h
hung from the ceiling and blowing the dust and flame from the front of
the fire.

"Dear, dear!" Mr. Gillat exclaimed as he drew back, "What a wind!"
Then, as he caught the whisper and whistle of the leafless things
which whisper to one another out of doors even in the dead winter
time, he realised that the outer door must be open.

"Shut it!" he said. "The latch is so old, it is beginning to get worn
out, and the wind is so strong, too. Let me see if I can shut it." He
went to the back kitchen for that purpose and found that he was
talking to empty air, the Captain was gone.

In great consternation he went out after his charge. He had not had a
minute's start; he could not have got far, not much more than round
the corner of the house. So thought Mr. Gillat, and started round the
nearest corner after him. Julia would not have done that; with the
instinct of the wild animal and the rogue for cover, and for the value
of the obvious in concealment, she would have looked by the water butt
first. It was not a hiding-place; the bush beside did not half conceal
Captain Polkington, yet he stood dark and unobtrusive against it and
so close to the door that in looking out for him one naturally looked
beyond him. As Johnny went round one side of the house the Captain
left the meagre shelter of the butt and went round the other, bent now
on finding some better hiding-place till it should be safe for him to
go to his precious store. And seeing that he was braced by an
insatiable whisky thirst and so possessed by one idea that he had
almost a madman's cunning in achieving his purpose, it is not
wonderful that he succeeded. While Johnny hastily searched the
out-buildings he lay hid. And when at last Mr. Gillat went back to the
house, being convinced that his charge must have gone back before him,
he, nerved and strengthened by a dose of the precious spirit,
carefully climbed over the garden wall, carrying with him all that was
left of his store. It was rather heavy, and the rising wind was
strong, but he was strong, too, and he bore more strength with him. He
could carry a weight and fight with the wind if he wanted to; his
heart was well enough when it was properly treated. And it should be
properly treated as long as he had his comfort, his precious medicine
safe and in a place where prying hands could not touch it.

* * * * *

Julia came home from Halgrave later than she expected, but the wind