Then he glanced up.

Four-Pound-the-Second had topped the brow half a mile away.

Silver took the peg and began to roll up the wire leisurely.  As he did so he was aware of a man standing in the gorse on the other side of the gallop watching him.  Silver did not raise his eyes, but had no doubt as to the man’s identity.

It was the other who opened the conversation, coming out of the gorse on to the track.

“That’s an ugly bit of wire,” he said.  “Now how did that get there, I wonder?”

“Spider spun it, I guess,” answered the young man laconically.

“What!” laughed the other.  “Gossamer is it?”

“Yes,” said Silver.  “And not bad gossamer at that.”  He looked up suddenly.  “Where did you get it from?—­the same place you bought the mallet in Brighton?”

The tout swaggered across the green.

“See here, Silver,” he said.  “None of that.  You’re not in the position to come it over me now you’ve joined the great company of gentlemen-adventurers.  There’s nothing in it since the Bank broke.  We both stand together on the common quicksands of economic insecurity.”

Silver wound up the wire.

“Common quicksands of economic insecurity is good,” he said deliberately.  “Distinctly good.”

“Yes,” replied the other.  “I learned it at Oxford, where I learned a lot besides.  Or to put it straight, we’re both naked men now—­stripped to the world.  And I’m as good a man as you are.”

Silver dropped the wire and advanced leisurely.

“Are you?” he said.  “I doubt it.  But we’ll soon see.”

The fat man produced a mallet from behind his back.

“No ——­ nonsense,” he snarled.

“I thought you said we were both naked men,” replied Silver, folding his arms.

“Never mind what I said,” the other answered.  “Keep your ——­ distance, or I’ll puddle you into a pulp.”

Jim regarded the other with admiring eyes.

“You learned more at Oxford than I did,” he said.  “Learned to express yourself at least.  If I’d that command of language I’d be in the pulpit or in Parliament to-morrow.”

There was the sound of a horse’s feet behind them.

Boy was walking Four-Pound-the-Second toward them.

“Good morning, Miss Woodburn,” called Joses cheerily.  “So you’re up to-day.”

“Yes,” said the girl.

“Going to take him for a spin?”

Boy did not answer.

“Mr. Joses has been doing the spinning this morning,” interposed Silver urbanely, holding up the wire.

“Oh,” said the fat man.  “I’ll leave him to spin his yarn, Miss Woodburn.  But don’t you believe all he says.  You’ll hear the truth when I bring the case into court.  He’ll want all the money you can win him by the time I’ve done with him.”

He disappeared down the hillside.

The girl came close and leaned down over the shoulder of the great horse.