e and
Clare. But if he had hidden himself, where had he hidden himself?

While it was still full day Stonor persuaded Clare and Mary to remain in
the shack for a time, while he made a more careful search for Imbrie's
tracks. This time he thoroughly satisfied himself that that day no one
had struck into the bush surrounding the shack. He came upon the end of
the old carry trail around the falls, and followed it away. But it would
have been clear to even a tyro in the bush that no one had used it
lately. There remained the beach. It was possible to walk along the
stony beach without leaving a visible track. Stonor searched the beach
for half a mile in either direction without being able to find a single
track in any wet or muddy place, and without discovering any place
where one had struck up the bank into the bush. On the down-river side
he was halted by a low, sheer wall of rock washed by the current. He
made sure that no one had tried to climb around this miniature
precipice. From this point the rapids still swept on down out of sight.

He returned to the shack completely baffled, and hoping against hope to
find Imbrie returned. But Clare still sat huddled in the chair where he
had left her, and looked to him eagerly for news. He could only shake
his head.

Finally the sun went down.

"If he is not here by dark," said Clare with a kind of desperate
calmness, "we will know something is the matter. His hat, his
ammunition-belt, his hunting-knife are all here. He could not have
intended to remain away."

Darkness slowly gathered. Nothing happened. At intervals Stonor
shouted--only to be mocked by the silence. Just to be doing something he
built a great fire outside the shack. If Imbrie should be on the way
back it would at least warn him of the presence of visitors.

Stonor was suddenly struck by the fact that Mary had not expressed
herself as to the situation. It was impossible to tell from the smooth
copper mask of her face of what she was thinking.

"Mary, what do you make of it?" he asked.

She shrugged, declining to commit herself. "All the people say Eembrie
got ver' strong medicine," she said. "Say he make himself look like
anything he want."

Stonor and Clare exchanged a rueful smile. "I'm afraid that doesn't help
much," said the former.

Mosquitoes drove them indoors. Stonor closed the door of the shack, and
built up the fire in the fireplace. Stonor no longer expected the man to
return, but Clare wa