scatter his brains about the yard, and blow the roof off
his head."

Dalton now left the hut, and went to the house of the settler, their
master, which was close at hand. All this time the household knew
nothing of what had been passing in the hut. He entered, and went
straight up to the sitting-room, where several gentlemen and ladies
happened to be collected. He opened the door, and deliberately advanced
with his gun pointed at those within. But a lady, who chanced to be
behind the door, on seeing the levelled gun, slammed the door in the
robber's face. This was a timely diversion, and the signal for a
general scattering of those present.

The men in the hut were subsequently tried for collusion with the
bushrangers; but when asked how they could suffer two men to "stick up"
so many, one replied to the magistrate, that, with their permission, he
would himself "stick up" the whole Bench.

The free servants were acquitted; those of the party who were prisoners
of the Crown were sentenced to imprisonment; but on Government being
petitioned by their free mates, who protested the innocence of all, they
were liberated.

After this the two bushrangers boldly carried on their depredations,
roaming about from station to station, "sticking up" the men, and
robbing the masters; while a large party of the police were following on
their track. One day they came to a hut full of men, and, opening the
door, tried the old plan of intimidation by standing with loaded
double-barrelled pieces in the doorway, and threatening with deep oaths
to "drop" the first man of them, who moved hand or foot. But it happened
that several of the pursuing constables were within the hut. One of
them, named Buckmaster, rushed towards Dalton. The robber fired and the
constable fell dead. Dalton still stood unmoved in the doorway, with his
levelled gun, and calmly said "Ah, how d'ye like that? Now, then, I'm
ready for another!" This coolness saved them both and for a time they
escaped capture. But such an outrage on one of their officers roused the
Government. A large reward was offered for the capture of the two
bushrangers, and they were hunted through the island more hotly than
ever.

Driven to desperation, they seized upon a whaleboat; by threats pressed
four boatmen into their service, and actually compelled them to work the
boat across Bass's Straits to the opposite shores of Victoria. Here they
safely landed on the solitary coast of Western Po