ckened, they at once
recognised him as Basham, the late overseer. The wretched blacks had
already suffered so severely that the settlers had no desire to overtake
them. Dismounting, therefore, one of the party led the horses, and the
rest, lifting up the wounded man, bore him back towards the hut. They
frequently looked behind to ascertain if the blacks were following for
the purpose of recovering him, but no attempt of the sort was made. It
was hard work carrying him, for he was a heavy man. Some deep groans
which burst from him showed that he was suffering much pain. From a
feeling of mercy they stopped, and found that the bullet had entered his
leg, and had probably grazed, if it had not broken, the bone. Craven
had a knowledge of surgery, especially valuable to a bushman; and while
all were stooping down round the injured man, he probed the wound, and
extracted some of the black cloth which had been carried into it. Had
Basham been a friend who had been fighting for them, he could not have
been treated more tenderly. He, however, scarcely spoke, and displayed
no sign of gratitude. At length they reached the hut in safety. The
horses were tethered outside, ready for instant service. The wounded
man was placed on Sam's bed, and such restoratives as the brothers
possessed administered to him. These arrangements concluded, the whole
party thankfully sat down to a meal, which was rather breakfast than
supper. The Gilpins now learned from Craven that he had heard a rumour
of the proposed attack of the savages, instigated by the stockmen,
though he did not understand that Basham was the prime mover; that there
was only one man whom he could trust, and that, having invited him, they
had both set forward to their assistance. His companion was evidently,
like himself, a man of superior education and fallen fortunes. In
Craven the necessity for unusual exertion had worked a marked change,
and he no longer appeared the spirit-broken man he had seemed when
Arthur first met him.

The fire continued raging, but made no further progress, and, in spite
of its dangerous neighbourhood, all the party except James, who insisted
on remaining on watch, were fast asleep. The hours of darkness passed
by slowly and anxiously. He kept his ears ever ready to catch any sound
outside, and he occasionally looked forth, thinking it possible that the
blacks might return, or that some of the white companions of their
prisoner might