The herald., 1895-12-15

| OF mind and tact; so, seeing tnaC my
only chance OF being allowed to leave
that company was by playing a part
and conciiiating them, l tied up my
horse alongside of one of theirs that
stood saddled hard by. and said to
Mcdonnell: "a nice sort of reception
you'd give man, mate. But I'll for
give you if you give me drink of tea
and fill of tobacco. l came away
without any this u forming, aud have
been riding all day. All! that's better
this to Mcdonnell, who had indicated
the billy alongside the fire with an in
clination of his head. 1 took a drink
Of tea and cut fill of tobacco from
the plug that Suythe handed me.
Now, hospitality of this nature is ~
! much sacred rite with the Austria
lians as the breaking OF bread is with
the people of the east, so felt some
what more at my ease.
l could not help admiring Billie's
cunning, for after one glance at me
that was full of meaning he talked as if
he had known me for years, and in a
way that, had any nneniightened party
overheard, would have seriously COM
promised my character. Or course, L
saw his drift, which was to impress his
comrades with the idea that | WAS the
last man In the world to go talking
about their whereabouts. l must con-
fess that his evident anxiety to put me
i'll a good light in their eyes struck me
with rather unpleasant significance.
For desperate men, all three, and with
the shadow of the gallows resting over
two of them, was it likely that they
would let me, comparative stranger,
walk right out of their camp, perhaps
right into police one, and give them
away" Just when they were within
thirty miles of the northern territory
boundary line, past which the Queens
land police might not follow them?
And ali the time | could see Nc
Donell was turning over something in
his mind. Only once did | catch the
restless CLINT OF those ferret-like black
eyes, and they convinced me that there
was little cha CT of leaving that camp
alive if he only took it into his head
that was not to be trusted. AS it
was, he and Smythe observed dis
concerting silence. and l replied
and talked to Billie in strain
that it is to be hoped
shall never require to adopt again
when talking to anyone. Let mans
life be at stake, however, and he will
do many thing his conscience con-
dennis. Aud, after all, l frankly con-
fess to being no hero. 1t helps me to
keep from having any inordinate opin-
ion uf my self now when l think that
had stranger heard me talking then
he would have thought | was a tit COM
panion for Billie and his mates.
But it would not do to stop in that
camp too long. or they might mistake
my motives. Besides, was becoming
all the time more nervous on account
of the peculiarly sinister manner of
Mcdonnell and Smythe, and WAS
anxious to have it over-such as it
might be.
And now the go-go-burra or laugh
ing .jackass had begun his noisy cachi-
nation, as he does first thing in the
morpiIg and just before shutdown.
Innumerable tree-frogs and members
of the iasact world, now that the sun
was getting lower and the air became
cooler, began to make the Australian
forest instinct with strange sounds.
the like of which can only be heard IN
tropical forest at nightfall.
Flocks of screeching parrots and
parrakeets, mapy-husd pigeons and
| noisy leatherheads swooped down to
drink at the waterhole as if oblivious
of our presence; and the graceful
fronds of palms, with their laceliEe
tracery, became darkly and sharply
silhouetted against the gray sky.
1t was strange and significant fancy
that struck me Just then, that some of
their dropping leaves should resem Bile
the nodding plumes on hearse. 1t is
strange, but true, that in positions of
the most imminent danger the most
trivial details will impress themselves
on ones mind. But it was necessary
that | should have daylight to leap
back over the fence again, so L rose
from the ground on which l had seated
myself | do not deny that it cost me
an effort even to take this urgent step.
1t was no mere presentiment,b but pal
pable sense of imminent and impending
danger that possessed me now.
Well, mates, tina | was going" said.
"By the way, if you want fifty of
flour we can let you have it. Billie
can come along with me, and I'll slip
it out to him. No one need know who
gets it. If you're going into the terri
tory you may find it useful
Billie jumped at the idea, but the
other two silenced him. They did not
Ictullt II, tucy cotu. LII lobLs thcy
we're nearer the station than they cared
about.
| walked towards my horse. Now, |
think there is no more disagre5able
sensation than to turn your back to Il
man and think thst he is meditating
putting bullet into you. You dare
not look around, in case you may pre-
cipitate the action, and you feel cold,
creepy sensation running down your
spine, as if some ona were pouring cold
waier down your back. 1t is horrible
thing to think that you may be launch
ed into eternity at any moment with
out preparation. My fingers were
twitchinR nervously as l united the
reins from the tree aud prepared to
mount. The three men had drawn to-
gether, but ! could not look at them.
How utterly ct their mercy ] was them
Just as [ put my left foot iuto the stir
rup, there was sudden movement-an
mprecation--the ping" of pistol.
Zip "a bullet buried itself in the
bark of tree close to my head, and
Mcdonnell exclaimed Course you,
Billie, you've spoiled the shot ~
sprang into the saddle Just in time
to see Billie endeavoring to prevent
Mcdonnell from firing again. Hold
hard, my heArty!' cried the latter. To