THE NOVEL fast as the wind

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Title:FastastheWind
ANovel
Author:NatGould
ReleaseDate:March20,2011[EBook#35618]
Language:English

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FASTASTHEWIND
ANOVEL
ByNATGOULD
AUTHOROF
"TheRiderinKhaki,"Etc.
Decoration

A.L.BURTCOMPANY
PublishersNewYork
PublishedbyarrangementwithFrederickA.StokesCompany

Copyright,1918,by
FREDERICKA.STOKESCO.
Allrightsreserved



Transcriber'sNote:
Inconsistent

spellings

retained.

Minor


typographical errors have been corrected and
noted. Errors are indicated with a mouse-hover.
For a complete list, please see the
endofthisdocument.



CONTENTS
CHAPTER

I.

II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
XIX.
XX.


THEBOOMOFAGUN
STORYOFANESCAPE
THEMANONTHEROAD
THEWOMANATTHETABLE
PICTON'SWINNINGMOUNT
INBRACK'SCOTTAGE
ACRITICALMOMENT
ONBOARDTHE"SEA-MEW"
LENISEELROY

HAVERTON
TEARAWAYANDOTHERS
"ITHINKHE'SDEAD"
AWOMAN'SFEAR
NOTRECOGNISED
"THEST.LEGER'SINYOURPOCKET"
HOWHECTORFOUGHTTHE
BLOODHOUND
ANINTRODUCTIONATHURSTPARK
CONSCIENCETROUBLES
"WHATWOULDYOUDO?"
RITASEESARESEMBLANCE

PAGE

1
10
20
30
40
50
59
69
79
88
97
106
115
124
132

140
149
158
165
174


XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.
XXIV.
XXV.
XXVI.
XXVII.
XXVIII.
XXIX.
XXX.

BRACKTURNSTRAVELER
DONCASTER
THECROWDINTHERING
"BYJOVE,SHE'SWONDERFUL"
FASTASTHEWIND
THESTRUGGLEFORTHECUP
THERESERVEDCOMPARTMENT
HOWHECTORHADHISREVENGE
ANASTONISHINGCOMMUNICATION
TEARAWAY'SPROGENY

182

191
200
208
216
224
233
241
250
258



FASTASTHEWIND


CHAPTERI
THEBOOMOFAGUN

A

small but splendidly built yacht steamed slowly into Torbay, passed
BrixhamandPaignton,andcametoanchorintheouterharboratTorquay.Itwas
agloriousspringmorning,early,andthesunshoneonthewaterwithamyriad
ofdancingreflections;itbathedinlightthebeautifultown,thescoresofvillas
nestlingontheheightssurroundingit,thepalmsontheterracewalk,onthemass
ofgreeneryclothingfoottosummit,ontheinnerharbor,andontherockycoast
stretching out towards Anstey's Cove and Babbacombe Beach. It was a
magnificent sight, the arts of man and nature mingled together, for once
harmonizing,forTorquayhasnotbeenspoiltbybuilders,atleastasseenfrom
thebay.Behind,Brixhamway,theredsailsofthefishingboatsflappedlazilyin

an idle breeze. Four men-of-war lay still in the bay, guardians of the peace,
comforting,reassuring,ahintofwhatlaybehind.Howpeacefulthesemonsters
ofthedeeplooked.Slumberingsurelywerethey.Whatwasthat?Apuffofwhite
smoke, then a solemn sound, which sped across the bay, and echoed over the
hills.Oneofthemonstershadspoken,justtoshowitwaswideawake.
IthadacuriouseffectonthemanleaningoverthesideoftheSea-mew,the
yacht that had just come to anchor. It startled him from his reverie, from his
contemplationofallthatwassobeautifularoundhim.
For a moment he looked across at the warships, and saw the smoke drifting
away,thenheturnedandlookedoverthetownanditsheights,andhisthoughts
wentfarandlandedonDartmoor.
Anothergun boomedout. Thistimeitseemedmorenatural.Againtheecho
ranoverthehills,andagainheturnedandlookedtowardsthatvastmoorwhich
laybehind.
"Supposing it were true," he muttered. "Would to God it were, and that he
weresafeonboardmyyacht.Allforawoman,andsuchawoman!"
Heclenchedhisfistandstrucktherail.
Picton Woodridge, owner of the Sea-mew, was a man of about thirty, tall,
goodlooking,genial,popular,butlonely,ifapopularmancanbedescribedas


lonely,andtherearesuchmen.Hewasrich,asportsman.HisstableatHaverton
contained good horses: a Derby winner in prospect, one of the best stayers in
England,andaboveallTearaway,ablackfilly,threeyearsold,describedbyher
trainer,BrantBlackett,as"abeauty,arealgem,andfastasthewind."
Heoughttohavebeenahappyman.Toalloutwardappearanceshewas,but
behindasmilingfacethereissometimesaheavyheart.Itwasnotexactlysoin
his case, yettherewassomethingofit. Therewasone black shadowcast over
hisgildedpath,andtheechoofthegunfromtheman-of-warhaddeepenedit.
"WhythedeucedidIcomehere?"hemuttered."WhydidIpromiseDickI'd

