The Philipsburg mail., 1899-08-04
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued.) J


After some further conversation the
man Luke ceased to take any further
notice Of the young man, beyond an
occasional glance, as If he We're trying
to remember where he had seen his
face before. Baynes very shortly after
wards got up and went off home to his
hut.
AS one of the men had informed
Luke, Mr.. Hall happened to be short OF
hands just then, and upon applying TO
him the next morning he got taken on.
Things went on for some time very
much as usual. There We're cattle
brandings, breaking in CT horses, and
Sunday kangaroo-hunts. indulging in
drunken bout at Sulivan's, the bush
Inn," few miles off, the latter diver
sion being much to Mr.. Halls incon-
venience and disgust
Sulivan's lightning" rum was not
only guaranteed to make men drunk,
but it had the peculiar effect, after
few days steady drinking, of sending
them raving mad. This was not to be
wondered at, as Mr.. Hall frequently
told his men on the station, for the
chief components were spirits OF VINE,
brown sugar and tobacco
A noticeable alteration had taken
place in Tom Baynes' demeanor since
the arrival of Robert Luke upon the
station. He seemed to have relapsed
into his old moody manner, which he
had apparently got rid Of as he had be-
come used to the place.
He was now never in the mems hut
longer than was absolutely necessary
for the performance Of his duties, and
he shut himself up more than ever
away from them all.
"How precious fond of that missus OF
his he must be-" said Luke one night.
cts queer no ones ever had sight
Of her. Hasn't no one for certain ever
seen herr"
mot as I knows on" returned one
Of his mates. What does it matter tC
you If you see her or not? She's ar
invalid, that's what she is. And he's
a good mate, and provides good grut
all round"
"I'll try and get look at her, ant
chance the ducks" retorted Boil
Luke. "What right has she to go anC
shut herself up? 1t puzzles my brains
where l have seen that chap Baynes
! before"
After this Luke was constantly pry
ing about in the endeavor to get ;
peep into Baynes' hut. One night h
succeeded in creeping close up to i
without disturbing the inmates. Their
was, however, no possible means O
peeping in, so Luke lay down in tn,
shadow behind the chimney and list
ened. He could not catch single
word. If the inmates of the hut were
in very low tones. By-and-by, how
ever, the door opened, and in tn
stream of light that came from with
in, Luke beheld a woman walk ou
into the open air. a shawl partly con
cealed her features as she went dow
the little garden path to the gate.
Then she stopped for some ten min
utes with her back towards the watch
er, looking out into the night
Il shall see her better when she i
coming back thought Luke.
But at that moment the lamp insid
the hut was eXtingushed, and h
could see nothing more than the shad
owy form of the woman as she turne
round and re-entered the dwelling.
Robert Luke felt bafIIed, and his Gu
riosity became keencr than ever
When he reached the hut in which h
slept, he found it empty. The me
were still haggling over their greas
cards at euchre in the kitchen.
Sitting down by the plank table
upon which stood the slush lamp
tin pannikin full of sleeps fat wit
rag for a wick-Luke pulled out a
old pocketbook, and drew from it
worn and dirty paper. Unfolding it, h
read the heading, Zone ThOusan
Pounds Reward" The rest of tn
printed matter, which he read throug
carefully, contained the description {
Edward Bartlett and Anne DodsOn.
"Well, it amt them at any rate" h
grumbled, as he replaced the paper
its cover. "'Man with fair compile,
ion, gray eyes, shortish-' That won
do. Baynes has dark eyes-is qui,
middling height. Hair might dye; bl
eyes-no, it amt him. Besides, | sa
them both in court when Bill We
tried. l have it," he cried, springin
to his feet and bringing his fist dow
with a crash upon the table. "That
where I saw the face like his. 1t Wa
Anne Dodson's! Supposing he is
brother Of Anne Dodson's, and has ht
here in hiding?"