“Rather!” said Mrs. Archie Brawle. “You don’t even intermarry with them, do you?” “That is a matter of personal taste,” said Mr. Carteret. “There is no law against it.” “But nobody that one knows--” began Mrs. Ascott-Smith. “There was John Rolfe,” said Mr. Carteret; “he was a very well known chap.” “Do you know him?” asked Mrs. Brawle. The curate sniggered. His hour of triumph had come. “Rolfe is dead,” he said. “Really!” said Mrs. Brawle, coldly. “It had quite slipped my mind. You see I never read the papers during the hunting. But is his wife received?” “I believe that she was,” said Mr. Carteret. The curate was still sniggering and Mrs. Brawle put her glass in her eye and looked at him. Then she turned to Mr. Carteret. “But all this,” she said, “of course, has nothing to do with the question. Do you think that these red Indians could ride bareback across our country?” “As I said before,” replied Mr. Carteret, “it would be silly of me to express an opinion, but I should be interested in seeing them try it.” “I have a topping idea!” cried Lord Frederic. He was an enthusiastic, simple-minded fellow. “You must tell us,” exclaimed Mrs. Ascott-Smith. “Let us have them down, and take them hunting!” “How exciting!” exclaimed Mrs. Ascott-Smith. “What sport!” The Major looked at her reprovingly. “It would be as I said,” he observed. “But it would be rather interesting,” said Mrs. Brawle. “It might,” said the Major, “it might be interesting.” “It would be ripping!” said Lord Frederic. “But how can we manage it?” “I’ll mount them,” said the Major with a grim smile. “My word! They shall have the pick of my stable though I have to spend a month rebreaking horses that have run away.” “But it isn’t the difficulty of mounting them,” said Lord Frederic. “You see I’ve never met any of these chaps.” He turned to Mr. Carteret with a sudden inspiration. “Are any of them friends of yours?” he asked. Mrs. Ascott-Smith looked anxiously at Mr. Carteret, as if she feared that it would develop that some of the people in the show were his cousins. “No,” he replied, “I don’t think so, although I may have met some of them in crossing the reservations. But I once went shooting with Grady, one of the managers of the show.” “Better yet!” said Lord Frederic. “Do you think that he would come and bring some of them down?” he asked. “I think he would,” said Mr. Carteret. He knew that the showman was strong in Grady--as well as the sportsman. The Major rose to go to the billiard room. “I have one piece of advice to give you,” he said. “This prank is harmless enough, but establish a definite understanding with this fellow that you are not to be liable in damages for personal injuries which his Indians may receive. Explain to him that it is not child’s play and have him put it in writing.” “You mean to have him execute a kind of release?” said Mr. Carteret.