“Seen Abie this morning?” he asked, grey eyes glinting.

“No, Sergeant.”

“Must have cleared out. Nothing belonging to him now in his quarters, and Kate neither watered nor fed. I’ve just attended to her. You’d better groom her, and then you can ride her out to Mackay’s place and get that return fixed up.”

Throughout the morning Blake worked in the station office, having for companion his other constable who pounded on a typewriter with his index fingers. After lunch he called Meena Station.

“Gordon speaking.”

“Good day, Mr Gordon. You seen anything of Abie? Not in his quarters at breakfast time.”

“No, I haven’t. The tribe cleared out for Deep Well early to-day. I didn’t see them go. Abie might have been with them.”

Gordon described the message at Black Gate.

“Well, Abie’s not on hand to-day. Did the tribe go on walkabout to see old Sarah?”

“Oh yes. Jimmy Partner went, too. Grandma Sarah is dying out at Deep Well, and they’ve all gone there to do the usual thing when she’s dead. Nero is the only black left here in camp, and he’s having a gum-leaf bake for rheumatism. At least he was when I went to the camp after breakfast. Could see nothing of him but his head. How much rain did you get in town?”

“A hundred and fifty-two points. What did you have?”

“A hundred and forty-eight. Must have been a general rain. Did you hear what Karwir got?”

“Yes. Karwir got a hundred and seventy. Old Lacy rang me up early this morning to say that Jeff Anderson is missing. His horse was found outside the paddock gate this morning, and all hands, led by Young Lacy, are out mustering the country for him.”

“Strange!” exclaimed John Gordon. “Anderson is a pretty good rider, you’ll admit. What paddock was he working in?”