r a moment and have
a look at her?"

The major did not, so he went in forthwith and proceeded to look
over the animal's points--feeling her legs, stroking her flanks,
examining her hoofs. And it was then and then only that the major
remembered about the visit to the farrier's over at Shepperton Old
Cross and began to understand that it was not all simple admiration
of the animal, this close examination of her.

"Oh, by Jove! I say!" he blurted out as he made--with Cleek--a sudden
discovery; his face going first red and then very pale under the
emotions thus engendered. "She _hasn't_ any new shoes on, has she? So
she can't have been taken to the farrier's after all."

"No," said Cleek, "she can't. I half suspected that she hadn't,
so--well, let it go. Let's have a look round Highland Lassie's box,
please. H'm! Yes! Very nice; very splendid--everything of the best
and all in apple pie order. By the way, Major, you surely don't allow
harness to be washed and oiled in here?"

"Certainly not! What in the world could have put such an idea into
your head?"

"Merely that bit of rag and that dirty sponge tucked in the corner
over there and half covered by the bedding."

The major went over and touched the things with the toe of his boot.

"It's one of those imps of stable-boys, the young vandals!" he
declared, as he kicked the rag and the sponge out of the box and
across the stable floor. "It's well for them that Farrow isn't about
or there would be some cuffed ears for that sort of presumption,
the young beggars! Hullo! Found something else?"

"No," said Cleek. "That is, nothing of any importance. Merely a bit
torn from an old handbill--see? It probably got mixed up with the
bedding. It's of no account, anyhow." Here he gave his hand a flirt
as if flinging the bit of paper over the low barrier of the box,
instead of which he cleverly "palmed" it and afterward conveyed it
unsuspected to his pocket. "You were right in what you declared
this afternoon, Major; for a case of such far-reaching effects it
is singularly bald in the matter of detail. At all events there's no
more to be discovered here. By the way, Doctor, am I privileged to
go up and see the patient? I should like to do so if I may."

"By all means, sir, by all means," replied the doctor. "I am happy
to inform you that his condition has considerably improved since
my visit at noon, Mr. Cleek, and I have now every hope that he may
pull through all right."