time, noticed that it was an officer with whom he had
to deal, and not with the constable; who, as he believed, was the
only one in the district. He uttered a savage exclamation, for he
felt that this materially altered the conditions of the affair.

"Oh, it's you, is it?" he said. "I thought it was only one of your
men; but the advice I gave is as good, for you, as for him. I
advise you to turn back, before all my mates are down on you."

"Your mates will never be down on anyone again, Tom Thorne," Reuben
said sternly. "We have wiped out seven of them, and the other is a
prisoner."

"It's a lie!" the bush ranger said, furiously. "They are two
hundred miles away, in the bush."

"With your friend Bobitu, eh? Yes, they were, but they are not now,
Thorne. They are lying under the ashes of that hut of yours, close
to the tree where you buried your treasure; and it's I who am going
to have help, not you. My man will be up in a few minutes," and he
glanced round at the constable, whom the bush ranger now perceived,
for the first time, less than half a mile away.

Reuben's words had the effect they were intended to excite. They
filled the bush ranger with fury, and desire for vengeance; while
the sight of the approaching constable showed him that, unless he
took prompt measures, he would have two adversaries to fight at
once.

Without a moment's hesitation, he set spurs to his horse and dashed
at Reuben. When within twenty yards, he fired.

Reuben felt a sharp pain, as if a hot iron had been passed across
his cheek. Thorne uttered a shout of exultation as he saw him start
but, as he kept his seat, again raised his hand to fire. In an
instant Reuben discharged his pistol, and the bush ranger's weapon
dropped from his hand, for Reuben's bullet passed through his
wrist.

Throwing the burden before him headlong to the ground, Thorne drew
a pistol with his left hand; and the two shots rung out again, at
almost the same instant. Reuben, however, was slightly the
quickest, and this saved his life. His bullet passed through the
bush ranger's body, while Thorne's pistol was diverted somewhat
from its aim, and the bullet struck Reuben's left shoulder, instead
of his head. In an instant, he had drawn another pistol.

"Surrender or I fire!" and then seeing, by the change in the bush
ranger's face, and by his collapsing figure, that he was badly hit;
he waited, still keeping Thorne covered with the muzzle, for the
bush ranger