s of a
man about him.'

'We must ride over, boys,' says Starlight, yawning and stretching
himself. 'I was looking forward to a pleasant evening here, but it seems
to me we ought to have a say in this matter. Whitman's gone a trifle
fast, and been hard on us; but he's a gentleman, and goes straight for
what he considers his duty. I don't blame him. If these fellows are half
drunk they'll burn the place down I shouldn't wonder, and play hell's
delight.'

'And Miss Falkland's up there too, staying with the young ladies,'
says Maddie. 'Why, Jim, what's up with you? I thought you wasn't taking
notice.'

'Come along, Dick,' says Jim, quite hoarse-like, making one jump to
the door. 'Dash it, man, what's the use of us wasting time jawing here?
By----, if there's a hair of her head touched I'll break Moran's neck,
and shoot the lot of them down like crows.'

'Good-bye, girls,' I said, 'there's no time to lose.'

Starlight made a bow, polite to the last, and passed out. Jim was on his
horse as we got to the stable door. Warrigal fetched Starlight's, and
in half a minute Jim and he were off together along the road full split,
and I had as much as I could do to catch them up within the next mile.
It wasn't twenty miles to Whitman's place, Darjallook, but the road was
good, and we did it in an hour and twenty minutes, or thereabouts. I
know Starlight lit a match and looked at his watch when we got near the
front gate.

We could see nothing particular about the house. The lights shone out of
the windows, and we heard the piano going.

'Seems all right,' says Starlight. 'Wonder if they came, after all?
They'll think we want to stick the place up if we ride up to the hall
door. Get off and look out tracks, Warrigal.'

Warrigal dismounted, lit a couple of matches, and put his head down
close to the soft turf, as if he was going to smell it.

'Where track?' says Starlight.

'There!' says Warrigal, pointing to something we couldn't see if we'd
looked for a month. 'Bin gone that way. That one track Moran's horse. I
know him; turn foot in likit cow. Four more track follow up.'

'Why, they're in the house now, the infernal scoundrels,' says
Starlight. 'You stay here with the horses, Warrigal; we'll walk up. If
you hear shooting, tie them to the fence and run in.'

We walked up very quiet to the house--we'd all been there before, and
knew where the front parlour was--over the lawn and two flower-beds, and
then up to the big bo