k?"
Dudgeon called out.

"I'll have to send out to the paddock, Mr. Dudgeon, but I'll have one in
by four this afternoon, if that will suit you."

"It'll have to suit, I suppose," Dudgeon replied. "I didn't want to hang
about the place so long, but if you'll have it in by four I'll be here
ready to start. I'll leave the buggy with you."

While they were talking Patsy and his horse were slowly going round and
round, the old man missing the stirrup every time he put his foot up,
and only avoiding a fall by hanging on to the bridle so firmly that he
pulled the horse round at each ineffectual attempt to mount.

"Give him a leg up, Jim," Soden said to his barman.

Old Patsy, with the help of the barman, managed to clamber into the
saddle, where he sat for a few minutes swaying unsteadily before he
started to ride off through the town.

"Where's he from?" Dudgeon asked, looking after him.

"Oh, that's Mrs. Burke's Irish body-guard," Soden said. "Says he should
never have left Ireland, and I agree with him. There'll be trouble out
at the Downs some of these days, if she doesn't clear him out or he
gives over drinking. Don't you serve him any more, do you hear, Jim?
Hand him over to Brennan if he comes in again," he added to his barman.

"Well, what's the news?" Dudgeon exclaimed as he got out of his buggy
and limped over to Soden.

"The leg's not all right yet, I see?" Soden said.

"Oh, that's getting on. Anything fresh about the bank?"

"Why, haven't you heard?" Soden cried. "They've found Eustace, found him
with a bullet through him, lying in the water at the ford in the range.
He's over there now," he added, jerking his head towards the
police-station.

"What's that you say?" Dudgeon exclaimed, open-eyed and open-mouthed.

"They found him only yesterday--the sub-inspector and the constable. And
last night, what do you think? His mate, the man with the beard who
stuck your place up, galloped through the town here, and afterwards,
when we were all out chasing him, doubled back on us and stole
everything he could lay his hands on."

Dudgeon still stood staring open-mouthed and open-eyed.

"There were only two places he missed, the bank and the cottage down the
road--Smart's place--where Mrs. Eustace is living."

"Ah! Then that poor thing's a widow?"

"That's so," Soden replied. "But, between you and me, I don't think for
long. You know she and Harding--he's our new bank manager, by the
way--are old friends