There had been time for the girl and her rescuer to leave the headland by passing between the government buildings and down the opposite slope where several summer cottages were set within their hedges oflambertinna. As it would be useless to search among the bush and scrub, Bony turned back from the cliff… to see a man standing a dozen yards away and calmly watching him.

He was stockily built. His face was square, and his greying hair was short and straight. He was, obviously, a permanent resident.

“Good day!” Bony said, on advancing to the motionless figure.

The watcher merely nodded.

“Have you seen a young woman and a man within the last fifteen minutes?”

The man shook his head.

“How long have you been up here?” pressedBony.

“Half an hour. Per’apslonger.”

“And you’ve seen no one?”

“No. And if I have, what’s your business with ’em?”

The box-red face was blank, but the grey eyes were hard. Bony’s voice was soft.

“I was down on the beach and thought I saw a man struggling with a young woman. Were you the man?”

“No. I don’t struggle with women. Good day-eeto you, Mister.”

It was Bony’s turn to watch as the man strode to the low crest of the headland, finally disappearing between two clumps of tea-tree. He memorized those bushes, and proceeded to examine the ground.

The surface was grey and comparatively hard, but yet retained the woman’sheelprints. The man’s tracks were less in evidence, but he wore a boot size seven, and they were down at heel. The taciturn man was wearing well-conditioned boots size eight. Bony had automatically noted that.

Thus early, he found himself at a slight disadvantage, for he was here as a visitor on holiday and not as an expert bush tracker. To remain in character, he must decidedly not behave as a tracker, and with casual mien he walked back to the crest and passed between the memorized bushes. Here the ground was softer. Here the ground plainly retained the tracks of boots number eight, and also boots number seven and a woman’s shoe size six. All three persons were proceeding away from the cliff.