“Knowing Anderson, we didn’t worry much about him, but this morning the groom found his horse with saddle and bridle still on him waiting outside the paddock gate. I have looked the animal over. It hasn’t been damaged nor has the saddle or bridle, except the reins which the horse had been dragging and treading on. It looks as though Anderson was thrown. I’ve sent every available man with the lad to muster the paddock.”

“I understood that Anderson was an exceptionally good horseman. What’s the horse like?”

“The worst on Karwir, Blake. The Black Emperor.”

“Humph! I’ve heard of him. Horse and man a good match, eh?”

“You’re right,” agreed Old Lacy with some reluctance. “Still, Anderson likes that type of horse and he could well manage The Black Emperor. Now the position this morning is this. The ground is too soggy for the lad to take the plane up, so he can’t make a search from the air. The road is so wet that I don’t think a car could be driven far without becoming well bogged. It’s on the cards that Anderson was parted from his horse yesterday afternoon at some point at the northern end of the paddock. If that happened late in the afternoon he would be almost sure to make for the hut if he could manage it, or even if he wasn’t hurt-in which case the men would meet him walking home this morning. The chances are in favour of his having been thrown, then, unhurt, camping at the hut last night and now walking home. On the other hand he may be lying seriously hurt and suffering from exposure.”

“Yes, that may be,” Blake agreed. “Whatd’you want me to do?”

“Nothing just now. But I thought that later on, if the men haven’t found Anderson, you might send a constable and your tracker out-even come out yourself. Or you could ring up theGordons and ask John Gordon to ride over with a couple of the blacks. If Anderson doesn’t turn up, or can’t be located by two o’clock, we can be sure he’s come a cropper.”