Had it not been for such a
signal we had ridden past, and might have failed to catch them."
"Fairley! Then you have him too?"
"We had, sir, but he escaped."
"Escaped!"
"I have the two men who let him go under arrest," Watson answered. "One
so badly hurt by the fall from his horse that it will be weeks before he
can fling his leg across saddle again."
"You fools! The girl has more sense in her finger than you can muster in
the whole of your carcasses. How did he get away?"
"By a trick," said Sayers. "He was taken to the rear to keep him from
his mistress, and, on pretence of losing his stirrups, got the men
beside him to come close, when he spurred their horses, striking the men
at the same time. He was round in a minute and galloping back upon the
road. Half a dozen of us went in pursuit, when the shots fired after him
failed to stop him. We went the whole way back to Witley, and there, at
the inn, found the horse lathered with foam. The animal had entered the
yard riderless!"
"What fools I have to serve me!" said Rosmore, laughing derisively.
"Apart from the woman, it would have been failure from beginning to
end.
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