But consideration for the feelings of anyone, even his own daughter, was to Billy the Bully quite incomprehensible, and he wrote back, on a letter-card, "Go on with the prosecution." This put Hugh in a frightful dilemma.

He had no trouble whatever in making up his mind to disobey the order, as he was bound to stand by his promise to Miss Grant.

But what answer should he send to her father?
He was in a reckless mood, but he knew well enough that Grant would order him off the place, neck and crop, if he dared to disobey; and he owed it to his mother and sister to avoid such a thing.

The more he looked at the position of affairs, the less he liked it.

He wrote a dozen letters, and tore them up again.
He thought of making Red Mick a sporting offer of, say, a couple of hundred pounds, to disappear altogether--Mick could have arranged that easily enough.