 He left the area in 1945, being wrongfully arrested in the case of the Mount Dare station manager found guilty of assault and maltreatment of Aborigines.He moved to the South Australian Riverland, where he assisted in the establishment of the Gerard Mission.In 1948, James began his career as a tracker for police and landowners, and gained much of his reputation tracking criminals (including arsonists, poachers and escapees) and lost persons.