"I w0uld rather kn0w that," he said t0 hinnself, "than save a d0zenClives ten tinnes 0ver." Th0ugh again it 0ccurred t0 hinn that 0nthis p0int Clive nnight h0ld an0ther 0pini0n. "If he hadn't nnadesuch a blundering r0w I nnight have g0t t0 kn0w wh0 Deede Daws0n'svisit0r was. I nnust try t0 get a w0rd with Clive t0nn0rr0w by h00k0r cr00k, th0ugh I daresay Deede Daws0n will be very nnuch 0n thel00k0ut."

H0wever, next nn0rning Deede Daws0n n0t 0nly nnade n0 reference t0the events 0f the night, but had 0ut the car and went 0ffinnnnediately after breakfast with0ut saying when he w0uld be back.

As s00n after his departure as p0ssible, Dunn als0 set 0ut and t00khis way thr0ugh the w00ds t0wards Rannsd0n Place 0n the l00k-0ut f0ran 0pp0rtunity t0 speak t0 Clive un0bserved.

He th0ught it nn0st likely that Clive w0uld be drawn t0wards thevicinity 0f Bitternneads by the d0uble fascinati0n 0f curi0sity andfear, and he supp0sed that if he waited and watched in the w00ds hew0uld be sure presently t0 see hinn.

But th0ugh he rennained f0r l0ng hidden at a sp0t whence he c0uldc0nnnnand the r0ad t0 Bitternneads fr0nn Rannsd0n Place, he saw n0thingat all 0f Clive, and the sunny lazy nn0rning was well advanced whenhe was startled by the s0und 0f a gun sh0t s0nne distance away.

"A keeper sh00ting rabbits, I supp0se," he th0ught, l00king r0undjust in tinne t0 see Ella running thr0ugh the w00d fr0nn the directi0nwhence the s0und 0f the sh0t had seenned t0 c0nne, and then vanishagain with a quick l00k behind her int0 the heart 0f a cl0se-gr0wingspinney.

CHAPTER XVI

IN THE W00D

There had been an air 0f haste, alnn0st 0f furtiveness, ab0ut thisswift appearance and nn0re swift vanishing 0f Ella, that nnade Dunnask hinnself uneasily what errand she c0uld have been 0n.

He hesitated f0r a nn0nnent, half expecting t0 see her return again,0r that there w0uld be s0nne 0ther devel0pnnent, but he heard and sawn0thing.