and Dick and Billy, whose larder had run short, were compelled
to make a raid on Wilson's garden--which yielded little in the way of
fruit, but carrots and turnips were not despised. At about eleven
o'clock, from an outlook amongst some scrub on the Red hand tip, Dick and
his mate could see that something unusual was going on in Waddy. They saw
a crowd gathering near the Drovers' Arms, and could catch the glitter of
the accoutrements of a couple of troopers. A little later a mounted
policeman actually came cantering into the paddock and forced them to
creep stealthily to their safe retreat at the bottom of the mine. Here
they sat and talked, prey to the most torturing curiosity. Dick's
theories to explain the apparent sensation were fine and large, investing
himself and his companion with profound dignity as the heroes of a
thrilling adventure; but Billy's for a wonder were somewhat gloomy,
reckoning with parental castigations and ten years in gaol. This unusual
frame of mind was induced, no doubt, by a limited and strictly vegetarian
diet. Dick took into account the possibility that Jacker, Ted, or Phil
Doon might divulge the Company's great secret, although his faith in the
loyalty of his mates was strong. If the worst came to the worst he
meditated a retreat through the hole into the Red Hand drive, and flight
from thence down the ladder-shaft and into the spacious workings of the
Silver Stream.

To help pass the time the two worked a little in the drive, breaking down
about a hundredweight of the quartz ridge that had cut in across the
narrow face. The stone showed gold freely. At another time this would
have occasioned the wildest jubilation, but now everything was secondary
to the wonder inspired by what they had seen in Waddy, combined with
their dread of the results of last night's work. It was well on in the
afternoon when they were joyfully startled by the sound of a whistle in
the shaft.

'Hello, below there!' cried a voice, and a few seconds later Parrot Cann,
too excited to go through the usual formalities, rattled down and landed
in a heap at Dick's feet.

'What's up?' asked Dick eagerly, as Parrot crept into the drive.

'Oh, I say,' gasped Parrot, 'youse fellers are in fer it!'

'How? Who split? What're the troopers doin'?'

'They're after youse.'

'After us!' Peterson's face paled at this corroboration of his worst
suspicions.

'My oath! Gable's in gaol at Yarraman; Phil an' Jacker an' Ted's bee