Notable Runs 41 



" Do you mean to say you have never seen a kill 

 before ? " he said. 



" Never at close quarters," murmured Anne, 

 w^ith a shudder. 



He rode for a little in silence. At length, "I'm 

 sorry you didn't like being in at the death," he said. 

 " I thought you would be pleased." 



"Pleased ! " she said, and shuddered again. 



"Personally," said Nap, " I enjoy a kill." 



Anne's face expressed horror. 



"Yes," he said recklessly, "I am like that. I 

 hunt to kill. It is my nature." A red gleam shone 

 suddenly in his fiery eyes. He looked at her 

 aggressively. "What do you hunt for anyway?" 

 he demanded. 



"I don't think I shall hunt any more," she 

 said. 



" Oh, nonsense, Lady Carfax ! That's being 

 ultra-squeamish," he protested. "You mustn't, 

 you know. It's bad for you." 



"I can't help it," she said. "I never realised 

 before how cruel it is." 



" Of course it's cruel," said Nap. " But then so is 

 everything, so is life. Yet you've got to live. We 

 were created to prey on each other." 



" No, no ! " she said quickly, for his words hurt 

 her inexplicably. "I take a higher view." 



"I beg your pardon," said Nap, in the tone of 

 one refusing a discussion. 



She turned to him impulsively. "Surely you do 

 too ! " she said, and there was even a note of 

 pleading in her voice. 



Nap's brows met suddenly. He turned his eyes 

 away. 



" I am nothing but an animal," he told her 

 rather brutally. "There is nothing spiritual about 



