The Odds | Page 6

a sleepy movement, and then, as voices
reached her, roused herself completely and got to her feet.
Her brother and another man--a tall, lantern-jawed stranger--were on
the point of entering.
Jack led the way. "Halloa, Dot!" he said. "Have you seen anything of
our man? He's broken cover in this direction in spite of us. You haven't
shot him by any chance, I suppose?"
Dot looked from him to the man behind him.
"Inspector Hill," said Jack. "Eh? What's the matter?"
"Nothing--nothing!" said Dot. Yet she had gone back a step as if she
had been struck. She held out her hand to the policeman. "How do you

do? I--I--am very pleased to meet you. So you haven't caught him after
all?"
Inspector Hill was looking at her keenly. He wore a sardonic
expression, as of one who knows that he has been outwitted. "I have
not, madam," he said. "Neither, I presume, have you?"
She shook her head, looking him straight in the face. "No, I haven't. I
am afraid I have been asleep. Are you sure he passed this way?"
Her eyes were clear and candid as the eyes of a boy. Inspector Hill
turned his own away.
"Yes. Quite sure," he said, with brevity.
"He's a slippery devil," declared Jack Burton. "Sit down, man! My
sister is a 'new chum.' She probably wouldn't have known him from a
man on the farm if she'd seen him. In fact, if you'd turned up here by
yourself she might have shot you--on suspicion."
"I probably should," said Dot, coldly.
She did not like Inspector Hill, and her manner plainly said so.
At her brother's behest she set food before them, for they were hot and
jaded after their fruitless day; but she left the duties of host entirely to
him, and as soon as possible she went away with Robin to feed the
lambs.
A wonderful glow lay upon the grasslands. It was as if she moved
through a magic atmosphere upon which some enchantment had been
laid. Since that wonderful sleep of hers all things seemed to have
changed. Had it all been a dream? she asked herself. Then, shuddering,
she turned up her sleeve to find that small red patch upon her arm.
She found it. It tingled to her touch. Yet she continued to finger it with
a curious feeling that was almost awe. She thought it must be the
memory of his kiss that made it throb so hard.

Some one came softly up behind her. An arm encircled her. She turned
with the day-dream still in her eyes and saw her brother.
She pulled down her sleeve quickly, for though his face was kind, he
seemed to look at her oddly, almost with suspicion.
"Had a quiet day?" he questioned, gently.
She leaned against his shoulder, feeling small and rather uncomfortable.
"I--I was very busy all the morning," she said, evasively.
"And in the afternoon?" he said.
She nestled to him with a little coaxing movement. "In the afternoon,"
she told him softly, "I went to sleep."
"Yes?" he said.
"That's all," said Dot, lifting her face to kiss him.
He took her chin and held it while he looked long and searchingly into
her eyes.
"Dot!" he said.
She made a little gesture of protest, but he held her still.
"Dot, tell me what has been happening!" he said.
She had begun to tremble. "I'll tell you," she said, "when Inspector Hill
has gone."
"Tell me now!" he said.
But she shook her head with tightly compressed lips.
"You have seen the man!" he said.
Dot remained silent.

His face grew grim. "Dot! Shall I tell you what Hill said to me just
now?"
"If you like," whispered Dot.
"He said, 'She has seen the man, and he has squared her. It's a way he
has with the women. You'll find she won't give him away.'"
That stung, as it was meant to sting. She flinched under it. "I hate
Inspector Hill!" she said, with vehemence.
He smiled a little. "I don't suppose that fact would upset him much. A
good many people don't exactly love him. But look here, Dot! You're
not a fool. At least, I hope not. You can't seriously wish to shield a thief.
Only this morning you were going to shoot him!"
"Ah!" she said. And then suddenly she pulled up her sleeve and showed
him the mark upon her arm. "But he has saved my life since then," she
said.
"What?" said Jack. He caught her arm and looked at it. "You've had a
snake-bite!" he said.
"Yes, Jack."
His eyes went back to her face. "Why didn't you tell me before? What
kind of snake was it?"
She told him, shuddering. "A horrible green thing--green as the grass. I