rideforhimatTorquayraces?"
Hesighed;heknewwhyhehadpromisedDickLangfordtorideforhim;he
woulddoagooddealmorethanthisforDick,forthesakeofhissisterRita.He
hadnoothercompanionontheyachtthanBenBruce,captainoftheSea-mew,
whostoodtowardshiminthelightofhisbestfriend.
BenBrucewasacharacterinhisway.HehadbeenintheNavy,onthesame
ship with Picton's father, and Admiral Woodridge and the young officer had
esteemandaffectionforeachother.LieutenantBruceoftencametoHavertonin
theAdmiral'stimeandwasalwaysawelcomeguest.HehadknownPictonfrom
aboy,andsharedtheAdmiral'sfondnessforthesomewhatlonelychild,whose
mother died at his birth, and whose elder brother was generally away from
home,trainingfortheArmy.Brucerememberedtheelderboy,Hector,buthad
notseensomuchofhim,orbecomesoattachedtohimastoPicton.Hectorwas
of a different disposition, hasty, headstrong, willful, and yet the brothers were
muchattached,andwhenathometogether,wereseldomapart.Therewereten
years between them; consequently Hector regarded himself in the light of a
protectortoPicton.
TheAdmirallovedthemandendeavoredtotreatthemequallyinhisaffection,
butitwasnotdifficulttoseetheyoungerhadthestrongerholdoverhim.Hector
sawitandsmiled.Hewasnotatalljealous;hefeltifitcametochoosing,and
oneofthemhadtobereliedupon,hisfatherwouldselecthim.Andsuchwould
probably have been the case had occasion occurred, but it did not, and
everythingwentontheeventenorofitswayuntilthefataldaywhenaterrible
thinghappenedandHectorbecame,soPictonwaspositivelycertain,thevictim
ofawoman'swiles.Whatthishappeningwasweshalllearn.Sufficienttosay,it
causedtheAdmiraltoretire.Henevergotovertheshock,anddiedsoonafterhe
lefttheNavy.ThebulkofhisfortunewaslefttoPicton,whowasdetermined,
whenthetimecame,tosurrendertoHectorhispropershare.CaptainBenBruce
lefttheservicesoon aftertheAdmiralhe hadlovedand served.Hewas, soto

speak, a poor man, and when he came to Haverton, to his old chief's funeral,
Pictonbeggedhimtostaywithhimforafewmonthstorelievehisloneliness.
Thishereadilyconsentedtodo.Themonthsextended,andPictonwouldnotlet
himgo;hereliedonthestrongerman,whohadcarvedhiswayupwardbyhis
ownexertions.BenBruceprotested,alltonopurpose.
"I can't do without you," said Picton. "You were my father's friend, he had
everyconfidenceinyou;youareoneoftheexecutors,youarethepropermanto
remainhereandruntheshow."
BenBrucelaughed.
"Runtheshow!"hesaid."NotmuchchanceofthatevenifIwishedit.You've
agoodheadonyourshoulders,andonequitecapableofmanagingyouraffairs.
IfIstay,mindIsayif,itwillnotbeonthataccount."
"Itdoesn'tmattertomeonwhataccountyoustaysolongasyouconsentto
remain,"saidPicton."There'ssomuchtodohere;Iamshortofacompanion—
you know I don't take to everyone. There's another thing—although you're a
sailoryouarefondofhorses,andagoodrider,andIsay,Ben,I'veaproposition
tomake."
AgainBenBrucelaughed.
"You've got a fresh proposition almost every week, and it's nearly always
somethinginmyfavor."
"Thiswillbetoyourliking,aswellas,ifyouthinkso,inyourfavor."
"Whatisit?"
"TakechargeoftheHavertonhorses—bemymanager."
"WhataboutBlackett?"
"He'llnotmind;infacthe'lllikeit.Iputittohim;heseemedratherenamored
oftheprospectofbeingcloselyconnectedwithCaptainBruce,thefriendofhis
adoredAdmiral.Therewasn'tamanlivingBlackettlovedmorethanmyfather;I
thinkitwasthecombinationoftheseaandthestableappealedtohim.Blackett
alwayshadanidea,sohetoldme,untilhebecameacquaintedwiththeAdmiral,

thatsailorsweredufferswherehorseswereconcerned.'ButIsoonfoundoutthe
difference,' he said; 'the Admiral knew pretty near as much about a horse as I
did.OfcourseItaughthimathingortwo,buthewasagoodjudge,heknewthe
points of a horse pretty near as well as he did the parts of a battleship.' That's
Blackett's opinion, and he has an idea Captain Bruce has leanings in the same
directionastheAdmiral,soyoucan'traiseanyobjectionsonthatscore."
It did not take much persuasion to induce Captain Bruce to consent, and he
became manager of Haverton Stables and, as a natural consequence, remained


