‘I’m going to look for Beavis,’ I explain. ‘But I won’t go far – just over there, see?’

I point into the distance, to where the river hurtles around a bend obscured by large, grey rocks, and Tui eyes me distrustfully, before slowly shaking her head.

‘OK,’ she says, but I can sense her reluctance. I am loath to leave her, but there is no other choice. She is safer on the ground than on horseback, and if I hurry, I can scour most of this area within half an hour or so.

‘I’ll be back soon,’ I assure her. ‘You can let the horses eat the grass if you like.’

She watches me go, and I turn to look back at her as I make my way along the edge of the water, watching her dear little form shrink the further I go. Now that I have found her, I feel like I can breathe again, but I’m conscious of how frantic a pursuing Kit must be. Even if he runs all the way here, it will take him at least another twenty minutes, and that could be too late for Beavis if he is trapped or in trouble. The sooner I can locate the dog and get him, the horses, and Tui back to the stables, the better.

I am calling Beavis’s name so incessantly that I fail to hear his little bark at first, only making it out when I spot him on the opposite side of the river. The water here is just as fast-flowing and looks deep, but in his excitement at seeing a familiar face, Beavis doesn’t even hesitate. Picking his way almost daintily over the white stones, I watch in mounting horror as he lowers his little nose to sniff the water, and then promptly jumps in and goes under.

‘BEAVIS!’ I yell, hurrying so fast down the bank that I slip right over and tumble down through a sticky mix of mud, clay and rotten tree roots. Clambering to my feet, I race along to where the current has swept the puppy, his little black nose just visible as he frantically tries to swim across to me.

Just as I didn’t stop to think before vaulting on to Ekara in the yard, I don’t give myself time to reconsider my actions now, and start to wade out into the water. It’s so cold that I catch my breath in a shocked yelp, but I can see Beavis struggling only a few metres away now. I must reach him – I must not let Tui lose the animal she cares about most. I know how it feels, and it is a loss I will not let her bear – not while I can do something about it.