Produced by Matthew Wheaton, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) FAST AS THE WIND A NOVEL By NAT GOULD AUTHOR OF "The Rider in Khaki," Etc. [Decoration] A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by arrangement with Frederick A. Stokes Company _Copyright, 1918, by_ FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY _All rights reserved_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE BOOM OF A GUN 1 II. STORY OF AN ESCAPE 10 III. THE MAN ON THE ROAD 20 IV. THE WOMAN AT THE TABLE 30 V. PICTON'S WINNING MOUNTS 40 VI. IN BRACK'S COTTAGE 50 VII. A CRITICAL MOMENT 59 VIII. ON BOARD THE "SEA-MEW" 69 IX. LENISE ELROY 79 X. HAVERTON 88 XI. TEARAWAY AND OTHERS 97 XII. "I THINK HE'S DEAD" 106 XIII. A WOMAN'S FEAR 115 XIV. NOT RECOGNISED 124 XV. "THE ST. LEGER'S IN YOUR POCKET" 132 XVI. HOW HECTOR FOUGHT THE BLOODHOUND 140 XVII. AN INTRODUCTION AT HURST PARK 149 XVIII. CONSCIENCE TROUBLES 158 XIX. "WHAT WOULD YOU DO?" 165 XX. RITA SEES A RESEMBLANCE 174 XXI. BRACK TURNS TRAVELER 182 XXII. DONCASTER 191 XXIII. THE CROWD IN THE RING 200 XXIV. "BY JOVE, SHE'S WONDERFUL" 208 XXV. FAST AS THE WIND 216 XXVI. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CUP 224 XXVII. THE RESERVED COMPARTMENT 233 XXVIII. HOW HECTOR HAD HIS REVENGE 241 XXIX. AN ASTONISHING COMMUNICATION 250 XXX. TEARAWAY'S PROGENY 258 FAST AS THE WIND CHAPTER I THE BOOM OF A GUN