covered the face of the moon for perhaps a full minute and as it moved on, moonlight flooding the glen again, two Land Rovers turned off the track and braked to a halt.
The man who slid from behind the wheel of the first one holding a shotgun was of medium height, thick-set and muscular, his mouth cruel in a pale face. Chavasse recognised him at once from his briefing file. Jack Murdoch, Donner's factor. Fergus Munro came round from the other side of the cab to join him.
Donner was at the wheel of the second vehicle and a woman sat beside him, her face in darkness, a scarf around her head. Probably Ruth Murray, Donner's secretary, Chavasse decided and then Donner got out of the Land Rover and moved to join the others, an enormously powerful looking figure in a sheepskin coat.
Murdoch said something, there was the click of the hammers going back on the shotgun and Donner whistled softly. There was a sudden scramble inside his Land Rover and a black shadow materialised from the darkness to stand beside him in the moonlight.
Chavasse's mouth went dry and fear moved inside him for this was a Doberman Pinscher, the most deadly fighting dog in the world and perfectly capable of killing a man.
'Flush him out, boy! Flush him out!' Donner said softly.
As the dog came forward with a rush, Chavasse stepped out of the darkness to meet it. It froze with incredible control, eyes glowing like hot coals and the growl started somewhere at the back of its throat, carrying with it all the menace in the world.
'That's him, Mr. Donner!' Fergus Munro cried. 'That's the bastard that beat me up and his fancy woman still inside, no doubt.'
Murdoch moved to join Donner, covering Chavasse with the shotgun and Donner looked him over calmly. When he spoke, his Australian origin was plain to the ear.
'This is private property, sport. You should have stayed out.'
There was all the menace in the world in those flat tones and then a tearful, strained voice cut in from the porch. 'Max? Max, is that you? Thank God you're here.'
Donner looked beyond Chavasse, astonishment on his face as Asta Svensson stumbled from the doorway. She started to sway and he ran, moving with incredible speed for such a big man, catching her as she fell.
He looked down at her in amazement and then called quickly: 'Ruth, it's Asta! For God's sake get in here quick,' and hurried inside.
The woman who got out of the Land Rover and crossed to the porch, wore slacks and a sheepskin jacket and was even more attractive in the flesh than Chavasse had expected from her photographs. She looked him over calmly without stopping and went inside.
Fergus Munro turned to Murdoch, a frown on his face. 'And who in the hell is Asta?'
'Something tells me you're in for rather an unpleasant shock, Fergy boy,' Chavasse said pleasantly, and he turned before Fergus could reply and followed Ruth Murray into the lodge, the Doberman at his heels.
Asta was doing very well indeed. She was back in her chair, drinking the glass of water Ruth Murray held for her while Donner leaned over anxiously.
She looked up at him wanly and reached for his hand. 'No, I'll be all right, Max. Really I will. I had a shock, that's all. There was a man here, a horrible man, and then Mr. Chavasse came and threw him out.'
'A man?' Donner said, frowning.
'He threatened me.' Her hand went to her torn blouse. 'In fact he was thoroughly unpleasant.'
Donner straightened slowly, his face very white and there was murder in his eyes as he turned to face Murdoch who stood in the doorway.
'Where's Fergus?'
The roar of an engine breaking into life outside answered him and as he ran out into the porch, one of the Land Rovers drove rapidly away.
'Shall I get after him?' Murdoch demanded.
Donner shook his head, his great hands unclenching slowly. 'No, we'll catch up with him later.' He turned to face Chavasse and held out his hand. 'I'm Max Donner. It would seem I'm considerably in your debt.'
'Chavasse-Paul Chavasse.'
Before Donner could reply, Ruth Murray joined them. 'I think she'll be all right, Max. She's tired more than anything else and she's twisted her ankle.'
'But what was she doing here in the first place? I don't understand.'
'Apparently she was on her way here by train, bought a map, saw there was a track over Ben Breac and thought she'd try it. She wanted to surprise you by just walking in.'
'You mean she's come over that damned mountain this afternoon?' Donner said in amazement.
Ruth Murray nodded. 'I'm not sure where Mr. Chavasse fits in, but he certainly seems to have arrived in the nick of time.'
There was something in her eyes, some cool doubt that had to be met and Chavasse smiled. 'I'm on my way to Ardmurchan Lodge.'
'Colonel Craig's place?' Donner said.
'That's right. He's my uncle. I'm staying with him for a week or two. I was on the same train as Miss Svensson. In fact I noticed her destination from her luggage. When she left the train at Lochside, it seemed strange, so I had a chat with the ticket collector who told me she'd decided to walk over the mountain. He didn't seem to think it was a very good idea. To be perfectly frank, neither did I, so I decided to follow her.'
'And a damned good job too,' Donner said.
Asta appeared in the doorway, smiling weakly. 'I'm terribly sorry, everyone. I'm afraid I made something of a fool of myself. Could we go now, Max? I'm rather tired.'
And as his arm went round her, it was there in the look in his eyes, his instant solicitude, just as Chavasse had guessed from that single photo in the file, that one expression as he had looked up at a sixteen-year-old girl.
'We'll go now, angel,' he said. 'Right now.' He glanced over his shoulder at Chavasse. 'We can drop you off on the way. We pass your uncle's place.'
'That would be fine,' Chavasse said.
Murdoch took the wheel for the drive down the glen, Asta and Donner beside him on the large bench seat, the Doberman at their feet on the floor. Chavasse sat in the rear with Ruth Murray and when the Land Rover swayed on a bend, she leaned against him and smiled.
'The roads aren't quite up to twentieth century standards, Mr. Chavasse. A trifle primitive like everything else in these parts. Will you be staying long?'
'Depends how I like it,' he said. 'I could stay for a month if I wanted. I'm a university lecturer and the term doesn't start until October.'
'Which university?' Donner asked.
'Essex.'
The big man nodded, lapsing into silence again and rain rattled against the windscreen. Ruth Murray smiled. 'Here it comes again. Rain, Mr. Chavasse. Rain and yet more rain and the wind driving in from the Atlantic six days out of seven. I could think of more attractive places for a holiday, but then I suppose it depends what you're looking for.'
'Peace and quiet mainly,' he told her.
Murdoch changed down and swung into a narrow drive through trees with the lights of a house beyond, and braked to a halt. There was a lamp in the porch and lights showed at a window through a chink in drawn curtains, but it was difficult to see much else of Ardmurchan Lodge in the darkness and driving rain.
Chavasse started to get out and Asta turned quickly. 'I hope to get a chance to thank you properly, Mr. Chavasse. Tomorrow perhaps?'
'Plenty of time for that, angel,' Donner told her. 'Let's give Mr. Chavasse a chance to settle in.'
Chavasse got out and as he had expected, Donner followed. 'I'll just see you to the door,' he said and pressed the bell.
Footsteps approached almost at once, the door opened and a greying, military-looking man in a black alpaca jacket peered out. 'Yes, who is it?' he said and then he saw Chavasse and opened the door wide. 'Why, Mr. Paul, we were getting quite worried about you.'
'Hello, George,' Chavasse said briskly. 'You picked up my luggage at Lochailort, did you?'
