ck to me again. You have been a good boy, and I
have no wish to get rid of you; but this gentleman don't know the
ways of the country, and I want to be sure he has someone with him
he can trust."

The lad looked at Reuben gravely, with his small eyes deeply sunken
under the projecting eyebrows.

"Jim will go," he said. "He look after white man and Tartar, to
please Massa Hudson and young Missy."

"That's right, Jim," his employer said.

"That's a good stroke of business," he went on, as he turned away
with Reuben; "if you treat these black fellows well, and they get
attached to you, they are faithful to death."

"You will see that fellow will never let your horse out of his
sight. If you ride twenty miles across country, there he will be by
your side as you dismount, ready to take it, and looking as fresh
as paint. At night he will sleep in the stable, and will be ready,
at all times and places, to make a fire, and cook a damper or a bit
of meat, if you are lucky enough to have one by you. All the people
about the place would do anything, I believe, for Frances; and the
fact that you have saved her life will bind this boy to you, at
first. Afterwards he will get to care for you, for yourself."

A fortnight later Reuben, in his uniform as an officer of the
constabulary, rode out of Sydney. His baggage had been sent on,
three days before, by a waggon returning up country. Jim trotted,
with an easy stride, behind him. Reuben at first was inclined to
ride slowly, in order to give his attendant time to keep up with
him; but he soon found that, whatever pace he went, the lad kept
the same distance behind, without any apparent exertion; and he
was, therefore, able to choose his own pace, without reference to
Jim's comfort.

Four years passed. Reuben Whitney gave every satisfaction to his
superiors, and was considered a zealous and effective young
officer. So far he had not been placed in a position of great
responsibility; for although for the last two years he had been in
charge of a district, it was not far from Sydney, and his duties
consisted principally in hunting for convicts who had made their
escape, in looking after refractory ticket-of-leave men, and in
ordinary constabulary work. He had learned in that time to become a
first-rate rider, and a good shot with a pistol, accomplishments
which would be of vital service when he was ordered to an
up-country station. For his pistols he had as yet, however, had no