"Still, it was almost dark, and he chanced that," said Garnesk. "What I don't understand about it is this," the General joined in: "Where did he come from to gather this heather? A man must know that if he is seen to come ashore and pick heather and get into his boat again he is doing a very curious thing. That boat can only have come from Knoydart or Skye at the farthest, and everybody knows you wouldn't take heather there." "Yes, I'm afraid you're right, General," Garnesk admitted, with a sigh of regret, and I was compelled to agree with him. "I know where he came from, then." It was said so quietly that it startled us all, though it was Myra who spoke. "Where, then?" we all asked together. "He must have come from a yacht." CHAPTER X. THE SECRET OF THE ROCK. We made exhaustive inquiries everywhere, but no one had seen a yacht anchored or otherwise resting off the point the previous night. One or two vessels had been noticed passing the mouth of Loch Hourn during the evening, but they were mostly recognisable as belonging to residents in the neighbourhood, and in any case not one of them had been seen to drop the two men in a boat who were causing us so much anxiety. When Garnesk and I went up the river to the Chemist's Rock we were equally unsuccessful there. "Look here," I said, "suppose you were to go blind, Mr. Garnesk? I can't allow you to run any risks of that sort. We have every reason to know that there is something gruesome and uncanny about this spot, and I should feel happier if you would keep at a safe distance." "How about yourself?" he replied. "It's a personal affair with me," I pointed out, "but I can't let your kindness in assisting us as you are doing run the length of possible blindness." "Nonsense, my dear fellow," he exclaimed; "we're in this together. I am just as keen to get to the bottom of this matter as you are. But it behoves us both to be careful. It is most important that you should take care of yourself at the present moment. What would happen to Miss McLeod if I carried you back to the house in a state of total blindness?" "Oh, I shall be all right," I declared confidently. "But, of course, your point is a good one, and I shall not run any risks." "And yet you start by careering up the river here when we have very excellent reasons for supposing that it is hardly the place to spend a quiet afternoon." "You don't really believe that there is anything curious about the river itself, do you?" I asked. "We have agreed that some human agency is responsible for the tragic affliction that has fallen upon poor Myra. In that case we are not safe anywhere." "That's true enough," he agreed, "but everything that has happened so far has happened here. Sooner or later, no doubt, the operations will be extended to some other region, but at present we know there is a possibility of our being overcome by some strange peril between the Chemist's Rock and Dead Man's Pool."