ny harm.
Well, hurry up, and get your habit on, old chap."

There was no need to tell Norah to hurry. She flew upstairs, Brownie
plodding after; the news had flown round the house in a few moments,
and there was a storm of indignation against the absent Cecil.

"If I'd knowed!" said Brownie, darkly, bringing Norah's linen coat out
from the wardrobe, and seeking with vigour for a felt hat that already
was on her head. "Me, givin' him tea and scones, an' talkin' about the
pony, too, no less; little I guessed at the depths of him. Never mind,
my dearie, Master Jim'll deal with him!"

"Oh, it'll be all right, if Bobs hasn't hurt him. Only there'll be an
awful row when Jim gets him. I never saw Jim so angry," Norah said.

"A good thing, too!" said the warlike Mrs. Brown. "There you are,
dearie, an' there's your 'unting-crop. Off you go!" and Norah ran
downstairs, finding Jim and Wally waiting, boots and leggings on. They
set off, Murty muttering dark threats against Cecil as he shut the gate
of the stable yard after them.

Wally had recovered his cheerfulness, never long absent from him, and
was, besides, not unpleasantly excited at the thought of war ahead. He
chattered gaily as they rode through the first two paddocks. But Jim
remained quiet. As Norah said, she had never seen him so angry. Anxiety
in his mind warred with hot anger against the insult to Norah and to
them all. He swept the bush paddock with his eye as they came up to it,
seeing nothing but the scattered bullocks here and there.

"Wonder which way he'd go," he said. "Suppose you and Wally cut over to
the right, Norah, and see if you can find any trace. I'll go over this
way. We'll coo-ee to each other if we come across him." They separated,
and Jim put Garryowen at a canter across the plain. Here and there he
could see a track--and something made him wish to go on alone.

He was nearly at the foot of the hills when a figure came out from
their shadow. Jim gave a sudden little sound in his throat as he saw
that it was Cecil--and alone. He was limping a little, and had evidently
been down. Relief that he was safe was the first thought; then, anxiety
being done with, there was no room for anything but anger. Jim rode
towards him. At the sight of his approach Cecil started a little, and
cast a glance round as if looking for a hiding place; then he came on
doggedly, his head down.

"I've been looking for you," Jim said, controlling his voice with
difficul