“No, no, somebody quite different. Listen, please, if you’re not too wet, for I want you to help me. Papa has had the most extraordinary letter from somebody called John Macnab, saying he means to kill a stag in our forest between certain dates, and daring us to prevent him. He is going to hand over the beast to us if he gets it and pay fifty pounds, but if he fails he is to pay a hundred pounds. Did you ever hear of such a thing?”
“Some infernal swindler,” said Archie darkly.
“No, he can’t be. You see the fifty pounds arrived this morning.”
“God bless my soul!”
“Yes. In Bank of England notes, posted from London. Papa at first wanted to tell him to go to—well, where Papa tells people he doesn’t like to go. But I thought the offer so sporting that I persuaded him to take up the challeng
