long, Pepper! Wake up!"

Pepper woke up to some purpose and at a smart canter carried the doctor
on his way round the bluff toward a gate that opened into a lane leading
to the stables. At the gate a figure started up suddenly from the shadow
of a poplar. With a snort and in the midst of his stride Pepper swung on
his heels with such amazing abruptness that his rider was flung from his
saddle, fortunately upon his feet.

"Confound you for a dumb-headed fool! What are you up to anyway?" he
cried in a sudden rage, recognizing Smith, who stood beside the trail in
an abjectly apologetic attitude.

"Yes," cried another voice from the shadow. "Is he not a fool? You would
think he ought to know Mr. Smith by this time. But Pepper is really very
stupid."

The doctor stood speechless, surprise, disgust and rage struggling for
supremacy among his emotions. He stood gazing stupidly from one to the
other, utterly at a loss for words.

"You see, Mr. Smith," began Moira somewhat lamely, "had something to say
to me and so we--and so we came--along to the gate."

"So I see," replied the doctor gruffly.

"You see Mr. Smith has come to mean a great deal to me--to us--"

"So I should imagine," replied the doctor.

"His self-sacrifice and courage during those terrible days we can never
forget."

"Exactly so--quite right," replied the doctor, standing stiffly beside
his horse's head.

"You do not know people all at once," continued Moira.

"Ah! Not all at once," the doctor replied.

"But in times of danger and trouble one gets to know them quickly."

"Sure thing," said the doctor.

"And it takes times of danger to bring out the hero in a man."

"I should imagine so," replied the doctor with his eyes on Smith's
childlike and beaming face.

"And you see Mr. Smith was really our whole stay, and--and--we came
to rely upon him and we found him so steadfast." In the face of the
doctor's stolid brevity Moira was finding conversation difficult.

"Steadfast!" repeated the doctor. "Exactly so," his eyes upon Smith's
wobbly legs. "Mr. Smith I consider a very fortunate man. I congratulate
him on--"

"Oh, have you heard? I did not know that--"

"Yes. I mean--not exactly."

"Who told you? Is it not splendid?" enthusiasm shining in her eyes.

"Splendid! Yes--that is, for him," replied the doctor without emotion.
"I congratulate--"

"But how did you hear?"

"I did not exactly hear, but I had no difficulty in--ah--making the
d