AN AUDACIOUS THEFT

RHODA was very busy now, seeing her old friends. Robin and his wife told her how they had missed her weekly visit and reading.

"Us do be filled up and comforted by your bit o' chat," said the old man. "'Tis very instructive for we, an' my old woman hur saith t'other marnin',—

"'Robin,' hur saith, 'a'm thinkin' the Lord's Book be, arter all zaid and done, a deal more interestin' than yonner Ashampton paper!'"

Poll nodded her head sagely. "You do be as good as a passon in how you read an' explanize. If me dear departed Harry had but a heerd o' you, maybe you cood 'a turned he vrom the drink, an' kep' he alive to this day. But then there be Robin to be thought o'. Us must be thanvul he were a-tooken afore I gotted vull tired o' he!"

But none seemed to thirst for her visits so much as Mrs. Dyke, and yet Rhoda shrank from going to her very often. Her most direct way led past the house she had been warned to avoid, and she generally made a "détour" when near it, for she felt strangely nervous of encountering Tom Evans, the surly owner, again. She neither saw nor heard anything of Mr. Rokeby, and sometimes wondered what his communication to her about them would have been.

One afternoon she had left Mrs. Dyke rather late; her husband had come in, and Rhoda had been trying to persuade him to come over to the Sunday service. As she rode along, the gathering dusk made her determine to ride straight past the Evans's, for she did not want to be out later than possible. She urged Sultana on as she came near, and drew a breath of relief as she passed in safety. Lights were in the windows, and, judging from the noise going on inside, there were plenty of people within. She was wondering why they always seemed to be having company, when suddenly, as she passed under the shadow of a thorn-bush, a man sprang out, and seized her bridle with such a powerful hand that Sultana was brought to a standstill with the jerk.

Rhoda's heart beat violently. She could not recognize the figure, as his hat was well over his face, but a harsh voice commanded her to get down, and she felt the only thing was to obey.

"What do you want?" she demanded, thinking, of course, that the next thing would be a request for her purse.

But not a word did the man say; he turned Sultana's head, vaulted into the saddle, and was out of sight before she could recover from her fright.

Rhoda stood still for a moment, quite dazed, and then, realizing how utterly unprotected she was, and how easy it was to rob, or perhaps even murder her, without a chance of escape, she set off running as fast as she could from the ill-fated place. Her foot was far from strong, and she made slow progress. More than once she tripped and fell in the long heather and bracken, a hidden piece of rock or a hole in the ground being the cause. But gradually, as she got farther away, and there were no signs of any pursuer, she came to the conclusion that it was her horse and not herself that was wanted, and took courage.

Nearly an hour later, she staggered rather than walked into her cottage, and Hannah, seeing her white face and exhausted state, could not repress an exclamation of alarm. But wisely she held her tongue, gave her a cup of hot coffee, put her into an easy-chair by the fire, and took off her damp clothes herself. And Rhoda was soon able to tell her of her misadventure.

"I don't know what to do, I am so exhausted. Ought I not to put it into the hands of the police? Jock has gone home, I suppose. Oh, Hannah, I cannot lose Sultana!"

"There's not much chance of the police being able to do anything to-night, mum. I'm afraid the thief will have got clean away. It's such a benighted place. There's only one policeman in Ashampton, I do believe. Now, if only Mr. Rokeby knew of it, he would know what to do."

"I think I will go to bed. My ankle is hurting dreadfully, I do hope I shall not have to lie up again. I hardly knew how to get home. Oh, Hannah, if I have lost Sultana, what shall I do? I am so dependent on her."

"We won't talk no more about it, mum, to-night."

And Rhoda was so overcome by her fright and fatigue that when, a little later, Hannah put her to bed, she sank at once into a heavy slumber, and never woke till broad daylight the next morning.

She persisted in getting up, though her ankle was swollen and painful.

And when Jock arrived, told him she would like him to go down to Ashampton and fetch the policeman up to speak to her.

Jock stood with open mouth and eyes listening to the explanation that followed, and then started off at a quick run down the lane. His pace soon slackened, however. Such a piece of news did not often fall to him to tell, and he looked about for some one to whom he might communicate it. He had not to wait long; an old farm-labourer met him, and Jock dilated to his heart's content upon the shocking adventure that had befallen his mistress.