withPictonWoodridge.
AtthesametimePictonsaidtohim,withaseriousface:"There'ssomething
else,farmoreimportantthananythingIhavementioned.You'vetohelpmeto
clearHector;youbelievehiminnocent,don'tyou,Ben,youcan'tdootherwise?"
Ben Bruce was silent for a moment—Picton watched him anxiously—then
said,"Yes,Iamsureheisinnocent.Hecouldn'thavedonethat,nottosecureany
womanforhimself;butit'samystery,Picton,agravemystery,anditwilltakea
far cleverer man than myself to unravel it. I'll help you, I'll stick at nothing to
helpyouandHector."
"Thanks, old friend, thanks a thousand times. With your help there is no
telling what may be accomplished. There must be some way out of it; such a
terribleinjusticecannotbeallowedtogoonforever,"saidPicton.
And so Captain Ben, as he was called, became the constant friend and
companion of Picton Woodridge. When the Sea-mew was purchased it was
CaptainBenwhoclinchedthedeal,andwasappointed"skipper."
"So I'm your stud manager and captain of your yacht, that's a queer
combination,"saidBen.
"Andyou'reasgoodinonecapacityastheother,"saidPicton.
"IthinkI'msaferondeckthanonahorse,"saidBen.
It was Captain Ben Bruce who came quietly along the deck of the Sea-mew

and looked at Picton Woodridge as he gazed over Torquay bay. A kindly look
wasinhiseyes,whichwerealwaysbrightandmerry,forhewasacheerfulman,
notgiventolookonthedarksideofthings.HisaffectionforPictonwasthatofa
fatherforason,inadditiontobeingacompanionandafriend.Henoticedthe
sad far-away look on Picton's face, and wondered what it was that caused the
shadowonthisbeautifulAprilmorning.
"I'll leave him to his meditations," he thought; "he'll be down for breakfast,
andI'llaskhimthen."
HewasabouttoturnawaywhenPictonlookedroundandsaidwithasmile:
"Somethingtoldmeyouwerethere."
"Telepathy,"saidBen.
"Sympathy,"saidPicton."DoyouknowwhatIwasthinkingabout?"
"No;Isawyouwerepensive.I'dhaveaskedyouatbreakfast,youlookedso
serious."
"Iwasserious."
"Whatcausedthepassingcloudonsuchagloriousmorning?"askedBen.


Pictontookhimbythearm,hisgriptightened;withtheotherhandhepointed
tothebattleship.
"Theboomofagun,"hesaid;andBenBruceunderstood.


CHAPTERII
STORYOFANESCAPE

R

OWmetotheSea-mew,"saidDickLangford,andoldBrackishtouchedhis
capandreplied,"Yes,sir;she'sabeauty,sheis.Hearthenews,sir?"

"No;anythingstartling?"
"Nothin' out o' the common, at least not in these parts, but it's summat
differenttomost."
"You'realwayslong-winded,Brackish—Yorkshireman,Isuppose,"saidDick
impatiently.
Brackish was a Yorkshire boatman, hailing from Scarborough; he came to
Torquaybecausehismother,nearlyninety,couldnotstandthecoldblastsofthe
North East coast, and the old salt had a heart. "Brack" had a rough red face,
eyebrows lapped over a pair of blue eyes; his throat and chest were always
bared,tannedthecolorofleather;blackhaircoveredhischest;hishandswere
hard,adeeperbrownthanhischest,thehandsofasonoftoil,andaboatman.
BrackhadbeenpopularatScarborough;hewaswellknowninTorbayasabrave
hardy seaman, whom no weather daunted. At first he had joined the Brixham
fishingfleet,butsoontiredofit,andwhenhesavedenoughmoneyheboughta
coupleofboats,andmadeadecentlivinginTorquayharbor.
Brackwasfondofgossip,andonthisparticularmorninghewaseagerfora
talk;itwashisintentiontohaveitoutwithDickbeforeheputfootintheboat,
sohestood lookingat the youngman,barringhisentrancetothecrafthewas
eager to put his foot in. The old boatman was a sturdy figure in his rough
seaman'sclothesasheeyedDickLangford,and,althoughimpatient,Dickcould
nothelpsmilingathim.HelikedBrack,andthesailorreturnedthefeeling.
"Letmegetinandyoucantellmeaboutthenewsaswerowtotheyacht,"
saidDick.
"Allright,sir;nohurry,you'rehereearly.It'sMr.Woodridge'syacht,ain'tit?"
"Ofcourseitis;youknowtheSea-mewaswellasIdo."
"Nicegentleman,Mr.Woodridge,"saidBrack.


"Ifyoudon'tletmegetintotheboatI'lltakeanother,"saidDick.
Brackgrinned.

"You'llnotbedoin'that,I'mthinking,afterallI'vedoneforyer."
"Whathaveyoudone?"askedDicksurprised.
Bracklookedindignant.
"Yerdon'trecollect?WellI'mblessed!Fancyforgettin'thingslikethat!"
"Outwithit,"saidDick.
"IgiveyerthewinneroftheLegerthreeyearrunnin',andit'sforgotten.Lor'
blessus,whatmemoriesyounggentshas!"growledBrack.
Dick laughed heartily as he said: "So you did, old man. You're a real good
tipsterfortheYorkshirerace."
"SoIought'erbe.Don'tIhailfromthere?IcanalwaysscentaLegerwinner,
smell'emlikeIcanthesaltfromthesea,comesnaturalsomehow,"saidBrack,
as he moved away and allowed Dick to step in. He pulled with long steady
strokesandwassoonoutoftheinnerharbor,makingfortheyacht.
"Byjove,thisisalovelymorning!"saidDick,lookingattheglorioushillshe
knewsowell.
"NowtlikeYorkshire,"growledBrack.
Dicklaughedashesaid:"You'realuckymantobeatTorquay,allthesame;
muchwarmer,fineclimate."
"Hotas——,"saidBrackwithagrunt.
"Youhaven'ttoldmeyournews,"saidDick.
"It'llkeep,"saidBrack.
"BetyouashillingyouletitoutbeforeyoureachtheSea-mew,"saidDick.
"Idon'tbet,"saidBrack.
"Youmeanyoudarenotinthiscase,oryouwouldlose."
"VerylikeIshould,becauseIseeyerburstin'tohearit,andIwouldn'tliketo
disappointyer,"saidBrack,asheceasedrowingandleanedonhisoars.
"Tired?"saidDick.
"Withthatbitofapull,"saidBrack,disgusted;"Ishouldthinknot!"
"Thenwhatareyourestingfor?"
"Ibaintrestin',I'measin'myoars."

