Colonel said he only wore the pink when
he felt fit to follow the hounds and now he must be content to see them
find. Glancing at his watch, he pulled up his horse to a walk.

"We are in good time, and it's generally a lengthy matter getting a fox
out of the gorse," he said. "Though we haven't hurried, it's rather a
long way, and I feel I have done enough. Don't trouble about me when
the hounds get off. I expect to pick up some elderly crony, and, if
the fox does not run straight, may be able to see something of the hunt
after an easy ride; then I'll jog quietly home."

"I'll stay with you, if you'd prefer it, sir," Blake declared, though
this was far from his wish, but Challoner shook his head.

"Get a good run if you can, my boy. Old folks mustn't be selfish, and
I know what young blood is." He turned and regarded Blake
affectionately. "You have been a good nephew, Dick, and since you came
home I have felt that I ought to make some provision for you. That, of
course, was my intention when you were young, but when the break
occurred you cut yourself adrift and refused assistance."

Blake coloured, for there were, he thought, adequate reasons why he
should take no further favours from his uncle. If the truth about the
frontier affair ever came out, it would look as if he had valued his
honour less than the money he could extort and the Colonel would bear
the stigma of having bought his silence.

"I'm grateful, sir, but I must still refuse," he said.

"But why? The property would stand the cost of the arrangement I
thought of making, and Bertram wouldn't feel that I had been unfair to
him; besides, his wife has means."

"Bertram's as generous as you are; he pressed me to take some help from
him in Montreal, but I could not consent."

"I think you were wrong, and see I have made a mistake. I should have
stuck to my first intention of saying nothing about it and putting you
into my will, but it struck me that you would like to know how you
stood, in case you thought of marrying or going in for farming on a
remunerative scale in Canada."

"Thank you, but if my future is to be provided for, I'm the person who
ought to look after it. There's no reason why it should become a
charge on you."

"I think there is," Challoner rejoined. "In fact, I feel somewhat hurt
that you don't see it."

Blake was touched, but his determination held. "I'm glad you made me
the offer, sir, because it shows I haven't forf