membered how splendid he always looked in the saddle.

The distance dwindled. The stark arms of the naked tree seemed to
be stretching out to receive her. But he was drawing nearer also.
She could hear the thunder of his animal's hoofs close behind. She
bent low in the saddle, gasping encouragement to her own.

There came a shout beside her--a yell of triumph such as Guy had
often uttered. He passed her and drew ahead. That fired her. She
saw victory being wrested from her.

She cried back at him "You--bounder!" and urged her horse to fresh
effort.

The ground sped away beneath her. The heat-haze seemed to spin
around. Her eyes were fixed upon their goal, her whole being was
concentrated upon reaching it. In the end it was as if the ruined
tree shot towards her. The race was over. A great giddiness came
upon her. She reeled in the saddle.

And then a hand caught her; or was it one of those outstretched
skeleton arms? For a moment she hung powerless; then she was drawn
close--close--to a man's breast, and felt the leap and throb of a
man's heart against her own.

Breathless and palpitating, she lifted her face. His eyes looked
deeply into hers, eyes that glowed like molten steel, and in an
instant her illusion was swept away. It seemed to her that for the
first time she looked upon Burke Ranger as he was, and her whole
being recoiled in sudden wild dismay from what she saw.

"Ah! Let me go!" she said.

He held her still, but his hold slackened. "I won the race," he
said.

"Yes, but--but it was only a game," she gasped back incoherently.
"You--you can't--you won't----"

"Kiss you?" he said. "Not if you forbid it." That calmed her very
strangely. His tone was so quiet; it revived her courage. She
uttered a faint laugh. "Is that the stake? I can't refuse to
pay--a debt of honour."

"Thank you," he said, and she saw a curious smile gleam for a
moment on his face. "That means you are prepared to take me like a
nasty pill, doesn't it? I like your pluck. It's the best thing
about you. But I won't put it to the test this time."

He made as if he would release her, but with an odd impulse she
checked him. Somehow it was unbearable to be humoured like that.
She looked him straight in the eyes.

"We are pals, aren't we?" she said.

The smile still lingered on Burke's face; it had an enigmatical
quality that disquieted her, she could not have said wherefore.
"It's rather an ambiguous te