Hurriedly he approached, intending to advise her to lie down again, to tell her that perhaps she might overtax her strength.

The sun shone upon her, glinting on the little head with its tangle of bright hair and the small, oval face with its pallor, and dark-blue eyes underlined by dark-blue circles.

She looked at him and he looked at her.

In that exchange of glances he imagined each saw the other in some different guise.

It seemed impossible to Venters that this frail girl could be Oldring's Masked Rider.