We went over to the yard, and Jim let down the rails and walked in. I stopped outside. Jim had his horse by the mane, and was patting his neck as mine came out, when three police troopers rose up from behind the bushes, and, covering us with their rifles, called out, “Stand in the Queen’s name!”

Jim made one spring on to his horse’s back, drove his heels into his flank, and was out through the gate and half-way down the hill before you could wink.

Just as Jim cleared the gate a tall man rose up close behind me and took a cool pot at him with a revolver. I saw Jim’s hat fly off, and another bullet grazed his horse’s hip. I saw the hair fly, and the horse made a plunge that would have unseated most men with no saddle between their legs. But Jim sat close and steady and only threw up his arm and gave a shout as the old horse tore down the hill a few miles an hour faster.

“D--n those cartridges,” said the tall trooper; “they always put too much powder in them for close shooting. Now, Dick Marston!” he went on, putting his revolver to my head, “I’d rather not blow your brains out before your people, but if you don’t put up your hands by -- I’ll shoot you where you stand.” I had been staring after Jim all the time; I believe I had never thought of myself till he was safe away.

“Get your horses, you d--d fools,” he shouts out to the men, “and see if you can follow up that madman. He’s most likely knocked off against a tree by this time.”

There was nothing else for it but to do it and be handcuffed. As the steel locks snapped I saw mother standing below wringing her hands, and Aileen trying to get her into the house.

“Better come down and get your coat on, Dick,” said the senior constable. “We want to search the place, too. By Jove! we shall get pepper from Sir Ferdinand when we go in. I thought we had you both as safe as chickens in a coop. Who would have thought of Jim givin’ us the slip, on a barebacked horse, without so much as a halter? I’m devilish sorry for your family; but if nothing less than a thousand head of cattle will satisfy people, they must expect trouble to come of it.”

“What are you talking about?” I said. “You’ve, got the wrong story and the wrong men.”

“All right; we’ll see about that. I don’t know whether you want any breakfast, but I should like a cup of tea. It’s deuced slow work watching all night, though it isn’t cold. We’ve got to be in Bargo barracks to-night, so there’s no time to lose.”