s quite amazed, and her eyes travelled anxiously to and
from Dick's bowed head and his mother's distressed face. Then the women,
to give him time to recover himself, sat together talking of other
matters--Harry Hardy mainly--and Dick, ashamed of his tears, crept away
to bury his effeminate sobs amongst the Cape broom in the garden.

Dick had not sat alone more than a minute when he heard a sharp whistle
from the back. It was Jacker Mack's whistle and at first Dick did not
respond, but sat mopping his tears with his sleeves. The whistle was
repeated three or four times, and at length he determined to meet Jacker,
thinking there might be some news about the reef in the Mount of Gold. He
passed out through the side gate, and along to the fowl-house at the
corner, behind which he expected to find his mate sitting. But when he
reached the corner a pair of strong arms snatched him from the ground,
and he was borne away at a rapid pace in the direction of Wilson's
paddock. His face was crushed against the breast of the man who held him,
in such a way that it was impossible for him to utter the slightest
sound.

Across the flat in the shallow quarry he was thrown to the ground, and
for a moment he caught a glimp of his captor in the darkness, a
powerfully built man, wearing a viator cap that covered the whole of his
face and head, with the exception of the eyes.

'Let one yelp out o' you an' I'll crush yer head with a rock!' whispered
the man ferociously.

Dick was blindfolded and gagged, and his arms and legs were tied with
rope, his enemy kneeling on him the while and hurting him badly in his
brutal haste.

The boy was caught up again and thrown on the man's shoulder, and the
journey was continued at a trot. He knew when the bush was reached,
because here a fence had to be climbed. He tried to understand what this
adventure might mean, but his thoughts were all confused and the gag made
breathing so difficult that once or twice he feared he was going to die.

When at last the man stopped and Dick was dropped to the ground, they had
travelled about a mile and a half into the bush. He heard the sound of
timbers being moved, and presently was caught up again; after much
fumbling and an oath or two from his companion the latter withdrew his
support, and Dick felt himself to be dangling in the air from the rope
that tied his limbs. Now the bandage was pulled from his eyes, and the
boy, after staring about through the starlit