your
horses.'

"`I'm damned if I will,' says Bogan. `I'm not going to catch me death o'
cold to save your skin. If you want me you'll have to bloody well come
and git me.' Bogan was a good strong swimmer, and he had good horses,
but he didn't try to get away--I suppose he reckoned he'd have to face
the music one time or another--and one time is as good as another out
back.

"Campbell was no swimmer; he had no temptation to risk his life--you see
it wasn't as in war with a lot of comrades watching ready to advertise a
man as a coward for staying alive--so he argued with Bogan and tried to
get him to listen to reason, and swore at him. `I'll make it damned hot
for you, Bogan,' he said, `if I have to come over for you.'

"`Two can play at that game,' says Bogan.

"`Look here, Bogan," said Campbell, `I'll tell you what I'll do. If you
give me your word that you'll come up to the police station to-morrow
I'll go back and say nothing about it. You can say you didn't know a
warrant was out after you. It will be all the better for you in the end.
Better give me your word, man.'

"Perhaps Campbell knew Bogan better than any of us.

"`Now then, Bogan,' he said, `don't be a fool. Give your word like a
sensible man, and I'll go back. I'll give you five minutes to make up
your mind.' And he took out his watch.

"But Bogan was nasty and wouldn't give his word, so there was nothing
for it but for Campbell to make a try for him.

"Campbell had plenty of pluck, or obstinacy, which amounts to the same
thing. He put his carbine and revolver under a log, out of the rain that
was coming on, saw to his handcuffs, and then spurred his horse into the
water. Bogan lit his pipe with a stick from his camp-fire--so Campbell
said afterwards--and sat down on his heels and puffed away, and waited
for him.

"Just as Campbell's horse floundered into the current Bogan shouted to
go back, but Campbell thought it was a threat and kept on. But Bogan
had caught sight of a log coming down the stream, end on, with a sharp,
splintered end, and before Campbell knew where he was, the sharp end of
the log caught the horse in the flank. The horse started to plunge and
struggle sideways, with all his legs, and Campbell got free of him as
quick as he could. Now, you know, in some of those Darling River reaches
the current will seem to run steadily far a while, and then come with a
rush. (I was caught in one of those rushes once, when I was in swimming,