"Oh,that'sit:theoarsaretired,"saidDick.
"NomoretiredthanIam,butwhenIgives'emaspellforafewminutesthey


seemstoworkbetter,"saidBrack."What'smore,ItalksbetterwhenIleanson
'em,sorto'givesmecomposure,andtimetothink;I'mabeggartothink."
Dickwasamused;hewantedtoreachtheSea-mew,butonthissunnymorning
itwasgoodtositintheboatonthebluesmoothwaterandlistentooldBrackfor
afewminutes.
"Youmusthavedonealotofthinkinginyourtime,"saidDick,fallingintohis
humor.
"I'mthinkingnow,"saidBrack.
"Whatabout?"
"ThatpoordevilwhoescapedfromDartmoorfivedaysago."
Dicksmiled.
"Isthatyournews?"
"Yes."
"Therehavebeenseveralescapeslately."
"Butthey'veallbeencaughtinnotime;thischapain't,andbygum,lad,ifhe
come'dmywayI'dhelphimout.Idon'tbelievethey'llgethim;atleastIhopes
not."
"They'llhavehimrightenough,"saidDick."Aconvictatlargeisadangerto
allonthemoor."
"Thisoneain't,"saidBrack."'Sides,hemaybeinnocent."
"Innocentmendon'tgetintoPrincetown,"saidDick.
"That's just where yer wrong," said Brack. "I've a brother in there now, and
he'sinnocent,I'llswearit."
Dickmaintainedadiplomaticsilence.
"Ofcourseyou'llnotbelieveit,butit'llcomeoutsomeday.Hewasonamano-warsman,andtheylaggedhimforknockingapettyofficeroverboard;thechap
wasdrowned,butBillsworeheneverhadahandinit,andIbelieveshim.Atthe

trialitcameoutBillhadadownontheman;andnowonder—hewasabrute,
andagoodriddance."
"Doyouknowwhoknockedhimover?"
"No,butit'smyfirmbeliefBilldoes,andthathe'ssufferin'foranother,won't
givehimaway."
Dicksmiled.
"Youdon'tknowBill;Idoes,"saidBrackemphatically.
"Butwhataboutthismanwhoescaped?Whydoyouthinkhe'llgetaway?"


"'Causehe'sagoodplucked'un,afighter,abraveman,"saidBrack.
"Inwhatway?"
"Theyputbloodhoundsonhistrack.Onebrutegotaway,theydidn'tfindhim
for three days, when they did——," Brack hesitated; he wished to rouse his
listener'sattention.Hesucceeded.
"Goon,"saidDickeagerly.
"Thetrackersfoundthehounddead,andalongsidehimwasasuitofconvict
clothes—nicewellmarkedsuits,ain'tthey;youcan'tmistake'em,"saidBrack.
"Youdon'tmeantosaythefellowkilledthehound,andlefthisclothesbeside
it!"exclaimedDick.
"That'sjustwhatIhavesaid,mister.Clever,weren'tit?Whentheotherhound
foundhismate,hefoundtheclothes,andhelostthescent."
"How?"
"'Causethemanmusthavefledstarknaked,andthehoundonlyhadthescent
ofhisclothes;musthavebeenthat,'causehecouldn'tfollowhim.He'll getoff
rightenough—youseeifhedon't.IwishBillcoulddothesame."
"Howdidhekillthehound?"askedDick."Andwheredidyouhearallthis?"
"Strangledit.He'sagood'unheis;I'dliketohaveseenit.AsforhowIcome
toknowbyit,oneofthemenfromtheprisonwashere.Hequestionedme,"said
Brackwithagrin."AskedmeifI'dseenamanliketheonehegaveadescription

of."
"Whatdidyousay?"askedDick.
"Kepthimtalkingforhalfanhourormore,gave'imheapsofinformation.I
filledhimup,neveryoufear."
"Butyoudidn'tseetheman?"saidDick.
"Lor' no! Wish I had, and that he was stowed away somewhere. I told the
fellow I'd seen just such a man as he described, with his hands bound up in
bandages,andaclothroundhisneck.Saidhe'dasuitofoldsailor'stogson,and
thathewentoutinaboatwithalotofrowdyfellerstoa'tramp'intheBay,and
hedidn'tcomeback,"chuckledBrack.
"Andwhatwastheresultofyourfalseinformation?"askedDick.
"I'lltellyouwhattheresultwillbe.Itwillput'emoffthescent;they'llthink
he'sgoneoffonthe'tramp'toLondon,andthey'llgivehimarestonthemoorfor
abit,"saidBrack.
"Youthinkthemanisstillonthemoor?"
"'Course;whereelseshouldhebe?"


