ib in his
arms, he scudded over the bare space of ground before him at his best
speed. They should not have time to repent their decision. If the men
had seen his face, they might not have felt so safe. But the truth was,
they were reckoning upon Jud Bates as they would have reckoned upon any
other young Riggan rascal of his age. After all, it was not so much his
promise they relied on as his wholesome fear of the consequences of its
being broken. It was not a matter of honor but of dread.

CHAPTER XXVIII - Warned

It was even later than usual this evening when Fergus Derrick left the
Rectory. When Mr. Barholm was in his talkative mood, it was not easy for
him to break away. So Derrick was fain to listen and linger, and then
supper was brought in and he was detained again, and at eleven o'clock
Mr. Barholm suddenly hit upon a new topic.

"By the by," he said, "where is that fellow, Lowrie? I thought he had
left Riggan."

"He did leave Riggan," answered Derrick.

"So I heard," returned the Rector, "and I suppose I was mistaken in
fancying I caught sight of him to-day. I don't know the man very well
and I might easily be deceived. But where is he?"

"I think," said Derrick, quietly, "that he is in Riggan. I am not of
the opinion that you were mistaken at all. I am sure he is here, but for
reasons of his own he is keeping himself quiet. I know him too well to
be deceived by any fancied resemblance."

"But what are his reasons?" was the next question. "That looks bad, you
know. He belongs to a bad crew."

"Bad enough," said Derrick.

"Is it a grudge? He is just the rascal to bear a grudge."

"Yes," said Derrick. "It is a grudge against _me_."

He looked up then across the table at Anice and smiled reassuringly.

"You did not tell us that you had seen him," she said.

"No. You think I ought to be afraid of him, and I am too vain to like
to admit the possibility that it would be better to fear any man, even a
Riggan collier."

"But such a man!" put in Mrs. Barholm. "It seems to me he is a man to be
feared."

"I can thrash him," said Derrick. He could not help feeling some
enjoyment in this certainty. "I _did_ thrash him upon one occasion, you
know, and a single combat with a fellow of that kind is oftener than not
decisive."

"Yes," said the Rector, "that is the principal cause of his grudge, I
think. He might forgive you for getting him into trouble, but he will
never forgive you for thrashing him.