"Oh! go and look for them," she said, "and bring them here at once. I
am afraid that those terrible men have carried them off."

"Not at all likely, mother," I said. "I have no doubt, however, that
Burton and Harry have already set off to follow the men."

As she again urged me to go, assuring me that she was quite recovered, I
took my gun, and telling Popo to remain and attend on her, hurried out.
I found that Burton and Harry had released the man who had been bound to
the tree, while the other, who had been only stunned, had recovered; and
all four, with guns in their hands, were making their way towards the
foot of the cliffs in pursuit of the bushrangers. I followed, shouting
for Edith and Pierce; for I could not help thinking it possible that the
bushrangers might have carried them off. As the robbers were heavily
laden with their spoil, they had got only a part of the way up the cliff
when we caught sight of them. With intense thankfulness I saw that they
were alone, and that they had not carried off the children.

"Stop, you villains!" cried Burton, when he got near enough to make them
hear.

They did not reply, but continued making their way up the cliff.
Burton, who was leading, was about to pursue, when one of them turned
round and levelled his rifle at his head.

"If you advance another step I'll fire!" shouted the man.

"Two can play at that game, friend," exclaimed Burton, lifting his
musket and letting fly at the bushranger. We imitated his example; but
when the smoke cleared off we found that the men were still making their
upward way, springing with wonderful agility from rock to rock.

We had to stop to reload; then, notwithstanding their threats, we again
began to climb after them. They had, however, a long start of us, and
had already gained the easier part of the ascent; still, laden as they
were, one of them might slip and give us a chance of overtaking him, and
we continued our ascent. They were now, however, hidden from sight by
the trees and rocks above our heads.

Burton still kept ahead of us, and was the first to gain the summit of
the cliff. He lifted his musket and fired. Directly afterwards the
rest of us joined him, when we saw the two bushrangers galloping away to
the southward, at no great distance from the cliffs, where, the ground
being level, they could make better play than more to the right, where
it was undulating and somewhat soft in the bottom. They were alrea