"Thenhe'ssuretobecaught."
"Waitabit—amanwhocantackleabloodhoundandchokethelifeoutofhim
isprettydetermined,"saidBrack.
Dick acknowledged as much and said the circumstances were out of the
common.Hewasinterestedintheoldsailor'stale.Hedidnotknowwhetherto
admire what Brack had done or to condemn it; he put himself in his place,
wonderinghowhewouldhaveactedundersimilarcircumstances.
Brackwatchedhim,apeculiarsmileonhisface.
"Goin'togivemeaway?"heasked.
Dick laughed as he answered: "I was thinking whether you were right or
wrong."
"Guessed as much. I was right to give such a man another chance. He's no

coward,nothe,andguiltymenareallcowards,"saidBrack.
"Whoistheman?"
"Don'tknow;hewouldn'ttellme,buthesaidhewasalifer.Hedidn'tseem
verykeenabouthiscapture."
"Youmeanheseemedgladthemanhadescaped?"saidDick,surprised.
"I guessed as much from his face," said Brack, "and I reckon there's worse
judges than me of human nature—that's what makes me think he's innocent—
likeBill."
"It'sallveryinteresting,butpulltotheSea-mew,"saidDick.
"About time," said Brack, as he started rowing again. They were soon
alongsidetheyacht.
Picton had just come on deck again from the saloon. He hailed Dick
cheerfully.
"Well,earlybird,what'sbroughtyouhereatthistime?"hesaid,smiling.
"Wishedtowelcomeyou,mostmightyriderofwinners,"laughedDickashe
gotoutoftheboatandstoodonthestepsofthegangway."Hereyouare,Brack,
andthanksforyourstory;itwasthrilling."
Brack touched his cap as he said: "And it's true, and there's heaps of things
thrillingthatain'ttrue,"andhepulledaway.
"Brackbeenspinningyarns?"saidPicton,whoknewtheoldman.
"Arealshockerthistime."
"Whatabout?"
"AfellowescapedfromDartmoortheotherday.It'sworthhearing;I'lltellyou


allaboutitlateron,"saidDick.
PictonWoodridgestaggeredbackwards.AtfirstDickthoughthewasaboutto
fall.Helookedathiminastonishment.
"What'sthematter,Pic?"heasked.
"Curious fit of faintness came over me; I'm all right now," said Picton, but

Dickthoughthedidn'tlookit.


CHAPTERIII
THEMANONTHEROAD

D

ICK Langford told Brack's story to Picton Woodridge and Captain Ben.
Both listened attentively: it was immensely interesting to them. From time to
timeBenlookedathisfriendtoseehowhetookit.Dick,absorbedinhistale,
didnotnoticethelookofstrainedattentionontheirfaces.Theyweresilentwhen
hefinished.
"NotbadforBrack,eh?"saidDick.
Thesimplequestionmadethemstart.
"You fellows seem all nerves this morning," said Dick. "When I told Pic on
deck,hestaggered;Ithoughthewasgoingtofaint.You'renotafraidthefellow
willboardtheyacht,areyou?"
Benlaughedashesaid:"No,Idon'tthinkwe'reafraid,notofoneman,evenif
hebeanescapedconvict."
"You'llwantallyournerveto-morrow,"saidDicktoPicton."There'sthreeof
myhorsestoride,andtwoof'emarebrutes."
"Thanks,"said Picton,smiling; "apleasantprospect.Worthcomingallthese
milesfor,isn'tit,Ben?"
"DependsuponwhatLangfordcallsabrute,"repliedBen.
"Pitcher'snotsobad;he'swhatIcallahumoroushorse,fullofpranksandno
vice about him. He's number one. Now we come to the first brute, Planet, a
geldingwithatemper;aslikelyasnothe'lltryandpitchyouintothecrowd."
"ThenheoughttohavebeennamedPitcher,"saidPicton.
"We don'tallget ourrightnames,Imeannamesthatfit;we'resaddled with

'embyunthinkingparents.Sishasamaid,EvangelineMamie;nowthat'swhatI
callabighandicapforthegirl,"saidDick.
Theylaughed,andPictonaskedhimtopassontonumbertwobrute.
"TheRascal,"saidDick;"he'saterror.He'slamedacoupleofmychaps,and
Pete'srightwhenyou'reinthesaddle,butit'sadeuceofajobtogetthere.He
rises on his hind legs, and conducts an imaginary band with his fore legs, but


