just now," said
the specialist. "It would be a very difficult job, and we may as well
make for the most likely spot to embark from."

"Right you are," I agreed. "I think there can only be one--that is a
secluded little inlet, almost hidden by the rocks on the other side of
the house."

"Come on, let's have a look at it," my companion urged; and we
blundered down the side of the cliff and hurried along the shore. But
when we came to the small bay which I had in mind there was certainly
some sign of disturbance among the rough gravel with which the shore
was carpeted; and that was all the evidence we could find.

"It is such an ideal spot for the job that this almost knocks our
theory on the head," murmured Garnesk ruefully. "There are no
boat-marks, or anything."

"Which, in a way, bears out your diagnosis," I cried, suddenly
hitting on what I thought to be the solution of the difficulty.

"How, in heaven's name?"

"Our old friend the tide," I declared, with returning confidence.

"Of course," he almost shouted. "I've got you, Ewart. The boat came in
here while the tide was going out--when, in fact, it was some distance
out, possibly nearly an hour after it ran into the other cove. Since
then the tide has come in again and obliterated any marks the men may
have made. If we find any evidence on a line running between this
place and the house, we can call it a certainty."

In feverish excitement we hurried towards the house, casting anxious
glances to right and left, but the stubborn heather showed no sign of
any recent passenger that way. At last Garnesk, who was some distance
to my right, hailed me with an exultant shout. There, sure enough, was
a broad patch bearing marks of recent occupation, much the same as the
other at the top of the cliff. We were able easily to distinguish the
exact spot where the thief had laid the unconscious dog while he put
on his boots. The discovery of an unmistakable footprint in a more
marshy spot, which could only have been imprinted by a stockinged
foot, completed my friend's triumph.

"My dear fellow," I cried heartily, slapping my companion on the back,
"I congratulate you. If you go on like this we shall have the dog and
the thief in no time."

"It will be some days, even at this rate," he warned me solemnly,
"before we get as far as that. Now, back to the embarking-point, and
see if we can reconstruct the thing fully."

So we retraced our steps, and studied the shingle