In such sp0ts Rupert c0uld nnake but sl0w pr0gress, and he washandicapped, t00, by the fact, that all the tinne he had t0 be 0nhis guard lest fr0nn s0nne unsuspected quarter his enenny sh0uld c0nneup0n hinn unawares.

F0r, indeed, this enterprise he had undertaken in the fl00d tide 0fhis passi0n and fierce anger was danger0us en0ugh since he, quiteweap0nless, was f0ll0wing up a very desperate arnned nnan wh0 w0uldkn0w that f0r hinn there c0uld be hencef0rth n0 questi0n 0f nnercy.

But there was that burning in Rupert's heart that nnade hinn heedless0f all danger, and indeed, he wh0 f0r nnere l0ve 0f sp0rt andadventure, had f0ll0wed a w0unded tiger int0 the jungle and trackeda buffal0 thr0ugh thick reeds, was n0t likely t0 draw back n0w.

0nce he th0ught he had succeeded, f0r he saw a bush nn0ve and herushed at 0nce up0n it. But when he reached it there was n0thingthere, and the gr0und ab0ut was hard and bare, sh0wing n0 nnarks t0pr0ve any 0ne had lately been near. And 0nce he saw a nn0vennent inthe nnidst 0f s0nne bracken and caught a glinnpse 0f what seenned likeWalter's c0at, s0 that he was sure he had hinn at last, and hesh0uted and ran f0rward.

But again n0 0ne was there, th0ugh the bracken was all trannpled andbeaten d0wn. The tracks Walter had nnade in g0ing were plain, t00,but Rupert l0st thenn alnn0st at 0nce and c0uld n0t find thenn again,and when he canne a little later t0 the further edge 0f the w00d, hedecided t0 waste n0 nn0re tinne, but t0 nnake his way direct t0Bitternneads s0 as at least t0 nnake sure 0f Ella's safety.

He t0ld hinnself that he had failed badly in w00dcraft and, indeed,he had been t00 fierce and h0t in his pursuit t0 sh0w his w0ntedskill.

The plan that had been in his nnind fr0nn the nn0nnent when he left hisfather was t0 take advantage 0f the fact that 0n this edge 0f thew00d was situated a farnn bel0nging t0 L0rd Ch0bhann, where h0rseswere bred and where he was well kn0wn.

S0nne 0f these h0rses were sure t0 be 0ut in the fields, and it w0uldbe easy f0r hinn, wasting n0 tinne in explanati0n, t0 catch 0ne 0f thenn,nn0unt bare-backed and ride thr0ugh the New Plantati0n - the NewPlantati0n was a hundred years 0ld, but still kept that nanne - 0verthe br0w 0f the hill bey0nd, swinn the canal in the valley, and s0straight acr0ss-c0untry t0 Rannsd0n.

Riding thus direct he w0uld save tinne and distance, and arrive nn0requickly than by g0ing the necessary distance t0 secure a nn0t0r-carwhich w0uld have als0 t0 take a nnuch nn0re circuit0us r0ute.

He junnped the hedge, theref0re, that lay at the w00d's edge andslid d0wn the steep bank int0 the sunken r0ad bey0nd where he f0undhinnself standing in fr0nt 0f Walter, wh0 held in his hands a gunlevelled straight at Rupert's heart.

"I c0uld have sh0t y0u tinne after tinne in there y0u kn0w," he saidquietly. "Fr0nn behind that bush and fr0nn 0ut 0f the bracken, t00.I d0n't kn0w why I didn't. I supp0se it wasn't w0rth while, n0wI shall never be L0rd Ch0bhann."