he'sgotarareturnofspeed,andheoughttowintheWestofEnglandHandicap
Steeplechaseto-morrow,andtheTorbayandSouthDevonSteeplechasethenext
day."
"Thenyouexpecttobringoffthedoublewithhim?"saidPicton.
"Yes,andifyoudonot,Sissaysshe'llneverspeaktoyouagain."
"ThenI'lldoitifIdieintheattempt,"saidPicton.
"Don'tbeheroic,noonewantsyoutodie.YoucankillTheRascalifyoulike,
butpromisemetocomeoffunscathed,"saidDick,laughing.
"I'lltry,"saidPicton.
"PitcheroughttowintheMaidenHurdleRace,andPlanettheSt.Marychurch
Hurdle Race. Now you have a nice little program mapped out for you, and I
fancy you'll win the four events. If you do, it will be a day for rejoicing at
Torwood,andthewearerofthepinkjacketwillbeanhonoredguestifhecares
todeserttheSea-mewformyhumbleabode."
"Dick, you're incorrigible," said Picton, laughing. "You really expect to win
fourraces?"
"Ido;Gordonwonthelotatameetingnotfarawayononeoccasion."
"That'squitepossible—he'sagoodrider."
"Soareyou."
"Heis,"saidBen;"fewbetter."
"Whatareyoudoingto-day?"askedDick.
"Nothinginparticular;baskinginthesunshineinyourgloriousbay."

"ThenyoulikeTorquay?"saidDick.
"Whocouldhelplikingit?Andwhatacountyliesbehindit!Ienvyyouthe
Devonshirelanes,Dick."
"Thencomeandliveamongthem.Icanpickyouanidealspot,anditshallbe
wellwithinyourmeans,Mr.Millionaire."
Pictonlaughed.
"Nomillionshere—afewthousands,"hesaid;"justsufficienttokeepmyhead
abovewater."
"AndtheSea-mewafloat,"saidDick.
"I'llmanagethat,"saidBen.
"Willyoucomeashoreand have alookatPitcherandthetwobrutes?" said
Dick.
"Whatdoyousay,Ben?Shallwe?"askedPicton.


Benknewhe wishedtogo—RitawasatTorwood—it was notthehorsesso
much,althoughtheywereanattraction.
"Yes,"saidBenpromptly,andthematterwassettled.
They went ashore. Dick Langford's dog-cart was at the Queen's and thither
they adjourned. In a quarter of an hour they were going at an easy pace to
Torwood,whichlayaboutmidwaybetweenTorquayandNewtonAbbot.
How fresh everything looked! The trees were just budding, tingeing the
almostbarebrancheswithtipsofgreen.Theairwascoolandsoft;therewereno
motorsabout—onlyanoddoneortwo,thetouristseasonhadnotcommenced—
buttherewouldbeplentyofpeopleattheracesonthefollowingdays.
"Wonder what that fellow's up to!" exclaimed Dick, as he saw a man push
throughthehedgeanddisappeardownthehillandacrossthemeadow.
"Probablybelongstotheplace,"saidPicton.
"Thenwhatthedeucedidhegetthroughthehedgefor?Whydidn'thegoto
thegate?"saidDick.

"Shortcut,perhaps,"saidPicton.
"Wonderifhe'sthatchapfromDartmoor?"laughedDick,andhefeltPicton
start.
"Theman'sgotonyournerves,"hesaid."I'llsaynomoreabouthim."
Pictonwaslookingathimashewentrapidlyacrossthemeadow;something
about the figure appeared familiar, so did the long stride; he wondered if Ben
noticedit,buttheCaptainwasotherwiseoccupied.Theincidentwasforgotten,
and when they came in sight of Torwood, Picton became animated. He saw a
figureonthelawn,andknewwhoitwas.Sherecognizedthemandwavedher
handkerchief.Thismetwithaquickresponse.
Torwood was a typical Devonshire home, not large, but a commodious,
comfortable,well-appointedhouse,standingonthehillside;treesattheback,a
terrace, then a level stretch of lawn, then a sweep down to the road; a small
lodge and gate at the drive entrance; a steep incline to the house. On the right
were the stables, half a dozen loose boxes, and a three-stall building. Dick
Langfordwasfarfrombeingarichman,buthewashappyandcontented,with
hissister.HewasapartnerinafirmofauctioneersatNewtonAbbot,andwas
accountedareadysalesman;therewasalwayslaughterinfrontwhenhewielded
thehammer;quickatrepartee,thereweremanypeopleprompttodrawhimout,
buthegothisprices,andthatpaidthefirmandthecustomers.
RitaLangfordwaslikeherbrother,ofabrightandcheerfuldisposition,was
popularintheneighborhood,andTorwoodwasafavoritehouse.


"Sogladtoseeyou,Mr.Woodridge,andyoutoo,CaptainBruce.Whendid
youarriveinthebay?"
"Inthemorning,yesterday;itwasbeautiful.Howgrandthecountrylooks,and
Torwoodevenprettierthanever!"saidPicton.
"I induced him to leave his floating palace, and visit our humble abode, by
askinghimtoinspectthehorsesheistoride,"saidDickwithawinkatBen.

