“Under conditions,” said Deringham with a little smile of relief, though his face grew clouded again.  “Alton has made it yours, almost too absolutely.”

Alice Deringham did not remember what next passed between them or how she dismissed her father, but presently she sat alone staring down across the blue inlet with eyes that saw nothing.  She was numbly sensible of a horrible humiliation, but that troubled her the least.  Alton was standing with his back to the wall and in some vague peril of his life, and it was she who had helped to betray him.  She almost hated her father, and she loathed herself, and yet a ray of hope shone through her fears.  Carnaby was wholly hers, and with it she held the power to help him.  That something which would test her courage to the uttermost must be done before he would accept help from her she knew, but the pride which had been a curse to her was in the dust, and when the vague project slowly grew into shape she rose and sought Forel.  She was very composed in speech and bearing, but when the merchant heard what she asked him he gasped with astonishment.

“I want it done as soon as possible,” she said.

CHAPTER XXXI

“The third time”

Horton was essentially practical, and once he saw his way usually set about the following of it without any of the misgivings which might have proved a hindrance to more intellectual men.  There were, however, times when Seaforth wondered uneasily whether he was doing well, but he decided that as the outlook could not be much more unfavourable any variation would almost of necessity be an improvement, and that one could not afford to be over-scrupulous in a struggle with a man of Hallam’s description.  Accordingly he hoped for the best, and resigned himself to Horton, who grew more assured of the beneficence and legality of his proceedings during the journey to Somasco, where Seaforth accompanied him, and as soon as he arrived there sent round demanding the attendance of all the ranchers in that vicinity at his store, in the name of the law.  He, however, contrived that the summons should not reach the few who, having refused to join the Somasco Consolidated, were suspected of complicity with Hallam, until it was too late, and though Seaforth ventured a few protestations, appeared perfectly contented with himself.

“I’m put right here to scare off malefactors and encourage honest men, and I’m doing it, the best way I can,” he said.

The ranchers came, as did Captain Andersen, the venerable Scandinavian constable, whose duties had hitherto consisted in keeping his neighbours’ gardens free of depredating hogs and improving his own land.  Horton also made a speech to them, and appeared somewhat offended when some of them broke into the bushman’s silent chuckle.

“We have,” he said, “no use for fooling.  This is the most serious and solemn kind of thing.”