een him, Captain
Whitney?"

"No, indeed," Reuben said "I would give a good deal to catch sight
of him."

"What do you know about him?"

"I only know that he is a young fellow, not much older than I am
myself. His was a life sentence. He was concerned in a burglary in
the country, in which two old ladies were killed. Two of his
accomplices were hung for it, but in consideration of his youth,
and as it was not proved that he took an absolute part in the
murder, he got off with a life sentence. I heard about the case
from Captain Wilson.

"He came out here about a year after I did. He had not been here a
month when he killed one of the guard, and made his escape. Since
that time he has been a scourge to the colony. Not a week has
passed without complaints of his bailing up and robbing teamsters
on their way down to Sydney. He soon gathered two or three others
about him, and his daring and impudence soon made him a noted
character. Several times he, with two other men, rode into
good-sized villages and, pistol in hand, went from house to house,
and carried off every shilling in the place. He has ridden into
large stores single handed, and compelled the storekeepers to hand
over the contents of their tills. Sometimes they bring spare horses
with them, and ride off laden with groceries and stores. He has
committed at least a score of murders, always using his pistol at
the slightest show of opposition; and sometimes murdering,
apparently, from pure love of the thing."

"Do you know his name?" Kate asked.

"His real name? No, I don't know that I ever heard it. He is always
spoken of as Fothergill."

"I will tell you his real name, presently," Kate said. "As my
sister and I came into the kitchen, he took off his hat and made a
deep bow and said:

"'Ladies, me and my mates are sorry to put you to any
inconvenience; but as we happen to be hungry, we must trouble you
to get us some supper. You need not bother to make tea, wine is
good enough for us.'

"Of course, as we were in their hands there was nothing to do but
to obey his orders; so we spread the cloth, and brought out what
there was in the larder. Then we fetched in the wine, and I brought
several bottles of spirits; for, as I whispered to Alice, 'If they
get drunk, we may be able to get away from them.'

"Before they sat down, the captain told two of his men to go
upstairs with us and fetch down our watches and jewelry, and the
money there was in the house