o die for her, Ah am,
if Ah can't pull un through no other way," he said, pausing before Cleek
and giving him a black look. "A Derby winner her's cut out for, Lunnon
Mister, and a Derby winner her's goin' to be, in spite of all the
Lambson-Bowleses and the low-down horse-nobblers in Christendom!" Then
he switched round and walked over to Sharpless, who had taken a pillow
and a bundle of blankets from the convenient cupboard, and was making a
bed of them on the floor at the foot of the locked steel door.

"Thanky, sir, 'bliged to un, sir," said Logan, as Sharpless hung up the
shotgun and, with a word to the baronet, excused himself and went in to
dress for dinner. Then he faced round again on Cleek, who was once more
sniffing the air, and pointed to the rude bed: "There's where Ted Logan
sleeps this night--there!" he went on suddenly; "and them as tries to
get at Black Riot comes to grips with me first, me and the shotgun Mr.
Sharpless has left Ah. And if Ah shoot, Lunnon Mister, Ah shoot to
kill!"

Cleek turned to the baronet.

"Do me a favour, Sir Henry," he said. "For reasons of my own, I want to
be in this stable alone for the next ten minutes, and after that let no
one come into it until morning. I won't be accountable for this man's
life if he stops in here to-night, and for his sake, as well as for your
own, I want you to forbid him to do so."

Logan seemed to go nearly mad with rage at this.

"Ah won't listen to it! Ah will stop here, Ah will! Ah will!" he cried
out in a passion. "Who comes ull find Ah here waitin' to come to grips
with un. Ah won't stop out--Ah won't! Don't un listen to Lunnon Mister,
Sir Henry, for God's sake, don't!"

"I am afraid I must, in this instance, Logan. You are far too
suspicious, my good fellow. Mr. Cleek doesn't want to 'get at' the mare;
he wants to protect her; to keep anybody else from getting at her, so
join the guard outside if you are so eager. You must let him have his
way." And, in spite of all Logan's pleading, Cleek did have his way.

Protesting, swearing, almost weeping, the trainer was turned out and the
doors closed, leaving Cleek alone in the stable; and the last Logan and
Sir Henry saw of him until he came out and rejoined them he was standing
in the middle of the floor, with his hands on both hips, staring fixedly
at the impromptu bed in front of the steel-room door.

"Put on the guard now and see that nobody goes into the place until
morning, Sir Henry," h