"Oi've never heerd tell afore on a young leddy bein' left, an' t'hoss bein' taken. It be allays the t'other way; the young leddy do be the prize!" And the old man rubbed his head dubiously. Then he added slowly, "'Ee be but a thick-headed lad. Be un the young leddy that be taken an' t' hoss coom home wi'out she?"

"Ay," retorted Jock, stolidly, "an' t'hoss have axed me to fetch the perlice, an' not baide wastin' me toime over a dunder-headed numskull!"

He quickened his pace after this, but stopped to repeat his story at the first cottage he passed, and then, as he approached the station, which was midway down the hill, he saw Mr. Rokeby riding leisurely towards it in front of him. It was too great a temptation to Jock. Racing after him, he called out, "Hoi! Hoi!" till Mr. Rokeby looked round, wondering if the boy was demented.

"The missus' black hoss be run off wi'!" shouted Jock.

He had the gratification of seeing interest at once aroused. Mr. Rokeby brought his horse to a standstill, and questioned and cross-questioned him, till poor Jock began to wish he had been more discreet. Then, after getting as much of the truth out of him as was possible, Mr. Rokeby turned his horse's head, and leaving Jock to continue on his errand, cantered up the hill again as fast as he could go, and never drew his rein till he reached Rhoda's cottage. He found her on the couch by the fire, and she turned round on his entrance with a relieved air.

"I wonder if you can help me, Mr. Rokeby?" she said, almost appealingly; for the loss of Sultana weighed heavily on her, and it was no time to stand on her dignity with him.

"I will, if I possibly can. I have heard of your loss from your boy going down to Ashampton, and that is what has brought me. Will you give me the exact details?"

Rhoda did so calmly and quietly, but as she noted Mr. Rokeby's knitted brows and flashing eyes during her recital she said, "I know what you are going to say—that I have brought it upon myself. I own I may have, and yet I believe I would do it again, if it were only to comfort and talk to that poor woman."

"You take your own way, and it is not for me to remark on it," he said gravely, almost coldly. Then he added, "May I ask with what kind of reception you met when you went to the Evans's?"

"The father opened the door, swore at me, and banged it in my face. I suppose you think that served me right! I must say I wonder at your taking such tenants—they are making our moorside quite unsafe."

"I do not think they will be here long. Was it the father or the son who took your horse, do you think?"

"Neither, as far as I could see. This was an elderly man with a short grey beard, but I could not see his face."

"Do you think he had any connexion with the Evanses?"

"I should think so. It was only just past the cottage. What do you know about them? Why did you send me a warning?"

Mr. Rokeby smiled. "Which warning you considered extremely impertinent and unnecessary, and which you totally disregarded, giving me to understand that I ought to know my place better than to venture to interfere with any of your proceedings, even though it was at my instigation you were visiting them!"

Rhoda coloured. "It is ungenerous to triumph over my fall," she said.

"I have a new agent, a clever man, and he liked the look of Evans so little that he traced him back to America, and there found that he had been imprisoned for counterfeiting coin. He was only one of a gang, and our suspicions were aroused hereby seeing several other men in the habit of shutting themselves up with him towards night. I rather think they fancy they have got hold of a nice quiet place, and will beat liberty to carry out their nefarious practices without any fear of molestation. My agent, Mr. Hughes, had kept me in the dark over this, or I would never have dreamt of asking you to visit them. When I returned home after seeing you, he told me, and I thought I could do no less than send you a line."

Rhoda was silent.

He continued, "Hughes has been employing a detective this last week to watch them, but where he was last night, I cannot imagine. He is staying at the Dragon in Ashampton, and he will be of more help to us now than this country policeman. It looks to me as if one of the principal leaders in it has scented something, and has made off, using your horse with that object."

"In which case I am not likely to see her again. I really don't know what I shall do. I am afraid I shall be perfectly helpless, tied to the house again, for I am no good at walking at present, as I proved last night."

