly overwhelmed by their vigorous exit. They
recovered themselves and followed to the tune of Toby's excited
questioning. But none of the party got beyond the veranda steps, for
there the sound of clattering hoofs arrested them, and a jaded horse
bearing a dishevelled rider was pulled up short in front of the club.

"Miss Eversley herself!" cried Toby, making a dash forward.

A native servant slipped unobtrusively to the sweating horse's bridle.
Averil was on the ground in a moment and turned to ascend the steps of
the club-house.

"Is my brother-in-law here?" she said to Toby, accepting the hand he
offered.

"Who? Raymond? No; he's in the North Camp somewhere. Do you want him?
Anything wrong? By Jove, Miss Eversley, you've given us an awful
fright!"

Averil went up the steps with so palpable an effort that Seddon hastily
dragged forward a chair. Her lips, as she answered Toby, were quite
colourless.

"I have had a fright myself," she said. Then she looked round at the
other men with a shaky laugh. "I have been riding for my life," she said
a little breathlessly. "I have never done that before. It--it's very
exciting--almost more so than riding to hounds. I have often wondered
how the fox felt. Now I know."

She ignored the chair Seddon placed for her, turning to the boy called
Toby with great r