At the click of the gate-latch the old man tumbled Yellownose out of his
lap and rose stiffly to welcome his guests.

"Come right in," he said cordially. "Mother'll be glad to see you, Belle.
She's been sort of low in her mind lately, and needs cheering up."

He led the way into a low-ceilinged, inner bedroom with the shades all
pulled down. It was so dark, compared to the glaring road they had been
following, that Georgina blinked at the dim interior. She could scarcely
make out the figure on the high-posted bed, and drew back, whispering to
Belle that she'd stay outside until they were ready to go home. Leaving
them on the threshold, she went back to the shady door-yard to a seat in
the swing beside Captain Kidd.

"It's Uncle Darcy's son's rifle," explained Richard. "He's been telling
me about him. Feel how smooth the stock is."

Georgina reached over and passed her hand lightly along the polished
wood.

"He and a friend of his called Emmett Potter used to carry it on the
dunes sometimes to shoot at a mark with. It wasn't good for much else,
it's so old. Dan got it in a trade once; traded a whole litter of collie
pups for it. Uncle Darcy says he'd forgotten there was such a gun till
somebody brought it to him after Emmett was drowned."

"Oh," interrupted Georgina, her eyes wide with interest. "Emmett's father
has just been telling me about this very rifle. But I didn't dream it was
the one I'd seen up in the attic here. He showed me the corner where