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side to the town. You crossed the bridge, and took the road leading to “The Coast”—the road which Ann had traversed in the service car when she first set out for Tirau; and again when she drove with Holmes on that terrible journey down from the station, nearly six weeks previously.

The hills, now yellow and sun-dried, were all around them as the car left the town behind; and beyond the wire fences that bordered the road horses and cattle grazed contentedly in the hot sunshine, or stood under the shade of the willows, switching at the flies with their tails. There were a few small wooden houses to be seen; but as the car drew farther away from Wairiri the houses became fewer and farther between. Larks sang overhead, a warm wind swayed the briars and the white flowered manuka on the hillside, and the dust lay thick on the roadway. It rose in a cloud at some distance ahead, where a big flock of sheep were moving slowly towards the freezing works on the bank of the river, under the lea of the hill.

In a few moments the car was amongst the sheep, and had slowed down. Dogs were barking to clear a passage-way for them—two mounted men were whistling. And then Ann looked up suddenly, to see Rodney Marsh riding close beside her. He stared at her for a moment, then lifted his hat, looked away, and called to his dogs. After a little delay the car was clear of the sheep, and Ann was thankful that neither Biddy nor Jo had noticed that Rodney was with the mob.

Mrs. Ford had noticed him, however.

“Did you see that handsome young drover?” she asked her daughter. “He’s a new client of Dad’s. He won quite a big sum of money at the Turf Club