eited your regard. You
must, however, let me have my way, particularly as I see a chance of
making money."

"Then you have some plan?"

"My partner has," Blake answered, smiling. "I leave that kind of thing
to him. I told you about the oil."

"You did, and Clarke had something to say upon the subject. He,
however, gave me to understand that capital was needed."

"That is so," Blake replied unguardedly, for he did not see where his
uncle's remark led. "Boring plant is expensive, and transport costs
something. Then you have to spend a good deal beforehand if you wish
to float a company."

"But you believe this venture will pay you?"

"Harding is convinced of it, and he's shrewd. Personally, I don't know
enough about the business to judge, but if I had any money to risk I'd
take his word for it."

"Well," said Challoner, urging his horse to a trot, "perhaps we had
better get on."

They joined the company gathered round the edge of the gorse and when
Challoner greeted an acquaintance Blake found what he thought was a
good place for getting a start from. He could hear the cries of the
huntsman and an occasional blast of his horn among the furze; once or
twice a ranging dog broke cover and disappeared again. Outside,
red-coated men and some in grey jammed their hats tight and tried to
keep their fidgeting horses quiet. Close by a young girl, finely
habited, with a glowing face, gracefully controlled her plunging mount,
and a few older women seemed to have some trouble in holding their
thoroughbreds. Everybody wore a strained, eager look, but Blake was
disappointed, for although he looked round for Millicent and Foster he
did not see them.

By and by a deep baying broke out and swelled into a burst of thrilling
sound, the horn called sharply, somebody shouted, and there was a rush
of well-mounted riders towards a corner of the gorse. Then the hounds
streamed out, speeding across the grassy slope with a small, red-brown
object travelling very fast some distance in front. Blake, who let his
chestnut go, swept down the hill at a furious gallop, and felt the
horse rise and heard a thud of hoofs on sloppy ground as a fence was
cleared. Then he toiled across a strip of ploughing, with firm grip on
the bridle, for, exhilarating as the chase was, he could not enjoy it
long. In his younger days he had hunted the country he was now riding
over, he had been a crack polo player, and had covered wide stretches
o