He had some errand, which Gresson knew about, and he was in a hurry to perform it.

It was clearly my job to get after him.
I had a rotten afternoon.

The fellow covered the moorland miles like a deer, and under the hot August sun I toiled on his trail.

I had to keep well behind, and as much as possible in cover, in case he looked back; and that meant that when he had passed over a ridge I had to double not to let him get too far ahead, and when we were in an open place I had to make wide circuits to keep hidden.

We struck a road which crossed a low pass and skirted the flank of the mountains, and this we followed till we were on the western side and within sight of the sea.