Mr. Rokeby looked sympathetic, then said, with a little hesitation in his tone, "I wish you would do me the favour of exercising one of my horses for a short time. They are eating their heads off in the stables from want of work. And I have a chestnut which would carry you well, as gentle and sure-footed as a moor pony. Let me have the pleasure of sending her over to you till Sultana returns."

"Thank you very much," was the decided reply, "but I could not think of such a thing. No, I shall get on in time, and be able to walk, I hope, as I used to do before Sultana was given to me."

"I wish you were a little less proud, Miss Carlton."

Rhoda looked up, and met his keen, amused glance unflinchingly.

"I am never at ease on a borrowed horse," she said, "but I appreciate the kindness of your offer. If you can find Sultana for me, I shall be truly grateful."

"Will you allow me to wait for the advent of this policeman?"

"I shall be very glad for you to see him and take the matter into your hands."

And this Mr. Rokeby did, for when the policeman arrived, Rhoda had only to listen and answer the few questions put to her. He was able to give them the information that the detective had planned a surprise, and, taking several stalwart fellows up with him the night before, visited the cottage in the hopes of capturing the party whilst actually engaged in their business. How they got wind of it, no one knew, but when he arrived there, the father and daughters were engaged in the peaceable act of eating their supper, and, though they made a thorough search of the premises, nothing was found that could implicate them.

The detective was not to be balked, however, and was now scouring the moor in the hopes of coming across those that had made their escape.

"We can do nothing at present," Mr. Rokeby said. "It is possible he may trace them, but not probable."

"Sultana is not fleet of foot," Rhoda remarked; "she is an old horse, and if tried beyond her strength will collapse, I feel sure. In either case, I am afraid it is a bad look-out for me. Have you given them notice to quit, Mr. Rokeby?"

"Not yet."

When both men had left, Rhoda limped into the kitchen.

"Hannah, I feel like Job. It seems one trouble after another. How am I to get across to the Tents' next Sunday? It stops all my work again."

"Perhaps Mr. Rokeby—"

"Mr. Rokeby, of course, has offered me the use of one of his horses. But I could not take it. It would be out of the question. I wish I was a little richer. Sultana costs me a good bit to keep, and I feel I cannot go to the expense of hiring an animal from Ashampton. No, I must be content to stay quietly at home for the present. I am afraid I have partly brought it upon myself. I know that is Mr. Rokeby's opinion."

Very little causes excitement in a small country village, and Ashampton and neighbourhood were soon aware of Rhoda's loss.

The day after, Miss Montague came up to see her.

"My dear Miss Carlton, you are quite a heroine! You will be having newspaper reporters from Exeter to interview you. I am astonished to see you looking so well. The first account that I heard was that you had been robbed and nearly murdered by a highwayman. Next, that it was your horse that was murdered, and you had to run for your life; then that your horse fled in fright, and you had a hand-to-hand fight with your assailant. I am hoping to hear a true account now."

Rhoda gave it, and Miss Montague heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, it's only a horse. Ask your brother to send you another one. It is absurd to think you will ever have it back again."

"My brother isn't rolling in riches," Rhoda said, smiling. "No, it was an expensive luxury, and I shall be better without one, perhaps. It is my foot that disables me so. When that gets well, I shall be able to tramp the country again, but until that time comes, I shall be a prisoner here, I'm afraid."

"I will come up and visit you as often as I can. Have you plenty of books? I can lend you any amount of novels, but I suppose you're too good to read those. Who is going to do the preaching up here next Sunday? I heard you had started again."

"They must get on without me for a Sunday or two more;" and a sigh followed her words.

"That is a pity. Look here; may I come up and spend Sunday afternoon with you here, and then you can preach to me, to keep your hand in? I really mean it. I will come up in a Sunday frame of mind, and will let you talk to me exactly as you choose. Is it a bargain?"

"I shall be glad to see you," Rhoda said evasively.

"Very well, then I shall come."

And after talking away for some time longer, Miss Montague took her leave, saying as she did so, "Don't be down-hearted about your horse, nor about your meeting. I always look upon you as one of the most sensible young women that I know, and I do believe it is not cant with you, but principle. Don't you believe in a Providence arranging things for you? Then isn't it all right?"

Rhoda's bright smile shone out again at this.

And with a nod of approval, Miss Montague departed.