"That is so, but there was a far greater inducement," said Picton, looking at
Rita.
"MustItakethattomeanme?"shesaid,laughing.
"Please,"saidPicton,thinkinghowcharmingshewas.
Theyhadaquietluncheon,thenwenttothestables.Dickengagednoregular
trainer, but he had a man named Arnold Brent, who was a first-rate hand with
horses,andatthesametimeanexpertgardener;thecombinationwasfortunate
fortheownerofTorwood.Thehorsesweretrainedintheneighborhood,where
Dickhadtheprivilegeofusingsomegoodgallopingland,withnaturalfences—
an up and down country, but excellent for the purpose. He had two lads who
rode most of the work; sometimes he had a mount, and occasionally Brent.
Altogethertheydidverywell,andtheTorwoodhorsesgenerallysecuredawin
or two at the local meetings. Dick Langford's favorite battle-grounds were
TorquayandNewtonAbbot.Attheshowatthelatterplaceheoftentookprizes
for dogs, poultry and garden produce; the money generally went into Brent's
pocket.BrentknewbothPictonandtheCaptain,andadmiredtheformerbecause
heknewhewasafirst-classgentlemanrider,althoughhehadnotseenhiminthe
saddle.ItwasBrentwhosuggestedtohismasterthatMr.Woodridgeshouldride
atthelocalmeetingforthem.
"Notabigenoughthingforhim,"saidDickdoubtfully."Heridesatsomeof
theswellmeetings."
"Youtryhim,sir,"saidBrent,adding,ashecaughtsightofRita,"I'llbethe
accepts."
"IhearaterribleaccountofthesehorsesIamtoride,"saidPicton,smiling.
Brentsmiled.
"IexpectMr.Langford'sbeenpullingyourleg,sir,"hesaid.
"Isn't The Rascal a brute, isn't Planet another; and Pitcher was described as
harmless,Ithink?"saidPicton.
"TheRascal'sallrightifyouhumorhim,"saidBrent."He'sbittenalad,and
crushed anotheragainstthewall, buthe'snot half abadsort,andhe'llwinthe

doubleeasilyenoughinyourhands,sir."
"IfIcanmounthim,"laughedPicton.
"I'llseetothat;he'llstandsteadyenoughwithmeathishead.That'shim—the
chestnutwiththewhiteface."
Pictonlookedthehorseover.
"Bring him out," he said, and The Rascal was led out of his box. As Picton
wentuptohimhelaidbackhisears,andshowedthewhitesofhiseyes;itwasa
falsealarm,helethimpathisneckandpasshishandoverhim.
"Ilikehim,"saidPicton;"helooksagoodsort."
"Heis,sir,"saidBrent.
"Yourfavorite?"laughedPicton.
"Yes,sir."
PlanetandPitcherwerebothbrowns,handysorts,andPictonthoughtithighly
probable the three would win the races selected for them. He expressed this
opinion,atwhichDickandhissisterweredelighted.
"Itisverygoodofyoutocomeandrideformybrother,"shesaidtohim.
"It is always a pleasure to me to do anything to please you and Dick," he
replied.
Theychattedforsometime;thenshesaid:"Ihadanadventurenotlongbefore
youarrived."
"Yourcountryhasalwaysbeenfullofadventures,"hesaid,smiling.
"Andadventurers,butthemanwhocamehereto-daywasnotanadventurer,
poorfellow,"shesaid.
Helookedatherquicklyandshewenton.
"I was at the bottom of the garden, near that thick-set hedge, when I heard
some one groan. It startled me; some tramp, I thought, and went to the gate. I
saw a man sitting by the roadside. He looked up when he saw me, and I shall
neverforgetthesufferinginhisface,thehuntedlookinit.Ishivered,butIwas

quitesurehewasharmless.Ibeckonedhim;hecame,turninghisheadfromtime
totimeinafrightenedmanner.Hesaidhehadtrampedmanymiles,thathewas
hungry,footsore,wearytodeath.Itookhimtothebackofthehouse,gavehim
something to eat, and offered him money. He refused the money at first, but I
insistedandhetookit.IgavehimoneofDick'soldtopcoats;whenheputiton
he seemed a different man. I hunted out a pair of old boots—he was very
gratefulforthem.Iamsurehewasagentleman;hespokelikeone,heexpressed
himselfassuchwhenheleft,therewasanaturalprideabouthim.Hewalkedin


thedirectionofTorquay;Iwonderifyoumethimontheroad."
Picton Woodridge greatly astonished her by asking her the following
questions:
"Haveyoutoldyourbrotheraboutthis?"
"No."
"Didanyoneseehim?"
"Idon'tthinkso.Iamalmostsuretheydidnot."
"Willyoudomeafavor?"
"Willingly."
"Thendonotmentionthistoasoul,"saidPictonearnestly.


CHAPTERIV
THEWOMANATTHETABLE

S

HE promised readily, not asking questions, for which he was grateful. She
knewtherewassomethingshecouldnotpenetrate,somemystery;hercuriosity
wasarousedbutsherestrainedit.

"Thank you," he said. "I have good reasons for asking you to remain silent;
somedayIwilltellyouthem,whethermyconjecturesproverightorwrong."
"Ishallnotaskyourconfidence,"shesaid.
"Iwillgiveittoyou.IwouldgiveittoyounowifIthoughtitwouldbeofany
use."
"Iamsureyouwould."
"Rita——"
"Hallo,whereareyou,Picton?"shoutedDick.
"Here!"hecalled."Ontheseatnearthehedge."
"Oh,downthere.IsRitawithyou?"
"Yes."
"SorryIshouted;hopeIdidn'tdisturbyou,"sangoutDick.
"Notintheleast,"saidPicton;"wewerejustcomingup."
"Iwonderwhathewasgoingtotellmewhenhesaid'Rita,'"shethoughtas
theywalkedupthehillygardenpath.
Pictonsaidhewouldratherreturntotheyachtforthenight;helovedbeingon
thewater,italwayshadasoothingeffectandhewasnotagoodsleeper.
"Imustbeintip-topconditionforto-morrow—somuchdependsuponit,"he
said,smiling.
Ritathoughtagooddealaboutherconversationwithhimwhenheleft,tried
topuzzleoutthemystery,butfailed.
"I'llwaituntilhetellsme,"shesaid."IwishDickhadn'tshoutedwhenhesaid
'Rita';itinterruptedapleasantsentence.Iwonderhowitwouldhavefinished?"
andshesmiledquietlytoherself.


