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. Then he thought of going down to see Mr. Grant
to explain; but the more he thought of that the less he liked it.
He worried and worried over it, and when he went to bed lay awake
thinking about it. He fell into dozes, and dreamt that Mr. Grant
had turned him off the place, and had made Red Mick manager, and
that Miss Grant was going to marry Red Mick; then he woke with
a start, and heard through the darkness the rapid hoof-beats of a
horse ridden at speed up the road from Kiley's, and the barking of
dogs that announced the arrival of a stranger.
He went out and found in the yard one of the telegraph operators
from Kiley's, on a smoking horse. "Very important telegram, Mr.
Gordon," he said. "I borrowed the horse, and brought it over as
fast as I could."
Hugh opened the envelope hurriedly. The operator struck a match
and held it up while he read. The message was from the secretary
of Grant's club, and ran as follows: "William Grant died suddenly this morning. Pinnock taking charge
of affairs; am making arrangements funeral. Better come down at
once."
Her father dead! The question of Red Mick and his prosecution became
at once a matter of no moment. How absurd his worry and vexation
now seemed. On the other hand, what new complications might arise?
All these years the Gordons had lived on the assumption that Mr.
Grant would provide for them, without having any promise or agreement
from him; and, owing to the old man's violent temper, they had been
in daily risk of being ordered off the place. They had got used
to this as people get used to living on the side of a volcano. But
now--?
Her father dead! He could not bear to see her grief, and the thought
of it made him determined to get away as quickly as possible.
Quietly he awoke his mother, and told her what had happened, and
by dawn was well on his way to Tarrong to catch the train to Sydney.