ked as if only two or three people had ever been there
from the beginning of the world. The wild ducks swam and splashed in the
little waterhole above the house. Two or three of the cows were walking
down to the creek, as quiet and peaceable as you please. There was some
poultry at the back, and the little garden was done up that nicely as it
hadn't been for many a day.

After I'd pretty well settled in my own mind that there was no one anext
or anigh the old place, I drew up by degrees, bit by bit, and sneaked
across the creek. I was just making for the barn when I saw two horsemen
pop up sudden round the back of the house and ride towards the front
gate. I saw with half an eye they were Sir Ferdinand Morringer and a
trooper.

Lucky for me they were looking up the gully instead of my way, and,
though my heart nearly stood still, I rode as hard as I could lick for
the gate of the barn, which was betwixt me and them. They never looked
round. They were too much taken up with watching the spot where Hagan
and his lot were found. I had just time to chevy straight into the
barn and pull off my saddle and bridle and hide under the hay when they
shifted full towards where I'd been and then hung up their horses. The
trooper tied his to a dead branch of a tree, and then went moving about.
I was mortally afraid of his stumbling against something and spoiling
the whole affair.

It seems Sir Ferdinand had never given up the notion of our turning up
at Rocky Flat some day or other; so he used to take a turn himself that
way every now and again on the chance, and a very good chance it nearly
turned out to be. Besides this, it seems since he'd heard of her being
at the ball at Turon he'd taken a great fancy to Aileen, and used
to talk to her as much as she'd let him, when she was at George
Storefield's and any other place where he met her. He wouldn't have
had much chance of saying the second word, only he was a good-natured,
amusing sort, and always as respectful to her as if she'd been a lady.
Besides, Aileen had a kind of fancy that it might make things no worse
for us if she was civil to him. Any way, she thought, as women will do,
that she might get something out of him perhaps once in a way that would
be of use to us. I don't believe as it would make a scrap of difference
one way or the other. And, like people who try to be too clever, she was
pretty near being caught in her own trap this time. Not that I blame the
poor thing