justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with
his God.

The angel and the devil--if they existed at all--fled away and left one
solitary man standing alone fighting for the sake of honour and clean
hands.

The clock struck ten, and the time was up.

Peter went inside and laid his hand on Toffy's shoulder. 'Let's
start,' he said, 'if you are ready.'

'All right,' said Toffy, shutting the piano. 'I 'll go and get Ross.'

* * * * *

They were in the boat now, slipping down the stream in the dark. The
current in the river was strong here, and the boat slid rapidly between
the banks. There was hardly any necessity for rowing. Christopherson
sat in the stern with the tiller-ropes in his hands, and Peter reserved
his strength for the moment when they should get to the broader part of
the river where the stream did not race as it raced here. On their way
back they would, of course, avoid the upper reaches of the river, and
would land lower down when they had the man well away from his own
place. Peter rowed stroke, and Hopwood and Ross rowed numbers one and
two. The steering probably was the most difficult part of the
business, especially in the present state of the river, and any moment
they might go aground or get into some eddy which might turn the bow of
the boat and land them in the bank. Rowing was still easy, and Peter
was husbanding every ounce of his strength for the pull home. None of
the men spoke as the boat slipped down between the banks of dry mud on
either side of the river. Some reeds whispered by the shore, and a
startled bird woke now and then and flew screaming away. The moon
shone fitfully sometimes, but for the most part the night was dark, and
the darkness increased towards midnight. Once or twice the breeze
carried the intoxicating smell of flowers from the river-bank. It was
difficult for Toffy, although he had been down the river many times, to
know exactly his bearings. They passed a little settlement on their
starboard hand, and saw a few lights burning in the houses.

'That must be Lara's house,' said Peter. 'We will land here on our way
back, and get some horses, and ride over to the estancia in the
morning.'

The settlement was the last place on the river where Purvis's steamer
plied, and there was a small jetty piled with wheat waiting to be taken
away. Here the river was broader and much shallower, with stakes of
wood set in its bed to show the