r, Captain Davy and Pateley Jim came out of their
huts to see what was the matter, and they waded after the
Highlanders. Each seized a man by the collar and downhauled. There
was a sudden whirlpool, a splashing and a spluttering, as all the
five men went under and drank the brine.

"I think," said Pateley, "that will cool 'em a bit," and it did.

Long Mason was a university man, educated for the church, but before
his ordination to the priesthood he had many other adventures and
misfortunes. After being nearly drowned by the Highlanders he was
placed in charge of Woodside station by his elder brother; he tried
to mitigate the miseries of solitude with drink, but he did so too
much and was turned adrift. He then made his way to New Zealand, and
fought as a common soldier through the Heki war. Captain Patterson,
of the schooner 'Eagle', met him at a New Zealand port. He was
wearing a long, ragged old coat, such as soldiers wore, was out of
employment, and in a state of starvation. The captain took pity on
him, brought him back to Port Albert, and he became a shepherd on a
station near Bairnsdale. While he was fighting the Maoris his
brother had gone home, and had sent to Sydney money to pay his
passage to England. But he could not be found, and the money was
returned to London. At length Captain Bentley found out where he
was, took him to Sydney, gave him an outfit, and paid his passage to
England. Long Mason, honest man that he was, sent back the passage
money, was ordained priest, obtained a living near London, and roamed
no more.

He had a younger brother named Leonard Mason, who lived with Coady
Buckley at Prospect, near the Ninety-Mile, and became a good bushman.
In 1844 Leonard took up a station in North Gippsland adjoining the
McLeod's run, but the Highlanders tried to drive him away by taking
his cattle a long distance to a pound which had been established at
Stratford. The McLeods and their men were too many for Leonard. He
went to Melbourne to try if the law or the Government would give him
any redress, but he could obtain no satisfaction. The continued
impounding of his cattle meant ruin to him, and when he returned to
Gippsland he found his hut burned down and his cattle gone on the way
to the pound. He took a double-barrelled gun and went after them.
He found them at Providence Ponds, which was a stopping place for
drovers. Next morning he rose early, went to the stockyard with his
gun, an