A quick flash of color spread over her face when, upon entering,
she saw Bathurst talking to her uncle. Then she advanced, shook
hands with him as usual, and said, "It is quite a time since you
were here, Mr. Bathurst. If everyone was as full of business as
you are, we should get on badly."
Then she moved on without waiting for a reply and sat down, and
was soon engaged in a lively conversation with. Captain Forster,
whilst Bathurst, a few minutes later, pleading that as he had been
in the saddle all day he must go and make up for lost time, took
his leave.
Captain Forster had noticed the flush on Isobel's cheeks when she
saw Bathurst, and had drawn his own conclusions.
"There has been a flirtation between them," he said to himself;
"but I fancy I have put a spoke in his wheel. She gave him the cold
shoulder unmistakably."
April passed, and as matters seemed to be quieting down, there
being no fresh trouble at any of the stations, the Major told Dr.
Wade that he really saw no reason why the projected tiger hunt
should not take place. The Doctor at once took the matter in hand,
and drove out the next morning to the village from which he had
received news about the tiger, had a long talk with the shikaris
of the place, took a general view of the country, settled the line
in which the beat should take place, and arranged for a large body
of beaters to be on the spot at the time agreed on.
Bathurst undertook to obtain the elephants from two Zemindars in
the neighborhood, who promised to furnish six, all of which were
more or less accustomed to the sport; while the Major and Mr.
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