"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 once more, but failed to discover any marks of any value. Then we sat down, and the oculist drew a vivid picture of the journey the thief had made. At last, feeling more than satisfied with our work, we rose to go in to breakfast. "Ewart, I want you to wire for that friend of yours before you do anything else. You may want him soon. I will leave by the morning train to-morrow, but I shall continue on this case till the mystery is solved. In the meantime, you will need someone you can trust at your side all the time." "I'll go into Glenelg, and wire immediately after breakfast," I promised. "Hullo, more reflections," I laughed, and pointed to a small, bright object some distance away on the rocks, which was catching the glint of the sun. "We seem to be surrounded by a spying army of glittering objects," laughed my companion, as we strolled on. We had walked some forty yards when some instinct--I know not what--prompted me to investigate the affair. I turned back, and went to pick up the shining object, though for the life of me I could not have told you what I expected to find. "Garnesk!" I bawled. "Garnesk! Come here!" "What is it?" he shouted to me, as he came hurtling over the rocks. "Look at it," I replied tersely, and placed it in his outstretched palm. He glanced at it, and then at me. "That settles it," he said, and whistled softly, for I had found a small piece of brass, and on it was engraved:-- "Sholto, The Douglas, Invermalluch Lodge, Inverness-shire." It was the name-plate from Sholto's collar.