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from Hart Crag, down into the valley? It looks like a long way.’
    ‘It certainly is. Got to be a thousand foot, and very steep. We had to scramble and climb up to the casualty. He was about half way up, in amongst the rocks. His head was pretty bad, and we didn’t have a doctor with us, so we did what we could to stabilise him and brought him down. But now you come to mention it I suppose it is unusual that he fell where he did. We do get people falling off the edges, where there are long falls on both sides, but most people are sensible when there’s a huge flat top on one side and a drop on the other, like there is on Fairfield. It’s just common sense really. But, like I said before, when you do this job you quickly get to learn that some people leave their common sense at home.’
    ‘So you haven’t had to rescue anyone from that position before?’
    ‘Not to my knowledge, no.’
    ‘And lots of people do that route?’
    ‘Even in the winter, on a pretty poor Sunday like that one was, I’d expect it to be in to the hundreds.’
    Hall thought for a moment.
    ‘Did Mr. Harrison seem well equipped for the job?’
    ‘Yes, he did. I always notice that. He was properly dressed and I remember that he was wearing very good boots, I have a pair just the same myself, and they’d been re-soled relatively recently. We didn’t look inside his sack, but it seemed to be well packed with everything you’d need for a day on the fells.’
    ‘So he didn’t strike you as being the risk-taking type?’
    Quayle suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable.
    ‘No. No, I suppose he didn’t. Look Andy, where is this going?’
    ‘Just background. And nothing struck you as unusual about the nature of his injuries, or how you found him?’
    ‘No, his injuries were exactly what you’d expect from someone who’s fallen several hundred feet down rocky scree. He was a mess. But we were slightly surprised to find he’d fallen so far. He must have taken quite a header over the edge. I remember a couple of the lads mentioning it actually, and I agreed with them.’
    ‘Do you happen to remember which way the wind was blowing?’
    ‘Don’t think there was much above a light breeze, even at the top. It wasn’t all that cold, so I’m guessing a westerly or nor’westerly. I can check if you like, but if I’m right the wind wouldn’t have been a contributory factor.’
    ‘What might have been?’
    Quayle put down a coil of rope, and looked up at Hall.
    ‘Overconfidence maybe, and a bit of bad luck. Walk right at the edge, slip on a wet rock or a piece moves under you, and that’s all it takes to send you straight over the edge.’
    ‘Thanks very much Dougie, I’ll leave you to your ropes.’
    Quayle nodded, and looked keenly at Hall.
    ‘So is this an official call then? Something I need to enter into our log?’
    ‘No, no, just satisfying myself on a few points.’
    ‘I see’ said Quayle, though his expression said otherwise.
     
     
    Hall realised that he didn’t have time for a proper walk, so when he got back to Windermere he turned right and followed the road down the lake. He parked in the car park below Gummers How, and strolled up to enjoy the view across the lake and to the wooded hills beyond.
     
    Even after all these years he still felt privileged to live and work in the Lakes, even though his born-and-raised colleagues hardly even seemed to notice the beauty of the landscape most of the time. But as Hall stood at the top of the How he too was guilty of thinking about what Quayle had said rather than taking in the beauty of the scene, the low and reddening sun picking out the white farmhouses and the craggy tops in the distance. So he didn’t hang about at the trig point, but headed for home and planned what he’d cook the girls for tea as he walked down the path back to the car. Then he started worrying about how far behind he was with the washing.
     
     
     
    Ian Mann did what he usually did on a Saturday