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 ther asking here would be useless. "Much obliged," he said, and got in. The sight of the forlorn figure in the uninhabited landscape gave him pause. "Can't I give you a lift a little farther along the road?"

Without raising his eyes the man violently shook his head.

"Well," Carron said cheerfully, "I suppose you know which way you're going." The reins tightened, the mare stepped out.

The man spoke behind him. "Remember, I haven't heard anything; I didn't say they'd seen it. I don't even know how much they know about it."

"I understand," Carron called back. "No one there is going to hear your name mentioned."

If he had felt the whiplash the fellow couldn't have flashed into keener anger. His face, already heavily flushed, took on a purplish, unhealthy color. As if it were a thing that could be hurt, with a violent gesture he threw the money from him. It shone and sank in deep dust.

Carron, with the reins taut in his hands, while the mare sped, stared back in astonishment. He wanted to laugh, yet he felt concerned. "Damn it all," he thought, "what sent him off at half-cock again? What did I say? What a fool! Hey, Hey!" he muttered encouragingly to the mare that, hot and fretted with delay, was dancing delicately