to try on Thatcher’s old coat. The schoolmaster helped him put on the woolen garment, and although it was rather large on Ian, he relished the warmth and protection from the cold. The pockets were also large enough to hold his box and the photograph.

Once they were bundled up again and had set their dishes in the sink, he and Perry left the cottage to rejoin the members of the hunting party. Ian felt much better now that he’d had a few biscuits and hot tea, and he kept pace with Perry as they walked briskly back to the cliffs.

They found the earl and Ciaran’s group with little effort. Ian couldn’t help noticing that the men in the hunting party were far less jubilant than when they’d started that morning. Finally, as dusk settled along the cliffs and the wind began to die down, the earl called all the groups together and announced, “I’m afraid we’ll not find the beast today. Best to head back to the castle, have a proper supper, and begin our search again in the morning.”

Ian gave one last long look to the terrain atop the cliffs, searching the shadows. He hated to think that the beast would be loose somewhere nearby for yet another evening, though he reasoned that at least they had the safety and shelter of Castle Dover, which was a far more secure environment than the keep. Still, he made a mental note to keep his eye on Theo until the hellhound was hunted down.

Ian heard his name called, and he turned and trotted after the ten men in the hunting party as they trudged up the path in the direction of Castle Dover. He walked behind the earl and Ciaran and listened while they talked about their fruitless search. “I don’t think the beast is hiding in the caves,” said Ciaran.

“What I can’t understand is why there’s no sign of her,” said the earl. “We’ve looked all day for a drop of blood or a paw print or a scratch in the ground. … It’s like she’s vanished into thin air.”

“Awfully hard to hunt a beast that leaves no trace of itself,” replied Ciaran. “And we’ve searched almost every bit of the surrounding terrain. I suspect that after being wounded last night, she returned to gather her pups and got them to safer territory, someplace far away from here. By now she could be across the county” Ian’s heart skipped a beat. After encountering the hellhound firsthand, he knew she would not give up that easily. He felt strongly she was still in the area.

“I think it best that we not give up just yet,” said the earl, much to Ian’s relief. He’d been worried that the earl would agree that the beast had left Dover, and not bother to continue the hunt. “In the morning I’ll have Binsford call round to a few of the local villagers and see if some of the townsfolk won’t join us in the hunt. At the very least perhaps one of them has seen the beast and can give us some direction.”

Ian wondered if he’d be asked to go along again. It made sense that now that he’d served his purpose of showing the hunting party where her lair had been, he wouldn’t be needed anymore. However, there were still several unanswered questions, not the least of which was why his name was scrawled across the cavern wall in Greek lettering.

He wondered if Searle had been up to his tricks again, though Ian knew that the boy was fairly daft, and the likelihood of the orphanage bully being able to write anything so sophisticated in a foreign language like Greek was surely next to nil.

The earl and Ciaran fell silent as the last threads of sunlight drifted beyond the horizon, and Ian was relieved to see the lights of Castle Dover just ahead. He was looking forward to a good meal and a warm bed after two exhausting days.

When the group finally reached the castle, they wasted no time getting out of the cold. Upon entering the front hall, the hunting party was immediately greeted by several servants who hurried forward to take their coats. Ian gave his up only after he’d emptied the pockets of his treasure box and the photograph. “Thank you,” he said politely as a servant woman with a kind face helped him off with Thatcher’s coat.

Binsford came into the room as the last servant was collecting Alfred’s and Perry’s