carce. If he hadn't, if he had come a step nearer to the mare,
I'd have shot him down like a dog. That's right, Logan, put her up for
the night, old chap, and I'll get out your bedding."

"Aye," said Logan, through his clamped teeth, "and God help man or devil
that comes a-nigh her this night--God help him, Lunnon Mister, that's
all Ah say!" Then he passed into the steel room with the mare, attended
her for the night, and coming out a minute or two later, locked her up
and gave Sir Henry the key.

"Broke her and trained her, Ah did; and willin' to die for her, Ah am,
if Ah can't pull un through no other way," he said, pausing before Cleek
and giving him a black look, "A Derby winner her's cut out for, Lunnon
Mister, and a Derby winner her's goin' to be, in spite of all the
Lambson-Bowleses and the low-down horse-nobblers in Christendom!" Then
he switched round and walked over to Sharpless, who had taken a pillow
and a bundle of blankets from a convenient cupboard, and was making a
bed of them on the floor at the foot of the locked steel door.

"Thanky, sir, 'bliged to un, sir," said Logan as Sharpless hung up the
shotgun and, with a word to the baronet, excused himself and went in to
dress for dinner. Then he faced round again on Cleek, who was once more
sniffing the air, and pointed to the rude bed: "There's where Ted Logan
sleeps this night--there!" he went on suddenly; "and them as tries to
get at Black Riot comes to grips with me first, me and the shotgun Mr.
Sharpless has left Ah. And if Ah shoot, Lunnon Mister, Ah shoot to
kill!"

"Do me a favour, Sir Henry," said Cleek. "For reasons of my own, I want
to be in this stable alone for the next ten minutes, and after that let
no one come into it until morning. I won't be accountable for this man's
life if he stops in here to-night, and for his sake, as well as for your
own, I want you to forbid him to do so."

Logan seemed to go nearly mad with rage at this.

"Ah won't listen to it! Ah will stop here--Ah will! Ah will!" he cried
out in a passion. "Who comes ull find Ah here waitin' to come to grips
with un. Ah won't stop out--Ah won't! Don't un listen to Lunnon Mister,
Sir Henry--for God's sake, don't!"

"I am afraid I must in this instance, Logan. You are far too suspicious,
my good fellow. Mr. Cleek doesn't want to 'get at' the mare; he wants to
protect her; to keep anybody else from getting at her, so--join the
guard outside if you are so eager. You must let