"No; he went suddenly. I don't think he intended to be gone long."
"I'd better go after 'im, then. 'E'll 'ave pneumonia … I'll just jump into me clothes and—" He slipped into the back room, to reappear with surprisingly little delay, fully dressed and buttoning a long ulster round his throat. "You didn't 'appen to notice which w'y 'e went, sir?"
"As well as I could judge, to the east."
Doggott took down a second ulster and a cap from pegs in the wall. "I'll do my best to find 'im; 'e might lose 'imself, you know, with no light nor nothin'."
"And you?"
"I'll be all right; I'll follow 'is footprints in the snow. I've a 'andy little electric bull's-eye to 'elp me, in my pocket."
"Are you armed, Doggott?"
"By Mr. Rutton's orders, sir, I've carried a revolver for years. You aren't thinkin' it's come to that, sir?"
"I don't know…. If I was sure I wouldn't let you go alone," said Amber, frowning. "It's only that Mr. Rutton may not want me about … I wish I knew!"
"It'll be better, sir, for you to stay and keep the fire up—if you don't mind my makin' so free as to advise—in case 'e's 'arf-froze when 'e gets back, as is likely. But I'd better 'urry, 'specially if…." Doggott's color faded a little and his mouth tightened. "But I 'ope you're mistyken, sir. Good-night."