DickdrovethemtoTorquay,thenreturnedhome.Brackrowedthemouttothe
Sea-mew.Hewasloquaciousasusual.
"Nicenight,gents,"hesaid.
"Beautiful,Brack.Isn'titratherdarkthough?"saidBen.

Pictonseemedmoody.
"Yes,there'snomoontospeakof;it'sdarkerthanI'veknownitatthistimeo'
year."
Theoldfellowchatteduntiltheycamealongside.
Pictonpaidhimandsaidgood-night.Brackthankedhimandsaid:"Goin'to
rideanywinnersto-morrow,sir?"
ThisrousedhimandhetoldBrackthenamesofthehorsesandtheracesthey
weregoingfor.
"YoubackTheRascalforthedoubleifyoucanfindanyonetolayittoyou,"
saidPicton.
"We'veabookieamongus,"saidBrack."He'sayoung'unandasgoodasailor
asthebestofus,buthe'sartful,veryartful,andhe'shadmanyabobout'erme,
andtherest.I'dliketotakehimdown,andIwill.TheRascalforthedouble,you
said?"
"Yes,andhere'shalfasovereigntoputonhim,"saidPicton.
Brackgaveanaudiblechuckleashesaid:"Lor'loveus,that'lljustaboutbust
himifitcomesoff."
Theylaughedasherowedaway,whistlingsoftlytohimself.
"I'llturninearly,"saidPicton.
"Thebestthingyoucando,"saidtheCaptain."Youseemabitoutofsortstoday."
"Iam;Ican'tgetthesoundofthegunoutofmyears."
Benlookedathimsympathetically.
"Iknewwhatyoumeant,feltwhatyoufelt,whenyouspokeaboutit,"hesaid.
"StrangesomeoneshouldhaveescapedfromDartmooradayortwobefore,"
saidPicton.
"Escapesareoftenoccurring,"saidBen.
"What did you think about that man on the road, who pushed through the
hedgetoavoidus?"askedPicton.
"Didn'tgiveitmorethanapassingthought,"saidBen.
"Whatwasthepassingthought?"

"Isaidtomyself,'Iwonderifthat'sthemanwhoescaped?'"
"Good-night,"saidPicton;"I'llturnin."
"Good-night,"saidBen,ashesatonadeckchair.
"He'sinacuriousmoodto-night,"hethought."I'msorryforhim.Weought
not to have come here, it brings up painful recollections, the vicinity of
Dartmoor;andyetithasitscompensations—there'sMissLangford,lovelygirl,
andasniceasshelooks.Ihopehe'llwinto-morrow,itwillcheerhimup."
Ben'smindwentbacktothetimewhenPictonandHectorwereladstogether,
andtheAdmiralwasalive.HisheartwassoreforHector,althoughhewashalf
inclined to believe him guilty, but tried to convince himself to the contrary by
expressinghisfirmbeliefinhisinnocence,inordertobeofthesamemindas
Picton.
OnethingCaptainBenhadlongdeterminedupon:ifeverhegotachance,he
wouldhelpHector,nomatteratwhatriskorcost.Hewasamanwhohadrun
into many dangers, not useless dangers, necessary perils, with his eyes open,
knowingtheconsequencesoffailure,thereforehewasabraveman.Blindfolded,
impetuous, blundering rushes against great odds excite the admiration of the
crowd, but it is the Captain Bens who are to be relied upon in times of
emergency.
Theairbecamecooler.Benrosefromhischairandwenttohiscabin;looking
intoPicton'sashepassed,hewasgladtoseehimasleep.
TheSea-mewswungroundwiththetide,quietly,withoutasound;itwasvery
stillandcalm;shelookedlikeadullwhitebirdonthewater.Sothoughtaman
whocreptstealthilyalongthewalltowardtheinnerharbor.
"IwishIwereonherandoutatsea,"hemuttered.Hecouldjustdiscernher
outline,thewhitehullandthelights.
Heheardfootsteps,ameasuredbeat,apoliceman,heknewbythetread.He
puthishandonthewalltosteadyhimself,shivered,thengroaned.Therewasno

getting out of it, he must face the man, and it was late. He staggered forward
withadrunkenreel,butnottoounsteadyonhislegs.Helurched,justavoiding
the constable, who merely said: "Now, my man, get off home, and mind you
keepquiet."
"Allright,sir,I'ma'goin',"wasthereply.
The constable moved on, blissfully ignorant that he had probably missed a
chance of promotion. The man walked past the pier, past the Torbay Hotel,
wheretherewerelightsinoneoftheroomsonthegroundfloor,evidentlyalate
supper party, at least so thought the man outside. Do what he would, he could